Monitor Advice Needed - Ultra-wide, 100hz, 120hz, Stick to 1440p?

[TokyoTom]

Hi All,

I bought a Dell U2711 1440p monitor in 2012, and have been pretty happy with it ever since.

Recently I thought I would upgrade to 144hz or an Ultra-wide, but after about a month of reading/watching reviews I am still fairly confused by all the options out there.

Once I went 1440p, I didn’t really bother keeping up with display technology, and now I am having difficult discerning what I really need.

I have a GTX 1070, so I suppose I would benefit from G-sync, but I am still a bit skeptical of the performance delivered versus the price

Main uses: Entertainment, gaming (FPS, RPGs, some strategy), productivity (Office suite, Lightroom, very light video editing), occasional music production (FL studio). About a 60/40 split between entertainment/gaming and productivity.

I currently live in Singapore and Acer is about the only company that offers competitive pricing in the local market. I’ve been looking at the new Samsung C32HG70 but the mark up here for the 32” is nuts. Asus seems to have some nice stuff, but I hate the RGB lighting on their new displays and all the ultrawide panels seem to be at least 20% more expensive than in North America. Love the look of LG, but the 2560x1080 resolution of their widescreens seem like a downgrade.

As a result, I am strongly leaning towards the Acer Z35P or the Z34 IPS.
The Z35P offers 120hz and seems decent, but after a few years using an IPS I’m wondering if the Z34 is the way to go. Also open to other brands/models if I can pick them up here.

What do you all think? Any suggestions? Opinions? Complaints about the 21:9 aspect ratio? Should I wait for 2018? Stick to a 144hz 1440p, 16:9?

I would appreciate any input.
Thanks!

 

[feelinfroggy777]

What is your budget? I have the Acer x34 and it is arguably one of the best monitor in the world. But it is expensive, so if it is in your budget, I would look there. It will also pair nicely with a 1070.

For me, I don't think I can go back after using the 21:9. It really makes games feel more immersive. And not just for gaming, simple web browsing is great because you basically have 2 27" monitors together. So you can have several web pages open at the same time. The only issue with 21:9, is not all games support it. Skyrim and Dark Souls 3 are two that come to mind. But just about every other AAA game will support it and most of the indies that I have played.

As for gsync, where it shines is when you have lower fps. Your 1070 is a great card, but it wont push 3440 x 1440p @ 100hz in games. So for the games the GPU cant push is when gsync really shines. 40fps looks butter smooth like 60fps. But you can get the same effect with vsync, albeit with added input lag. But that only really matters with competitive quick twitch shooter IMO.

AOC has also come out with a 35" ultrawide that checks all the boxes. IPS, 100hz, 1440p, G sync and it is a pretty good price in the states. Not sure if you can get it where you live.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Z3yMYr
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Z3yMYr/by_merchant/

Monitor: AOC - AG352UCG 35.0" 3440x1440 100Hz Monitor ($899.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $899.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-08 10:50 EST-0500

 

[TokyoTom]

Thanks for the response. Yes, I am strongly considering the x34. Sorry, I mislabeled it as the Z34 in my post above. I read that it had some quality issues, but it does seem like the best option for mixing gaming and productivity.

My budget is around 1,000 USD. The AOC looks good too but that model is not available in Singapore.

Agreed on the 1070 not being optimal. I just ordered an i7 8700, z370 mobo, and ddr4 ram kit, but will hold off until next year to upgrade the GPU. I don’t mind turning the settings down a bit.

Appreciate your input on G-sync, I guess using G-sync with the 1070 at 3440x1440 is where it will come in handy.

My only concern with the x34 is that it is a few years old and Acer will refresh the lineup in 2018. I suppose the x35 will cost an arm and a leg though.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Acer and Asus are coming out with a new curved panel in 2018. It will be 3440 x 1440p, 200hz, IPS, Gsync, and HDR. It will be be a very nice panel. But I suspect it will be very expensive.

 

[TokyoTom]

Thanks for your advice!

A local e-commerce site just launched their Christmas sale today and I managed to pick up the Z35P for a few hundreds bucks off!
I'm glad I checked the sales page.

Maybe I will bite the bullet and go for the 1080 ti.

Thanks again.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Awesome bud. Enjoy it. Gaming is not the same on a high end monitor.