What monitor should I get with my gtx970

[seanomono]

So I am needing to buy a new monitor after my HP 2511x took a beating from my niece 🙁. Well it was a 25in monitor and loved the picture quality but not sure of what I should be looking for next in terms of performance, while also not going smaller in size, for games that I play. Games I mostly play are World of Warcraft, Skyrim, and Battlefield 4.

PC specs:
Windows 10
gtx 970
8gb ram
Generic motherboard
650watt psu

 

[photonboy]

BUDGET will dictate as the best monitor is going to be GSYNC. That cost around $800USD last I checked.

I suggest something with these basic specs:
a) IPS
b) 6ms response time or LOWER
c) 2560x1440
d) good WARRANTY
e) 25" or higher

I just bought my sister a DELL, 25", 2560x1440, IPS. I could have bought a similar ACER but the Warranty difference was massive for those two:

a) 3-year vs 1-year
b) zero dead pixels (Acer allowed up to a certain number)
c) pre-paid waybill with RMA'd unit (no cost replacement)

**144Hz is nice to have, but unfortunately there's a lot of pros and cons when working with a BUDGET. Some are TN panels. Some crappy quality. Some are 1080p@144Hz vs 2560x1440@60Hz.

I'll link some monitors form pcpartpicker, but post this for now.

 

[photonboy]

Pcpartpicker USA:

All monitors-> http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/monitor/

Then FILTER by:
- response time
- IPS, TN
- resolution
etc
*Again, investigate WARRANTIES (3-year recommended but other factors like dead pixels, shipping etc).

1) 25", IPS, 2560x1440, 60Hz (the one I bought my sister)->
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/dell-monitor-u2515h

2) similar to above (4ms reponse though) but much worse warranty (may kick yourself if it fails at 12 months plus a day)->
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/acer-monitor-umkg7aa002

You save maybe $90 which is a lot (approx 25%). Not worth the peace of mind to me.

3) ASUS-> (27", 5ms, 2560x1440, 60Hz)->
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-pb278q

I haven't investigated the Warranty. If good, then it's slightly larger than 25" (2" makes more of a difference than you might think), 5ms response time isn't bad.

... above that it's GSYNC territory such as...

4) http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-pg279q

$800USD is a lot of money.

GSYNC is awesome. Truly. However, I'm on a 27", IPS, 1440p and personally can't justify that cost. I've used it and it's definitely a lot smoother in many games (even the desktop).

*I've not investigated the quality or warranty either.

5) Might as well include THIS one:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-rogswiftpg348q

Since it's only $1350 you might as well get three of them. (seriously though, I'm debating getting a similar one when pricing drops. I'm debating the pros and cons of the ULTRAWIDE resolution though.)

 

[photonboy]

144Hz 1080p, vs
60Hz 1440p

Some people prefer the 144Hz refresh rate for shooters, though you need to carefully tweak settings if you want to use VSYNC (possibly use Adaptive or "Half" Adaptive VSYNC which toggles VSYNC off and on to avoid the stutter you get in VSYNC if you can't output a sufficient FPS).

However, 2560x1440 makes a really huge difference for games with small text/hud elements. Such as:
- CIV5
- Diablo III

Most top-down, "god" games benefit. Shooters or similar 1st person do look a bit better, though that mostly depends on how large the text is, not to mention how CLOSE you sit (I sit roughly 1:1, approx two feet from my 27" monitor).

Of course a high resolution makes a huge difference for DESKTOP usage. I recommend 125% DPI scaling for 1440p, CTRL+Mouse Scroll for web pages etc, and adjust CLEARTYPE.