Upgrade to 1440p monitor or graphics card first?

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DavidHasselberg

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Mar 14, 2013
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Hello.

I am looking to upgrade my rig, but at the moment I can only afford to start out with one purchase. I am planning to buy a 1440p 27" monitor, and since this will require more power than my current gfx card has to offer I am looking for an upgrade in said segment as well.

So, my question is if it would be wiser to upgrade the graphics card or the monitor first? I am currently sitting on a 6950 2gb, so it is not all that bad, but still not enough to power the games at max graphics (at least not in 1440p).

Also, as a minor side question I am still struggling on settling for a card. Right now a sapphire 7970 dual-x is the top contender, but if you have any other suggestions I would like to hear them as well.
 
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I'd do the monitor first so that you get used to your current setup at 2560x1440, that way you can better see the advantage when you upgrade your video card. Plus, maybe something secret and fantastic comes out while you wait, where as a monitor is still going to be a monitor in 3-6 months. Even better you will probably get a better deal on a video card if you wait a little bit, but monitor prices are generally much more stagnant.

Traciatim

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I'd do the monitor first so that you get used to your current setup at 2560x1440, that way you can better see the advantage when you upgrade your video card. Plus, maybe something secret and fantastic comes out while you wait, where as a monitor is still going to be a monitor in 3-6 months. Even better you will probably get a better deal on a video card if you wait a little bit, but monitor prices are generally much more stagnant.

 
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The pixel density of a 1440p monitor is so high that games will look good with AA turned down (or even completely off), so I'd suggest getting the monitor first, then upgrade the video card later (if you still feel the need for higher settings or AA)
 
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