1080p vs 1440p ultrawide

m1cr0l · October 8, 2019

Hey guys, I am considering to get an ultrawide monitor but I have a few questions,
1. I read of people playing at 1080p on a 1440p ultrawide, how does the image quality look like running at a lower resolution than native at 1440p? Is it similar to running at lower resolution on a 1080p 16:9 monitor whereby the image has a noticeable deterioration in quality?
2. Is it worth getting a 1440p ultrawide if my main use is gaming ( simulators )? I don't exactly need the best display quality, right now I'm on a LG 24mp59g and I am perfectly content with the image quality on this panel. For my next monitor, I am mainly looking for an ultrawide with 75hz freesync, I am totally fine with the 75hz refresh rate and don't really see the value in going higher.

3. Currently I'm looking at this: https://www.amazon.com/LG-29WK600-W-29-UltraWide-21/dp/B078GL93KG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ultrawide+monitor&qid=1570519225&sr=8-3
Seems good enough and it's pretty decently priced. Are there any other similar monitors in this price range / better value ultrawide? I prefer matte screen if possible.
4. I read that pixels on a 1080p ultrawide are quite noticeable above 29". Anyone has any experience on this? I sit an arm's length away from the monitor. I find that my current monitor looks perfectly fine from where I am sitting.

Thanks so much!

RAS_3885 · October 8, 2019

12 hours ago, m1cr0l said:

1. I read of people playing at 1080p on a 1440p ultrawide, how does the image quality look like running at a lower resolution than native at 1440p? Is it similar to running at lower resolution on a 1080p 16:9 monitor whereby the image has a noticeable deterioration in quality?

It won't look great. No point in getting a 1440p ultrawide just to run it in 1920x1080. I would typically think lowering the res would be most popular for competitive gaming to get better performance, but I would not imagine those users would pay extra for a 1440p ultrawide in the first place just to knock it down in resolution.

12 hours ago, m1cr0l said:

2. Is it worth getting a 1440p ultrawide if my main use is gaming ( simulators )? I don't exactly need the best display quality, right now I'm on a LG 24mp59g and I am perfectly content with the image quality on this panel. For my next monitor, I am mainly looking for an ultrawide with 75hz freesync, I am totally fine with the 75hz refresh rate and don't really see the value in going higher.

I upgraded to a 1440p ultrawide from a standard 16:9 ultrawide and my primary use is gaming. I'm very happy and things are generally more immersive. I have not yet encountered a game that didn't play nicely with the 3440x1440 resolution. I also like being able to have more content open side-by-side for general video watching and web browsing. I previously had x2 16:9 1440p displays, but the Windows idiosyncrasies of multiple displays pushed me to try ultrawides and I've been very happy. My usage doesn't benefit from dual monitors, so one ultrawide has been a better experience since switching.

12 hours ago, m1cr0l said:

4. I read that pixels on a 1080p ultrawide are quite noticeable above 29". Anyone has any experience on this? I sit an arm's length away from the monitor. I find that my current monitor looks perfectly fine from where I am sitting.

My preference is 1080p up to 21" or maybe 24" displays, 1440p above that. I've never used or shopped for 4k outside of TVs, but the sweet spot for that jump will probably be around 34"+ displays. Display density on a 29" 1080p ultrawide will be low, but not terrible by any means. If you have an electronics store near where you live you might be able to look at some different resolutions and size combinations to see what looks best to you.

Final thoughts... keep in mind your graphics card. While 75 Hz is not particularly high as far as refresh rate goes, moving to an ultrawide will mean pushing more pixels and potentially lower frame rates in certain games. Moving from 16:9 to 21:9 is just over 30 percent more pixels.

m1cr0l · October 9, 2019

5 hours ago, RAS_3885 said:

It won't look great. No point in getting a 1440p ultrawide just to run it in 1920x1080. I would typically think lowering the res would be most popular for competitive gaming to get better performance, but I would not imagine those users would pay extra for a 1440p ultrawide in the first place just to knock it down in resolution.

I upgraded to a 1440p ultrawide from a standard 16:9 ultrawide and my primary use is gaming. I'm very happy and things are generally more immersive. I have not yet encountered a game that didn't play nicely with the 3440x1440 resolution. I also like being able to have more content open side-by-side for general video watching and web browsing. I previously had x2 16:9 1440p displays, but the Windows idiosyncrasies of multiple displays pushed me to try ultrawides and I've been very happy. My usage doesn't benefit from dual monitors, so one ultrawide has been a better experience since switching.

My preference is 1080p up to 21" or maybe 24" displays, 1440p above that. I've never used or shopped for 4k outside of TVs, but the sweet spot for that jump will probably be around 34"+ displays. Display density on a 29" 1080p ultrawide will be low, but not terrible by any means. If you have an electronics store near where you live you might be able to look at some different resolutions and size combinations to see what looks best to you.

Final thoughts... keep in mind your graphics card. While 75 Hz is not particularly high as far as refresh rate goes, moving to an ultrawide will mean pushing more pixels and potentially lower frame rates in certain games. Moving from 16:9 to 21:9 is just over 30 percent more pixels.

My bad,

for point 1, i meant running the game at 2560x1080, not 1920x1080. Have you tried running games at ultrawide 1080p on your monitor and does the image quality degrade a lot in running the lower resolution?

for point 4, what monitor are you running and how far away do you sit from your monitor? Also I'm running a vega 56 so I'm pretty sure I am good to go 1080/1440p ultrawide

RAS_3885 · October 9, 2019

17 hours ago, m1cr0l said:

My bad,

for point 1, i meant running the game at 2560x1080, not 1920x1080. Have you tried running games at ultrawide 1080p on your monitor and does the image quality degrade a lot in running the lower resolution?

for point 4, what monitor are you running and how far away do you sit from your monitor? Also I'm running a vega 56 so I'm pretty sure I am good to go 1080/1440p ultrawide

Yes, image quality degrades anytime you run at lower than the monitor's native resolution. Tolerance will depend on the individual person, but for me it's a level of degradation I'm not willing to accept.

I have the Alienware AW3418DW and sit approximately 24 inches away from it. My GPU is a GTX 1080 and will hover between 70-120 FPS depending on how demanding the game is. Most games I play are closer to the 120 FPS end.