Looking For (a) Gaming Monitor(s) Under £500

[verynice]

So recently I have decided it is time to upgrade my monitor rig and have settled on a £500 budget, although that number is not set yet. I originally intended to steal a X34-A for £500, but I took too long and now that offer has passed (which is why I am writing this, it drove me to insanity) .

I am also keeping an eye on the Z35, however I have heard that monitor has bad colours,horrible ghosting and too few pixels, but the price seems appealing.

Just because these 2 are ultrawides and from Acer doesn't mean I am restricted to Acer ultrawides. As long as it has the usual g-sync and 100+Hz I am fine with it. I am also fine with any used deals you may happen to find. Edit: Size doesn't really matter, as long as it is above 24".

 

[coastie65]

Hi, You didn't specify size, but found this and the various places you can fine it in the UK : https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/c298TW/asus-monitor-mg279q

 

[verynice]

Hi, You didn't specify size...

-Sorry about that, fixed.

Alright, on paper this monitor is really good, and it just ticks all the boxes, so I'm going to go game theory on this monitor real quick!

 

[verynice]

This monitor is very good, and there are really no negatives about it, however it is a bit over priced for what it is. But I did find this hidden gem: Acer Predator XB270HU, and it's for £499 refurbished. Should I get it? It has g-sync as well and is really looked upon highly as a stunning monitor.

I am also looking at the Acer Predator XB271HK (I don't know why I keep looking at Acer ) , I know it is just out of reach for me, but is there any noticeable drawbacks on that.

 

[coastie65]

As for the price on the ASUS, eBuyer.com had it for £451. If I had the space, I would jump on it in a heart beat, Unfortunately, my desk has me limited to 22". I need a new workstation. As for refurb, I am not real big on them, but it is a buyer beware situation. Having said that, I have a 17" Gateway Laptop that was a Refurb and it has done well. Lot of History with Acer. They were a Compant out of Taiwan that came on the market with their Computers and stuff, mostly in the entry level arena. We had eMachines and Gateway in that market here. Gateway eventually bought eMachines and used the eMachines brand as their low end entry brand. At some point Gateway started looking at Packard - Bell and took an option to buy it. In steps Acer. they offer to buy Gateway, IF Gateway exercises their option to buy Packard Bell, thus giving Packard - Bell an entry into the European Market. Gateway did , then Acer bought Gateway. Acer is the umbrella that covers 4 different brands. Acer is good, but Dell monitors are better as is View Sonic and ASUS. I am familiar with ASUS as I used their motherboards in all my builds and upgrades. At the moment, I am using a Samsung which is good.

 

[verynice]

I'm only really familiar with Acer, Asus and AOC (Or as I like to call them: Triple A Monitors), and they all served me well. I've never really spent this much on a monitor and the only reason I am is to celebrate my raise, as well as the rest of my setup. It was really nice to read about the history of Acer, and I commend you for letting me know.

Alright, I really compared the 3 monitors (excluding the X34-A and Z35) and went into every tiny detail for a couple of hours. The Asus MG279Q is the Team Red version of the Asus ROG PG279Q - ranked highly as one of, if not the best monitor for gaming, and it just so happens the the Acer Predator XB270HU is Acer's twist on it. Kind of like the X34 and the ROG PG348Q, except no curve and a 16:9 aspect ratio. All the Acer Predator XB271HK is a 4K version of the XB270HU, however with Acer's new 'Predator-Gamer' vibe, which I'm not liking, however I'm just going to wall mount it anyways so it doesn't matter, (I don't know your situation exactly, but you could try that too ).

The difference between the 2 Acer monitors is g-sync, they both have free sync versions however as the g-sync version is in my price range I thought why not? I already know about g-sync, and I heard numerous times about how people "Will not go back" and how it "Changed everything", but I'm not sure if that is just their justification on spending that much. All of them have excellent colours due to the In-Plane Switching (IPS), however there is very minor back-light bleed on the XB270HU, however reviewers say you won't notice it unless you are trying your hardest to look for it. But Asus has the best colour reproduction out of the 3, with colours being more vibrant and blacks looking, well, black-er. But the XB271HK is a 4K panel, which, simply put, makes the panel better just by added almost twice as much pixels.

 

[coastie65]

I'm only really familiar with Acer, Asus and AOC (Or as I like to call them: Triple A Monitors), and they all served me well. I've never really spent this much on a monitor and the only reason I am is to celebrate my raise, as well as the rest of my setup. It was really nice to read about the history of Acer, and I commend you for letting me know.

Alright, I really compared the 3 monitors (excluding the X34-A and Z35) and went into every tiny detail for a couple of hours. The Asus MG279Q is the Team Red version of the Asus ROG PG279Q - ranked highly as one of, if not the best monitor for gaming, and it just so happens the the Acer Predator XB270HU is Acer's twist on it. Kind of like the X34 and the ROG PG348Q, except no curve and a 16:9 aspect ratio. All the Acer Predator XB271HK is a 4K version of the XB270HU, however with Acer's new 'Predator-Gamer' vibe, which I'm not liking, however I'm just going to wall mount it anyways so it doesn't matter, (I don't know your situation exactly, but you could try that too ).

The difference between the 2 Acer monitors is g-sync, they both have free sync versions however as the g-sync version is in my price range I thought why not? I already know about g-sync, and I heard numerous times about how people "Will not go back" and how it "Changed everything", but I'm not sure if that is just their justification on spending that much. All of them have excellent colours due to the In-Plane Switching (IPS), however there is very minor back-light bleed on the XB270HU, however reviewers say you won't notice it unless you are trying your hardest to look for it. But Asus has the best colour reproduction out of the 3, with colours being more vibrant and blacks looking, well, black-er. But the XB271HK is a 4K panel, which, simply put, makes the panel better just by added almost twice as much pixels.

Hi. Wasn't sure of where you wanted to go, so stayed away from the 4k stuff. I'm good for VR and 4k Just need the Monitor. It looks like you have been doing a lot of Research into this, That is good. Far too many just jump in and end up regretting it later. Whatever you eventually decide on, I think you will be happy with it. Congratulations on the raise.

UPDATE: I just went back and only found one available 4k monitor. it was an LG and 31" and was £900+ There were 4 or 5 listed, but only the one had a price, meaning the others were probably not available. Also, they were all 60Hz.

 

[verynice]

Thanks for all the help/ compliments, they really mean a lot, I think I'm going to get the Acer XB270HU just for the mid-range price and g-sync. Again, thanks for all the help!