(Another help post..) Should I get a 1440P (2k) 144HZ monitor or 4k 60HZ? (Budget)

[CrazyKoala]

Ok, hello guys. My pc isn't really that impressive, but it works. I've got a GTX 1660Ti and an i5-9400F. Currently I'm really into Forza games, so I want a better resolution for my monitor, especially that Horizon 5 is coming out soon.

 

Anyways, I have a pretty cheap $150 1080p 144HZ monitor. I was browsing through the internet and there seems to be this big debate over 4k or 1440P. In my price range (~$300) I've only been able to find 4k monitors with 60HZ. I've never used a 4k monitor personally, nor a 1440P one, so I'm not quite sure how big of a difference would it actually make, and if my GPU would even be able to sustain it. 

 

So, is there any monitor that would be good for me? Or, a general direction on where I should be looking would also be nice. Thanks!

[porina]

If you're used to higher frame rates, being limited to 60 Hz could hurt. Also, your GPU isn't really that powerful so to run native 4k, you're going to have to turn down settings quite a bit (depending on game). So if you choose to upgrade, I feel that 1440p 144 Hz might do better, especially if it has G-sync (compatible).

 

Going the other way, I've used a 1440p display as my main gaming for a long time until I moved to 4k TV. Now, when I use 1080p on my laptop it feels rather cramped and, depending on the game, resolution limiting. But at the end of the day, if it is a good game, 1080p is still a great experience.

 

I'd suggest a better GPU before a better monitor, but we know what pricing and availability is like right now...

[Alvin853]

For gaming, I'd say go with 1440p. Multiple reasons:

 

1. Your 1660Ti won't really be able to output reasonable framerates at UHD resolutions.
2. After having a 100+Hz monitor for a while, I wouldn't want to go back to 60Hz, not just for gaming, but also for everyday usage, everything is just so smooth.
3. Unless you're going for a 40+ inch monitor (which doesn't seem likely considering your budget) the pixel pitch of a 1440p monitor is perfectly fine and if you're not sitting very close, you won't make out individual pixels. A 32" 1440p is the same pixel pitch as a 24" 1080p, and a 27" 1440p has an even smaller pitch, so a 27" 1440p will already look sharper than your current monitor. 

As far as recommendations go: Do you have some idea what you're looking for? What type of panel (IPS or VA) do you prefer? Curved or flat?

 

The Gigabyte M27Q is usually considered one of the best budget 1440p high refresh rate monitors, but prices have gone up recently, so not sure if that still fits within your budget. 

[Dedayog]

Right now, stay with what you have.  You don't have a rig that can push 1440p to the comfort level of the 1080p.  Meaning you don't want to g 100Mhz+ to 50-60, it's not worth the frame rate loss and you'll notice it.

 

Besides, with all the eye candy option, you can make 1080p look pretty amazing.  

 

4k... that's for people who want to play on TV's or "think" they can notice it at 27".  It's more of an epeen thing really.