24" or 28" 4k monitor

[memory]

I am looking to do a new build soon hopefully, not had much time to mess with it. I am looking into upgrading to a 4k monitor as well. I would not mind having a 28" if it would be in my budget. My budget is $300 to 400. I do mostly gaming like BF1 and maybe others as well along with watching videos and general web browsing. Don't do any video editing or anything like that. I am currently using a 24" 1080p monitor and a secondary 19" standard monitor.

Are there any certain brands to stay away from? Would I be fine with 60mhz refresh rate? Would there be any difference in buying a 4k monitor vs a 4k tv? I do have the space to go bigger if it's in the budget.

Here is the build I plan on doing, I have not bought anything yet.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kydcwV

 

[DooKey]

Don't buy a 7700K since the 8700K is coming out this week. Also, with a GTX 1070 it's hard to recommend a 4K monitor. The 1070 matched up with a 1440p is a better experience IMO.

 

[memory]

Don't buy a 7700K since the 8700K is coming out this week. Also, with a GTX 1070 it's hard to recommend a 4K monitor. The 1070 matched up with a 1440p is a better experience IMO.

Is the 8700k going to lower the price of the 7700? Can the 1070 not handle a 4k monitor very well?

 

[ElFenix]

Don't buy a 7700K since the 8700K is coming out this week. Also, with a GTX 1070 it's hard to recommend a 4K monitor. The 1070 matched up with a 1440p is a better experience IMO.

nah, either turn down a couple settings or just let scaling do its thing. i've run my 32" 4k screen at 2560x1440 and it's fine. it'd be even less noticeable with a 24" screen.

 

[DooKey]

Is the 8700k going to lower the price of the 7700? Can the 1070 not handle a 4k monitor very well?

Typically Intel doesn't lower the price of a recent SKU just because a new one comes out. However, for little more than a 7700K you can buy a 6c/12t 8700K. In the long run you'll be happy you got the 8700K.

As far as the 1070 and 4K goes you can turn down settings and run 4K, but if you do as ElFenix said above you'll be fine with a 4K. I personally believe a 1070 is much better for 1080/1440p.

 

[Tweak155]

I use a 970 currently and I run the games I like to play just fine at 4K with settings turned down, although admittedly I'm not running the latest and greatest games. But, I would expect the 1070 be able to do that for you.

As far as the build you've picked, I'd recommend swapping the 850 pro for an 850 evo unless you want the warranty difference, you will not notice a speed difference that is tangible IMO. I bought a 950pro M.2 NVMe SSD to replace my 840 (the 950pro is ~4x faster than an 850pro to give you an idea) and I did not notice enough difference so I instead replaced it with a cheaper 850 evo and saved some money. The 850 evo is PLENTY fast enough.

As far as the monitor... if you have a $400 budget, you could easily afford a 28" 4K, and with black friday coming up there may even be a 32" deal. I would recommend at minimum the 28" if you want to avoid scaling. Costco has a $299 28" Samsung available that I thought looked great in store here. I just did not like the bezel and I am holding out for a 32"... I was tempted at $299 though!

 

[memory]

I don't mind turning down the settings a bit if that means the 1070 can handle it fine. I would like to have a better card like a 1080ti but can't really justify that. And what is scaling?

Tweak, I will check out the 850 evo series.

As for getting an 8700k, would I have to get a different socket motherboard? Do we know the exact release date? I would love to get an 8700k since I do usually keep my builds for a while. My current one is about 7 years old, hard to believe been that long since I built it.

 

[Tweak155]

Here you go! 32" 4K just popped up for $400:

https://slickdeals.net/f/10618780-32-lg-32ud59-b-uhd-4k-va-led-monitor-with-freesync-400ar?src=pdw

 

[Tweak155]

I don't mind turning down the settings a bit if that means the 1070 can handle it fine. I would like to have a better card like a 1080ti but can't really justify that. And what is scaling?

Tweak, I will check out the 850 evo series.

As for getting an 8700k, would I have to get a different socket motherboard? Do we know the exact release date? I would love to get an 8700k since I do usually keep my builds for a while. My current one is about 7 years old, hard to believe been that long since I built it.

Scaling is taking a smaller object and transforming it to look bigger (or smaller, and typically the algorithms intend to retain sharpness) so it's easier to see.

When you take a 4k image and put it on a physically smaller screen, text and objects get smaller along with it... so you turn on scaling to make them bigger. I always prefer a native resolution image without scaling because the scaling on Windows is not handled very well, although it has gotten better. I'd say it's "acceptable" now, but I think my preference will always be to not use it.

Even if it worked perfectly, the end result is you lose real estate, which to me defeats one of the biggest benefits of having 4K to begin with.

 

[DooKey]

I don't mind turning down the settings a bit if that means the 1070 can handle it fine. I would like to have a better card like a 1080ti but can't really justify that. And what is scaling?

Tweak, I will check out the 850 evo series.

As for getting an 8700k, would I have to get a different socket motherboard? Do we know the exact release date? I would love to get an 8700k since I do usually keep my builds for a while. My current one is about 7 years old, hard to believe been that long since I built it.

The 8700K is still socket 1151, but needs the Z370 chipset. Z270 and Z170 will not work with it. The good news is the 8700K should be available tomorrow with corresponding motherboards.

 

[fleshconsumed]

I'd advise against getting 4K 28" panel because they're all TN panels. If you want to stay with a small monitor, get 24" one, otherwise get 27" or 32" 4K as those are typically IPS (check before you buy though).

 

[repoman0]

nah, either turn down a couple settings or just let scaling do its thing. i've run my 32" 4k screen at 2560x1440 and it's fine. it'd be even less noticeable with a 24" screen.

I do the same with a 1070 and 32/4k screen. You can set your GPU drivers to do the scaling for you, looks fine with this many pixels. I play most games at 2560x1440 but really like the extra screen space on the desktop. 32 inches is large enough to run it unscaled outside of games.

 

[Tweak155]

I do the same with a 1070 and 32/4k screen. You can set your GPU drivers to do the scaling for you, looks fine with this many pixels. I play most games at 2560x1440 but really like the extra screen space on the desktop. 32 inches is large enough to run it unscaled outside of games.

Which 32" monitor do you have and do you love it?

 

[repoman0]

Which 32" monitor do you have and do you love it?

It's this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraSharp-UP3216Q-Screen-Monitor/dp/B016IBVKNU

I bought it just over a year ago and gambled on an Amazon Warehouse deals one for about $850. You know the ones ... vague descriptions about what is wrong with arbitrary "cosmetic defects", etc. I've bought this monitor and most of my camera lenses through them and so far everything has arrived brand new with no evidence it was ever opened. Anyway, there might be cheaper or better panels out now, but I am happy with this one. It has good color out of the box for photography work and is more than quick enough for games, at least for me, and the size / desktop space was an excellent upgrade from my previous 27"/2560x1440 monitor (also a Dell). That said, it's not perfect -- while black levels are okay for me, they could get darker, obviously a common and unavoidable issue with IPS panels. There is also some backlight bleed along the edges of the display, mostly on darker gray backgrounds. In ordinary use, I don't notice either of those issues and am planning to keep this monitor until some new display tech is mature (OLED?) that hopefully solves these common LCD issues.

I do think this is the perfect size -- would not go much larger or any smaller at this point, though I keep it toward the front of my desk.

 

[Tweak155]

It's this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraSharp-UP3216Q-Screen-Monitor/dp/B016IBVKNU

I bought it just over a year ago and gambled on an Amazon Warehouse deals one for about $850. You know the ones ... vague descriptions about what is wrong with arbitrary "cosmetic defects", etc. I've bought this monitor and most of my camera lenses through them and so far everything has arrived brand new with no evidence it was ever opened. Anyway, there might be cheaper or better panels out now, but I am happy with this one. It has good color out of the box for photography work and is more than quick enough for games, at least for me, and the size / desktop space was an excellent upgrade from my previous 27"/2560x1440 monitor (also a Dell). That said, it's not perfect -- while black levels are okay for me, they could get darker, obviously a common and unavoidable issue with IPS panels. There is also some backlight bleed along the edges of the display, mostly on darker gray backgrounds. In ordinary use, I don't notice either of those issues and am planning to keep this monitor until some new display tech is mature (OLED?) that hopefully solves these common LCD issues.

I do think this is the perfect size -- would not go much larger or any smaller at this point, though I keep it toward the front of my desk.

Thanks for the review, I've actually seen this particular model in person and I thought it was nice, I just couldn't get over the bezel myself.

I'm leaning towards the new LG 32UD99 or maybe the 32UD89 (no HDR). Seems hit or miss on the HDR quality, one review says it's amazing, other reviews say not. I don't really need / want / care about HDR right now, but it's only a $100 difference. There are a few 32" options in the $400-$500 range but they are not IPS. That one little difference seems to always cause a massive price increase

 

[memory]

Here you go! 32" 4K just popped up for $400:

https://slickdeals.net/f/10618780-32-lg-32ud59-b-uhd-4k-va-led-monitor-with-freesync-400ar?src=pdw

Ty for that, I will check that out.

The 8700K is still socket 1151, but needs the Z370 chipset. Z270 and Z170 will not work with it. The good news is the 8700K should be available tomorrow with corresponding motherboards.

In the long run, would it be worth it to go for the 8700k over the 7700k?

I'd advise against getting 4K 28" panel because they're all TN panels. If you want to stay with a small monitor, get 24" one, otherwise get 27" or 32" 4K as those are typically IPS (check before you buy though).

What is wrong with TN panels vs IPS? Do TN panels tend to go bad quicker or is it a color issue?

Ty all for all the info so far.

 

[fleshconsumed]

What is wrong with TN panels vs IPS? Do TN panels tend to go bad quicker or is it a color issue?

Here's a good youtube overview of TN vs IPS, the only nitpick is he incorrectly refers to IPS glow as backlight bleed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79r5rxS276Y

TN panels have worse color reproduction and much worse viewing angles. I hated shifting colors every time I stood up at my desk back when I had TN monitor. But as with everything some people are bothered by it, and some don't mind it. Theoretically one advantage of TN panel is smaller panel response lag compared to IPS/VA panels, but if we're being completely honest we need to compare total lag which includes input lag, and once you include input lag, the comparative TN advantage shrinks dramatically. Unless you're a competitive gamer or can't afford IPS/VA panel, there is very little reason to go TN. Your price range definitely puts IPS/VA panel in your budget.

 

[DooKey]

In the long run, would it be worth it to go for the 8700k over the 7700k?

They appear hard to get now, but it would definitely be worth it to get a 8700K over a 7700K.

 

[repoman0]

Thanks for the review, I've actually seen this particular model in person and I thought it was nice, I just couldn't get over the bezel myself.

I'm leaning towards the new LG 32UD99 or maybe the 32UD89 (no HDR). Seems hit or miss on the HDR quality, one review says it's amazing, other reviews say not. I don't really need / want / care about HDR right now, but it's only a $100 difference. There are a few 32" options in the $400-$500 range but they are not IPS. That one little difference seems to always cause a massive price increase

Heh, I love the Dell bezel, even though it's outdated. I've used nothing but Dell LCDs since like 2007, when I was wishing I had enough money for their highest end 30" 2560x1600 panel, and before that had one of their giant 21" trinitrons trying to collapse my desk ...

Anyway, that looks like a nice panel, probably would have been a top contender if it was out last year when I bought. For $100, I'd just go for the fancier one ... even if the HDR itself isn't that important right now, they probably use the best quality panels in the slightly higher end display.

These are definitely a "last LCD you'll ever buy" type of monitor at this price point, size, and pixel density, at least for me. If a nice OLED 32-34" 4k/8k PC monitor isn't out by the time I'm ready to replace it in 5-10 years, I'll go back to my trinitron

 

[ZGR]

It is a great time to go 4k60 for under $400. It is a great stop gap for 4k144hz coming next year which will be far more expensive.

Also keep an eye on refurbished gsync 4k60 monitors. I got mine for $350 from Best Buy, and my 4k60 freesync was $400 from Costco.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Speaking of which refurbforless on ebay has refurbed HP Envy 4K 60Hz Freesync monitor for $350 - $50 (20% off with max $50 discount) for the final price of $300. The coupon is good for the next few days, so if you can, wait to see if refurbforless drops price in which case you can get it for even cheaper.

 

[memory]

Ty all for all the info so far. I will check out refurbforless on ebay. Been busy with real life so not had that much time to think about the build.