Desktop Computers

fris · Jan 16, 2015

Time for a new build. Going to try to get away as cheap as possible. 660ti video card, 850watt psw and ddr3 ram should carry over

Looking at i5 4690 CPU. Suggestion s for a mother board? I preferred Asus in the past, but I want something that just works. I'm not going to over clock. After I initial post, I never want to have to mess in the bios again.

Joeboo · Jan 17, 2015

If you're not going to overclock, I'd just get something like this:

ASRock Z97 Anniversary LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gbs USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com

It technically supports overclocking, which I know you don't need, but it's still cheaper than most boards that don't, so why not?

I like ASRock, they're good and they're cheap. They have a lot of really solid motherboards around the $100 price point.

icarr757_sl · Jan 17, 2015

Gigabye gtx980 and 3 displays. How would you do it right? LCD Tv, monitor? Purchased a Gigabyte gtx980 end of last year, now I would like to start planning for a 3 display set up. Currently using a vizio 42inch tv for my display and I like the size. But now there is hdmi vs displayport. Tv's all have hdmi and size but no displayport. Monitors have displayport and resolution/refresh, but seem stuck in the 20inch range. So, thought I would tap the community braintrust here and am curious how differing folks think is the best way to do 3 screens w/ 1 gtx980. Cpu i7 4790, 16gb ram, asus hero vii maximus mobo.

Thanks!

Ps. I play games like Skyrim, Batman: Arkham, Witcher, DragonAge. No CoD or Destiny. WoW keeps finding its way back onto the pc now and then but I am pretty sure my serious raiding days are behind me...

Mist · Jan 17, 2015

Not exactly sure what you're trying to do.

icarr757_sl · Jan 17, 2015

Sorry, will try to be more clear. Trying to decide what the best way to go for a 3xdisplays I get to go with 1 gtx980. 3 computer monitors or 3 flat screen tvs. Tvs tend to be bigger, but only have Hdmi ports. Also tvs being bigger require more horsepower to push the extra pixels. Computer monitors tend to be smaller but have Hdmi and Displayport. Better resolution and speed but then I would loose 42 inch screen...

Just wondering what folks think the best 3 way display a windforce gtx980 can push is.

Mist · Jan 17, 2015

Three 1080p monitors with good viewing angles and thin bezels.

You're not going to be getting more than 60 FPS out of 3 displays so 3 IPS panels would be fine.

Or you could get 2 cheap IPS panels for the sides, and a nice 144 hz TN panel for the center panel.

Jysin · Jan 18, 2015

"Cheap IPS" and "nice TN" sounds like an oxymoron. IPS displays are 99% of the time far more expensive than TN, which are cheaper and inferor in viewing quality. TN just happen to have the fastest refresh rates, which is appealing for gaming. Their color reproduction, viewing angles, black levels, etc are all inferior to IPS. Again, it's all down to what content the OP wants to use on each. TVs are huge but how close are you sitting to it? Your ppi (pixels per inch) are a hell of a lot less dense than on a normal computer monitor. Depending how close you are sitting, you could see pixelation pretty easily.

Mist · Jan 18, 2015

Viewing angle is kinda irrelevant for the center monitor in a 3 panel setup, that was my point.

Jysin · Jan 18, 2015

Viewing angle varies by TN manufacturer, but I have seen some that are so bad that simply leaning back in the chair to watch a movie will distort color. (vertical rather than horizontal)

Bottom line is, need to know exactly what the guy is trying to do here. Pure gaming? Just wants massive displays? He has only said he wants 3 screens and listed a few games he plays and acknowledged HDMI vs Displayport availability on TVs. Do you care at all for image quality? Budget limits, etc?

Mist · Jan 18, 2015

Oh yeah, my BenQ XL 2420TE loses ALL contrast as soon as you slump in your chair.

jeydax · Jan 19, 2015

Mist_sl said:
Oh yeah, my BenQ XL 2420TE loses ALL contrast as soon as you slump in your chair.

I'm actually waiting for the new ASUS/ACER G-Sync monitors that were shown at CES 2015 specifically because of this reason. There are a few IPS / 120-144 Mhz / 1440p+ / G-Sync monitors coming out starting in March at really reasonable prices. No point in getting the Asus PG278Q since it definitely is a premium price to pay being the first of its kind.

icarr757_sl · Jan 19, 2015

So no one thinks a Vizio P series 50inch lcd tv would make a good monitor vs these 24inchers? Has hdmi 2.0, does that not allow the video card to pump enough info to the screen to make it worth while? Help enlighten the ignorant!

Silence_sl · Jan 19, 2015

icarr757_sl said:
So no one thinks a Vizio P series 50inch lcd tv would make a good monitor vs these 24inchers? Has hdmi 2.0, does that not allow the video card to pump enough info to the screen to make it worth while? Help enlighten the ignorant!

Vizio makes pure garbage. Avoid at all costs.

Kuriin · Jan 19, 2015

Do people use HDMIs to connect their PCs to the monitor? It just seems like everything is D-DVI.

Malakriss · Jan 19, 2015

HDMI is typically used because longer cables and smaller connector. Some furniture brands just do not understand how wide the DVI connector is when making holes for cables.

There's plenty of people who have never gone above 1080p and never touched a displayport cable as well.

Jysin · Jan 19, 2015

DVI-D is simply old tech, but remains for the time being. Eventually it will go the way of the old VGA interface.

HDMI is great, especially for cable reduction. Smaller connector, carries HD video, carries audio, and newer formats also carry ethernet over a single HDMI cable.

Mist · Jan 19, 2015

Eh, HDMI doesn't do 120hz, where dual link DVI does.

Joeboo · Jan 19, 2015

I don't see how anyone could use a 50 inch tv for a monitor. You either need to sit close enough to read text that it looks like shit or far enough back so that it doesn't look like shit but text and icons are tiny.

I personally think that the 28(1440p/1600p)-34(4k)" range is about perfect for desktop use when you are only sitting 2 feet away.

The Master · Jan 20, 2015

joeboo_sl said:
I don't see how anyone could use a 50 inch tv for a monitor. You either need to sit close enough to read text that it looks like shit or far enough back so that it doesn't look like shit but text and icons are tiny.

I personally think that the 28(1440p/1600p)-34(4k)" range is about perfect for desktop use when you are only sitting 2 feet away.

Well I think it is a bit silly, but you can change the size of icons and text in most OSes. My "TV" is a computer and changing the sizes of icons makes it useable from bed with no issues.

Deathwing · Jan 20, 2015

Any opinions on ultrawide monitors? As in, 2560 x 1080. Saw some screenshots of Diablo 3 on one of those monitors and now I want one. I have a desk that makes dual monitors clunky and I'm usually pretty good at alt tabbing, so I just make do with one monitor instead of buying a new desk(I like my current corner desk) and another monitor. But now, I want one of these:

Amazon.com: LG Electronics UM65 34UM65 34-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor: Computers Accessories

Any downsides? Does viewing angle get funky on something that wide no matter what panel it is? If I run into a game that I can't run at that resolution because of performance, is windowed going to look weird?

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