Is a monitor or hdtv better for computer games?

[johndud]

so come black friday i might buy a new tv and i heard that hdtvs dont really have the best resolution compared to monitors. so im really curious as to whether or not i should buy a new hdtv or monitor, i play alot of computer games and have also noticed that some of my games lag even when i have a great graphics card (nvidia gtx 550 ti ) so i was wondering if this is cuz the tv or my computer just isnt fast enough. the games that lag that i dont think should lag are company of heroes on max settings and other games as well, i just thot that company of heroes wasnt that demanding of a game so i was surprised. any help would be appreciated!

 

[samuelspark]

550 ti IS NOT meant for gaming at high resolutions and will lag heavily. A entry level graphics card is ~$120, mid range is about $200, and high end are the really expensive ones. I suggest you get something like a 6870 or a 560 before you get a HDTV or monitor. Also, for bigger screens HDTV's are better. They both have the same resolutions so it's just personal preference.

 

[AbdullahG]

HDTVs are fine for gaming. If they are 720p, that's fine, but at that resolution, games are more dependent on CPUs compared to 1080p. If it's 1080p, that awesome. You GTX 550 Ti isn't the most powerful card out there. It's decent, but not high-end. It's probably your card. You could add another GTX 550 Ti or you could get a new GPU.

 

[johndud]

HDTVs are fine for gaming. If they are 720p, that's fine, but at that resolution, games are more dependent on CPUs compared to 1080p. If it's 1080p, that awesome. You GTX 550 Ti isn't the most powerful card out there. It's decent, but not high-end. It's probably your card. You could add another GTX 550 Ti or you could get a new GPU.

i knew it wasnt the best graphics card, but what i paid for it made me believe it was good enough to play at the highest resoutions, sucks finding that out now. i would upgrade and get a new one, or go SLI but my motherboard isnt compatible with SLI, do u know of any motherboards that work with this comp spec:

hp amd phenom six core
1045t
corsair gs600 watt

ps; let me know if u need more info, and i greatly appreciate the fast reply!

 

[johndud]

and also ive been thinkina about overclocking but dont know how, does anyone know of any websites that can teach me laymen terms or any advice??!!

 

[jryan388]

I've heard that company of heroes is more cpu-dependant than gpu.

Overclocking: google it.

Basically, when you start up a computer, there is usually a blue screen that flashes up first that says something like "press f1 to enter setup". If you enter setup, at least with a non-commercial PC, there are options for increasing the frequency, voltage, and sometimes multiplier of the cpu.

 

[neonneophyte]

1080p display at 120hz or 60hz is a 1080p at... you get it

a display is a display, just check the specs. personally i use a 32" 1080p display and i cant go smaller than 27" now

i wouldnt mind some higher resolution but its pricey. 1080p is cheap cheap cheap

 

[samuelspark]

i knew it wasnt the best graphics card, but what i paid for it made me believe it was good enough to play at the highest resoutions, sucks finding that out now. i would upgrade and get a new one, or go SLI but my motherboard isnt compatible with SLI, do u know of any motherboards that work with this comp spec:

hp amd phenom six core
1045t
corsair gs600 watt

ps; let me know if u need more info, and i greatly appreciate the fast reply!

Asus M5A99X. Has an automatic overclocking feature. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131754

 

[jaguarskx]

1080p display at 120hz or 60hz is a 1080p at... you get it

HDTVs and PC monitors do not work the same way. A 120Hz PC monitor take two 60Hz inputs and outputs 120Hz. A 120Hz HDTV only accpets 60Hz input, it outputs at 120Hz, but that is due to something called video interpolation which inserts an estimated frame in between each actual from. This causes input lag because it takes time for the HD TV to create each interpolated frame. Switching the HDTV to 60Hz mode or "Game Mode" will eliminate that particular input lag.

 

[wolfram23]

As mentioned, the lag is due to the 550 Ti. It's an ok card but IMO it's better suited to smaller than 1920x1080 resolutions.

As for buying a new tv or monitor, IMO one of the biggest considerations is pixel density. The bigger the screen at any particular resolution, the bigger the pixels are. An image will look it's sharpest at the highest pixel density, which is to say the smallest screen at the highest resolution. However, it's not really a huge problem but for example I simply hated it when I had my PC plugged into my 40" 1080p TV. It's so much better on my 24" monitor.

jaguarskx is right about the 120hz HDTV thing. I wouldn't bother with that, personally.

 

[johndud]

Asus M5A99X. Has an automatic overclocking feature. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131754

this motherboard is hella cheap whats the catch?? i was under the impression a good motherboard was gonna cost me at least 300 dollars, and thanks for all the great replys!

 

[johndud]

Best answer selected by johndud.

 

[samuelspark]

Nothing. It's a great mobo...

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey