Monitor Investigation

[bprc 1,441]

How, nice find

 

Like I said, email!

 

 

Sorry!

[MasterShrive 2,015]

LOL. Fail type. Wow*.

 

Now come on, I'd at least have put a question mark on that thing if I'd skim read.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

So in the end I went with the ASUS via PC Case Gear. I took too long to decide RE the Dell being on sale, and in the end a couple of small things sent me this direction.

 

It arrived yesterday and I set it up but didn't get time to really use it until today. It makes my old 24" monitor look terrible - certainly not wrong about the IPS screen as everything looks amazing colour wise compared to before. I'm very happy with it.

 

I originally put my 24" monitor in portrait mode, but due to the viewing angle it was very hard on the eyes so I have since put it back to landscape. That said, I actually gained room on my desk, because I was able to remove an old set of speakers (the ASUS has some inbuilt) and the 24" monitor is now partway off my desk, taking up less footprint than my old 4:3 18" screen.

 

I had a game of BF3 today and it seemed to run well enough at the new resolution on medium settings. Therefore, I'm not sure I'll worry about getting a new card just yet and over the next few weeks I'll consider if I'm going to do any further upgrades or not. Time (and stability) will tell.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Well a lot has changed in the four years since I posted this.

 

I'm getting that upgrade itch again. But if I get a new monitor, this time, I'd also need new GPUs and maybe a new CPU (and thus new MB). There's a bit to consider, that's for sure.

 

For the monitor, I feel HDR is now a requirement. As is a refresh rate of at least 120Hz. However, the question I'm now not sure about is 4K or ultra wide screen at 1440p (as seen here: https://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/472219,dells-two-new-alienware-curved-35in-displays-look-great.aspx) I'm in two minds over this, and I'm curious as to what others are doing. I feel a standard ratioed monitor at 4K is probably better supported (especially within Windows), but maybe an ultra wide screen at 1440p would be more useful gaming wise? Anyone running either of these kinds of set ups?

[bprc 1,441]

Get a decent 1440p 144Hz (or 160) monitor. Gsync if you're sticking with nvidia.

 

4k gaming is still a way off imo. Even 1440p is a lot of pixels to push around.

Edited September 1, 2017 by bprc

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Yeah Gsync is another must for me - I can't see myself going back to AMD any time soon as ShadowPlay has become a very important when I game.

 

Would you go ultra wide, or just up the Hz? And curve or no curve, lol.

[bprc 1,441]

Curved TV's can DIAF but they make a lot more sense for monitors. Ultra wide curved would be nice but not sure what options you have for 1440p-ish and 140+Hz and gsync.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

I have a feeling that, a bit like 4K 144Hz, it's on the horizon for the next six months or so (which is when I'm thinking of upgrading). The one in the link above isn't even out yet I don't think.

 

On a side note, I quickly tried the Steam home streaming to my very underpowered HTPC. It played GTA V no worries and it all looked good without any input lag from what I could tell. I didn't realise, but it actually just streams whatever is on the main PCs screen, so I could alt-tab to Windows if I wanted. This also meant the main PC couldn't be used. I ordered an Xbox controller which arrived today, so I might give some couch gaming a go for something different.

[Duckz 474]

58 minutes ago, MasterShrive said:

I have a feeling that, a bit like 4K 144Hz, it's on the horizon for the next six months or so (which is when I'm thinking of upgrading). The one in the link above isn't even out yet I don't think.

I'm with BP. True 4K gaming without having to start lowering texture settings etc. to maintain frame rates is still a ways off.

 

My recent upgrade to 27" 1440p 144Hz G-Sync monitor has been worth it. I didn't even consider a 4K screen. But then again, mine was an impulse purchase because of the price.

 

In terms of ultra-wide and curved monitors, if you're unsure about them, I'd be trying to find somewhere and someone that already has them, and having a test run. I know some YouTubers I watch, they say that curved monitors aren't always the best for productivity work etc, especially when they're working on things like editing timelines.

[PistolKnight 554]

Makes my 1080p setup feel ancient lol

[MiniSanders 588]

I went the 1080p route with 144hz.

Kills my 10 yr old Samsung (Which has decided to turn on with static 50% of the time since the upgrade)

 

I'm never going to spend the money required for 1440 or 4k anytime soon, so I didn't worry about even looking at them.

 

[Phobos 1,209]

1440p @ 144Hz with IPS and G-Sync(if they exist). I'll never go back to a non IPS panel. If you think the extra price is witchcraft, look at this post and dip duck and dive your head up and down. You'll notice the colour change of the grey - even moving slightly off parallel. 

 

Keep in mind for a curved screen, if you do any photoshop or similar, the curve might make it difficult to align what you're doing. Plenty of videos about that too.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Phobos

[bprc 1,441]

54 minutes ago, Phobos said:

look at this post and dip duck and dive your head up and down. You'll notice the colour change of the grey

I hate you... 

 

Was about to say I don't have a problem with my TN panel and you do this to me!?

 

But seriously, you don't notice it if you're not looking for it.

[RallyMan 304]

my predator x34 is one of the best things i have purchased

[MasterShrive 2,015]

I feel I am getting closer and closer to going ultra-wide and getting a GTX 1080 Ti to power it all. Then maybe putting my second monitor into portrait mode next to it (or perhaps above it in landscape). I'm still not certain though if I want to plunge now, or wait until probably next year for the X35 with HDR and a higher refresh rate. Of course, that won't be cheap though

 

How do you find your general desktop experience with the X34 Rally?

[RallyMan 304]

so i was in a similar mindset shrives where i was waiting for the next models to arrive and they just kept being pushed back and back, saw this one on special for 1399 and decided to bite the bullet

 

i had 3 x 24" screens set up for a long time which where fantastic for racing games but absolutely terrible for everything else computer related

then my son destroyed his monitor and i went to 2 x 24" and i like the ability to do something different on each screen so i was not sure how the x34 would go and really came close to buying 2 27" screens

 

have to say im really glad i didnt get the 2 screens.

watching video's ect on the x34 is amazing

it is pretty easy to have have docs or web pages open on each side of the screen (even 3)

 

the one draw back is you loose the 2 screens which can be useful in games

gaming experience is amazing. the extra width makes a massive difference in game and i find i dont really miss the extra width in dirt rally ect.

the computer seems to run the single monitor far better than the 3 as well.

 

only thing i find a bit frustrating with the uw is playing LOL. because you use your mouse on the edge of screen to move the map it is a longer travel to make this happen which is annoying but workable.

 

im running a gtx 980 and comp can handle almost the highest settings on most of the games i play and even when i reduce settings i dont notice much difference as the base res is pretty high

gysnc is also very good

 

so no real complaints from me and wish i had one at work

 

 

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Yeah they're all really good points. I'm going back and forth on whether I should get something now that is still good quality (depending on price, maybe even the AOC Agon AG352UCG), or if I should wait and just get something with all the bells and whistles that is going to last me for years. Given I'm not even sure if I like the ultra-widescreen option, I know what I probably should do, but we'll see.

 

I'd still be running a second monitor as well for exactly that reason. I could never go back from having the likes of TS, maps etc. open on the second screen. I miss that from BF3/4 and Battlelog, as this was quite useful. I'm not quite sure where I'd position the second screen though.

 

Good point about LoL too - I would never have thought of that

 

All handy info. I greatly appreciate the feedback.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Rally, do you use ShadowPlay? And/or how do you go about with recordings and taking screenshots?

 

I also imagine streaming with ultra-wide would prove to be an issue?

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Well, this seems to be where I'm at:

• I think I want to go ultra-wide over 4K
• HDR and refresh rates higher than 100Hz at 1440p won't be happening before mid next year (most likely) - even to get to 100Hz all of the current models need to be OCed
• Gsync is pretty much standard
• There may be some issues with ShadowPlay in terms of the aspect ratio, but after some quick Googling I think there are some pretty easy ways around this in Premiere
• Screenshots are going to be a different resolution, but so be it
• Steaming can be done, but tweaking would be required (I also Googled a bit about this, but not something I'm likely to do in the short term)

 

If I want to make a purchase now, I've basically narrowed it down to three, after doing a lot of reading and discussions with fellow clannies:

 

Acer Predator X34

• $1,430
• This is what Rally has
• IPS panel

ASUS ROG Swift PG348Q

• $1,700
• Screen splitting software available, but not sure it would be better than free options available
• IPS panel

AOC Agon AG352UCG

• $1,250
• May be more difficult to find in Aus as seems to be out of stock
• VA panel

 

The AOC Agon might have been the front runner, but it doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere. That probably leads me back to leaning towards the Predator.

 

 

The other thing I would need to do is work out what GPU to go with. I was probably leaning towards a 1080Ti.

 

And hopefully, if I go down this path, that will be the "update bug" taken care of for the foreseeable future.

[RallyMan 304]

x34 for $1324 http://www.warehouse1.com.au/epages/shop.sf/?Locale=en_AU&ObjectPath=/Shops/warehouse1/Products/13ACUMCX1SA002D10&ViewAction=ViewProductViaPortal&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrci318-R1gIV0QMqCh3LywblEAkYAiABEgKZ8fD_BwE

never used them but they are in victoria

 

i dont have any issue with shadow play and the rally vids i posted in the dirt rally section are using the x34 and shadow play

[PistolKnight 554]

Wow that is a fair monitor investment.

 

You should go for what you want, I only ever bought a $1k monitor once - and over time realised I had made a mistake (I felt that I need to keep the monitor twice as long to bring the average cost per year down and of course tech had moved a couple of times in the meantime). So I only spend ~$500 on a monitor now.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Nice find Rally. I'm pretty sure I have used them before.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Acer have come out with an X38: https://www.pcgamer.com/au/acer-predator-x38-review-gaming-monitor-performance/

 

Looks nuts; but ticks a heap of boxes.

 

Above, I got the AOC Agon AG352UCG. Which was a fair outlay at the time, but the cheapest option. I'd never go away from ultra-wide now, so maybe the X38 could come past my desk in a few years time.

[Decroxx 815]

I like the 1600 pixels H, as I have noticed that 3440 x 1440 feels a bit cramped in height sometimes.

I find myself wanting to scroll out more in games, just to see up and down a bit more.

[MasterShrive 2,015]

Yeah agree. I've got my second monitor in portrait for reading documents etc. which is great - but that obviously doesn't help in games.