Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Best value gaming monitor?

  1. #1

    Best value gaming monitor?

    Gonna kick off some research but only have so much time so it can't hurt to ask around as well.

    What's a good quality ultra low input lag monitor that doesn't break the bank? Is 27" still a sweet spot for price/size performance ratio? 24" is surely cheaper but I want to go at least a little bigger than that. Do 16:10 monitors still exist? Last I checked these were preferred for sim racing, particularly on a triple-screen setup. Related to triples, thin side bezels would be a big plus. More than one HDMI (DP now?) input is also a plus, since I might use the center monitor as a dual-purpose PC and PS4 screen. I'm not sure what resolutions are practical in terms of PC horsepower needed for triple monitors, vs pixel density when sitting close to the screen. I doubt triple 4K gaming is practical on a budget PC build. 1080p is perfectly fine for 24"...

  2. #2
    Administrator dodint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    'Trep
    Posts
    5,619
    A Rift.


  3. #3
    Junior Potato
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    9,597
    I can’t answer any of your other questions, but based on my estimates of easily running Assetto Corsa at 4K 60fps on an RTX 2070, 1080p across three monitors will be just fine. You might even get 120fps out of it.

    Actually on that note, you might want to factor in Freesync or G-Sync into your calculations, to smooth out any rough spots in frame rate if you can get over 60 but can’t get a stable 120.

    Also… another vote for Oculus Rift S. I’m close to pulling the trigger on one

  4. #4
    Works great on the PS4 right? My plan has been to wait on VR a bit until the next gen stuff gets better and/or more affordable. OG Rift was cool for sure, but slightly rez limited.

    Actually, my requirement of a dual-use monitor (PC gaming and PS4) has taken me down a deep, deep rabbit hole. At 27" I think I'd want 1440p. But that seems to be an automatic no-go for PS4 unless I want to deal with bad scaling blurriness, as the PS4 can only go up to 1080p. Given my expected viewing distance to a monitor with my PlaySeat Challenge, a 24" screen isn't quite enough. So settle on a 1080p 27" and hope the lower pixel density isn't annoying? Reducing input lag / display lag is my #1 priority. Related to that, I can't yet find any info on whether a 1080p 144hz monitor will work 100% properly with no increase in display lag on a PS4 (or even PS4 Pro) when locked at 60Hz over HDMI. I'm also discovering that (for PC use) G-Sync and FreeSync may at times introduce some display lag into the equation, and I'm gathering that the lowest display lag comes from turning these features off, and instead achieving steady framerates capped just below the refresh rate of the monitor. This may introduce some tearing, I gather.

    So far the right answer seems not simple.

    This re-thinking of my sim racing setup was all prompted by an experiment of using my old PC monitor on the PS4, and feeling more connected and going noticeably faster compared to using my TV in Game Mode. Hence the priority on low input and display lag. If it makes me faster, I'm in.

  5. #5
    It took me a while to find this but it appears 144Hz monitors can display at lower refresh rates, too. My questions are:

    1) is this a scaled process, whereby if I wanted smooth 60Hz performance (PS4) I'd be better off with a 120Hz or 240Hz monitor (both easily divisible by 60) rather than a 144Hz or 165Hz display?
    2) regardless of the answer to #1, is there any extra processing in reducing the refresh rate that would contribute to increased display lag? I understand that inherently a 60Hz refresh rate will have a minimum amount of display lag, I believe 16.6ms, but would it end up being worse than that if the monitor isn't a native 60Hz display? My ancient ASUS VW246H monitor only has 60Hz (and oddly 59Hz) listed in Windows display properties, hence my wondering about 144Hz going lower. And I noticed BenQ markets console-specific eSports gaming monitors that are 1080p 60Hz only. So I wonder... but can't find any info.

    G-Sync?
    FreeSync?
    Enhanced Sync?
    Fast Sync?

    mindfulloffuck.jpg

  6. #6
    Junior Potato
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    9,597
    I’d think it would be pretty logical for a high refresh rate (HRR) monitor to have a native 60hz mode. But I wouldn’t be able to answer definitively.

    Have you got a PS4 Pro, or a regular one?

    If you had a Pro, then scaling down to 1440p would be lovely. If you didn’t, then that just adds in cost to upgrade the console for a minor improvement. At this point you would need to prioritise PC sims or GT Sport. And I can almost hear Nate yelling obscenities at his screen while reading that last bit

    So, honestly, what are you serious about? Another tilt at greatness in Gran Turismo, or trying your hand at the other bona-fide esports offerings like iRacing and ACC?

    Another thing aside from response time, but may not be as important to you, is getting the right FOV to be able to judge distance and get better immersion. It can be achieved in all the proper games with their settings menus, but you can’t set it manually in GT. For that a big screen would be required. At the distance I play at, with my screen past the distance to my feet, I’d need a 65”.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    210
    Quote Originally Posted by CudaMan View Post
    It took me a while to find this but it appears 144Hz monitors can display at lower refresh rates, too. My questions are:

    1) is this a scaled process, whereby if I wanted smooth 60Hz performance (PS4) I'd be better off with a 120Hz or 240Hz monitor (both easily divisible by 60) rather than a 144Hz or 165Hz display?
    2) regardless of the answer to #1, is there any extra processing in reducing the refresh rate that would contribute to increased display lag? I understand that inherently a 60Hz refresh rate will have a minimum amount of display lag, I believe 16.6ms, but would it end up being worse than that if the monitor isn't a native 60Hz display? My ancient ASUS VW246H monitor only has 60Hz (and oddly 59Hz) listed in Windows display properties, hence my wondering about 144Hz going lower. And I noticed BenQ markets console-specific eSports gaming monitors that are 1080p 60Hz only. So I wonder... but can't find any info.

    G-Sync?
    FreeSync?
    Enhanced Sync?
    Fast Sync?

    mindfulloffuck.jpg
    A high refresh rate monitor will lock to the display output sent by the PS4 (60Hz) and display natively at that refresh rate. For G-Sync the trick, if your game FPS is hitting/matching the maximum refresh rate of the monitor, is to set a frame rate cap one below the maximum refresh rate. This reduces input lag while retaining all the benefits of G-Sync.

    If you've got a bit of time this video goes in depth on G-Sync:


    A good site for monitor reviews: https://pcmonitors.info/

    I'd still recommend and Rift S for PC sim racing and a separate screen for console gaming.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •