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New monitor tech?

Marty81Marty81 Registered User regular
I’ve been using a pair of dell u2412m’s for years and while it’s been a great monitor, I’ve always felt like it’s had just a little bit of input lag or delay or something that makes it unsuitable for action games, and a little annoying for mousing in general. When I look up the input lag specs I see that its input lag is only about one frame (it runs at 60 fps) so it’s really about as good as can be, but I still feel like something is off. Now that we have 144hz+ monitors I’m wondering if upgrading to one of those will fix the issue.

I have a gtx1060 (edit: 6 gb version) and I’d like to get a new display, probably 27”, and run it along with both u2412m’s. I’d like to be able to play Witcher 3 at 60+ FPS and also take advantage of this new gsync or freesync (or whatever it’s called) technology. I care more about performance than image quality, but image quality and viewing angles are still important. I haven’t looked into new monitors for years so I have no idea what is available at what price points. What recommendations do you have?

Marty81 on

Posts

  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    There's three main factors in looking for a monitor:
    Panel Type
    Response Time
    Frame Rate

    Panel Types:
    IPS: Your Dell screen is one of these. IPS's have good color reproduction, better contrast and are generally the best looking types of screens. The biggest tradeoff is the tend to have higher input lag and are a bit pricier. High framerate ones get expensive really fast.

    TN Panels: Are the cheapest and most common LCDs. For games their biggest plus in they have the fastest response times.

    VA: Never used one myself but they're supposed to be the middle ground between TN and IPS

    Response times: Gaming monitors seem to fall between 1ms and 5 ms. IPS are usually a bit slower. Higher the time more likely you'll see lag or ghosting in fast paced games

    Frame rate: Standard is 60. Higher you go pricier they get. Gsync is Nvidia's Vsync tech. Its reliant on hardware so they tend to be more expensive. Freesync is Radeon cards sync tech but NVidida has recently started supporting some Freesync screens . You can look up lists of the models that are "gsync comaptible on Nivida's site.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Are you certain it's the monitor, and not one of your peripherals starting to die?

  • Marty81Marty81 Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    Are you certain it's the monitor, and not one of your peripherals starting to die?

    The feeling of input lag is consistent across various mice and my game pad, so yeah I’m pretty sure it’s the monitors.

    I’m guessing with my video card I shouldn’t try to go past 1440p, right?

    I’m leaning towards a TN 27”-32” 144hz panel. Does anyone have any strong feelings about these specs?

    Also what about curved screens? Yay or nay?

  • a5ehrena5ehren AtlantaRegistered User regular
    If PQ and Viewing Angles are important, you likely won't be happy with a TN display.

    I would get a 100-ish Hz VA or IPS panel over a 144+ Hz TN panel. A 1060 will probably struggle to get 100+ fps in Witcher 3 at 1440p anyway.

    Don't spend extra to get G-Sync over Freesync at this point, as Nvidia has basically conceded the war and now supports Freesync on the 1060.

    Don't get a curved panel unless you are getting an ultrawide and using it as your only display.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    a5ehren wrote: »
    If PQ and Viewing Angles are important, you likely won't be happy with a TN display.

    I would get a 100-ish Hz VA or IPS panel over a 144+ Hz TN panel. A 1060 will probably struggle to get 100+ fps in Witcher 3 at 1440p anyway.

    Don't spend extra to get G-Sync over Freesync at this point, as Nvidia has basically conceded the war and now supports Freesync on the 1060.

    Don't get a curved panel unless you are getting an ultrawide and using it as your only display.

    A GTX 1060 will definitely struggle, unless you take considerable hits to graphical fidelity, particularly ambient occlusion.

    Which is totally an option, but "anything less ultra-high settings" is kind of a dirty word in these particular circles, regardless of the reality of it, whether you consider trade-offs in resolution or framerate to be worth it.

    Like a lot of games, The Witcher 3 is also known to be kind of tricky when it comes to breaking the 60 hz barrier. It's certainly doable, but performance will not always be consistent (that's..just how this works in general). You'll be turning of Hairworks most obviously (not a loss) and possibly some other things. Really, there are just areas in the game that run great at 100 FPS or more, and other areas that you'll probably never get much past 60 FPS. It's not Skyrim or something, but it's not the most optimized game ever.

  • Marty81Marty81 Registered User regular
    I am ok with lowering graphics settings in game to get better resolution and frame rates.

    I would think viewing angles would not be an issue with a modern 27” TN panel the way I’d use it: mostly viewing head on, sometimes viewing from leaning back in my chair. If I am wrong about this please let me know.

    Based on the list of gsync compatible monitors here https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/products/g-sync-monitors/specs/ I think I’m stuck with 27” if I want to stick with a 1440p TN panel. I could go all the way up to 32” if I’m ok with a VA panel (which frankly I’ve never heard of before. I need to do more research.)

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    TN panels look like garbage compared to IPS and VA.

  • DonnictonDonnicton Registered User regular
    Viewing angles are an issue with TN, I have to tilt mine to match my eye level whenever I lean back or forward in my chair.

    Honestly I don't think my TN monitor response time was worth the huge drop in color and contrast quality. Anything that blends multiple levels of black looks especially terrible.

  • a5ehrena5ehren AtlantaRegistered User regular
    The vast majority of TV-sized panels are some form of VA, for what its worth. The "IPS Only!" folks should really be more like "literally anything but TN!".

    TV reviewers actually cite IPS panels as a negative due to their lower native contrast, unless you need the wider viewing angles.

  • AridholAridhol Daddliest Catch Registered User regular
    I have 1 ips and 2 VA panels and I find the VA panels just as good for image quality and a little better for games.

    Really go check out the high refresh VA panels if you can, I think people would be surprised how nice they are.

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Aridhol wrote: »
    I have 1 ips and 2 VA panels and I find the VA panels just as good for image quality and a little better for games.

    Really go check out the high refresh VA panels if you can, I think people would be surprised how nice they are.

    Yeah, VA has some big improvements over IPS. The newer VA monitors like the samsung quantum dot panel displays are actually better than IPS in response time (which is supposed to be one of the bigger drawbacks of VA). The somewhat worse viewing angles don't matter very much with a monitor, as it's stationary on a desk and really only viewed by the person sitting stationary right in front of it.

  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    I went IPs over Va because there weren't many non curved Vas in the size/resolution i wanted

  • Marty81Marty81 Registered User regular
    I think I'm going to need to go check out some VA panels in person. I don't think I've ever actually seen one before.

    I know I don't want IPS. I already have two IPS monitors with low input lag times and I will keep them. They are fine for doing secondary work on or watching things but they are just not fast enough for me for primary tasks or gaming.

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Marty81 wrote: »
    I think I'm going to need to go check out some VA panels in person. I don't think I've ever actually seen one before.

    I know I don't want IPS. I already have two IPS monitors with low input lag times and I will keep them. They are fine for doing secondary work on or watching things but they are just not fast enough for me for primary tasks or gaming.

    See if you can peep at one of the samsung quantum dot displays. I've had mine for a month now and I'm still in love with it.

  • BlazeFireBlazeFire Registered User regular
    This will expose me as a lowly commoner, but I have the 27" 1440p 144Hz TN panel Dell (S2716DG I think?) and I don't have any complaints about the picture quality. My common games these days are Dota2, Apex Legends, some BF5.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    I have the same monitor and I have no major qualms.

  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    edited May 2019
    If budget is no question I have the Alienware AW3418DW and this thing is pure sex. It looks great, the gsync is fantastic, the refresh rate makes everything look buttery smooth, and it's easily one of the best upgrades I've made next to swapping an SSD in for my gaming hard drive. Granted, I went from a cheap and old BenQ VN monitor to this which is like going from a busted bicycle to a BMW so I may be a bit biased. I dunno if the 1060 can drive the screen tho, you'd need to do some research on that. It prolly doesn't help that I fell out of AAA gaming hard and am playing stuff like Mordhau and Squad which aren't too demanding.

    TOGSolid on
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