165 Hz 1440p -or- GTX 1080 - Which would be best?

[twiningtyler]

Here are my specs as it stands:

Intel i7 6700K CPU
ASUS Z170-E Motherboard
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 (4 GB)

1920x1080p @ 60Hz primary monitor
1280x1020p @ 60Hz second monitor

My plan if I get the monitor is to replace the current primary monitor with it and remove the old second monitor. The main issue is that I'm not sure if the GTX 980 would suffice to power the 165 Hz 1440p monitor (and the secondary 1080p one) effectively. (This is the monitor I'm looking at, by the way: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236660 ) It would be possible to buy both and upgrade both of them, though if it's not going to do much good, I would prefer to just upgrade one - that $1,359.88 price tag (or more) is definitely not extremely appealing. I honestly have never had a better monitor than a 1080p 60hz monitor and don't know what it will take to power anything more. My 980 works fine with everything I'm doing now, but I'm afraid that'll change quickly with this upgraded resolution and refresh rate.

PS: I also do have an HTC Vive and play virtual reality games quite frequently. A monitor obviously will not help with this, although from all of the games I've played, it runs quite well on the 980.

(The monitor I'm looking at is also G-Sync and I do want to keep to Nvidia, in case you were going to recommend another card altogether)

 

[Bungle11]

You need at least a 6GB card to get good(ish) settings (high/Ultra) for 1440p. Even then you are looking at a 1060 6GB. Which won't do 165 fps at 1440p. Dependent on the game a 1080Ti might push 165hz @ 1440p. Personally I would drop down to a 120 or 144hz monitor as they are cheaper, and get GTX1080

 

[twiningtyler]

You need at least a 6GB card to get good(ish) settings (high/Ultra) for 1440p. Even then you are looking at a 1060 6GB. Which won't do 165 fps at 1440p. Dependent on the game a 1080Ti might push 165hz @ 1440p. Personally I would drop down to a 120 or 144hz monitor as they are cheaper, and get GTX1080

I've been looking around a bit and I think that the GTX 1080 Ti might be a really nice card too, even with a $800 price tag. I'm still not to certain on a monitor, though, if I even will get one. I'd prefer one better than 1080p@60Hz but don't know which is better: refresh rates or resolution. I definitely want an IPS panel, though.

One of the monitors that I'm looking at that is a likely option is this 27" 3840x2160p 60Hz monitor.. The issues I have with it is that the refresh rate might not be what I'm looking for, and a higher refresh rate might be better. I, though, would prefer something higher than 1080p. If you have any good candidates, that would be much appreciated... I'd like it to be under $500.

 

[Bungle11]

You need at least a 6GB card to get good(ish) settings (high/Ultra) for 1440p. Even then you are looking at a 1060 6GB. Which won't do 165 fps at 1440p. Dependent on the game a 1080Ti might push 165hz @ 1440p. Personally I would drop down to a 120 or 144hz monitor as they are cheaper, and get GTX1080

I've been looking around a bit and I think that the GTX 1080 Ti might be a really nice card too, even with a $800 price tag. I'm still not to certain on a monitor, though, if I even will get one. I'd prefer one better than 1080p@60Hz but don't know which is better: refresh rates or resolution. I definitely want an IPS panel, though.

One of the monitors that I'm looking at that is a likely option is this 27" 3840x2160p 60Hz monitor.. The issues I have with it is that the refresh rate might not be what I'm looking for, and a higher refresh rate might be better. I, though, would prefer something higher than 1080p. If you have any good candidates, that would be much appreciated... I'd like it to be under $500.

VR at 4k (good quality settings) even on a 1080Ti might not have enough fps, and may make you feel sick. So please check. Personally, for game I prefer 1440p gaming over 4k. it might not be as sharp as 4k, but you get more fps with better effects (ultra settings), and you can get away with using a GTX1080 in most games. HP do an OMEN series 32" 1440p screen which might fit your budget. ITs not IPS, WA+ i think, which is in between TN and IPS. ITs bascially a tv panel. I heard it can do 75hz with AMD freesync, and has a response time of 5ms.

It might be difficult to find a good IPS 4k panel with a good response time (not to be confused with refresh rate) for $500. You will most tlikely have to go TN panel. But look at Brands like AOC and ACER. LG might have a 4k monitor for $500 or less.

If you watch media a lot 4k@60hz might be worth it, 4k video looks way better.