Question Need help selecting a monitor

ultrarunner100

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Hi;
I am looking to buy a 3rd monitor for my system. I currently own the following two monitors:
NEC EA244WMi (1920 x 1200, 16:10) 24 inch
Samsung 2494HS (1920 x 1080, 16:9) 24 inch

My system is:
Ryzen 7 3700 on Asus Tuf Gaming X570 Plus WiFi
Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTS2070 Super 8Gig
32Gig RAM
2ea 1TB SSD

I run Windows 10 Pro

I don't play any FPS games, but watch streaming video from Amazon Prime and/or Netflix.

I have been thinking about a 32 inch curved monitor, but after doing some research, have decided that I would not be happy with a 32 inch monitor with only 1440p. I would need to go to 4K for such a large screen.
I don't think I could afford even a 27 inch 4K monitor.
My current budget is limited to $700 max.
So I am revising my needs down to a 27 inch @ 1440p. The 27 inch would fit my environment better than a larger screen, as I sit not farther than 3ft from the screen.

I like the concept of the curved screen, but haven't actually seen any.
I think I would want a monitor with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate.
I need G-Sync, or at least G-Sync compatibility, since I have the GeForce RTS2070 Super.

I have been doing some research and shopping, and until yesterday, I thought I had possibly settled on a Samsung G7 Odyssey 27 inch QHD, but after reading about flickering issues related to G-Sync, I'm no longer looking at that model. However, I understand that there is a firmware upgrade which addresses the G-Sync flickering problem.

As far as my timeline, I am not in a rush to get this new monitor. I think I could wait until Amazon Prime day, or even Black Friday.

Someone suggested an ASUS ROG monitor, but those tend to be very expensive.
I am definitely not interested in buying used / refurbished.

Thanks for your help
Ultrarunner
 

ultrarunner100

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The only 'game' I play is Run8 Train Simulator. It doesn't put much demand on the system, but there may be a newer version released sometime this year, so I don't know what enhancements it might offer for those who have the hardware.
I am also trying to 'future proof' my system. I did the build in April 2020, and will most likely not do another for 5 years.

As for space, I do not have the space for a 43" monitor if I want to keep the other two. I wouldn't want to give up the two smaller monitors for one very large one, as it would not allow me to run other apps (which run with the sim) in the way I can with multiple monitors.

I like the idea of G-Sync because I do experience some tearing of images, but since my current monitors are limited to 60Hz, I have set the FPS in the sim to limit to 60Hz.

The one issue I might have with 4K is that I would need to scale my text apps so I can read it.

Perhaps I really should visit a local store and have a look for myself.
 

ultrarunner100

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If I do go with a 4K monitor as my main, and keep the other two running, what sort of issues might I have?
I suppose my frame rates on the 4K would depend on what game I am playing, and what is on the other two monitors, but I have read that even the RTX 2070 Super may have trouble hitting 60 FPS at 4K.
That said, the sim I am running is not very demanding by today's standards, and even if I get 30 FPS, it would probably be OK.
 
I am a big 4k believer/endorser
FWIW, on my 4k monitor/tv fraps shows 60fps running civ 4/5/6.
Movies look great.
4k youtube videos are stunning.

I also have a 27" 4k LG monitor which runs at 60hz via displayport output of a GTX750ti.
The image quality is there but if you are viewing web pages, you might want to change the scaling.
Easy enough to do with the keyboard.
Most 4k monitors will be limited to 60hz.

I use a large 48" 4k tv/monitor as a main and a 30" 2560 x 1600 monitor as a side unit. A good arrangement if you are running a game on the main.
 

ultrarunner100

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Thanks for that info;
I suppose I would be wasting my money to look for a 4K monitor that will do higher than 60Hz, since my system (and the game) probably won't support it anyway. From what I have seen, 4K 60Hz monitors are much less expensive than higher refresh rates.

I am very interested in a curved monitor though. It seems the way to go on a 32 inch 4K.
 

ultrarunner100

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I have decided to put the monitor on hold until prices come down. Now does not appear to be the best time to purchase anything electronic, with the shipping issues and short supply due to the pandemic.
Since I am not in any way 'hampered' by my two existing monitors, the 3rd is really a luxury that I can afford to wait for.
When the supply does normalize again, and prices begin to drop, I may be able to afford that ROG 4K 32 inch monitor that is far out of my price range today.
 

ultrarunner100

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Re-thinking this:
First, do I really want a 4K monitor?
Given my system:
Ryzen 7 3700X 32GB RAM & Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 Super (8GB)

Everything I have read is leading me to want to go with 1440P rather than 4K.
Then I ran some tests on the only game I play: Run8 V2 train sim, which is not very demanding on my system - yet I still cannot get higher than 34 FPS under certain circumstances.

It appears that shadows use more GPU than anything else, and this sim is more CPU than GPU intensive due to its sophisticated physics model.

My current desktop will not permit a monitor larger than 27 inch, no matter how hard I try to rearrange it.
If I get a 32 inch monitor, then I will be straining my neck/eyes every time I turn to look at one of the other two monitors.
I do want to keep the 3 monitor setup.

So I am thinking that 1440P @ 120+ Hz would be more pleasing than 4K @ 60Hz (if I can even get 60Hz!)

What really has me annoyed is that this game is showing frame rates of 34, while CPU and GPU usage are around 25-35%!
This tells me one of two things is happening:
  1. The game engine is not very efficient
  2. There is a bottleneck in my system.
I think the answer is #1, but perhaps the only way I am going to know for sure is to buy another game and see how well (or bad) it performs with the same hardware.

There are a bunch of benchmark tests, and I seem to recall running several of them, and found that my frame rates can certainly go much higher than what I am getting in my sim.

So this is where I'm at for the moment.
While I would love a 4K 32+ inch curved screen, it is not practical given my hardware and my space limitations.
It would appear that a good 1440P monitor now, and perhaps in a couple years replace the aging Samsung SyncMaster with a good 4K and a faster GPU...

If anyone is still following this thread, and would like to add anything, I welcome it - whether you agree or disagree with me.

Thanks
Ultrarunner