4k or not

[Caspian3920]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm planning to buy a new monitor. I have used a monitor with 2560x1440 for a long time, and I would like to buy one of them again. (reason that I'm buying a new monitor is because the 2560x1440 is from my parents, and they want to use it now). 
So I looked online and saw a good 2560x1440 monitor for around $450. But the thing is, for $50 more I could get a 4k monitor. The problem with that is that my GPU probbably couldn't handle it with heavy things (games), so I would have to upgrade my GPU eventually...
So the question is: Is it worth to spend $50 more for a 4k monitor, and save for a new GPU? Or should I buy a 2560x1440 monitor and know my pc can handle it?

 

 

[Tro]

what GPU do you have

[Archangel1994]

You need a stupid expensive pc to run 4k decently so do not bother. 4k is highly overrated.

[Coombzy]

Currently 4K requires a VERY expensive PC to run at decent settings and when you downscale it looks strange apparently I would just grab the 1440P.

[Caspian3920]

So it is not really worth the $50?

[Najuno]

Unless you have at least a highend 2way SLI or CF GPU setup, 4K is nothing for you right now when it comes to gaming.

 

BTW downscaling 4k to 1080p is NOT an issue what so ever because it is supported natively. 4K is 4x 1080p. I tested this myself and 1080p on a 4K monitor looks fine.

 

The scaling problem starts when you scale down from 1440p to 1080p.

 

The issues with 4K are just the sheer hardware hunger of that resolution and that Windows doesn't scale good with it unless you customize it.

 

The upcoming ACER XB280HK monitor will be interesting for nVidia highend GPU users. But even with G-Sync you will need more than 1 GPU to benefit from it. A lot of people will tell you that 4K isn't worth it... I don't think many of them have the information coming out of first hand, because neither they own multi highend GPU setups nor the monitor... they just tell you what they heared. 4K looks totally awesome and is a blast, but comes at a really high price point.

I've had a 4K monitor here for a built that I've made for a client (he bought a R9 295x2) and tested it myself with my GTX780 Ti 2way SLI. As long as I didn't turn up crazy high settings like ULTRA with AA I got between 35-60FPS (AA is not needed in 4K). The reality behind that is kind of disappointing when you look into my costs to make this happen. Each card 700 USD + 2 water coolers + a huge loop. You are looking here easily at 2500 USD... which most people don't even have as a budget for their whole PC.

 

In your case I'd wait for the GTX800 series from nVidia and maybe wait a bit, if possible, for that ACER monitor. But other than that if you can't wait any longer get a 2560x1440 IPS monitor.

[Grrizz]

I don't think 4K will be worth while till next year at least, the cheap ones don't have the best panels and even most of the expensive ones are TN (good TN but still TN), then there is the current state of scaling on Windows and the processing power required to drive it to boot (you can scale 1080p but then you're probably better off getting a nice 1440p screen instead IMO). Next year I think we will see better featured 4K screens at a better price with reasonably priced GPUs to drive them and hopefully scaling will be fixed too.

Of course if you've got the money to burn you can get a nice 4K setup now but if your talking $500 for a screen that's probably not the case.

[Najuno]

I don't think 4K will be worth while till next year at least, the cheap ones don't have the best panels and even most of the expensive ones are TN (good TN but still TN), then there is the current state of scaling on Windows and the processing power required to drive it to boot (you can scale 1080p but then you're probably better off getting a nice 1440p screen instead IMO). Next year I think we will see better featured 4K screens at a better price with reasonably priced GPUs to drive them and hopefully scaling will be fixed too.

Of course if you've got the money to burn you can get a nice 4K setup now but if your talking $500 for a screen that's probably not the case.

You really think even with nVidia GM200 and AMD R9 390's 4K will become playable with good FPS on a single card ?

 

BTW just because a monitor has a TN panel doesn't make it a bad monitor. IPS (I had both) has its downsides as well...

[Caspian3920]

The monitors I am thinking about are the following: 

Iiyama ProLite XB2779QS (2560x1440 with a responstime of 5ms)

Iiyama ProLite B2888UHSU-B1 (3840x2160 with a respons time of 1ms )

How's a 4k monitor with lower resolutions? Is it unpleasant, or doable? Isn't it an option to buy it, then use it with a lower res untill I have a new 

 

And btw, I'm not planning to game in 4k (always) so I'm not planning on buying an extreme 4k-able ultra game pc?

 

And... since you know allot about monitors, can you tell me what to look for in a monitor?

 

And......... Thanks everyone for replying!

[Grrizz]

You really think even with nVidia GM200 and AMD R9 390's 4K will become playable with good FPS on a single card ?

 

BTW just because a monitor has a TN panel doesn't make it a bad monitor. IPS (I had both) has its downsides as well...

I'm thinking the 16nm Maxwells (if that's how things go down) might but that'll probably later next year, if that doesn't hit the mark then Pascal should (hence next year "at least" ).

I agree not all TNs are horrible (the cheap ones are though ) and they have some advantages but honestly I would take a decent IPS over even a nice TN.

 

The monitors I am thinking about are the following:

Iiyama ProLite XB2779QS (2560x1440 with a responstime of 5ms)

Iiyama ProLite B2888UHSU-B1 (3840x2160 with a respons time of 1ms )

How's a 4k monitor with lower resolutions? Is it unpleasant, or doable? Isn't it an option to buy it, then use it with a lower res untill I have a new

And btw, I'm not planning to game in 4k (always) so I'm not planning on buying an extreme 4k-able ultra game pc?

And... since you know allot about monitors, can you tell me what to look for in a monitor?

And......... Thanks everyone for replying!

Never heard of that brand before so wouldn't be able to say for sure but if I had to choose one or the other I would go with the 1440p one, if nothing else because its a AH-IPS panel but also because it doesn't sound like you plan to have a computer that would really take advantage of 4K.

[Najuno]

I'm thinking the 16nm Maxwells (if that's how things go down) might but that'll probably later next year, if that doesn't hit the mark then Pascal should (hence next year "at least" ).

I agree not all TNs are horrible (the cheap ones are though ) and they have some advantages but honestly I would take a decent IPS over even a nice TN.

Yeah Pascal might be able to handle that, at least the highend model . Bad thing Pascal won't probalby come out until 2016. But who knows .

 

That's true, the sad thing is there are many shitty TN displays out there. But the ones that are in these monitors like the RoG Swift or the Predator are not bad. But yeah IPS looks better IMHO but for gaming a good TN doesn't kill you .

[Caspian3920]

Never heard of that brand before so wouldn't be able to say for sure but if I had to choose one or the other I would go with the 1440p one, if nothing else because its a AH-IPS panel but also because it doesn't sound like you plan to have a computer that would really take advantage of 4K.

Me neither but the reviews of the monitors are very high (5/5 and 4.5/5), so I think they aren't to bad. 

As for another question, when would you recommend/buy a 4k monitor? And is it to soon to buy 4k (some people say this because it's new and not very developed)?

[Grrizz]

Me neither but the reviews of the monitors are very high (5/5 and 4.5/5), so I think they aren't to bad. 

As for another question, when would you recommend/buy a 4k monitor? And is it to soon to buy 4k (some people say this because it's new and not very developed)?

Personally I don't think it will be worth while till well into next year (mid to late probably) but that's pure speculation. 4K seems to have some good momentum behind it which is why I think we will see better pricing and quality next year, if it weren't for the push we are seeing behind it I would have said year after next. Again this is nothing but speculation based off what I've read/seen of what is out and coming.

I intend to buy a couple of new screens in the next month or two and they will be 27" 1440p IPS monitors, even next year I'm hoping 34" 3440x1440p screens will come down to a reasonable price so I can pick one up instead of a 4K.

[BaSkA]

To be honest, I don't think the difference between 1440p and 4k(on a single monitor) to be even worth it...

 

Everything looks way too small and some games might get weird in 4k.

 

I have NOT had the experience to play in 4k but I have used both resolutions for movies and usual stuff.

 

If you need to be able to put a lotta things on your screen (4x1080 windows) and stuff like that, then sure but if you don't, it's probably not worth it...

 

Also, if you maybe save some money now and get a cheaper monitor, you can get yourself a nice 1440p, 120/144Hz and G-SYNC ready monitor in the near future when the prices go down a little bit and then have a two monitor setup 

[Caspian3920]

To be honest, I don't think the difference between 1440p and 4k(on a single monitor) to be even worth it...

 

Everything looks way too small and some games might get weird in 4k.

 

I have NOT had the experience to play in 4k but I have used both resolutions for movies and usual stuff.

 

If you need to be able to put a lotta things on your screen (4x1080 windows) and stuff like that, then sure but if you don't, it's probably not worth it...

 

Also, if you maybe save some money now and get a cheaper monitor, you can get yourself a nice 1440p, 120/144Hz and G-SYNC ready monitor in the near future when the prices go down a little bit and then have a two monitor setup 

Haha, I'll think about it . If I'm gonna buy a monitor (it looks like I'm going to) then it won't be earlier then 20 october, so if there is a huge change in prices I'll might go for a different monitor. But for right now, I think I'm gonna buy just a regular 2560x1440

 

And a question: If I would use a 4k monitor with a different resolution (for example 2560x1440) would it look very weird? How's 4k with "different" resolutions?

[BaSkA]

Haha, I'll think about it . If I'm gonna buy a monitor (it looks like I'm going to) then it won't be earlier then 20 october, so if there is a huge change in prices I'll might go for a different monitor. But for right now, I think I'm gonna buy just a regular 2560x1440

 

And a question: If I would use a 4k monitor with a different resolution (for example 2560x1440) would it look very weird? How's 4k with "different" resolutions?

 

I believe that if the 4K resolution is 16:9, then it won't be a problem. But there is also a 17:9 4K resolution so you gotta watch out for that (this chart).

 

The 120/144Hz 1440p monitors will probably start to show up next year, thus the price drop will take a while...

If you really feel like it, get the 1440p and, maybe, get a new/another monitor next year. If you get the 4K but next gen GPUs don't get that stronger, you will still not be able to play with quality on 4K, unless you spend a small fortune 

[Caspian3920]

Isn't it a "good" idea if I buy the 4k, and use a 16:9 resolution, so it's like I have a 1440p monitor but with the capabilities of 4k? 
Allot of people say it's better to just buy the 2560x1440 one, why would that one be better (like with the monitors that I mentioned, why would one be better then the other)?

 

And thanks for all the amazing replies, I've learned allot

[Grrizz]

Isn't it a "good" idea if I buy the 4k, and use a 16:9 resolution, so it's like I have a 1440p monitor but with the capabilities of 4k? 

Allot of people say it's better to just buy the 2560x1440 one, why would that one be better (like with the monitors that I mentioned, why would one be better then the other)?

 

And thanks for all the amazing replies, I've learned allot

1080p and 720p scale onto 4K perfectly (2x and 3x respectively - well... UHD anyway which is what that screen is not true 4K) however 1440p doesn't (1.5x) which means at 1440p it'll look a bit blurry/odd, also the 4K monitor is a TN panel and for 4K its a cheapish one vs. the 1440p one which is AH-IPS so the 1440p monitor will have much better, more even colours and better viewing angles (which is important when you get up to 27" IMO) albeit will have slightly more motion blur due to the slower element switching speed.

[Caspian3920]

1080p and 720p scale onto 4K perfectly (2x and 3x respectively - well... UHD anyway which is what that screen is not true 4K) however 1440p doesn't (1.5x) which means at 1440p it'll look a bit blurry/odd, also the 4K monitor is a TN panel and for 4K its a cheapish one vs. the 1440p one which is AH-IPS so the 1440p monitor will have much better, more even colours and better viewing angles (which is important when you get up to 27" IMO) albeit will have slightly more motion blur due to the slower element switching speed.

Thanks for clearing that up! The monitor from my parents has a delay of 6ms, but it doesn't really bother me. Probbably will go with the 1440p then

[-TesseracT-]

You need a stupid expensive pc to run 4k decently so do not bother. 4k is highly overrated.

I disagree. I have seen 4K and it looks absolutely amazing.

[Archangel1994]

I disagree. I have seen 4K and it looks absolutely amazing.

I'm not saying it looks ugly (It looks really good) but it is super overrated. You need SLI 780 Ti/CF R9 290X MINIMUM to run stuff decently which is just silly. Besides it's not like 4k is even worth it on 27" screens. 1440p already looks pretty damn good on 27". 

[-TesseracT-]

I'm not saying it looks ugly (It looks really good) but it is super overrated. You need SLI 780 Ti/CF R9 290X MINIMUM to run stuff decently which is just silly. Besides it's not like 4k is even worth it on 27" screens. 1440p already looks pretty damn good on 27". 

Yes but I think that it's not overrated because the difference between 4K and 1080p is night and day. If you have a lot of money to spend you can go for it. Also 4K should be worth it on a 27 inch screen.

 

[Caspian3920]

What's the difference between (AH-)IPS and PLS, and wich one is better?

[BaSkA]

What's the difference between (AH-)IPS and PLS, and wich one is better?

 

You could check google, even search the forum or read the following 

 

PLS is a sub-set of IPS panel. Under the IPS umbrella, if you will, you have -> H-IPS -> AH-IPS -> P-IPS -> E-IPS -> eIPS -> S-IPS -> PLS among a few others that are not produced anymore. Except for the eIPS panel, all the above are essentially the same. Every manufacture does their own iteration of IPS panel, and all have a 5-10% up on something and down on something else. It's generally not noticeable to the eye. It's just to avoid patent disputes. PLS is Samsung version of the IPS panel. Because they want it to stand apart, marketing wise, they called it something different, but in reality it's the same. eIPS is different than the other IPS panels as it's full name suggests: economy IPS, is targeted at offering IPS panels on those on the budget. These are 6-bit panel, much like TN panels. So colors, while still better than TN and MVA panels, it's not as good as other more expensive IPS panel technologies. But the price, makes it very interesting. They are eIPS panel, competing against med-low range TN panels, which is a bit crazy. It kinda says: "why even get a TN panel", especially if you are not a hardcore FPS player and on budget. My recommendation is the Dell U2713HM, providing excellent value for your money. Solid build quality, uses LG AH-IPS panel, true 8-bit panel, you have DisplayPort, VGA, and DVI as inputs. And it comes with a pre-color calibrated at manufacture, profile: sRGB, with report. This is amazingly great if you don't have any of those costly color calibrators, and you get amazing colors out of the box (well out of box, and you go on the monitor menu, and select sRGB color profile).

 

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