Decisions, Decisions...: Top 3 Displays I Should Invest In? (G-Sync vs Refresh Rate? 4K or 1440p?)

iOutatime · April 2, 2015

So, my upcoming PC build needs a monitor... Looks like its time to start a debate!

I've narrowed my choices down to roughly 4 different displays.
They are:

ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q
ASUS ROG PG27AQ
(^The unreleased successor to the PG278Q)
Acer XB280HK
Acer Predator XB270HU

The Rundown:
My build will be running off of my Gateway LE1936. The display support a resolution slightly above 1280x720 and I can almost GUARANTEE its a TN panel. In my PCJ600 build, I will leave a parts list below, I would like to drive 4K with a beefier graphics card later down the road. The FTW 980 should run the Gateway with ease and I am perfectly fine with a setup like this until I can settle on a 4K monitor, plus a graphics card(s) to drive it.

The Question:

Before I start talking, please go easy on me if I am mistaken on any information. I'm sure that we would all love to have a monitor with 4K, an IPS panel, etc... But what I'm unsure of is how NVIDIA's G-Sync impacts the refresh rate of a monitor. Does refresh rate really matter anymore after G-Sync? The upcoming ASUS ROG PG27AQ will be a 4K, IPS panel with G-Sync, but only a 60hz refresh rate due to it being an IPS panel. And because this monitor has yet to be released (rumored to be somewhere in Q2 of this year), the outcome of its specs are unknown. Lastly, with the release of graphics cards such as the TITIAN X and the rumored Radeon R9 390x, 4K gaming is become more and more of a reality, but unless scaling software is optimized for it, is it REALLY worth it? Should I move from 720p to 1440p, or wait and make a leap from 720p to 4K?

So, 1440p or 4K? G-Sync or Higher Refresh Rate? Please leave a comment below.

Parts listed for incomplete build:

PC Build: PCJ600 v.1.0

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0GHz

Motherboard: ASUS Z97-PRO (Wi-Fi AC)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz 8-8-8-24

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 FTW

Case: Fractal Design Define R5

Storage: WD Black 2TB 7200RPM

PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 G2

Cooling: Stock CPU/GPU Fans + 2 Included Case Fans

PerfectTemplar · April 2, 2015

ACER XB270HU.

You won't be driving 4K very well with a single GPU imo.

Why no SSD and 16GB RAM? Overkill motherboard if not utilising M.2 ect..

The XB270HU is the best gaming monitor available. I would say it is definitely one to get.

Refresh rate still matters, that is why we have 144Hz G-sync monitors. If you got a 60Hz G-sync, G-sync will only work within (usually) 30-60Hz. the XB270HU g-sync works within the 30-144Hz range.

Also, please consider an aftermarket cooler for your CPU, air cooling or AIO liquid cooling is the place to start. Linus has some vids on that.

iOutatime · April 2, 2015

ACER XB270HU.

You won't be driving 4K very well with a single GPU imo.

Why no SSD and 16GB RAM? Overkill motherboard if not utilising M.2 ect..

The XB270HU is the best gaming monitor available. I would say it is definitely one to get.

Refresh rate still matters, that is why we have 144Hz G-sync monitors. If you got a 60Hz G-sync, G-sync will only work within (usually) 30-60Hz. the XB270HU g-sync works within the 30-144Hz range.

Also, please consider an aftermarket cooler for your CPU, air cooling or AIO liquid cooling is the place to start. Linus has some vids on that.

Thanks PerfectTemplar.

Also, the parts listed will be upgraded as time moves on. I went with a HDD over SSD for space. The M.2 slot will be used to store the OS. The RAM i purchased has a CAS latency of 8 so it wasn't the cheapest, but it was the best one that was listed in my motherboard's manual. Ill upgrade that to 16GB soon. As for the fans, I wasn't sure about overclocking anything so I figured stock fans would do fine, but the more I think about it, the more I want to invest in fans. Ill take a look at some of Linus's videos. Thank again.