My current monitor (Asus 23" 1920x1080 5ms) had about 3/4 of a vertical row of pixels die on me last weekend. It's usable, but really annoying to game with so I'm looking to get a new monitor and use the broken one as a secondary display.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3buTt
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3buTt/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3buTt/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G55 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V200 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Looking to get the most performance I can for my buck (trying to keep this as low as reasonable and under ~$400 all-in, but open to flex on budget if appropriate). I'm considering three options:
1. Straight replacement (23-24", 5ms, 1920x1080) - ~$150
2. Upgrade to 27" at the same resolution - ~$220
3. Upgrade to 1920x1200 at same screen size - ~$250
4. Upgrade to 27" and 2560x1440 - ~$400 (plus an additional ~$500 within 6-12 months for new video card)
On the last option, the idea would be to buy more monitor than I need and play at 1920x1080 until I get a video card (s) that could output in 2560x1440. Some other pieces of information:
I just upgraded the CPU and Mobo; my GPU is obviously a major issue for any significant resolution increase and I can't really afford to put a really high end GPU in at the moment. GW2 is my game right now; it runs fine on high-ultra in most places with my current setup, but I run into issues in large groups (50+ players) with heavy spell effects, which is a lot of the game. I'm not sure if it could even run 1920x1200 at high settings.
I have no experience with multiple GPU setups, but I noticed that Tiger Direct has the Radeon 6770 board for ~$120; if Crossfire would give me some significant performance improvements with my current setup or one of the new monitors I am looking at, I would definitely consider it.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3buTt
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3buTt/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3buTt/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G55 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V200 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Looking to get the most performance I can for my buck (trying to keep this as low as reasonable and under ~$400 all-in, but open to flex on budget if appropriate). I'm considering three options:
1. Straight replacement (23-24", 5ms, 1920x1080) - ~$150
2. Upgrade to 27" at the same resolution - ~$220
3. Upgrade to 1920x1200 at same screen size - ~$250
4. Upgrade to 27" and 2560x1440 - ~$400 (plus an additional ~$500 within 6-12 months for new video card)
On the last option, the idea would be to buy more monitor than I need and play at 1920x1080 until I get a video card (s) that could output in 2560x1440. Some other pieces of information:
1. Primarily play MMOs (specifically GW2 right now) with a mix of MOBAs, RTS, Turn Based Strategy and Grand Strategy (CK2, EUIV, etc.).
2. Computer is also used for productivity; starting an MBA program in a couple months. Obviously, specs are fine for that, but part of the reason I am looking at a bigger screen.
3. Thinking about replacing my living room console at some point with a Steam Machine and streaming from this PC.
4. I've read mixed things about 1920x1080 on a 27 inch monitor sitting a normal distance from the screen (~3-3.5 feet).
I just upgraded the CPU and Mobo; my GPU is obviously a major issue for any significant resolution increase and I can't really afford to put a really high end GPU in at the moment. GW2 is my game right now; it runs fine on high-ultra in most places with my current setup, but I run into issues in large groups (50+ players) with heavy spell effects, which is a lot of the game. I'm not sure if it could even run 1920x1200 at high settings.
I have no experience with multiple GPU setups, but I noticed that Tiger Direct has the Radeon 6770 board for ~$120; if Crossfire would give me some significant performance improvements with my current setup or one of the new monitors I am looking at, I would definitely consider it.