Question 100hz vs 180hz

[museprime]

I have a Alienware AW3418DW. And I recently have been thinking about upgrading it. And stumble upon a Acer Predator monitor at my local micro center

this model here: Acer Predator X34 GSbmiipphuzx 34" QHD 180Hz

https://www.microcenter.com/product/632892/acer-predator-x34-gsbmiipphuzx-34-qhd-180hz-hdmi-dp-usb-c-freesync--g-sync-compatible-hdr400-curved-ips-led-gaming-monitor

There are obviously some good feature. But I guess I’m just wondering if this is a good upgrade. Compared to what I have. And if it is.

what’s a good price to ask for my old monitor.

thanks in advance.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

the AW3418DW is a 120Hz panel. though you may need to change this option in the monitor's OSD.

unless you have a very beefy system that can pull >120fps @ 21:9 1440p, the only advantage you will get switching to the Acer is it's HDR option.

HDR alone can be worth the upgrade in some instances but i've been through 2 HDR panels now and Windows had serious issues utilizing the 10bit HDR.
every time i would switch from a fullscreen app to the desktop all of the colors would be off\everything purplish. and i would have to disable\enable HDR again in Windows Settings a few times before it would reset correctly.
and any game set in HDR would have to be restarted multiple times before the HDR effect would be enabled.
the first was a 16:9 IPS Gigabyte, the second a 21:9 VA MSI Optix.

my current non-HDR high % DCI-P3 IPS AW3420DW looks as good or better than the MSI, even with it's HDR enabled. but a good HDR1000 panel should look quite a bit better.

 

[museprime]

I’ve got a 3080 with a ryzen 3900X. Do you think I should keep my Alienware or give this acer a go?

the AW3418DW is a 120Hz panel. though you may need to change this option in the monitor's OSD.

unless you have a very beefy system that can pull >120fps @ 21:9 1440p, the only advantage you will get switching to the Acer is it's HDR option.

HDR alone can be worth the upgrade in some instances but i've been through 2 HDR panels now and Windows had serious issues utilizing the 10bit HDR.
every time i would switch from a fullscreen app to the desktop all of the colors would be off\everything purplish. and i would have disable\enable HDR again in WIndows Settings a few times before it would reset correctly.
and any game set in HDR would have to be restarted multiple times before the HDR effect would be enabled.
the first was a 16:9 IPS Gigabyte, the second a 21:9 VA MSI Optix.

my current non-HDR high % DCI-P3 IPS AW3420DW looks as good or better than the MSI, even with it's HDR enabled. but a good HDR1000 panel should look quite a bit better.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I’ve got a 3080 with a ryzen 3900X. Do you think I should keep my Alienware or give this acer a go?

what kind of fps do you currently get with the games you play?
and would you be using the new screen to watch HDR content; movies, etc?

 

[gn842a]

You might consider the AW2521HF twenty-five inch which I have had exactly one day. 240 Hz and 1 ms response time, should be good for gamers. I tend to buy gaming quality hardware (well, mid-range gaming) because I find that it ages better relative to the rest of the internet (for example, having more RAM than is conventionally considered necessary). Also I if I buy a bit "up" my son, when in town, doesn't bug me about the crummy quality of the household system.

The reason I got Dell is that my last couple of monitors have been Dell and over the years I have come to associate Dell with good quality and durability. I have had many years ago some ACER screens, I really didn't like them. Even in CRT days Dell monitors seemed a bit better.

My ten year old Dell is still going strong, but my wife wanted an extra monitor, so she got the old one, and I get this one.

At $330 it is above the $120 to $200 range that many of us would prefer to shop in. One of the criteria in my search is I really NEED USB ports on the screen. I could probably figure out a workaround, but life is much easier when the screen has USB ports. And I really found my ACER screens, though less expensive, to be a downer for my personal use, gaming or no gaming.

I see that you are thinking about a very sizable screen and way above this price range. You might consider some of the larger Dell options. If they have a 25" 240 Hz and 1 ms response they probably have something else (in the Alien Ware line).

I pulled this new screen out of the box and ran the monitor tests here:

https://www.eizo.be/monitor-test/

And was impressed. If there were dead pixels, I didn't spot them. I will add that this monitor has very solid stand (like all Dells I've had) and very good cable management arrangement.

Greg N

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

i would seriously doubt many, if any casual gamers, would want to go back to a 25" 16:9 after using a 34-35" 21:9 ultra-wide.
maybe for more competitive market speeds like you speak of; >=240Hz \ 1ms.
but the ultra-wide screen space is so much more immersive.

museprime(OP) is already using a Dell 34" ultra-wide 120Hz panel. so changing to a 25" 240Hz may seem like quite a downgrade. some may notice and enjoy a difference with the higher refresh rate and faster response time, but the drop in screen space would definitely be a deal breaker for me.

the Acer Predator X series displays are actually pretty nice. but were a bit out of my price range when last purchasing.
the X34 museprime is interested in pretty much blows away the specs and image quality of those you've mentioned. but it also comes with a hefty price tag.
maybe some would consider 180Hz vs 240Hz quite a difference but having tried the super high refresh rates, i notice no difference with anything passed 144Hz.