Need a new monitor... suggestions

LWidget on 13/08/2018 - 00:59

Hi guys,

My 27" 1080p Viewsonic LCD died, and now I need to a buy a new screen. I'm a casual gamer, but don't think I need anything super fancy, and really only entry level, with a budget around $300.

Just wondering if anyone can post some recommendations.

$300 (but can stretch a little if there's something better a little higher in price).
27"
1080p - 1440p
16:9
HDMI connection (to connect PS3 or other HDMI device to)
Display Port connection (this is my current primary connection to the GFX card atm)

Brand I'm not fussed with. Also, I read good things about 144hz screens, but don't think they can be had in my budget ?.

gSync (I don't think I need this. My Viewsonic had Freesync, which I couldn't use anyways, and didn't have any issues playing games (not that I had anything to compare it to).

Are there any Korean monitors that are still ok? I remember reading about Korean screens getting good reviews.

My PC is,

i7 2600k
16GB RAM
GTX1080 GFX Card

Thanks

Computing

Comments

  • airal3rt on 13/08/2018 - 03:12

    For around the $300 mark you can grab a 144hz monitor from Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, definitely the best bang for your buck.

    144hz/1080p >>>>>> 60hz/1440p

    • Widget on 13/08/2018 - 21:23

      Thanks Airal3rt :). I had a quick look, didn't come across much iir, but will keep an eye out.

      Is 144hz really that much better ? I've always been with 1080p @ 60hz… don't know if i'd notice an increase to 144hz. I think most of my games all run under 100FPS anyway.

  • Axelstrife on 13/08/2018 - 03:40

    https://www.pccasegear.com/products/41704/acer-kg271a-fhd-14…

    I'll be buying this myself this month sometime
    27" 144hz 1080p $369
    There's also a 24" version for $299

    • Widget on 13/08/2018 - 21:24

      Thanks Axel :). I had a look at that one, seems ok, seems to be the cheapest one available with 144hz. I had a 24" prior to going 27", was good size, but gotten use to the 27", can't see myself going back lol.

    • Widget on 13/08/2018 - 21:25

      yes! I would, but out of my budget :(. Have read good things about that screen. Why do most screens do AMDs FreeSync though… only see GSync in the top tier monitors :/.

  • lolzdj on 13/08/2018 - 11:10

    You can buy a 144hz monitor for 300$ i believe from mwave, i can't link as it's blocked by proxy but it shouldnt be too hard to find. I myself use the Acer one at home (bought in a deal 1 month or less ago) and it's amazing, you'll 100% love it with that 1080 of yours :P

    • Widget on 13/08/2018 - 21:55

      Thanks Lolzdj :), I had a look, seems they're 24" 144hz around that price range. Was aiming to stick with 27" (for now) as I've gotten use to the size lol.

  • dcep on 13/08/2018 - 11:30

    get 34" , 75hz , 21:9 , 2560 x 1080p

    lowest was $330+ … have to wait for deals

    else got 29" version

    • Widget on 13/08/2018 - 21:57

      Thanks phunkydude :). I think both 29" and 34" would be a bit big for me. :p

  • onevstheworld on 13/08/2018 - 17:17

    What games do you play? 144hz is most useful if you play fast paced games like FPS. Slower games like strategy isn't as noticeable. An intermediate frequency like 75 or 100hz monitors also exist, as do 240hz ones.

    G-sync is good but you're not going to get one new with your budget… G-sync usually has a $100-150 premium over Freesync. Buying used probably not an option either, older G-sync monitors only had a single Displayport input… multi-input screens only came out 3 or 4 years ago.

    Like phunkydude suggests, have you considered an ultrawide? A 1440 ultrawide is out of your budget, but a 1080 one is.
    https://www.mwave.com.au/product/lg-29um69gb-29-ultrawide-fu…

  • Widget on 13/08/2018 - 22:06

    Thanks Onevstheworld :), I mainly play at the moment;

    Battlefield 1
    Battlefield: Bad Company 2
    Ghost Recon: Wildlands (for now, but getting bored of it tbh)
    PAYDAY 2
    Company of Heroes 2
    Guild Wars 2

    I have some other games around that I might get back into play. I also want get back into MS Flight Sim X too..

    I had a look at the widescreen, but I dunno.. seems a little big for me tbh. How does it handle scaling of Games and movies though? Is it going to produce a stretched screen or have black bars on the sides? Movies are usually 16:9 ratio, aren't they ?

    Plus, with that screen, is it only 75hz with the use of FreeSync ?

    Thanks :)

    • onevstheworld on 14/08/2018 - 21:58

      Games will scale depending on how they are coded. Some will get stretched. Some will have messed up UI. Some have very particular bugs (e.g. in GW2, Charr are too tall to fit in the character select screen, but the rest of the game is OK). Sometimes these things can be fixed with mods (e.g. Skyrim). Newer games are fine with ultrawides… you get a larger field of view so it can be advantageous in many situations (I'd bet flight sims would look awesome).

      Movies will have black bars on the sides. I normally have movies in a window and use the extra space to have a browser open.

      That monitor's max frequency is 75hz… nothing to do with Freesync. Freesync and G-sync work when the frame rate falls under the screen's max refresh rate. E.g. for this monitor, if your FPS drops to say 50fps, your monitor will lower the refresh rate to match it. This reduces the tearing, jerkiness or stutter you get in this situation. If your FPS is always above 75hz, then Freesync/G-sync never kicks in.
      https://www.pcworld.com/article/2974781/displays/g-sync-vs-f…

      In your case, Freesync is useless since Nvidia GPUs do not use the tech. It will treat it like any other non-sync monitor.

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