Monitor buying guide (mega-thread)

Aloha, I’m looking for some monitor recommendations. Here’s my current setup:

Intel Core i9-9900K ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC 11 GB NZXT Kraken x62 Seasonic FOCUS Plus 750W Gold SSD
Asus Strix RTX 2080 OC 11gb
NZXT Kraken x62
Seasonic FOCUS Plus 750W Gold
Samsung EVO 250 GB M.2 + Crucial MX300 750GB + Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 480GB
G.Skill 16 GB Ripjaws V 16 GB 3600mhz

Right now, I’m running a dual monitor setup consisting of:
A gaming monitor—BenQ XL2720Z + an extra Samsung SyncMaster

I need a new monitor specifically for gaming, ideally something in 2K or 4K resolution. The main titles I play are The Division 2, Metro, World of Warcraft, SCUM, DayZ, Dishonored 2, and Prey...

I don't really care about G-Sync vs. FreeSync, but I’d like at least a 27-inch screen. No specific brand preference here, though I do like BenQ since I've had pretty good luck with them in the past.

Perhaps something like this from a Best Buy perspective

I'm a total newbie here—could someone break down the differences between VA, TN, and IPS panels for me?

Matthew Anderson said:I'm a total newbie here. Can someone explain VA vs TN vs IPS?

Sure.

Avoid TN panels like the plague.

As for VA vs IPS—go to a Best Buy or something and see them in person. It’s all about what you like. VA has better contrast, but IPS gives you better colors and wider viewing angles. It's purely subjective.

By the way, if cash isn't an issue, this is what I'd personally aim for: https://www.newegg.com/p/3440x1440+100hz In terms of height (and pixel density), it's basically like a 27" 16:9 monitor http://www.displaywars.com/27-inch-16x9-vs-34-inch-21x9

I'm looking for some recommendations for a standard monitor that would work well for gaming. Ideally, I'd like something in the 22 to 24-inch range with a really low response time. $333 I currently have a Dell 21.5, but I'm running into some ghosting issues during gameplay. I'm also seeing a greenish tint in darker areas, which is likely due to the 12 ms response time on this monitor.

Does anyone have any advice on what to look for when picking out a budget monitor up to $333? Things like panel type or response time?
What are your thoughts on this one
https://www.acer.com/us-en/monitors/acer-nitro-series

https://www.ebay.com/itm/monitor-listing-example

You can grab a 24" for that kind of cash too https://www.nabava.net/monitori/acer...8-169-67314931

Hey, looking for some monitor recommendations around $500. I mostly use my PC for gaming and watching stuff. Specs are an Intel Core i5-8400 and an EVGA GeForce RTX 2060.

I was looking at this but everyone seems to say to stay away from TN panels.

Terry Foster5 said:Hey, looking for some monitor recommendations around $500. Mostly using my PC for gaming and movies. Specs are an Intel Core i5-8400 and an EVGA GeForce RTX 2060.

I was leaning towards but I keep seeing people say stay away from TN panels.

Not sure why you'd pick that one. $500 For a 27" 1080p, it's a TN panel and looks like it lacks FreeSync.

https://www.nabava.net/monitori/aoc-...2-169-56714371

IPS, 75Hz, FreeSync, 31.5", 1440p

wiredotter14 said:Not sure why you'd pick that one. $500 It's just a 27" 1080p TN panel, looks like there's no FreeSync support either.

https://www.amazon.com/monitors/dell...

IPS, 75Hz, FreeSync, 31.5", 1440p

Isn't 5ms a bit slow for gaming?

https://www.bestbuy.com/monitor/samsung...

What do you think of this one?

Not really. Response time doesn't matter much when you're stuck with a 60 or 75Hz monitor. It only becomes a factor once you step up to a 144Hz display, which inherently features better response times anyway. Honestly, that specific spec isn't even worth looking at right now.

Go with the second option, but you need to make a choice: do you want higher resolution and a larger screen, or do you want that 144Hz refresh rate? Also, I'd recommend hunting for it through a more reputable retailer just in case you need to deal with returns or warranty issues later.

A curved screen on a 23" monitor doesn't really offer any real benefits.
It’s fine otherwise.

Like > said, you either go for size and resolution, or stick to a smaller 1080p screen with a higher refresh rate.

Does FreeSync work with Nvidia cards, or is it strictly an AMD thing?

Terry Foster5 said:Does FreeSync work with Nvidia cards, or is it strictly an AMD thing?

It works on Nvidia GTX 1000 series, RTX 2000 series, and probably the GTX 16xx series too. Just make sure you're running updated drivers.

wiredotter14 said:It works on Nvidia GTX 1000 series, RTX 2000 series, and likely the GTX 16xx series too. Just make sure you have updated drivers.

Thanks for the info. Do you know any other monitors similar to yours that actually have VESA mounts?

Terry Foster5 said:Thanks for the help, man. Any idea if there's another monitor similar to yours that actually has VESA support?

Ugh, I don't know off the top of my head. Just hit up Best Buy or Newegg and use their filters. Once you find a few models that fit your budget, just check them one by one.

wiredotter14 said:Ugh, I don't know off the top of my head. You could try searching on Best Buy using their filters. Once you find a few models that fit what you want to spend, just check them one by one.

Alright, thanks. My budget is pretty flexible though. I wouldn't mind going up to $2,000 if the value is actually there. ^^

Terry Foster5 said:Thanks. My budget is just a rough estimate—I wouldn't mind pushing it up to $2,000 if the value is actually there. ^^

That Dell monitor is a steal at that price point. If you decide to bump up the budget and need VESA mounting, you'll have to dig around a bit unless someone here has them all memorized.

By the way, that Dell uses an MVA panel, not IPS. It’s not bad for gaming, though. I have no idea why American retailers would list it as IPS.

IPS EDIT: Looks like they actually carry both versions...

wiredotter14 said:That AOC is a steal at that price point. If you bump up the budget and need an Elvis Presley mount, you’ll have to do some digging unless someone here has everything memorized.

By the way, that AOC uses an MVA panel, not IPS. It's actually decent for gaming. Not sure why American retailers are listing it as IPS.

EDIT: looks like they offer both versions...

Did some reading and turns out the old MVA panels had too much ghosting, so they switched to IPS and dropped the input lag to 2.8ms. Also, there's a third-party Elvis Presley mount adapter on Amazon for $30, so that's not an issue either. I'm grabbing it. Thanks for the tip.

If anyone wants more details on this monitor, everything is right here:

https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-q3279vwfd8/

Terry Foster5 said:did some digging and turns out those old VA panels were ghosting like crazy, so they switched to IPS and dropped the input lag down to 2.8ms. Plus, there's a 3rd party VESA mount adapter on Amazon for $30, so that’s an easy fix. I'm pulling the trigger on this one. Thanks for the tip.

If anyone wants the full breakdown on this monitor, everything is right here

https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-q3279vwfd8/

👍👍👍🙂