I've never even seen a 4K PC gaming display IRL

[strat guy]

seriously.

 

The only 4k or "ultra HD" displays I've ever seen are maybe the odd TV display in a storefront running their default flowers and waterfalls etc scenery lol. Also video reviews of 4K monitor and gaming, but through 1080p displays.

 

anyone else here who has never laid eyes on 4k in 2019 ?  

 

how much better is it for gaming ? as big a jump as it was from standard def CRTs to 1080p "HD" back in the day ?

 

does that level of resolution eliminate the need for anti aliasing ?

 

and how big a jump is it, going from 1080 to 1440p for gaming ? refresh rates being equal, say 60Hz.

 

or, is it better to stay at 1080p and go for higher frames ? I'm not into any online or competitive MP shooters etc, single player RPGs like The Witcher etc are my thing mostly.

 

Thanks for any feedback.

 

 

[Origami Cactus]

I would say for most people 1440p 144hz makes more sense than 4k 60.

I have played on both, and while my display is the 4k one, the extra smoothness of 144hz is a bigger factor, in gaming there is not a lot of difference between 1440 and 4k.

[Sauron]

1 minute ago, strat guy said:

does that level of resolution eliminate the need for anti aliasing ?

That depends on how big the monitor is...

1 minute ago, strat guy said:

how much better is it for gaming ?

That's a subjective metric, some people don't care at all about graphical quality. Personally I prefer a higher resolution over some barely noticeable filters like ambient occlusion. I also don't particularly care about going over 60hz, it's smooth enough for me. There are also other things you can do with a monitor that aren't just playing games...

 

Of course this also depends on the size of the monitor.

5 minutes ago, strat guy said:

or, is it better to stay at 1080p and go for higher frames ?

Again, entirely subjective. There's no reason you can't play on a 15" 720p 50Hz TN monitor at the lowest settings so long as you can tell what's going on in the game...

 

If jagged edges and visible pixels bother you, get a higher resolution display. If they don't, don't. If the game feels choppy get a higher refresh rate monitor. If it doesn't, don't.

[TetraSky]

Stores don't usually showcase PC monitor in the same way as TVs, so if you don't buy one or know someone with one, it's normal.

Overall.. It's really just a monitor with a higher resolution.

 

I'd suggest going to 1440p with a high refresh rate if you want a new monitor. Skip 4k for now. (Coming from someone with a 4k monitor who is downsampling it to 1440p... because 4k just doesn't run as well)

Also, yes, usually, higher resolution does remove the need for AA. Depending on how big the monitor is and how far you're sitting from it.

[strat guy]

Just now, Sauron said:

That depends on how big the monitor is...

Of course, thought about that actually.

 

My setup is a not very big room with both a regular PC desk with a 22" or something old 1080p normal old monitor, and an 40 inch Sony TV (both 60Hz) on which I game as well from the couch area.

Just now, Sauron said:

That's a subjective metric, some people don't care at all about graphical quality. Personally I prefer a higher resolution over some barely noticeable filters like ambient occlusion. I also don't particularly care about going over 60hz, it's smooth enough for me. There are also other things you can do with a monitor that aren't just playing games...

 

Of course this also depends on the size of the monitor.

into a lot of different type of games but I like the eye candy in a lot of AAA titles, Witcher 3, Mass Effect 3, GTA V, Ghost Recon: Wildlands etc.Also Arma 3 and flight sims like DCS, IL2 Sturmovik etc

 

currently running what some would say is an overpowered PC for a 1080p 60Hz thing but it's not as smooth as I'd like it to be sometimes.

 

hoping a monitor upgrade will fix it.

 

Just now, Sauron said:

Again, entirely subjective. There's no reason you can't play on a 15" 720p 50Hz TN monitor at the lowest settings so long as you can tell what's going on in the game...

 

If jagged edges and visible pixels bother you, get a higher resolution display. If they don't, don't. If the game feels choppy get a higher refresh rate monitor. If it doesn't, don't.

A smooth 60fps works just fine for me too but those 1% lows etc can get really annoying.

 

Does G-Sync/FreeSync really make a difference if your PC is outputting 60 and above constantly with no dips ?

[strat guy]

Just now, TetraSky said:

Stores don't usually showcase PC monitor in the same way as TVs, so if you don't buy one or know someone with one, it's normal.

Overall.. It's really just a monitor with a higher resolution.

 

I'd suggest going to 1440p with a high refresh rate if you want a new monitor. Skip 4k for now. (Coming from someone with a 4k monitor who is downsampling it to 1440p... because 4k just doesn't run as well)

Also, yes, usually, higher resolution does remove the need for AA. Depending on how big the monitor is and how far you're sitting from it.

what about adaptive refresh rates, count for much ?

 

my info is the previous post I quoted, thanks.

[Sauron]

1 minute ago, strat guy said:

I like the eye candy

Well, 4k does look noticeably and indisputably better than 1080p and 1440p on a 27"+ monitor assuming all other factors are the same (colors, settings etc). Whether it's worth the upgrade price is up to you. Be aware that with a 1070 you won't be able to max out everything and maintain 60 fps at 4k - that's fine for me but it may not be for you.

5 minutes ago, strat guy said:

1% lows

That's down to your computer's hardware so a higher refresh rate monitor won't really help there - variable refresh rate might though.

5 minutes ago, strat guy said:

Does G-Sync/FreeSync really make a difference if your PC is outputting 60 and above constantly with no dips ?

It still acts like vsync without the input lag, so yes. Most decent monitors come with freesync now so that shouldn't be a problem.

[jones177]

In 2015 I saw a 4k demo running on a 4k monitor that was surrounded by 1080p monitors running 1080p demos. The difference was night and day. On an impulse I bought one and it changed my life.

 

Before the 4k monitor I was always happy to buy lower end GPUs. I had a GTX 407, 507, 607 and 970. After I bought the monitor it was 980, 980 ti, 1080, 1080 ti and 2080 ti. It is only when I got to the 1080 ti that I could play all my games at 4k.

 

I have not seen a 4k monitor running a 4k demo since then. My advice to you that if you glimpse one, evert your eyes and run away.  If you don't It may cost you thousands. 

[Kilrah]

Started using large 4K displays (TVs) back in 2014 right when that became possible (GTX970/980 release which were the first cards with HDMI2 capable of 4K at 60Hz).

Not necessarily for gaming, but everything benefits of it IMO. 

I don't like scaling so for me it needs to be 32" or more. Currently on 49" so I can have it further away and have room for my crap on my desk between keyboard and display