Sure, you can find it cheaper elsewhere. And yeah, unfortunately, it’s way too big for people who sit too close to their desks. I only brought it up from a pure "value" standpoint. If you can snag one of those for around $1,600-$567, while this Dell is sitting at $933, you can't really call the Dell a steal—it's just a solid monitor overall.
I’m honestly not sure if it’s actually "worth it" when that AOC model is sitting there at an 80% discount, though I have to admit, users on the forums have been singing its praises quite a bit.
Look, you really have to aim for at least a modern quad-core—think a budget-friendly new R3 1200 or R3 2200G. Alternatively, if you stumble upon an absolute steal, you could hunt for some used Intel i5 4 xxx chips on the 1150 socket since you already have the DDR3 RAM sitting there. But honestly, you're hitting a wall with motherboards; you won't find new ones anymore, and the used market is either dried up or just plain overpriced.
Even then, let's be real: even modern entry-level quads aren't exactly powerhouse machines today. However, with one of those paired with a decent graphics card, you could actually play most things reasonably well. At the end of the day, the GPU is the heavy lifter here, and your total performance is going to hinge entirely on it. I've heard people picking up RX 470 4GB cards for $267 and stuff like that. If you can snag one of those, it’s a fantastic deal—it doesn't cost much, but it's a surprisingly solid card.
The bottom line is—today. That link you shared features tests from ages ago; if you look closely, the newest titles are stuck in 2012. If you followed the Kepler architecture, you know it didn't age particularly well with modern titles and drivers, whereas GCN GPUs held up much better.
By the way, that listing you linked is dead, and even if it weren't, this is a better deal (it's more powerful, newer, and has a superior cooler).
Every now and then, a GTX 760 or a GTX 960 will pop up at a great price, but you have to hunt for those deals. Personally, I’d suggest he aims for something even more potent once he reaches his budget.
ARC is absolute garbage when it comes to performance—at least it was during its early access phase. Your best bet is to upgrade the whole platform; trying to fix things with half-baked solutions won't give you the rebirth you're looking for. Ultimately, just check the benchmarks and YouTube videos to see how the game actually performs on specific hardware.
Don't just look at what the GPU demands; focus on the power supply itself. You need a solid 500W unit—but more importantly, you need one that actually delivers quality.
Regarding the EVGA B350M Mortar on the LGA 1200 socket—it’s proven to be quite solid and reliable. Even though the specs look a bit "budget," it actually outperforms anything from ASUS at that same price point. But hey, that's just my two cents.
It’s honestly pretty ridiculous—when you add items to your cart over at AMD, they don't show you the cash price right away. Instead, they default to showing the most expensive payment option. It's a bit nonsensical, if you ask me. You don't actually see what the real cash price is until you're deep into the final stages of checking out.
People rave about this Dell UltraSharp, but I can't say the same for Lenovo. This latest Dell model sits in the S-tier, which basically means it's a step below the UltraSharp line. Honestly, looking at the price tag, I'm not convinced it's worth it when you could just grab one of those highly recommended 31.5" AOC monitors for way less cash.
Following up on my previous point—unless you're a serious gamer, paying extra for G-Sync is like throwing money down the drain, and there's really no reason to shell out for 144Hz monitors either.
You’ve certainly listed quite a wishlist there—4K resolution, an IPS or VA panel, and G-Sync support? You better be prepared to shell out anywhere from $500 to $700 $0.00 to pull that off.
Honestly, even the most high-end G-Sync monitors with just a 1080p screen and a TN panel are going to cost you at least $300 $1333, so you aren't getting all those premium specs for cheap.
If your main goal is finding actual value, I’d suggest looking at the usual suspects everyone talks about: those two options mentioned in the posts above yours, plus that Samsung model I pointed out in my post #124 earlier.
urbaneagle4 said:Hey there, can anyone recommend a monitor that's 24 inches or larger? I'm looking to pair it with this GPU: a Gigabyte GTX 1060. Ideally something from Best Buy if there's a sale running right now, thanks!
You actually have two pretty solid deals on the table right now.
https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=AOC + C24G1
It stands out because of its great price point for a 144Hz refresh rate. Interestingly, it doesn't use a TN panel, which is what you usually find in cheaper 144Hz models.
This is a 31.5" IPS 1440p 75Hz display. It’s an incredible value for the money, but just keep in mind that your GPU isn't really built for high-end 1440p gaming, and for some people, a screen that size can feel overwhelming if they sit within 20 inches of the monitor.
velvetskipper8 said:I didn't mean to jump straight to specific models, but I was thinking about Dell's UltraSharp series. It's definitely their premium line. I know the older models are quite dated, but the fact that they're still available says something. They were highly recommended when they first hit the market and always got great reviews, but I'm debating whether it's still a smart move to buy one without USB 3.0 or HDMI. It only features DisplayPort among the modern inputs. You can also find similar options at that price range like the other Dell models, though the oldest one has certainly proven its durability over time. Other brands in that price bracket that would likely be safe bets are Fujitsu or NEC, though they run closer to $250. High-end brands like Eizo are even more expensive.$1000.
Look, I'll admit that brands like Eizo or NEC aren't really my specialty; I don't know that niche very well. Personally, I'm not convinced they justify such a massive price gap compared to mainstream monitors. At the end of the day, you're still looking at 24" 1200p displays, yet you're paying prices comparable to much larger 1440p or 4K mainstream monitors.
Honestly, if you're dead set on a 16:10 aspect ratio, Dell is pretty much the only game in town. You don't have many options there unless you start looking into super niche professional brands like Eizo.
Try searching on Amazon for the U2412M or the U2415.
Look, some people act like 144Hz is this life-changing miracle you can never live without again...
But honestly, you can't really miss something you've never actually experienced. If you're still rocking a TN panel at 60 or 75Hz, you've still got plenty of options for which direction you want to take your setup.
The price jump for 1440p at 144Hz is significant, especially since you're paying a premium for that IPS panel. Plus, G-Sync isn't much more expensive than G-Sync. To handle that resolution, you’re going to need a beefy GPU. As games get more demanding, neither a Vega 64 nor an RTX 3080/4070 is really the sweet spot for high-end performance at those specs—unless you're just playing light titles.
If you drop just one requirement, the cost drops drastically. For example, you could go with 1080p at 144Hz with a non-TN panel, or stick to 1440p but at a lower 60/75Hz refresh rate.
In my opinion, these two options represent the best value depending on what you're after:
slycrane41 said:Hey, I'm running an AMD FX-6300 and some budget 500W power supply. Which GPU should I grab for $333 that won't require a PSU upgrade and won't cause a massive bottleneck with my CPU?
And what exactly are we talking about when you say "budget" power supply? We need to make sure it can actually handle any of the options crimsonstag84 suggested.
Adam Barrett7 said:Alright folks, I need some recommendations for a 1440p/144Hz monitor featuring G-Sync. Ideally looking for a "best buy" type deal, preferably with an IPS panel. Budget isn't an issue—well, actually, money is tight. Cheers.
Basically the only real option in the US market that hits the IPS requirement along with everything else.
Kevin Patel2 said:Hey everyone, I could use some help picking out a monitor.
I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to displays, but I'm looking for something at least 27" with a 144Hz refresh rate. If possible, I'd love thin bezels—more screen and less plastic around the edges.
Thanks in advance, and I hope to hear from you all soon.
Best!
If you want something cheaper than what I linked above, you'll have to settle for a TN panel and 1080p resolution. Honestly, you can probably skip the TN panels entirely if you can afford it.
I’m looking to upgrade my setup and finally get FreeSync up and running, but my current Radeon RX 590 just isn't cutting it anymore. I've been eyeing Black Friday deals for a while now, though I’ve had some pretty frustrating experiences trying to score anything decent on Amazon lately. Since I haven't been gaming much recently, I initially decided to just hold out for the Naviti release. However, seeing deals like this—especially for a Sapphire RX 570 nitro—is making me second-guess that plan.
