[SOLVED] Gsync Monitor/Graphics Card Question

[ImageOfChaos]

So, I have a somewhat long winded scenario that I am hoping to get some expertise on.
I just recently purchased a new PC for gaming that did not have quite the specs I would have selected myself, but as a package deal the price made it too good to pass up. The main specs are that it's an i5-8600k processor (i have not overclocked), 16gb of ddr4-3000 ram, a GTX1070, and a 600 watt Cooler Master Masterwatt Lite power supply. I have not had a desktop in sometime, so I also needed a new monitor, so I selected the Dell 27" S2716DGR 1440p 144hz Gsync monitor knowing that maybe the 1070 was a little under-powered to maximize this setup, but that I would be ready for a 2060 or a 2070 when those prices start to (hopefully) drop later this year. Then I started doing some additional research and talking to a few of my pc gaming friends and had some questions come up that I can't seem to get a straight answer on.

#1 - My original thought that the 1070 may be a bit under-powered for monitor wasn't a huge concern as I figured I could turn the more demanding games down to 1080p but a friend told me that Gsync will only work properly on a monitor's native resolution - Is this true? If so, should I just switch to a Freesync 1080p or 1440p monitor and hope it works with the new gsync driver update since there are not many other gsync monitors around $400?

#2 - Is 1440p too expensive of a dragon to chase? I could downgrade monitors to a 24" 1080p 144hz non gsync and save $200, which could be applied toward a RTX 2070. I could also sell the 1070 for around $175 on ebay and then have 75% of the cost of that 2070 already covered. Is this a better gameplan?

#3 - If I upgrade to a 2070 will the 600 watt power supply be enough juice? It seems like it should be on paper, but a LOT of forum posts talk about having a 650 watt minimum.

Thanks in advance for help with these questions!

 

[TJ Hooker]

1) I've never heard of g-sync not working at lower resolutions, and can't think of any reason why that would be the case.

2) Kinda something you have to decide for yourself, no one else can tell you what higher resolution/size is worth to you. I personally think 24" is a little small, and for something like a 27" you do typically want 1440p to maintain good pixels per inch. Something like a 2070 would probably be good for at least 80-100 fps at high-ish settings in most games. You're at least somewhat taking advantage of the high refresh rate in that case.

3) 600 W is plenty, but that unit in particular isn't very good. http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=563

Edit: That review might not actually be for your PSU model, as it's for a model that only works with 220V mains. Looks like there's another version that works with 110 or 220 V mains, but I can't find any reviews for that one. Doesn't bode particularly well.

 

[ImageOfChaos]

Thanks for the detailed response, especially the review on the power supply (very well written and entertaining!).
Kind of surprised that you mentioned 80-100fps on a 2070 at 1440p as I though I would get a lot closer to 120-140. If this is the case, would i be better off going with a 75hz ips monitor to get better colors and viewing angle and toss the 144 since I won't really be able to take it advantage of it on newer games? I could always enable adaptive vsync in the nvidia settings with that type of monitor to minimize any tearing.
Just as an FYI, I plan on playing Anthem and Metro Exodus which I know will be both be pretty demanding.

Thanks!

 

[tiaan_strauss]

Hi

I will try to answer as best I can, but some of your questions are actually more complicated than you think.

Will g sync work on a lower resolution?
As far as I know yes

Should you downsclae resolution to 1080p?
Its not as simple as you might expect, 1440p is one of the worst resolutions to run on 1080p because the number of pixels don't divide evenly. You are better off reducing graphics settings in games than changing the resolution. In short, 1080p on a 1440p monitor looks worse than on a native 1080p in gaming & even just watching content. If I were you I would simply lower the graphics quality of the game & not the resolution.

Should you just switch to a Freesync monitor?
Your thought process is a bit strange in this regard. You have an Nvidia GPU & 1440p monitor (you have plans on potentially upgrading your GPU), but you want to buy another monitor that is Freesync - you want to spend more money buying a different monitor - instead of just using that money to upgrade the GPU & fix the root cause of your problems The root cause of your problem as it stands is not the monitor, it is your GPU. Fixing the problem of the GPU fixes everything else.

Usually our minitors outlast pur GPUs. We upgrade GPUs more often than upgrading a monitor as we are trying to take advantage of the full power of the monitor.

Yes, Nvidia plan on enabling g sync support on all freesync monitors, but bear in mind that it will not work the same as a true g sync monitor (otherwise nvidia wouldve certified all freesync monitors & not just the 12 theyve already done). Basically, you can try out g sync on any freesync monitor, but only the cream of the crop (12 total) have been deemed by nvidia to perform as close as possible to g sync itself. I wouldnt bet on this & I wouldnt invest in hardware to potentially have a good or bad experience - we dont know how it will work. You might end up spending money on a new monitor hoping gsync will work & it turns out it works but on a poor level.

I have a 2070 & its great at 1440p, but I also think the 1070 is quite capable of 1440p, I dont see why a 1070 cant do 1440p 60 FPS. It can probably do a bit more than 60FPS if you spend time tweaking settings. (Even on my 2070 I never play any game at Ultra settings, I just stick to high).

Like I said, youre better off keeping the monitor as we usually upgrade GPUs before monitors. Keep your 1070 & play 1440p 60 FPS for a while or upgrade to a 2070. Either way, you ensure you have the best quality monitor to utilise the GPU potential & g sync technology.

On a side note, I can tell you that from experience, cheap Freesync monitors will perform worse than a more expensive g sync (even on AMD hardware) Whereas on the high end a Freesync 2 monitor compares roughly the same as a high end g sync all things being equal.

PSU question already answered

Hope this helps

 

[TJ Hooker]

Kind of surprised that you mentioned 80-100fps on a 2070 at 1440p as I though I would get a lot closer to 120-140.

It depends a lot on the game. Check out Tom's review of the 2070, in some games it averages 100+ fps, others less than 80. That's at max settings though, I'm sure you could get it to run 100+ in most games with only turning down a few settings.