Gaming and general purpose monitors

Xexx · Sep 27, 2022

For work its always 3-4 screens - makes management so much better than 1 wide screen.

Rangoth · Sep 30, 2022

ok, I've joined the thread as I recently moved and before the move sold almost everything I owned that I didn't have personal attachment to(to make the move easier). My old monitors(2 work, 1 play) were among that category.

So here I am! There is no sticky in this thread and technology changes at a decent pace, but I could use some help. The work monitors are easy, I just get huge resolutions and screen space for all the shit I keep open. I don't game much but would like something decent and that's where I'm a bit stuck.

I understand monitor basics and I'm moderately tech savvy, but here are a few things I am having trouble quantifying or trying to find non-marketing data on....

If I go ultra-wide, do only certain games support that? What happens if they don't? Does it just scale strangely or is it more like playing in a window with the game to one side?
4k is technically 3840 × 2160, right? I am seeing ok monitors at 3440x1440. I've never had a 4k so is that last jump worth it?
Refresh rate, this seems insane to me. Some articles I read say human eye can't detect anything over some value, then people disagree and use examples...assuming I am not competing in gaming at a paycheck level, what's decent for an average person who plays FFXIV, and some occasional newer games but casually. What is the minimum that I should look for or would any decent monitor have it anyway?
How realistic is OLED burnin? A few posts I read in here said "never had a problem" and then I find articles of it being bad. For those who use them without problems, do you have specific setting around inactivity and screen savers? rotating background or am I way overthinking this issue?
Response time: again I understand what this means from a technical perspective, but how much does this matter to a regular human playing regular games? Would any decent monitor have a decent value anyway by it's nature?
Curved monitors. All the hype or overhyped? They only work as designed from a particular distance and angle correct? Otherwise wasted gimmick?
The "True black" thing. How important is that? I know I see the difference on super cheap TVs vs. nice TV's. Same concept? Are any reasonable monitors today "good enough" in this regard and it's pretty much only something I need to worry about if I buy a 80$ piece of shit?

Thanks for the help if someone does respond.

Mick · Sep 30, 2022

I use a Samsung Odyssey G9 monitor and have found that Fancy Zones in PowerToys helps out a lot.

Denamian · Sep 30, 2022

Rangoth said:
ok, I've joined the thread as I recently moved and before the move sold almost everything I owned that I didn't have personal attachment to(to make the move easier). My old monitors(2 work, 1 play) were among that category.

So here I am! There is no sticky in this thread and technology changes at a decent pace, but I could use some help. The work monitors are easy, I just get huge resolutions and screen space for all the shit I keep open. I don't game much but would like something decent and that's where I'm a bit stuck.

I understand monitor basics and I'm moderately tech savvy, but here are a few things I am having trouble quantifying or trying to find non-marketing data on....

If I go ultra-wide, do only certain games support that? What happens if they don't? Does it just scale strangely or is it more like playing in a window with the game to one side?

4k is technically 3840 × 2160, right? I am seeing ok monitors at 3440x1440. I've never had a 4k so is that last jump worth it?

Refresh rate, this seems insane to me. Some articles I read say human eye can't detect anything over some value, then people disagree and use examples...assuming I am not competing in gaming at a paycheck level, what's decent for an average person who plays FFXIV, and some occasional newer games but casually. What is the minimum that I should look for or would any decent monitor have it anyway?

How realistic is OLED burnin? A few posts I read in here said "never had a problem" and then I find articles of it being bad. For those who use them without problems, do you have specific setting around inactivity and screen savers? rotating background or am I way overthinking this issue?

Response time: again I understand what this means from a technical perspective, but how much does this matter to a regular human playing regular games? Would any decent monitor have a decent value anyway by it's nature?

Curved monitors. All the hype or overhyped? They only work as designed from a particular distance and angle correct? Otherwise wasted gimmick?

The "True black" thing. How important is that? I know I see the difference on super cheap TVs vs. nice TV's. Same concept? Are any reasonable monitors today "good enough" in this regard and it's pretty much only something I need to worry about if I buy a 80$ piece of shit?

Thanks for the help if someone does respond.

1. Ultrawide support is all over the place. Some games support it properly, some pillarbox (black bars on the sides), some cut off the picture vertically, and some might stretch horizontally. If you don't want to deal with any of this, stick to 16:9.

2. That will depend on if you have a powerful enough PC to run at 4k. Having to dial down settings to get acceptable framerates at 4k might result in a worse experience than going with 1440p. 1440p is just fine for most people, plus this will bring down the cost of the monitor.

3. Refresh rate is effectively a cap on your FPS. You can definitely notice the difference once you become accustomed to higher refresh displays. Anything 100+ will be fine for casual games. For most people, adaptive refresh is more important, so make sure it supports gsync/freesync.

4. OLED burn in is a thing, especially for PCs, where you often have more static UI elements even when not gaming. How quickly it happens depends on a lot of factors, including burn in mitigation features that might be built in to the monitor.

5. Any gaming oriented monitor will generally have perfectly fine response times for casual gamers. Some people are more sensitive to it than others though.

6. Outside of big ultrawides it's mostly a gimmick IMHO. I personally dislike them.

7. Same concept as TVs, you can get a better quality picture in darker scenes. This will be largely dependent on the panel type used in the monitor.

Your budget and PC specs would be needed before we could offer you much in the way of recommendations. What games you are playing now and plan on playing would help.

www.rtings.com is a good place to start for fairly objective monitor comparisons.

Rangoth · Sep 30, 2022

What you provided is awesome actually. Exactly what I was looking for and pretty much what I suspected. It sounds like I don't want ultra-wide as the benefit I would get would far outweigh any hassle that would immediately turn me off. My days of trying to fidget with that shit are long fucking gone. I could always upgrade to one in a few years when that aspect ratio becomes the norm.

Good to know on the 4k thing, my PC is average and probably also due for an upgrade. I used to build my own and keep up to date with shit but now I just goto one of those gaming pre-made PC sites and wait for a deal or whatever on the 1 gen behind specs. Last time I did that it cost me like 1.8k I think it memory serves so it was decent and still is for the most part, but I can tell it's starting to age(3ish years old now). My biggest problem with it is that it is starting to overheat a lot and much like this monitor debate, I'm not sure I give a shit enough to try and figure out why. I did the retard thing and ensured all fans are spinning but that was the extent of my analysis. So I will probably start the above gaming PC site process soon as well.

Sounds like I will stay away from OLED as I'm lazy and stupid with my PC and my dumbass would fuck up and create burn in.

So I guess I need to figure out if I want to go curved or not. Anyone have opinions on that stuff?

As far as what I was looking at....these seemed decent at a not crazy price:

Dell S3422DWG 34"

Gigabyte G27Q 68.58 cm (27") - Wish it were more like 32-34...

Odyssey - G5/G7?

This brand is significantly cheaper than others, FIODIO, are they shit because the specs seem ok.

Aaron · Sep 30, 2022

I upgraded my old ass computer last year and got a 3070 too. Now the only old things left (other than my 20 year old keyboard) are my two 24" monitors. They are about 8 and 10 years old. I'm thinking of upgrading them and would like some recommendations. Mid to upper mid range gaming monitors, 24 or 26 inch max (don't have the room for more). Or at least tips to know what to either look for or to avoid in a monitor.

Xexx · Sep 30, 2022

I generally never notice much issue with UW support but i dont play a ton of varying games - Currently i have a C2 and the Asus PG48UQ trying to decide if its worth the extra $500 vs the C2, which it really doesnt. Sure it gets rid of some "TV" annoyances but cant say its worth $500 more. LG Flex pricing is $2300 which is alot to just bend your monitor thats just 4k120 42 inch so that is a non-starter.

Nemesis · Oct 1, 2022

Rangoth said:
stuff...

a curved monitor is intended to bring the farthest areas (corners) closer to the same radial distance as the center.
You really dont need to bother with curved unless you're going stupid wide like Odyssey G9 (sorry Brahma)
a small radius curve is ok for +34" monitors, but don't go with the super fisheye stuff like a G7

a read through the Rtings guide can do ya some good

The 5 Best Gaming Monitors - Fall 2024

The best gaming monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's a premium 4k, 240Hz monitor with a QD-OLED panel.

www.rtings.com

The 4 Best Ultrawide Monitors - Fall 2024

The best ultrawide monitor is the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF. It's a 34-inch display meant for gaming that also delivers remarkable picture quality.

www.rtings.com

I've had an LG 38" UItrawide (LG38WN95C-W) for a couple years now and I love it.
coming from a 27" monitor, 38" ultrawide was absolutely mindblowing. the amount of extra lateral field of view that I gained in most games was incredible.
however, I've recently been wondering if I'd rather have the new ASUS 42" PG42UQ. for the same width, I get 6" more vertical screen. but I wonder if I'd miss the extra wide natural first-person perspective

Brahma · Oct 2, 2022

Rangoth said:
ok, I've joined the thread as I recently moved and before the move sold almost everything I owned that I didn't have personal attachment to(to make the move easier). My old monitors(2 work, 1 play) were among that category.

So here I am! There is no sticky in this thread and technology changes at a decent pace, but I could use some help. The work monitors are easy, I just get huge resolutions and screen space for all the shit I keep open. I don't game much but would like something decent and that's where I'm a bit stuck.

I understand monitor basics and I'm moderately tech savvy, but here are a few things I am having trouble quantifying or trying to find non-marketing data on....

If I go ultra-wide, do only certain games support that? What happens if they don't? Does it just scale strangely or is it more like playing in a window with the game to one side?

4k is technically 3840 × 2160, right? I am seeing ok monitors at 3440x1440. I've never had a 4k so is that last jump worth it?

Refresh rate, this seems insane to me. Some articles I read say human eye can't detect anything over some value, then people disagree and use examples...assuming I am not competing in gaming at a paycheck level, what's decent for an average person who plays FFXIV, and some occasional newer games but casually. What is the minimum that I should look for or would any decent monitor have it anyway?

How realistic is OLED burnin? A few posts I read in here said "never had a problem" and then I find articles of it being bad. For those who use them without problems, do you have specific setting around inactivity and screen savers? rotating background or am I way overthinking this issue?

Response time: again I understand what this means from a technical perspective, but how much does this matter to a regular human playing regular games? Would any decent monitor have a decent value anyway by it's nature?

Curved monitors. All the hype or overhyped? They only work as designed from a particular distance and angle correct? Otherwise wasted gimmick?

The "True black" thing. How important is that? I know I see the difference on super cheap TVs vs. nice TV's. Same concept? Are any reasonable monitors today "good enough" in this regard and it's pretty much only something I need to worry about if I buy a 80$ piece of shit?

Thanks for the help if someone does respond.

Samsung G9 here...

1. It's a mixed bag. Generally speaking, it's a 50/50 whether or not games support UW properly.
2. The 3440x1440 vs 4k was not noticeable to me.
3. Once you play with a high refresh rate you will absolutely notice. Anything below 100 frames for me is now noticeable. I personally adjust my graphics until I am 120+ if possible. BUT you need to get a Freesync/Gsync monitor. I personally would rather have lets say 90 FPS with Gsync than 120+ without.
4. Never had an OLED. I hear it's real.
5. Just get a gaming monitor. This will be fine for most peeps.
6. I can not stand flat screens now personally. If you're going lets say 38" or more, consider the curved screens IMHO.
7. Same as TV's like you said. Better blacks equal better darker scenes.

The Samsung Odyssey line of monitors won't steer you wrong. You won't get the best value lets say, but you will get a good to great monitor in general.

Xexx · Oct 6, 2022

Brahma said:
Samsung G9 here...

1. It's a mixed bag. Generally speaking, it's a 50/50 whether or not games support UW properly.
2. The 3440x1440 vs 4k was not noticeable to me.
3. Once you play with a high refresh rate you will absolutely notice. Anything below 100 frames for me is now noticeable. I personally adjust my graphics until I am 120+ if possible. BUT you need to get a Freesync/Gsync monitor. I personally would rather have lets say 90 FPS with Gsync than 120+ without.
4. Never had an OLED. I hear it's real.
5. Just get a gaming monitor. This will be fine for most peeps.
6. I can not stand flat screens now personally. If you're going lets say 38" or more, consider the curved screens IMHO.
7. Same as TV's like you said. Better blacks equal better darker scenes.

The Samsung Odyssey line of monitors won't steer you wrong. You won't get the best value lets say, but you will get a good to great monitor in general.

Odyssey line is plagued with technical issues and poor support by Samsung - reddit horror stories of people on their 3rd or 4th panel should be enough to steer even the most diehard fanboy away from touching that line even with someone elses fingers. Sure some people have had luck by the lottery gods but even more have been burned. Its not even like its just the G9 but like every single one of their G line products has been a dumpsterfire in the very name. I had a G9 for 2 days before i took that beeeeech right back up to microcenter. The smaller ones are just straight annoying because they put that sharp ass curve on small monitors.

Buy an LG Ultragear anything really - The Asus PG42 and 48 are good.

Brahma · Oct 6, 2022

Xexx said:
Odyssey line is plagued with technical issues and poor support by Samsung - reddit horror stories of people on their 3rd or 4th panel should be enough to steer even the most diehard fanboy away from touching that line even with someone elses fingers. Sure some people have had luck by the lottery gods but even more have been burned. Its not even like its just the G9 but like every single one of their G line products has been a dumpsterfire in the very name. I had a G9 for 2 days before i took that beeeeech right back up to microcenter. The smaller ones are just straight annoying because they put that sharp ass curve on small monitors.

Buy an LG Ultragear anything really - The Asus PG42 and 48 are good.

You're not wrong. But once I updated the firmware I was fine. No issues since.

Nemesis · Oct 10, 2022

amazon reviews can often be taken with a grain of salt, but there are only a few reviews so far for the PG42UQ and nearly all of them are reporting significant box & screen damage on arrival.

it looks like ASUS has to improve the packaging for the next batch. strange, you'd think they'd have this sorted out.
then again we've also seen how the quality of handling and door delivery has gone to shit, so maybe it's not all on ASUS

*edit LOL I didn't even notice the guy in the first pic is taking the picture shirtless, and with the Last Supper behind him...wtf, LOL

Xexx

Xexx · Oct 10, 2022

Nemesis said:
amazon reviews can often be taken with a grain of salt, but there are only a few reviews so far for the PG42UQ and nearly all of them are reporting significant box & screen damage on arrival.

it looks like ASUS has to improve the packaging for the next batch. strange, you'd think they'd have this sorted out.
then again we've also seen how the quality of handling and door delivery has gone to shit, so maybe it's not all on ASUS

View attachment 437308
View attachment 437309

*edit LOL I didn't even notice the guy in the first pic is taking the picture shirtless, and with the Last Supper behind him...wtf, LOL Xexx

Lol wtf that’s not me but I had an ASUS 48 that had zero issues and now I have the 42 reserved at MC to pick up Wednesday when I go get a gpu.

Nemesis · Oct 10, 2022

don't be ashamed, bro... that's fine art... and the painting is cool, too!

pick up in store should be fine, it's the door delivery that's killing these packages.

Xexx · Oct 10, 2022

I do have that last supper painting in storage in FL tho lol. However that house looks a mess and im way too anal to not keep house looking tidy.

Mist · Oct 10, 2022

Nemesis said:
amazon reviews can often be taken with a grain of salt, but there are only a few reviews so far for the PG42UQ and nearly all of them are reporting significant box & screen damage on arrival.

it looks like ASUS has to improve the packaging for the next batch. strange, you'd think they'd have this sorted out.
then again we've also seen how the quality of handling and door delivery has gone to shit, so maybe it's not all on ASUS

View attachment 437308
View attachment 437309

*edit LOL I didn't even notice the guy in the first pic is taking the picture shirtless, and with the Last Supper behind him...wtf, LOL Xexx

Linus had the same problem with 1 of the 3 tvs they sent.

mkopec · Oct 10, 2022

Aaron said:
I upgraded my old ass computer last year and got a 3070 too. Now the only old things left (other than my 20 year old keyboard) are my two 24" monitors. They are about 8 and 10 years old. I'm thinking of upgrading them and would like some recommendations. Mid to upper mid range gaming monitors, 24 or 26 inch max (don't have the room for more). Or at least tips to know what to either look for or to avoid in a monitor.

Costco still has the LG 1440p 32" gsync 166mhz for like $299? Get 2 for $600 and be all set for a while. Sometimes they go on sale for $250.

jooka · Oct 10, 2022

whoops, wrong thread

Mist · Oct 11, 2022

mkopec said:
Costco still has the LG 1440p 32" gsync 166mhz for like $299? Get 2 for $600 and be all set for a while. Sometimes they go on sale for $250.

This thing:

LG 32GN600-B Review

The LG 32GN600-B is a 32-inch, 1440p monitor with a VA panel. It's nearly identical to the LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B but with a much simpler stand and worse ergonom...

www.rtings.com

Very much a budget monitor. VA panel, cuts a lot of corners.

Much better similar options around the same price:

Amazon product ASIN B08LCNNGZN Amazon product ASIN B093MFKDLP
EDIT: Embedded ads not showing current prime-deal prices.

Malakriss · Oct 17, 2022

[EXPIRED] $180 down from its usual $300

Dell 27 Inch Gaming Monitor: S2721DGF | Dell USA

27" QHD gaming monitor with blazing-fast IPS technology, stunning color coverage and tear-free, stutter-free gameplay in a revamped bold design.

www.dell.com

Gaming and general purpose monitors

Vyemm Raider

Blackwing Lair Raider

Night Janitor

Blackwing Lair Raider

Gigabyte G27Q 68.58 cm (27") - Wish it were more like 32-34...​

Odyssey - G5/G7?​

Goonsquad Officer

Vyemm Raider

Bridgeburner

Obi-Bro Kenobi-X

Vyemm Raider

Obi-Bro Kenobi-X

Bridgeburner

Vyemm Raider

Bridgeburner

Vyemm Raider

REEEEeyore

marco esquandolas

REEEEeyore

Golden Baronet of the Realm

Gigabyte G27Q 68.58 cm (27") - Wish it were more like 32-34...

Odyssey - G5/G7?