144Hz Monitor With HD 7870 or GTX 750?

[ernster]

I’m thinking about getting a 144Hz monitor (probably BenQ XL2411Z). Would most likely be matching it up to a Dell XPS 8500 Ivy Bridge i7 3.40 GHz with a stock Radeon HD 7870. Primary game is LOL (which I understand is not particularly demanding), though various other games as well (TF2, etc.). Does a 144Hz monitor make sense in this scenario? (E.g., will I get the frame rates for this to make sense, if that’s even the right question)?

Also, the monitor might instead end up paired with an AMD FX 3.50 GHz system that has a GeForce GTX750. Same question. Thanks.

 

[damric]

When it comes to driving 120 or 144Hz monitor, it's not just a graphics card question. Often the fastest CPUs can't keep the game engine going that fast so FPS will be all over the place. That said, you are probably fine with your i7 and LoL. The HD 7870 is a more powerful card and will perform better with the high refresh rate monitor.

Where you got to worry about this is games like Watch Dogs that no matter what CPU and GPU you have, the game engine is so poorly optimized that it constantly chokes the CPU causing framerate dips all of the time. So in a game like that a 120 or 144Hz monitor just would not make sense.

And AMD FX CPU at 3.5GHz will have problems with pushing 144Hz in many games, without a question. There will be FPS dips while the CPU chokes. It is what it is.

 

[ernster]

Thanks for your insights.

 

[morerice]

LOL is server-side capped at 60 fps. So you won't get to see the benefit of a 144 Hz monitor.

 

[ernster]

LOL is server-side capped at 60 fps. So you won't get to see the benefit of a 144 Hz monitor.

I believe that's incorrect. As I understand it, 60 fps (or is it 80?) is the highest fixed rate supported by LOL servers, but you can go uncapped for much higher fps (but which has drawbacks).