Resolution recommendations for a GTX 1060 6gb; widescreen 1080p or 1440p?

[minimunny]

Hello,
I am having trouble seeing detail in games on a 20" 1080p monitor, and I am thinking about moving to a higher resolution monitor with a larger overall screen. My options are either keeping the pixel density at 1080p and moving to a widescreen monitor or going to a 1440p monitor with a 60 or 75hz refresh rate. My specs are (which are relevant to the monitor question,):
-i5 4670k @4.5 GHz (Air cooled)
-24gb DDR3
-Gigabyte GTX 1060 6gb
My dilemma is this: I can go for a lower resolution but still have trouble seeing small details on my screen, or go for a 1440p monitor with more detail. I am still getting a larger overall monitor, but I was wanting some input on others' experience with the GTX 1060 at either resolution.

 

[TJ Hooker]

When you say you're having trouble seeing details, do you mean things are too small to make out, or that things look fuzzy and/or pixelated?

A GTX 1060 is definitely more of a 1080p card (assuming you like to play at high settings/60fps), so I'd go with a 1080p monitor. It also depends on what size of monitor you want.

 

[minimunny]

When you say you're having trouble seeing details, do you mean things are too small to make out, or that things look fuzzy and/or pixelated?

A GTX 1060 is definitely more of a 1080p card (assuming you like to play at high settings/60fps), so I'd go with a 1080p monitor. It also depends on what size of monitor you want.

Any size between 27"-34" is the optimal size that I am looking for. With that being said, I am having trouble differentiating objects at a distance because they are very pixelated and fuzzy at the same time. For example, I am having trouble telling the difference between a destroyed building and a T-34-85 at a distance in War Thunder. In order to really be accurate, I have to put my face really close to the screen. (So basically I'm having both problems at the same time.) I'm also wanting to mount the monitor on a wall so that I can have more space on my desk.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Your solution is a larger display at 1080p with higher antialiasing and texture quality/detail levels

 

[TJ Hooker]

I do think 27"/1440p is a good combination. However, that would get you about the same PPI (pixels per inch) as your current monitor, so it wouldn't be any sharper but it would be bigger.

Or as said above, a larger 1080p monitor with highest texture settings etc might be good too. I wouldn't go larger than 24" with 1080p non ultra wide though.

 

[minimunny]

Your solution is a larger display at 1080p with higher antialiasing and texture quality/detail levels

I do think 27"/1440p is a good combination. However, that would get you about the same PPI (pixels per inch) as your current monitor, so it wouldn't be any sharper but it would be bigger.

Or as said above, a larger 1080p monitor with highest texture settings etc might be good too. I wouldn't go larger than 24" with 1080p non ultra wide though.

Thank you guys for your help, I'm going to do more research into getting a 29" ultrawide 1080p monitor b/c I do need to go for size here. Plus, it wouldn't overburden my card at all and would be practical when I build a new system in the future. Thanks!

 

[King_V]

I was happy for years with a 27" 1080p monitor. I suppose it can look SLIGHTLY pixellated.

Monitor size vs resolution is a very subjective thing, though. What might look great to me might look like crap to someone else.

I really finalized my decision on the monitor I have now based on going to MicroCenter and seeing several of them - actually sitting down in front of them and trying them out.


On a side note: What are peoples' thoughts on how a 6GB GTX 1060 would handle a widescreen 1080p? That is, whereas a 2560x1440p is about 78% more pixels than your standard 1080p, the widescreen resolution of 2560 x 1080. My quick math says that's really only 33% more pixels.

Would it handle it well, or would that be too much? I used to be very dismissive of the 21:9 and 24:10 aspect ratios, the description of "more immersive experience" as a mere marketing gimmick, but ever since getting one, I'm a convert!

 

[TJ Hooker]

Yeah, the required pixels per inch definitely varies by person, not to mention how far you sit from your monitor.
@King_V do you have a 1080p 27" ultrawide, or 16:9?

I think a 1060 would handle a 1080p ultrawide pretty well. By and large it can do regular 1080p at ultra settings, so I imagine it could do 2560x1080 at high for the most part.

 

[King_V]

TJ - my 27" was a standard 1920x1080. My eyesight's not the best, and admittedly, what most people seem to recommend, I tend to find looks a little too small for me.

I'm now on a 38" 3820x1600 monitor (useful for when I work from home, as it's pixel-wise as wide as the two 1920x1080 monitors side by side at work), and the ultra-wide FOV is nice in a few games. My video card begs for mercy, though, so that'll be my next upgrade.

I'm also planning on getting a 2560x1080 monitor for my son for the holidays, if my parents don't beat me to the punch (he's their only grandchild, after all), hence my query about the 1060 video card (which I'm considering for him)