Looking for a gaming monitor

[CosmicFantasys]

My current monitor is terrible and won't even say the specs. I am looking for a 1440p and a minimum of 120hz, monitor. My budget is a maximum of 300us dollars. This is my build  https://pcpartpicker.com/user/CosmicFantasys/saved/#view=DTVxgs

[Bombastinator]

57 minutes ago, CosmicFantasys said:

My current monitor is terrible and won't even say the specs. I am looking for a 1440p and a minimum of 120hz, monitor. My budget is a maximum of 300us dollars. This is my build  https://pcpartpicker.com/user/CosmicFantasys/saved/#view=DTVxgs

You can go 4k with that. I like 4k over 1440p if possible because 4k does 1080p unusually well.  Also super resolution stuff means you can run at 1080p or 1440p and then upscale.  4k is a more broadly used standard than 1440p as well for things that aren’t games like movies. There are some 4k monitors in that price range.  Even ones that are high refresh.  They’re very low end though. $300 for a 1440p may not buy you a lot more though.  The things to look for are smearing, brightness in nits, hdr rating, and number of backlights.  VA doesn’t have a great reputation for gaming but it’s gotten better. Lately 144 has become more common than 120 but sometimes monitors only reach their highest setting with weird overclock problems that do things like increase contrast or make weird colors.  You can run a 144 at 120 just fine though.  I run my 6800xt at 100fps (144 monitor) and 1080p upscaled to 4k. I get 1% lows above 99fps that way.  0.1% is still like 97.  I can’t tell the difference between 100 and 120 myself so I lose nothing except fan noise from my video card.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Bombastinator

[191x7]

59 minutes ago, CosmicFantasys said:

My current monitor is terrible and won't even say the specs. I am looking for a 1440p and a minimum of 120hz, monitor. My budget is a maximum of 300us dollars. This is my build  https://pcpartpicker.com/user/CosmicFantasys/saved/#view=DTVxgs

 

[Dukesilver27-]

To add on the above post, you could also check further details on rtings.com

They have in depth review of each relevant aspects of a display.

[Stahlmann]

Go for the Gigabyte M27Q-P or the LG 27GP850-B. Both are great monitors sitting around $300 USD.

[Bombastinator]

I’ve got an m32u. It’s theoretically got hdr but it’s garbage.  It’s got “back light zones” but it’s edge lit.  There are only 6 of them. Vertical bars. As weak as such things can get and still make it onto the checkbox.  MiniLED is supposed to be the functional minimum for that.  I count them as not actually existing. Hardware unboxed doesn’t either it seems. Not a bad monitor otherwise though. It’s enough to see what hdr could be but not enough to actually give it to you.  Not worth the effort imho

Edited December 21, 2022 by Bombastinator

[Stahlmann]

2 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

I’ve got an m32u. It’s theoretically got hdr but it’s garbage.  It’s got “back light zones” but it’s edge lit.  There are only 6 of them. Vertical bars. As weak as such things can get and still make it onto the checkbox.  MiniLED is supposed to be the functional minimum for that.  I count them as not actually existing. Hardware unboxed doesn’t either it seems. Not a bad monitor otherwise though. It’s enough to see what hdr could be but not enough to actually give it to you.  Not worth the effort imho

MiniLED does exist. It's still a high-end feature though, so in this price range you won't find decent dimming zone coutns or decent HDR for that matter.

[Andrewtst]

8 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

4k does 1080p unusually well

4K does 1080p slightly better than 1440p does in 1080p, but still usually bad.

[e22big]

8 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

You can go 4k with that. I like 4k over 1440p if possible because 4k does 1080p unusually well.  Also super resolution stuff means you can run at 1080p or 1440p and then upscale.  4k is a more broadly used standard than 1440p as well for things that aren’t games like movies. There are some 4k monitors in that price range.  Even ones that are high refresh.  They’re very low end though. $300 for a 1440p may not buy you a lot more though.  The things to look for are smearing, brightness in nits, hdr rating, and number of backlights.  VA doesn’t have a great reputation for gaming but it’s gotten better. Lately 144 has become more common than 120 but sometimes monitors only reach their highest setting with weird overclock problems that do things like increase contrast or make weird colors.  You can run a 144 at 120 just fine though.  I run my 6800xt at 100fps (144 monitor) and 1080p upscaled to 4k. I get 1% lows above 99fps that way.  0.1% is still like 97.  I can’t tell the difference between 100 and 120 myself so I lose nothing except fan noise from my video card.

I don't think you can get 4k 144hz for that sort of money. Even the cheapest of them is still 500 buck at least. 

 

And if you're going to get 4k 60hz, or 27 inches, just getting the 1440p is probably better. 

[Andrewtst]

6 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

MiniLED is supposed to be the functional minimum for that.  I count them as not actually existing

They is plenty 1000+ local dimming Mini-LED this year or coming year, it is actually existing now.

[Andrewtst]

1 minute ago, e22big said:

if you're going to get 4k 60hz, or 27 inches, just getting the 1440p is probably better

Totally agreed! They is no point getting 4k 60hz for 27". A 1440p 144hz or higher is an absolute greater choice for 27".

[Bombastinator]

7 hours ago, Andrewtst said:

4K does 1080p slightly better than 1440p does in 1080p, but still usually bad.

It is 4 to one. So what a 4k monitor does is simply display 4 pixels as one color.  No dithering. If it’s done right it’s exactly the same as a 1080p monitor.  It isn’t always done right of course.  1440p monitors can do it with 720p.  It’s not as useful though because 1080p is a more useful standard.

[Bombastinator]

7 hours ago, Andrewtst said:

They is plenty 1000+ local dimming Mini-LED this year or coming year, it is actually existing now.

You misunderstood that comment.  I mean 6 band local dimming and hdr400 is not considered hdr by either hardware unboxed or myself. MiniLED is vastly preferred and there are several companies doing it.

[Bombastinator]

7 hours ago, Andrewtst said:

Totally agreed! They is no point getting 4k 60hz for 27". A 1440p 144hz or higher is an absolute greater choice for 27".

60hz was never in contention.  120 was stated as a minimum.

[Bombastinator]

7 hours ago, e22big said:

I don't think you can get 4k 144hz for that sort of money. Even the cheapest of them is still 500 buck at least. 

 

And if you're going to get 4k 60hz, or 27 inches, just getting the 1440p is probably better. 

I saw one or two for sale on pcpartpicker. They weren’t very good 4k@144,  but they existed. They may not be good enough though. I agree about the 60hz thing.  

Edited December 21, 2022 by Bombastinator

[Andrewtst]

3 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

It is 4 to one. So what a 4k monitor does is simply display 4 pixels as one color.  No dithering. If it’s done right it’s exactly the same as a 1080p monitor.  It isn’t always done right of course.  1440p monitors can do it with 720p.  It’s not as useful though because 1080p is a more useful standard.

I know the 4 to 1 algorithm, but sometimes theory is not what the exact output.

 

It is only slightly better but still very bad output.

[Bombastinator]

2 minutes ago, Andrewtst said:

I know the 4 to 1 algorithm, but sometimes theory is not what the exact output.

 

It is only slightly better but still very bad output.

I did not find it so myself, but That’s just one monitor though.  If a monitor says it is 4k it might not actually be “true 4k” in which case it wouldn’t work.  The resolution has to be exact, and the software of both the monitor and the gpu has to treat it correctly.  
So I suspect we are both correct. Sort of.

[Andrewtst]

46 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I did not find it so myself, but That’s just one monitor though.  If a monitor says it is 4k it might not actually be “true 4k” in which case it wouldn’t work.  The resolution has to be exact, and the software of both the monitor and the gpu has to treat it correctly.  
So I suspect we are both correct. Sort of.

I try on Samsung Odyssey G8 Neo and LG C9 in 1080p before, very sorry to said that kind of quality is bad, it is better get a 1080p display if need use at 1080p resolution. They is no reason use 4K display in 1080p.

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, Andrewtst said:

I try on Samsung Odyssey G8 Neo and LG C9 in 1080p before, very sorry to said that kind of quality is bad, it is better get a 1080p display if need use at 1080p resolution. They is no reason use 4K display in 1080p.

Or at least trust the true numbers of pixels rather than the term “4k” which is occasionally messed with.  Perhaps confirm that the 1080p thing actually works right before you buy. Might actually be a possible test to tell if a monitor is “fake” 4k or not.  Seems likely for those lowball monitors as it is a cheap out move one generally sees at the bottom of a class.  A monitor is like 90% panel, and sometimes the panels are OEM.  It may be you want to find the panel you want then find out who sells a decent one cheapest.  One of the issues you may run into I’ve been hearing a lot about lately is dead pixels on the screen.  It’s common enough I prefer to buy monitors brick and mortar and make sure they actually have all their pixels working before I take them home.  They’re easy to see with 50%grey.  I once went through 3 before I got one that was usable.  I’ve heard of over 5.  Warning the sales people that you will just return a monitor with dead pixels seems to drastically lower the chances of the next one coming out with dead pixels which I find extremely sus, but potentially useful.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Bombastinator

[Andrewtst]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

Or at least trust the true numbers of pixels rather than the term “4k” which is occasionally messed with.  Perhaps confirm that the 1080p thing actually works right before you buy. Might actually be a possible test to tell if a monitor is “fake” 4k or not.  Seems likely for those lowball monitors as it is a cheap out move one generally sees at the bottom of a class.  A monitor is like 90% panel, and sometimes the panels are OEM.  It may be you want to find the panel you want then find out who sells a decent one cheapest.  One of the issues you may run into I’ve been hearing a lot about lately is dead pixels on the screen.  It’s common enough I prefer to buy monitors brick and mortar and make sure they actually have all their pixels working before I take them home.  They’re easy to see with 50%grey.  I once went through 3 before I got one that was usable.  I’ve heard of over 5.  Warning the sales people that you will just return a monitor with dead pixels seems to drastically lower the chances of the next one coming out with dead pixels which I find extremely sus, but potentially useful.

Do you think Samsung Odyssey G8 Neo monitor and LG C9 TV is fake 4K? Lol

[Bombastinator]

43 minutes ago, Andrewtst said:

Do you think Samsung Odyssey G8 Neo monitor and LG C9 TV is fake 4K? Lol

I have no idea.  One would need to look at the resolution.

[Stahlmann]

6 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

I have no idea.  One would need to look at the resolution.

Both are 3840x2160.