Monitor died, looking for a replacement

[thestrangebrew1]

So my 5 year old 24" acer monitor is kicking the bucket and I'm starting to do a little research on a replacement. I'm looking at going up to a 27" but my budget is pretty laughable atm. I can't really afford more than about $300-$350. Main uses are general web surfing, some gaming, but not as much as I used to (mainly played the BF series but I haven't played in months so gaming isn't much of a priority anymore) BUT, I got into photography the last year or so and I'm starting to seriously consider getting into photo editing (using primarily Lightroom).

Specs below if needed:
i7 2700k
128gb samsung ssd
16gb ram
670gtx
asrock mobo (can't remember the model, z68 maybe?)

If I can't get a 27" for my needs, I can get another 24", but I'd like a 27" and I'm a noob at photo editing so I figure a budget 27" would suffice in case photo editing is just a phase. Appreciate all opinions and recommendations.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

No responses yet on this thread so I'll ask a different question instead of starting a whole new thread. Based on my usage above, is 4k the route to go or stick to 2k? I've also been given permission by my CFO (wife) to up the budget a bit and I'm leaning towards the Dell p2715q or the u2718q. IDK if my rig can handle the 4k though.

 

[Tweak155]

No responses yet on this thread so I'll ask a different question instead of starting a whole new thread. Based on my usage above, is 4k the route to go or stick to 2k? I've also been given permission by my CFO (wife) to up the budget a bit and I'm leaning towards the Dell p2715q or the u2718q. IDK if my rig can handle the 4k though.

If not gaming, your setup will run 4K fine. My wife just put a 40" 4K on her GTX670 and even plays a few games on it, so you should be set there.

My personal preference would be 4K, but with an increase in budget I would suggest shooting for 32" as it a more ideal size to avoid scaling. A 27" will work, but definitely a bigger crunch on the eyes without scaling.

I just got the 32" LG 32UD59 in.. it's a pretty good budget 32" 4K monitor. I've seen it go as low as $395.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Your monitor budget is pretty good all things considering, especially if you can stretch it another $30 or so and doubly so if you can hold out for a deal. You won't be buying Acer Predator or Asus ROG, but for $300-#380 you can get decent 4K60Hz or 2K140Hz monitors. LG 27UD58P IPS 4K60Hz was less than $300 just a few days ago at newegg, if you can wait for an ebay coupon you can get 27" HP Envy 4K60Hz IPS monitor for around $300 from refurbforless which is also a good option. Dell had 24" 2K GSync gaming monitor for around $350 on sale too. Newegg currently has Acer XG270HU 27" TN 144Hz for $320. So despite your limited budget you still have plenty of options. You just got to decide on your preferences - GSync or Freesync if you care at all, IPS or TN, and screen size.

Since you're not into gaming much anymore and looking into getting into photography I'd recommend getting IPS 4K panel such as one of the LGs or HP Envy 27" 4K. I would also invest into a good monitor calibration, you'd be surprised how inaccurate monitors come out from the factory.

 

[EXCellR8]

the 27" QNIX monitors I use at work are 2560x1440 and I can't say enough good things about them.

got them on Newegg for $250 ea. The DP/HDMI models might run slightly higher; I'm not sure if anyone still carries the DVI-only models.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Thanks for the replies. I still haven't pulled the trigger on anything just yet, but I keep coming back to the Dell's I mentioned above. For the price though, I feel like I might be over spending when there are options in my original budget (or close to) that you guys are recommending. I think I've decided on IPS 4k, so that will at least limit my search to those technologies.

 

[fleshconsumed]

FYI buydig on ebay is having a sale on LG 27UD58-B for $268. It's doesn't have a pretty bezel, but it is 4K IPS panel.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-27UD58-...sync-LED-Monitor/331955552095?epid=2164334220

Or as I said you can wait for a refurbforless coupon to get refurb HP Envy 4K. There is no need to spend $200 more for Dell.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

FYI buydig on ebay is having a sale on LG 27UD58-B for $268. It's doesn't have a pretty bezel, but it is 4K IPS panel.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-27UD58-...sync-LED-Monitor/331955552095?epid=2164334220

Or as I said you can wait for a refurbforless coupon to get refurb HP Envy 4K. There is no need to spend $200 more for Dell.

This is very tempting. Are there usually great deals on monitors during BF or cyber monday? I've never had to pay attention to monitor sales until this came up.

 

[fleshconsumed]

This is very tempting. Are there usually great deals on monitors during BF or cyber monday? I've never had to pay attention to monitor sales until this came up.

Don't know about monitors specifically, but in general the past four or five BF/CM were absolutely lackluster. If you need a 4K IPS monitor it won't get much cheaper than this.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Another question rather than starting a new thread: Given my rig's specs above, would the cpu/gpu combo run 4k ok? Or should I start looking at upgrading? I don't play games that much anymore, but I think once I get the new monitor I might get drawn back into it lol.

 

[richaron]

Another question rather than starting a new thread: Given my rig's specs above, would the cpu/gpu combo run 4k ok? Or should I start looking at upgrading? I don't play games that much anymore, but I think once I get the new monitor I might get drawn back into it lol.

Run what exactly? I'm sure your rig will play a bunch of indy games and platformers just fine at "4k". But around here there are still some people saying no current GPU can run "4k" properly (they need 60+ fps at the arbitrary max settings).

Personally I would say gtx1070 or Vega 56 are the minimum "4k" GPUs for modern AAA gaming. Maybe even gtx 1060 or rx 580 depending on the game and how much you play with settings, but in any case that means an upgrade for you. And at "4k" you would be almost completely GPU bottlenecked so your old CPU/etc might be just fine.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

If I play anything it would be BF1 but like I said I don't play too often anymore. If I decide on the LG flesh recommended above, I might have to go with AMD for freesync correct?

 

[richaron]

If I play anything it would be BF1 but like I said I don't play too often anymore. If I decide on the LG flesh recommended above, I might have to go with AMD for freesync correct?

Freesync is a value-add, but you gotta take price and other stuff into account also.. And Freesync "4k" monitors will probably have a limited freesync window of something like 40-60Hz. Which means you'll want to keep your fps in this window also (at least average and minimum fps).

A quick search brought up these benchmarks from 12 months ago, note 480 performance in BF1 medium settings @ "4k" is "playable". And since then we can assume software has improved performance also. So rx 470/480/570/580 seems to be the bare minimum for BF1 @ "4k".