Question Is 4k the norm now?

[axlrose]

I have an old build that I put together when the GTX 1080ti launched. The switch to Windows 11 this fall has me thinking all kinds of thoughts about what to do.

Way back at the 1080ti launch there was hope that you would be able to handle 4k reasonably, but I think it took longer than hoped.

Is 4k the norm now? I am comfortable at 2k as I've been there so long. If I built a new system with a 9070xt, would that be a 4k build? Would I want to spring for a new monitor?

Also, are custom water loops dead?

Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

2K, for sure but look into 4K, if you have the money to spend on a platform that can get the most out of it, then yes you should go forward with it. The 9070 is supposed to be a direct competition to the RTX5070/5070Ti, so yes 4K territory.

Also, are custom water loops dead?
Not if your wallet can fork out the dough.

 

[Unolocogringo]

As someone who has just upgraded to a 4k monitor it is amazing for gaming. IF you get a big screen.
32inch is about the smallest I would recommend and then you would need to scale windows fonts/icons etc to be readable. Think very small.
I run a 4070 on a 5600x and my monitor does up to 75hz and HDR extreme so my older eyes can see things a lot better.
I am perfectly fine with the lower framerates. My monitor can not display them any way.
Still run most of the games I play at high/very high/ultra settings.

 

[Gururu]

I just upgraded from a 27" 1080 to 34" 1440 Ultrawide. I cannot say that it is night and day for gaming, but I like having the additional real estate mostly for work stuff and monitor prices are great these days. 1080 still seems incredibly common for pc users in general with 1440 probably way more popular than 4k among gamers.

 

[axlrose]

So if I want to stay at 27", 4k has less of an impact?

 

[axlrose]

Would there be a benefit to a newer gpu if I am staying at 2k and 27"? I am getting deep into rabbit holes now with this Windows 11 change coming!

 

[RodroX]

Would there be a benefit to a newer gpu if I am staying at 2k and 27"? I am getting deep into rabbit holes now with this Windows 11 change coming!

I don't think 4K is the new norm by any means, not at all, but its nice to play, looks awesome. And yes, I agree with other you don't want 27inches and 4K, better look at +32 inches for 4K

It will be a benefit if you want to play the newer (and not so new) AAA titles at High or Very High resolutions, not to mention a few of them are already asking for Ray Tracing compatible GPUs as requirements.

If you don't care about newer games, then theres no point in changing the GPU.
Specially not to the new RTX 5xxx series, those seems to be missing the 32 bits PhysX tech (also missing some ROPs, a decent power connector that does not catch on fire, and the Hot-Spot sensor), so some "old" games run like crap on those new and very expensive GPUs

About your water-loop question, they are not dead, but they are still very expensive, specially compared to some alternatives like the great Dual Tower coolers we have now. Not to mention the great Air Flow PC cases also available today. All with very decent noise levels.

 

[boju]

Bigger the panel size, the higher resolution you'd want. 1440p is perfect for 27".

 

[CelicaGT]

Just remember that at 4K native you're tying yourself to a hefty GPU budget for the foreseeable future. At 1440p you're getting down in GPU budget, whilst enjoying relatively high ppi (depending on panel size) AND high frame rates at high settings. There is a reason it's gaining popularity.

 

[JayGau]

1080p is still the most played resolution, but 1440p is catching up. And 4k is still a small fraction because of the cost of the hardware required to run it. But it is worth it if you have the money.

When I moved to 1440p in 2017, I was like "ok this definitely looks better". But after I got a 4080 two years ago I decided to buy a 4k monitor and wow! The first game I launched got automatically set to 4k and I was blown away. I could not believe it. The caveat is that when you go back to lower res it looks awful once you get used to 4k. And yes, the optimal monitor size for 4k is 32".

 

[axlrose]

So how does one shop for a new 2k card?

 

[punkncat]

IMO it is important to take a look at some of the screen size to resolution and sitting distance charts. RTings has a good one, among others. Also, temper that with your age and eyesight. If you are drifting over 50 going to 4K tends to make much less sense as, put simply, you can't generally even see the difference without glasses and once again according to how far you are from the screen. Often, when the bridge of my nose is tired of having glasses on, I revert back to 1080 just so I can take my glasses off and be more comfortable. Even 2K is more than I can see any more.

I still think the sweet spot for value is 1080, but 2K is far more approachable than it used to be. IMO and for my own situation 4K is nothing I am concerned about for "gaming".