Question Monitor Upgrade - Too Many Good Options!

[Aikouka]

I've been in a bit of analysis paralysis lately. I kind of went the backwards route with a recent upgrade and purchased a video card (4090) that's arguably better than what I need for my current resolution of 2560x1440. That truly depends upon the game and aspects like ray tracing, but in general, I'd argue that's the case. Anyway, while I do tend to upgrade computer hardware fairly often, I don't upgrade my monitors much at all. So, I've been looking around to see what sort of good options there are that would likely work well for me.

I've currently got a setup with two 27" QHD (2560x1440) monitors. The first one is geared toward gaming, and it's an ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ and the second one is an ASUS PB278Q. While the main monitor is aimed toward gaming, I also do development work on it, and I do enjoy splitting my IDE between both monitors. I usually put the main text entry on one monitor and all the secondary windows (debugging, file browser, etc.) on the other. Being so used to having two monitors has made me lean against going the route of a single large monitor such as an LG OLED or any monitors using their tech such as the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ. I've also been wanting to integrate my Mac into my setup.

These are some monitors that I've found that look interesting, and I've added a bit of thoughts to go with each:

• ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQR
  I've been using ASUS ROG Swift monitors for years, and they've generally been good. This is a 32" 4K, which seems like a decent size overall. (35-36" at 4K might just be slightly better size-wise.) The one downside here is that I'm usually picky about keeping multi-monitor resolution the same. As a result, I would likely need to buy another 4K monitor to replace my PB278Q. Although, like my PB278Q, it does not need to be a fancy gaming monitor. However, given that this monitor is already $1000, adding another ~$300 for a decent 32" 4K raises its cost a decent amount.
• Samsung Odyssey Neo G9
  This is likely the priciest option here, but with some work discounts, it gets a bit more manageable when combined with other discounts (~$1550). I do like that it essentially becomes an all-in-one version of what I'm currently using. Although, I have been looking at remarks from the ultrawide community that the huge 32:9 monitors tend to benefit things like racing games or other simulations a bit more. I know that ultrawide support in games can be a bit hit or miss too. I do think the picture-in-picture features are nifty, and it might benefit Mac integration. I have also seen a good number of complaints about Samsung's quality in regard to their monitors. I don't know if they do have poor QA, or if it's just that the people with problems are far more prominent, but it sounds like folks rattle off a number of potential issues.
• Dell Alienware AW3423DW
  This monitor is likely going to be the nicest look picture-wise of all units (most reviews that I've seen love the picture quality), but it's also the smallest resolution. It does provide one interesting benefit in that since the resolution is an off-shoot of QHD, I can continue to use my QHD monitor as a second panel. The downside is that it's significantly less real-estate compared to the Samsung for nearly as much money (~$1550 vs $1300). I have seen complaints about Dell with this monitor in how their support is supposedly abysmal.
• Gigabyte Aorus FI32U
  This features a built-in KVM, which is a nice touch for using the Mac in addition, which saves a nice $500+ on having to buy a good KVM. According to Level1Techs, it works pretty well too! This would require another monitor, but given its price ($699), it's plausible to be able to buy two instead of just one and have it be about as much as the Odyssey Neo G9 or the Alienware. Although, in regard to the KVM, I'd prefer to switch both monitors instead of just one, which makes it a bit clunky compared to an external KVM.

The hardest part is that I think I could likely be fine with any of the above units, which is what has really made this decision a bit hard. I'm leaning toward the Alienware for the huge benefit in gaming visuals, but I also like the G9 for the huge amount of real estate. If you've tried any one of these or own one, is there anything that you like or don't like about it? Or perhaps even just how you've dealt with switching from 16:9 to 21:9 or 32:9. Also, the video card will likely get to stretch its legs the most with a 4K display given that 4K ~ 8M pixels. The G9 is ~ 7M pixels, and the Alienware is only ~5M pixels. Although, the Alienware and Samsung monitors have a higher refresh rate.

 

[Genx87]

I ended up getting a PG42UQ and it arrives tomorrow. Bit the bullet. This will be used for gaming only on my PC and eventually console once NCAA football comes out. I will use my Dell laptop for desktop duty on a pair of 24"s. There are a lot of options out there but really wanted to get to 4K, with HDR, and OLED. I thought 42" would be too big but watched enough videos and visited a microcenter and think it should be fine with the distance I sit from it.

 

[Captante]

I ended up getting a PG42UQ and it arrives tomorrow. Bit the bullet. This will be used for gaming only on my PC and eventually console once NCAA football comes out. I will use my Dell laptop for desktop duty on a pair of 24"s. There are a lot of options out there but really wanted to get to 4K, with HDR, and OLED. I thought 42" would be too big but watched enough videos and visited a microcenter and think it should be fine with the distance I sit from it.

That was the key in my decision to go with a 38 inch 21:9 IPS panel instead actually even though I was sorely tempted by OLED too!

I do sit back a few feet sometimes but I also sit less than two feet away from the screen a lot too.

Be sure to report back after it arrives and you get it set up!

 

[Genx87]

1 week review

Monitor is bigger than I expected but honestly perfect. With distance it sits when I am flying in MSFlightsim where it takes up my entire vision and makes the cockpit feel more real. And I don't have to move my head to get the entire screen. I had to mess with the settings to get it to evenly distribute white. It still on occasion will dim whites if the window isn't moved for a period of time, moving window brightens it up. Played around with HDR but honestly I can't tell the difference. Think that is a symptom of my color-blindness. Overall feel this was a good buy, should last me years. Glad I went this size for Flightsim instead of waiting on other 32" OLEDs to come out. And also glad I didn't go with a 21:9 screen. I have an older Dell 34" curved 21:9 and it works but I prefer the height of 16:9.

Edit: Wanted to add the built in speakers are actually decent.