New Monitor

[Blitzer]

Hello,

It looks like my trusty Samsung monitor may have a developed a fault so I have started looking for a potential replacement. However, with most tech things it would seem there are more considerations over just size, price and general quality these days....

• IPS or TA?

• G-SYNC/FREESYNC - are they worth/needed?

• I was looking to upgrade and go 4K or would this likely just cause strain on my GFX card/system?

• Currently have 24” screen, so looking to go bigger. Thinking that 27/28” might not seem that much bigger but also not sure if 32” would be overkill or potentially even too big?

I use my PC mainly for P3D and occasional other games (insurgency & Insurgency Sandstorm quite a lot lately). Other than that the monitor is also used for general use.
VR is something I may consider in the future when the tech has moved on and prices improve.

My pc specs are listed in my signature, but I would welcome your views, advice and personal experiences very much.

Paul

[Simicro]

Hi Paul,

I changed my monitor one year ago. I forgot the details but here is my story and experience.

1) I moved from a good but aging Samsung 27" 1920 × 1080 60 Hz to a DELL S2716DG 27" 2560 x 1440 (2K) Gsync

2) I returned the DELL because of text tearing when web browsing (but no problem in games)

3) I took instead an Asus PG278QR 27'' 2K Gsync 144/165 Hz which I'm happy with

4) IPS: more vibrant and "true" colors. TA? I am not aware of. If you mean TN: more smooth colours. Personally I much prefer TN.

5) FREESYNC: works only on monitor equipped with an AMD chip or so. G-SYNC: works only with Nvidia chip if I recall correctly. GSYNC is said to be better but more expensive than FREESYNC. I took GSYNC 144Hz. Generally speaking 144 Hz and GSYNC are more easy on my eyes for general use and smoother in game. However I cannot say that I perceive it as day and night. I would say good and better "personal" experience. Of course there are other factors.

6) 4K: yes it will put strain on your 1070. Your card can handle it but maybe don't expect to push the game sliders all to the right. You might see a fps drop as well compared to your current screen. Also be aware that for general use, default fonts will be tiny, unless you change the zoom in applications and programs

7) I went to 2K and stayed 27" to keep good fps, and keep a margin of security if you understand, in case flightsims and games requirements increase. To give you an idea, with my current monitor I achieve 45-80fps in P3D with most sliders on high or very high.

8 ) 32" ? Think that you need some distance between your screen and your eyes. I stayed on 27" because I don't have much space. I have 60 centimeters between the screen and my eyes.

Hope this helps.

[Blitzer]

Thank you Simicro, very helpful response.

I am kind of thinking almost anything will be an upgrade and improvement from my aging Samsung monitor. Still,very much on the fence regarding 4K though!

[Simicro]

You are most welcome, mate.

I received help too from the community when I changed my monitor.

Yes, anything will be a very noticeable improvement compared to your Samsung. And you will see it immediately.

To avoid disapointment and having to return the new product: I know nowadays it is not always possible to see a monitor operating before buying, but at least try to see the difference of colours between an IPS and a TN in real life with a friend or in a store.

2K or 4K, you have some data to decide now I believe.

If you go 4K, and if your budget allows, try to get Gsync. Because, with identical P3D settings, you will inevitably have a fps drop in 4K. And that's where Gsync comes into play. Practically it adapts continously the refresh rate of the monitor to your in-game fps. That is if your fps drop to 20-30 for example, the refresh rate will lower accordingly, giving a smoother experience. In my case, when P3D drops to 40-50, I barely see the difference with 50-70 unless I really pay attention. At least I don't see stutters for sure.

Maybe wait a bit for other users advices before making a final decision.

In any case, good luck mate!

And when you get your new monitor, please post a short notice here to say how it goes and if you are happy.

[Hook]

6) 4K: yes it will put strain on your 1070. Your card can handle it but maybe don't expect to push the game sliders all to the right. You might see a fps drop as well compared to your current screen. Also be aware that for general use, default fonts will be tiny, unless you change the zoom in applications and programs

Do not underestimate the problem with tiny fonts. I can't count the number of complaints from people who bought the 4K and then complained that they couldn't read the text in games. I had to write a mod to make the default text larger in one game when I was having eye problems. It is not trivial even if you have access to the necessary code to make a mod. I have enough problems just getting fonts big enough to read with 1920x1080, both desktop and web sites. At least those have settings.

Get used to the idea of using the Windows Magnifier (type "Magnifier" into the box bottom left).

Hook

[nojwod]

I bought a Philips 40" 4K monitor with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, and with my GTX970 it struggled in denser scenery like Orbx TE Netherlands, but I have since upgraded to a GTX 1080 and I can't fault it. yOur GTX 1070 shouldn't have a problem handling 4K, as it is only one step below the 1080.

Legible text size, acres of room to put documents in, and when in flight simming, a whole field of view in front of me.

An adjustment period was required to look around the screen which involved moving my head to look at the the corners not just the eyeballs but it's second nature to me now. Would I go back to anything smaller of less than 4K? No way.

[jclay13]

I went with a BenQ 32” monitor at 2K resolution (2560 x 1440) since 4K was too much for my system. The PPI (pixels per inch) is 91.79 which is the exact same PPI for a 24” monitor at 1080p (1920 x 1080). Flight Sim looks great on this 32” monitor and it doesn’t stress my video card. I enjoy the larger screen size especially in the virtual cockpit. What’s also nice is if you pair it with a 24” 1080p monitor there is no change in scaling of windows when you drag them from one monitor to the other since they are both at 91.79 PPI.

I first tried a 27” 1080p monitor but was not happy with it because the images were not as sharp as my 24” 1080p because the PPI on a 27” at 1080p drops to 81.59 so gauges and things are not as sharp so I then went with the 32” 2K.

So whatever you decide for size and resolution keep in mind that the bigger the screen size you go you will lose sharpness in the image unless the resolution increases to increase the pixels per inch PPI. The image on a 27” 1080p looks worse than the image on a 24” 1080p because the resolution doesn’t change but the PPI drops on the larger screen size.

If your video card can handle 4K then I would do that. You could do 27” but if I was doing it I would buy a 32” or larger. A 32” 4K monitor has 137.68 PPI so it’s very sharp and looks great. Once you get higher than 32” though I think you have to buy a TV and that was too much for me on a desk.

Here is a good PPI (pixel per inch) calculator to use as you shop around:
https://goodcalculators.com/ppi-pixels- ... alculator/

Keep in mind if you are currently at 24” at 1080p you have 91.79 PPI so use that as your factor when deciding on a new monitor. You will not be happy with the image sharpness of a new monitor if you buy something that has less PPI than what you currently use. At least I wasn’t.

Here is the monitor I went with:
https://www.benqdirect.com/monitors/cad ... 3200q.html

Amazon has it cheaper:
https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-PD3200Q-Des ... ref=sr_1_1

Good luck and let us know what you end up buying!

Jon

[Blitzer]

Some great tips and insight, really helpful stuff and aspects that I had not fully considered the small text on a 4K display for example. Also the PPI consideration is a very valid point.

I cannot say I have come to and final decisions as yet, also did a few more searches and I would seem 4K would be the way forward -not as if I will be changing the monitor again any time soon, so I kinda wanna make the best choice. Bearing in mind my current monitor is still actually working of course!

It has become apparent that for my use I will be leaning towards a gaming monitor. G-sync seems like a good and worthwhile feature to have. I am guessing if the hardware is taking care of this that software/driver control of v-sync would not be required.

With regards to IPS v TN, I am leaning towards IPS not so concerned by viewing angle but improved colour reproduction has perhaps more appeal to me over response rate.

Size wise if I were to go 4K then I think 32” would be preferable that would be verging on the large size though for the space on my desk. If I were to settle for 2K then I would likely go for 28”/27” mainly due to the PPI consideration.

The following are perhaps the front runners ATM...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... p_hza?th=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Predator- ... nitor&th=1

[Simicro]

Hey Blitzer,

Thanks for keeping us informed on your thinking. I would say "good" thinking. IMHO you now have relevant data and attention points and you are on the good path to decision. Yes! Take your time.

You are leaning towards IPS (no problem, I respect that), however I can see that one of your links is a about a TN

"I am guessing if the hardware is taking care of this that software/driver control of v-sync would not be required.": good guess, that is correct. If you have G-Sync, you would have to untick V-sync in your games.

"Size wise if I were to go 4K then I think 32” would be preferable": yes, for the legibility of the fonts.

"If I were to settle for 2K then I would likely go for 28”/27” mainly due to the PPI consideration.": Again, I agree with the rationale!

"front runners ATM": I don't understand. What does that mean please?

[Blitzer]

Hey Blitzer,

Thanks for keeping us informed on your thinking. I would say "good" thinking. IMHO you now have relevant data and attention points and you are on the good path to decision. Yes! Take your time.

You are leaning towards IPS (no problem, I respect that), however I can see that one of your links is a about a TN

"front runners ATM": I don't understand. What does that mean please?

Currently thinking I will hold out until Black Friday deals start appearing assuming my current monitor lasts. Either that or wait until it actually stops working. Not really in a hurry to replace it, more a case of wanting to know what I should be looking for if a replacement is needed.

Yup, I was aware one of my links was for a TN screen, not totally against it by any means! Basically the main differences were 28” with TN screen, against the 32” with IPS screen then of course the considerable difference in price, for the extra size and IPS.

ATM = At The Moment, I.e. these two monitors seem closest to my requirements at this time.

Paul

[Simicro]

Oh I see for ATM! The ATM acronym I knew is for Automatic Teller Machine

Regarding TN, the view angle (generally one is seated in front of the screen and not on the side, at least for gaming) is not the key factor for which I chose that technology. The key factor was the "smooth" colours vs "vibrant" IPS colours, just a matter of personal preference and just to explain... And the TN responsiveness was an important factor but second priority for me. Anyway TN/IPS is like AMD/Intel, Apple/PC, Nvidia/Radeon...

So in the end, you are READY now... for the Black Friday or... when the replacement is needed