Help Me Choose a Monitor!

[ss23]

Hi guys,

My current monitor is a Samsung 2223NW (1680x1050, 22"), which does its job perfectly well. However, I think all the new smartphones and tablets have ruined me as I just can't stop noticing the pixels, hence I'm looking for an upgrade.

My basic PC specs are:

Xeon E3-1230V2
R9 290X
12 GB ram
750w 80+ Bronze PSU

I do game intermittently, mostly playing open world games such as Watch Dogs, Sleeping Dogs, GTA, Skyrim, etc. However, I mostly use my computer for day-to-day tasks such as office work and browsing, etc. Hence, things like a super-fast response time are quite useless for me. I'm more interested in vivd colours and deep blacks.

I'm not sure how much of an effect a 120 hz panel would have considering how I use my computer, although I'm willing to consider one if you guys believe it'll be worth the extra cash.

I have narrowed down my options to 3 possibilities:
I'm looking at freesync in the future as I know that it'll be tough for my 290X to churn out 1440p at 60 fps.

1) Stick with my current monitor for the next year and wait for the new ones with freesync to come out.

2) Upgrade from my current 22" to a used LG 1080p 22" panel for around $70 and then wait for freesync monitors.

3) Order a Korean 1440p 27" panel now for around $350 (or $400 for a 120hz one). I'm sure the cost of upgrading won't be too bad when the new freesync monitors come out.

I would say that my biggest priority would be the PPI aspect. I sit around 0.6-1m away from my monitor.

Anyway, any suggestions for which option to take or which monitor to buy?

Thanks guys!

 

[Plusthinking Iq]

freesync dont work very well, so do not wait for that. check out linustechtips. he recently reviewed a great hi ress monitor.

 

[ss23]

Thanks for that, guess I won't bother waiting for freesync then.

So does anyone have any experience upgrading from a 22" 1680x1050 monitor to a 27" 1440p one?

Or whether to spend $70 for a 22" inch 1080p one instead of a 27" 1440p?

Also, how much of a difference would 120 hz make in day-to-day use?

 

[Plusthinking Iq]

i have experience in going from 22" 1680x1050 monitor to a 27" 1440p and 144hz monitor.
buying a good 1440p monitor cost about the same as a 144hz monitor. both are good upgrades.
maybe the best way to describe the difference is like this: one is better at image quality the other motion. and by motion i mean everything that moves, mouse cursor feel better, webpages scroll smoother, movies could be upscaled to 144fps.

both 144hz 1080p and 60hz 1440p require the same power to hit refreshrate, consider this as well: halving the 60hz is unplayable halving the 144 is 72. you got headroom when at 1080p.

 

[ss23]

i have experience in going from 22" 1680x1050 monitor to a 27" 1440p and 144hz monitor.
buying a good 1440p monitor cost about the same as a 144hz monitor. both are good upgrades.
maybe the best way to describe the difference is like this: one is better at image quality the other motion. and by motion i mean everything that moves, mouse cursor feel better, webpages scroll smoother, movies could be upscaled to 144fps.

both 144hz 1080p and 60hz 1440p require the same power to hit refreshrate, consider this as well: halving the 60hz is unplayable halving the 144 is 72. you got headroom when at 1080p.

Thanks for that. Went ahead and bought a Qnix. Successfully managed to overclock it to 90hz!

Got the best of both worlds in the end. The only problem is that 90hz is a bit awkward for media. Ah well!