720p monitor recommendations?

I've been thinking... I'm running an old GPU, so most new games barely crawl at 720p... maybe I should just grab something like this

720p

What’s the gaming experience actually like on a monitor like that? Is it worth it? Has anyone here tried one?

It claims a 600Hz refresh rate... though I seriously doubt my card could ever hit that...

I know there's that amazing AOC monitor (at least based on the $600 price point) that's 32 inches with a 2500x1400 resolution, but since my graphics card is pretty weak, I wouldn't get much use out of that resolution. Maybe just browsing the web...

In case you're wondering what I'm running, it's an HD 7770...

Gaming in HD gives you twice the pixels compared to 1366x768... so that resolution feels like a total lifesaver for older cards... but how much sense does that make long-term? Hmm...

What do you guys think? What should I go with?

First off—this isn't even a monitor, it's just a TV. 😁

That 600Hz refresh rate is basically a scam. It’s just some software trickery when the actual refresh rate is probably closer to 50Hz.

At this resolution, you might be fine if you play from across the room, but trying to read text is going to suck since everything will look blurry and pixelated.

It's much better to just spend those $533 upgrading your PC to handle 1080p rather than settling for a 768p TV 😁

So I dropped the resolution on my 27-inch monitor down to 720p, and honestly, nothing looks pixelated... not the Chrome text, not the images... and I’m sitting only about half a foot away from the screen. Give it a shot if you don't believe me... I guess browsers have their own way of scaling text and photos for different resolutions, so they aren't strictly tied to high-def settings.

YouTube works perfectly fine at that resolution too; I switched the video to 720p while the monitor stays at 720p.

When it comes to gaming, playing at this resolution actually makes more sense if you can crank the settings and filters up to max along with the lighting (assuming your GPU can handle it, obviously)... it's better than sticking to high-def but running everything on low.

Getting a 32-inch AOC setup with a decent card to drive it would run you about $1333, which is pretty steep...

And why do things like that Grundig monitor even exist with those specific resolutions when it's supposed to be high-def anyway?

Perhaps your standards on this matter are a bit more modest than most, but I must say, they aren't entirely wrong. A 720p resolution feels quite underwhelming for an 80cm screen, particularly if you plan on sitting closer than about six feet away. Furthermore, there is little point in obsessing over your graphics settings if the image clarity is fundamentally lacking, just as there is no value in pushing for high resolutions if your hardware settings are forced to stay low.

'HD ready' typically refers to 1270x720p, whereas 1366 x768 is technically classified as 'HD+', much like anything else falling short of Full HD. And when it comes to current graphics cards, looking at lower-tier options simply isn't worth your time anymore—to put it bluntly, the experience is miserable.

In any case, I would suggest heading down to a local electronics retailer like Best Buy to find a TV in that same size range, so you can see firsthand how that specific resolution and pixel density actually looks to your eyes.

I mean, you're basically looking at a TV with generic drivers, so everything is tuned for watching shows or movies. It’ll probably be fine for gaming or YouTube, but once you start looking at actual text or fine details, it's probably going to look pretty rough.

Check out this thread from earlier today on another forum:

http://forum.pcekspert.com/showpost....ostcount=10377

Besides, you’re eventually going to have to upgrade that Radeon HD 7770 anyway, and then what? You'll be stuck with a crappy TV that only does 720p. I guess it might be better to just grab something with Full HD resolution now. Even if you run games in 720p and things look a little weird or stretched since you aren't on native resolution, you'll probably be glad you picked a futureproof monitor.

Look, man, if you go with $200 today, worst-case scenario, you’re looking at a GPU that’s twice as powerful as your current one (the Radeon HD 7770)

I'm telling you, take those $533 and put them toward an upgrade instead

Yeah, for example.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example

You can actually snag a GTX 760 for about $700 and $250. If you're looking at higher price points, the only thing worth considering is the R9 290 vapor-x for $500
. Around 900-$333, you might find a GTX 960 that still carries a warranty
.
Out in the States—say, a massive tech hub like Austin—it makes total sense to pick up used GTX 780s or GTX 780Tis for next to nothing during this GPU shortage. But here? You either can't find them anywhere, or some guy is trying to charge you an absolute fortune
.

I can't help but feel that investing in older generations, such as the GTX 700 series or the R9 200 series, might be a rather questionable decision. There is always that nagging uncertainty regarding their longevity; they could fail at any moment, and one often runs into issues where the video connectors simply refuse to function properly. Furthermore, they tend to run quite hot and consume a significant amount of power. In my humble opinion, if you can stretch your budget by an additional 300-$$167, it would likely be much more prudent to aim for a GTX 960, a GTX 970, an R9 380, an R9 390, or perhaps even hunt down a used or new 1050Ti. With those options, you stand a much better chance of finding a card that still carries some form of warranty or peace of mind.

Look, it all comes down to the risk you're willing to take when buying used hardware. Lately, the GTX 970 and even the R9 390 have become way too pricey compared to the R9 290, making them a bad value proposition right now.
As for those cards sitting around the $400 mark—like the HD 7850 or the GTX 660—$233 taking a gamble on a GTX 760 is definitely worth the risk. You aren't sinking massive amounts of cash into them, yet they still function as perfectly solid GPUs.

If having a warranty is a priority for you, then you really ought to be hunting for GTX 960 models.

In my estimation, opting for the GTX 960 with at least a year of warranty remaining at around $850 $300 appears to be the most prudent course of action. Until very recently, I had considered a GTX 970 if one could find a unit with a warranty for about $367, or perhaps an even older model priced between $400 and $167. However, I would personally advise against looking at the GTX 750 series as a viable middle ground; for roughly $67, you end up with an older, significantly inferior card from the GTX 960 series that lacks any form of warranty coverage whatsoever.