Will my older hardware (4690k + old mobo and no GPU) be able to drive ultrawide 1440p 144Hz?

[JorenBus]

Hi,

 

My current computer has some fairly old hardware in it (i5 4690k) and no GPU. I'm interested in buying an ultrawide 1440p 144 Hz monitor mainly for work and browsing the web.

I am however not sure if this older hardware is able to handle this resolution/framerate.

According to the website of Intel, my CPU can handle 4K at 60 Hz. Does this mean that my CPU will be able to handle 1440p 144 Hz?

Also, my motherboard is quite old and only has an HDMI input. Technically if the monitor supports HDMI 2.0, 1440p 144 Hz should be no problem. However on for example the website of LG it says that you need a Displayport to be able to set it to 1440p 144 Hz. Other manufacturers do not specify this.

 

Ultimately my question comes down to this: can my 4690k handle the above resolution and framerate over HDMI? If not, is it possible to bypass this with an active HDMI to DP adaptor or not?

 

Thanks!

[Kilrah]

-> Moved to Displays

 

From your mobo specs:

Quote

1. 1 x D-Sub port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz
2. 1 x DVI-D port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz
   * The DVI-D port does not support D-Sub connection by adapter.
3. 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@24Hz or 2560x1600@60Hz
   * Support for HDMI 1.4a version.

So while the CPU can drive 4K60 this mobo has no output that will be able to give you more than 60Hz in standard 1440p, and will probably be even lower / not support at all with an ultrawide (what resolution exactly?) 

[JorenBus]

3 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

-> Moved to Displays

 

From your mobo specs:

So while the CPU can drive 4K60 this mobo has no output that will be able to give you more than 60Hz in standard 1440p, and will probably be even lower / not support at all with an ultrawide (what resolution exactly?) 

Oh that's unfortunate. The exact resolution would be 3440x1440.

Is there any other way of driving the display other than buying a GPU? Maybe some sort of converter I can put in my PCIe slot?

[Middcore]

15 minutes ago, JorenBus said:

Is there any other way of driving the display other than buying a GPU? Maybe some sort of converter I can put in my PCIe slot?

 

No.

 

To be perfectly honest, there is no need for 144hz for basic web-browsing and productivity tasks. 

[Wheezey]

37 minutes ago, Middcore said:

 

No.

 

To be perfectly honest, there is no need for 144hz for basic web-browsing and productivity tasks. 

I agree with this, even if it could be pulled off

[Alex Atkin UK]

49 minutes ago, Middcore said:

 

No.

 

To be perfectly honest, there is no need for 144hz for basic web-browsing and productivity tasks. 

I strongly disagree.  Its a bigger difference than I realised as I went from 4K 60Hz to 1440p 120Hz, then ended up going back to 4K 60Hz (on a 4K 144Hz screen due to iGPU) as the lower resolution messed up my productivity but I quickly found the drop in refresh rate extremely jarring and uncomfortable.  I actually find it harder to adjust to than in games where I get used to 60Hz quickly.

I ended up getting a GTX 1650 purely to get 4K 120Hz support for desktop use as its much easier on the eyes when scrolling and avoids stuttering when playing 24fps videos.  It also makes the PC feel faster as you're getting a response to your input on the screen twice as fast, which also means you can respond quicker too. Yes 144Hz is even better, but that doesn't match any video frame rate so is not good if you watch a lot of video.

Now granted, that might not be important to you, but I personally find it makes using the PC feel much more comfortable and improves my productivity.

[GuiltySpark_]

47 minutes ago, Middcore said:

 

No.

 

To be perfectly honest, there is no need for 144hz for basic web-browsing and productivity tasks. 

So, I see what you're saying but I don't think its a matter of "need". No one needs 144hz displays for anything, really. It all comes down to want and that's really up to personal preference. 

 

Personally, that that i am accustomed to high refresh rate at home, the 60Hz panels I use at work are less than enjoyable and all i'm doing is pushing emails around.

[Middcore]

3 minutes ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

So, I see what you're saying but I don't think its a matter of "need". No one needs 144hz displays for anything, really. It all comes down to want and that's really up to personal preference. 

 

Personally, that that i am accustomed to high refresh rate at home, the 60Hz panels I use at work are less than enjoyable and all i'm doing is pushing emails around.

 

Well, let's try to soften the blow here because the reality is OP is SOL on this unless they buy a discrete GPU that can push 144hz. And it sounds like they haven't used a 144hz display before, so it's not a case like yours where they have to endure the irritation of switching back and forth, more like they "don't know what they're missing."

[Alex Atkin UK]

16 hours ago, Middcore said:

 

Well, let's try to soften the blow here because the reality is OP is SOL on this unless they buy a discrete GPU that can push 144hz. And it sounds like they haven't used a 144hz display before, so it's not a case like yours where they have to endure the irritation of switching back and forth, more like they "don't know what they're missing."

Fair point, I mean at current GPU prices and the limited ones you need to get 144Hz support, it would be a huge cost.  Its probably better value in that case to completely upgrade the PC to one whose iGPU CAN support 144Hz.  (assuming the latest Intel CPUs do?)

 

Although if they want to see what its like I believe they should be able to pick a lower resolution right now to get high refresh rates to work.

[JorenBus]

20 hours ago, Middcore said:

 

Well, let's try to soften the blow here because the reality is OP is SOL on this unless they buy a discrete GPU that can push 144hz. And it sounds like they haven't used a 144hz display before, so it's not a case like yours where they have to endure the irritation of switching back and forth, more like they "don't know what they're missing."

 

3 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Fair point, I mean at current GPU prices and the limited ones you need to get 144Hz support, it would be a huge cost.  Its probably better value in that case to completely upgrade the PC to one whose iGPU CAN support 144Hz.  (assuming the latest Intel CPUs do?)

 

Although if they want to see what its like I believe they should be able to pick a lower resolution right now to get high refresh rates to work.

Fair points, thanks for the input.

Though I have been seeing quite a drastic drop in prices of GPUs in my area lately and more availability. If this trend continues maybe I'll look into picking up a GPU so I can finally game again. I've seen the RX 6500 XT for around MSRP for example. Only thing I'm wondering if I will be bottlenecked by my older CPU...

[Middcore]

1 minute ago, JorenBus said:

 

Fair points, thanks for the input.

Though I have been seeing quite a drastic drop in prices of GPUs in my area lately and more availability. If this trend continues maybe I'll look into picking up a GPU so I can finally game again. I've seen the RX 6500 XT for around MSRP for example. Only thing I'm wondering if I will be bottlenecked by my older CPU...

The 6500 XT is a piece of junk and will be badly held back by running on a PCIe 3.0 board.

[JorenBus]

1 minute ago, Middcore said:

The 6500 XT is a piece of junk and will be badly held back by running on a PCIe 3.0 board.

Oh. Well guess I have to do some more research before possibly buying a GPU then, thanks for the input!

[Alex Atkin UK]

36 minutes ago, JorenBus said:

Oh. Well guess I have to do some more research before possibly buying a GPU then, thanks for the input!

At least 1440p 144Hz should work on pretty much any DisplayPort capable card of the last few years, though for gaming it depends a lot on which games specifically and if you really want 144Hz that badly.

[Glenwing]

3440×1440 at 144 Hz will require DisplayPort 1.4.