# Advice on 1440p monitor



## Jborg (Feb 5, 2018)

Hello all,

My apologies if this should be in General Hardware or Graphics Cards... wasn't exactly sure where to put a monitor related question.

Anyways,
Currently using the monitor in my specs. It has worked well and really don't need to upgrade but I am looking into what my next monitor is going to be down the road once the price of 1440p monitors drop a bit more.

My current ASUS monitor is a 1080p 60hz, 5ms response time (I believe)

Looking for opinions on a good monitor that roughly falls into these specs: IPS, 1440p, 144hz, 1 or 2ms response time. and ideally would like to spend 350-450$ max, but I can spend a bit more if needed to secure something solid that would justify it.

The best deal i have found so far is on Amazon.... although I have not looked a ton since its not a huge priority to buy it soon.

https://www.amazon.com/AOC-AG271QX-2560x1440-Adjustable-DisplayPort/dp/B01G5JYN0C/ref=sr_1_11?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1517789140&sr=1-11&keywords=1440p+144hz+ips&refinements=p_n_size_browse-bin:3547806011|3547807011,p_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin:6570749011

How big of a difference would I notice between a TN panel and IPS?
From my understanding an IPS will be higher quality.
Looking for some feedback / insight.



Thanks,


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## JL87 (Feb 5, 2018)

For IPS you won't (at least right now) find anything with 1-2 ms response time, that's still TN territory still.

I had https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-...8-3&keywords=dell+27+gaming+monitor+-+s2716dg
which is a great TN gaming monitor!

As per my profile I had 2 IPS monitors straddling the TN panel (before I switched to a 34" widescreen) and yes you could see the difference in the colors. However I used a custom icc profile from TFTCentral and it did help and most games still looked great on this TN panel.

I suggest looking at https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=256001440&A=1&sort=price&page=1&X=2530,902995

and researching the monitors on that list since your system specs show you using a gtx 1070. G-Sync is nice, even though it adds to the costs of the monitor.


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## blacktruckryder (Feb 5, 2018)

I second the Dell s2716dg! I'm currently using one. One of the best TN panels I've ever used.


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## John Naylor (Feb 5, 2018)

That Amazon monitor is Freesync and you have a G-Sync card so cross that one off ya list.  Can we assume that you want a 27" panel ?

You won't find a quality IPS monitor in that price range at 165Hz.  The best monitor on the market today is the Acer XB271HU ( (1165Hz, IPS Respnse time = 4.8 ms average, Lag = 2.6 ms, 10 bit color).  Those are actual tested response times, nit the bogus stuff manufacturers put in there specs.  The next closest monitor available is the Asus PG279Q ( (165Hz, IPS Respnse time = 5.0 ms average, Lag = 3.25 ms, 8 bit color)

I dunno what's going on but the price on the Acer just dropped $190

($99.99)https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ttnG3C/acer-monitor-xb271hubmiprz
(741.56) https://pcpartpicker.com/product/XvfmP6/asus-monitor-pg279q

At $600, I just might buy a few as haven't seen those nder $790 since summer.

But if your limit is $450, you are not going to get an IPS panel... or beter said, not going to get an I{PS panel you can game on.

Unfortunately, to stay under $450, you are going to have to go TN and the only real option there is the Dell S2716DG.  Dell 'claims a response time of 1ms, but as expected.  it fails to deliver it... actual measured response time is 3.1 ... still very good even for a TN screen.  Lag is good too at 4.5 ms.  With a 1070, I expect you will have many opportunities where fps is > 70 fps.  This is where many folks prefer to turn off G-Sync and use ULMB.  You might have some concerns if usage includes purposes other than gaming, but as a gaming monitor, it delivers well.  TFT Central writes:

_"Performance-wise the main area of interest is in gaming performance, and it doesn't fail to deliver here. The response times are very fast and it's certainly on par with other very popular TN Film gaming options from the like of Asus, Acer and BenQ. The 144Hz refresh rate is obviously a huge benefit, and the combination with NVIDIA G-sync makes the whole experience even better. That's particularly important when you consider the boosted resolution here and the demand that will have on your graphics card. The higher resolution is a benefit in itself especially when you look outside of gaming applications. We were also pleased to see ULMB included here which brought about the usual excellent benefits when it comes to blur reduction. The lag was also non-existent, in line with other G-sync models we've tested. The only real negative when it came to gaming was the weird brightness control when switching ULMB on and off that we've talked about in the review.

Away from gaming the screen fell a bit short we felt in some areas. The default setup was aimed at gaming, but left us with a low gamma for other day to day uses, and difficulty changing that without a calibration device. We would have also liked to see some preset modes offered so we could set one up for general use and another for gaming. The screen was also limited by the TN Film technology in some areas, particularly viewing angles but that is the same as other TN Film models around and should be a known sacrifice really. Overall it's a very solid gaming screen and provides an interesting alternative to the lesser-established brands out there if you want something from a long-standing, proven manufacturer."_

Still ... if the budget can be stretched to $600... I would strongly recommend grabbing the Acer while ya can.  Going from 144 Hz TN to 144 Hz IPS is not something that really slaps ya in the face .... but going back to TN from IPS is literally jawdropping ... everything seems like a paler, less vibrant image of itself.  Another option is to wait for the new 4k 144Hz HDR screens... these are going to be out of your proce range but the new "best thing" will drive down 165Hz IPS panels.


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## Jborg (Feb 5, 2018)

John Naylor said:


> That Amazon monitor is Freesync and you have a G-Sync card so cross that one off ya list.  Can we assume that you want a 27" panel ?
> 
> You won't find a quality IPS monitor in that price range at 165Hz.  The best monitor on the market today is the Acer XB271HU ( (1165Hz, IPS Respnse time = 4.8 ms average, Lag = 2.6 ms, 10 bit color).  Those are actual tested response times, nit the bogus stuff manufacturers put in there specs.  The next closest monitor available is the Asus PG279Q ( (165Hz, IPS Respnse time = 5.0 ms average, Lag = 3.25 ms, 8 bit color)
> 
> ...



I appreciate the feed back. This is the information I was looking for.
I can definitely spend more.... that was just my starting range.
I think I will probably invest into a IPS monitor and pay the extra premium for it considering what you said about TN to IPS and going from one to the other.

Thank you

Edit: I realized also I linked the Freesync version of the monitor instead of the G-Sync. my error.


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## GreiverBlade (Feb 5, 2018)

the Medion Erazer X58222 i have is a 32" 1440p IPS 8ms (though i have it on 5ms with the overdrive mode) using it with displayport cable i find it pretty snappy and it's quite a cheap one (paid 299chf/319$) although it's only a 60hz (some review show it capable of 75hz OC ) but for a 1070 it's rather fitting (most of my game don't go above 80fps max without Vsync)

my previous screen was a 1080p 60hz 1ms TN in 27"

as you have a 1070 i wouldn't recommend 144hz unless you plan to upgrade the gpu later on.


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## erocker (Feb 5, 2018)

I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-27-In...&qid=1517866298&sr=1-1&keywords=nixeus+edg+27

144hz, IPS, Freesync, 4ms gtg, for 400 bucks. Better than any TN screen as I can't stand the color shift, even with minimal movement.


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## Space Lynx (Feb 5, 2018)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VIOTEK-GN2...gpaVRyG:sc:ShippingMethodStandard!46052!US!-1



erocker said:


> I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-27-In...&qid=1517866298&sr=1-1&keywords=nixeus+edg+27
> 
> 144hz, IPS, Freesync, 4ms gtg, for 400 bucks. Better than any TN screen as I can't stand the color shift, even with minimal movement.




it says on the product page of that link you provided it is tempered glass, does it really have a glass screen or is matte? i would love a tempered glass screen... i hate matte so much but its so hard to find real glass screens anymore.


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## GreiverBlade (Feb 5, 2018)

lynx29 said:


> it says on the product page of that link you provided it is tempered glass, does it really have a glass screen or is matte? i would love a tempered glass screen... i hate matte so much but its so hard to find real glass screens anymore.


actually the 2 option only relate to the stand which is either tempered glass or adjustable height stand 


"*Tempered Glass Base Stand*
Premium Tempered Glass Base stand with 15-degree tilt to customize your eye-catching visual experience. VESA 100mm x 100m mounting holes and the detachable base stand allows for VESA compatible custom mounting solutions."

as for TN to IPS i still have my 27" TN and between that one and the 32" IPS i agree with the IPS aficionado i use the TN only with a old retrorig now that i only switch on from time to time ... (another matter ... now i find 27" to be too small ... since i used my 32" 1080p TV as a makeshift monitor ... but at 13-14ms it was ... well horrendous, tho i only noticed that when i received my X58222  )


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## erocker (Feb 5, 2018)

It's a matte screen.


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## Jborg (Feb 5, 2018)

erocker said:


> I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-27-In...&qid=1517866298&sr=1-1&keywords=nixeus+edg+27
> 
> 144hz, IPS, Freesync, 4ms gtg, for 400 bucks. Better than any TN screen as I can't stand the color shift, even with minimal movement.



Interesting.....  your able to use a Free-sync monitor with your GTX 1080 with no issues? or is that another rig your using that on with an AMD card perhaps?
That adaptive sync would be neat. I really only want 120Hz, but it doesn't seem to be regularly available in a computer monitor. 


Also, I appreciate the input from everybody.


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## jormungand (Feb 5, 2018)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824106004&cm_re=1440p-_-24-106-004-_-Product
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824011057&cm_re=1440p-_-24-011-057-_-Product

im on the same boat mate  but ill wait a little more and save more bullets for that war ......i think that among all the monitor when you make your mind go and try to watch and read 
reviews as much as you can so youll know the pros and cons, warranty and customer service . Good luck happy hunting


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## erocker (Feb 6, 2018)

Jborg said:


> Interesting.....  your able to use a Free-sync monitor with your GTX 1080 with no issues? or is that another rig your using that on with an AMD card perhaps?
> That adaptive sync would be neat. I really only want 120Hz, but it doesn't seem to be regularly available in a computer monitor.
> 
> 
> Also, I appreciate the input from everybody.


Freesync does nothing unless you enable it with an AMD card at the driver level. Most games I play I don't use any sync and frames generally are over 100 fps. That alone with the higher refresh rate is worth it for me. Unfortunately 120hz monitors are in the past as 144hz seems to be the standard.


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## Space Lynx (Feb 6, 2018)

jormungand said:


> https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824106004&cm_re=1440p-_-24-106-004-_-Product
> https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824011057&cm_re=1440p-_-24-011-057-_-Product
> 
> im on the same boat mate  but ill wait a little more and save more bullets for that war ......i think that among all the monitor when you make your mind go and try to watch and read
> reviews as much as you can so youll know the pros and cons, warranty and customer service . Good luck happy hunting



I think this guy is right, I am waiting until summer time before I buy my new monitor... mainly because 240hz 27" 1440p is coming this summer.


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## Vayra86 (Feb 6, 2018)

240hz is precisely 100% pointless over any panel that can do 120-144.

1. You never get the ingame FPS stable
2. FPS fluctuates wildly
3. GPU is guaranteed to run as hot as it can, and the chances of coil whine are vastly increased
4. 95% of the time you run significantly below the refresh rate of the panel
5. It adds nothing to image quality or motion resolution anymore over 100-120 fps/hz

Don't buy placebo  Spend the money on the actual panel, not some marketing gimmick like this. Honestly, if you pay more than 200 bucks for a TN, you're doing it wrong.


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## GreiverBlade (Feb 6, 2018)

erocker said:


> Most games I play I don't use any sync and frames generally are over 100 fps. That alone with the higher refresh rate is worth it for me. Unfortunately 120hz monitors are in the past as 144hz seems to be the standard.


well that's because you have a 1080, the OP on the other hand has a 1070 like me and like my experience shown, 144hz is a no go for a 1070 unless 1080p, at 1440p most game are in the 80fps  area which make it suitable for 60hz/75hz monitor, i considere above 120hz to be like 4k: a trend that came too soon

now for sync, i use Vsync sometime, Gsync is bringing the monitor price up for literally nothing (for me, i tested it at a friends place and i gladly keep my monitor over his) Freesync is a bit better (well it's not like Nvidia could not use it if they wanted  Gsync on the other hand could not be used by AMD even if they wanted )

the OP has a rather similar rig to mine, hence why, unless he plan to upgrade the gpu (1070Ti would handle 120/144hz probably), i recommend 60hz, for games i play that goes above 80fps when i don't use Vsync i notice no tearing nonetheless.

i can't thanks enough Medion to have done that X58222 because it's a cheap IPS 



Vayra86 said:


> Don't buy placebo  Spend the money on the actual panel, not some marketing gimmick like this. Honestly, if you pay more than 200 bucks for a TN, you're doing it wrong.


my previous TN monitor was 195chf/208$ but as i wrote, 1080p 60hz 1ms 27" .... eh? awwww crap i paid it 8$ too much  oh well at last the new one has a better price/feature ratio ahah


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## Vayra86 (Feb 6, 2018)

GreiverBlade said:


> i considere above 120hz to be like 4k: a trend that came too soon



Really? I think that 120hz/fps is not a trend at all. Going back to the CRT monitor age... good old Quake, UT... this has been achievable for a looong time. In fact, the dip in average FPS has come primarily from DX9, followed by the consoles from the PS3 onwards. The console port and a strong focus on better graphics took it down really.

Today, 120hz is very achievable even on a mid-range overclockable CPU. If you can hit 4.5 or more, you're quite honestly done and it matters very little whether that is on 1080p or 1440p or even 4K IF you have the GPU power for that res.

As for the TN-comment, I was referring to nonsense like this
https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/662083/benq-zowie-xl2540-zwart.html
https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/995851/alienware-aw2518hf-zilver-zwart.html
https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/566817/asus-rog-swift-pg248q-zwart.html


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## erocker (Feb 6, 2018)

GreiverBlade said:


> well that's because you have a 1080, the OP on the other hand has a 1070 like me and like my experience shown, 144hz is a no go for a 1070 unless 1080p, at 1440p most game are in the 80fps  area which make it suitable for 60hz/75hz monitor, i considere above 120hz to be like 4k: a trend that came too soon
> 
> now for sync, i use Vsync sometime, Gsync is bringing the monitor price up for literally nothing (for me, i tested it at a friends place and i gladly keep my monitor over his) Freesync is a bit better (well it's not like Nvidia could not use it if they wanted  Gsync on the other hand could not be used by AMD even if they wanted )
> 
> ...



Idk... I have a friend who uses the same monitor as me with a 1070 and he seems to enjoy it. Not a time to buy a new GPU for sure and having the monitor now isn't an impediment on performance.


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## GreiverBlade (Feb 6, 2018)

Vayra86 said:


> Really? I think that 120hz/fps is not a trend at all. Going back to the CRT monitor age... good old Quake, UT... this has been achievable for a looong time. In fact, the dip in average FPS has come primarily from DX9, followed by the consoles from the PS3 onwards. The console port and a strong focus on better graphics took it down really.
> 
> Today, 120hz is very achievable even on a mid-range overclockable CPU. If you can hit 4.5 or more, you're quite honestly done and it matters very little whether that is on 1080p or 1440p or even 4K IF you have the GPU power for that res.
> 
> ...


i meant above 120hz 



erocker said:


> Idk... I have a friend who uses the same monitor as me with a 1070 and he seems to enjoy it. Not a time to buy a new GPU for sure and having the monitor now isn't an impediment on performance.


well i have a 1070 and above 80fps is rare for most games i play  

and yep bad time to upgrade a GPU that's a given


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## thebluebumblebee (Feb 6, 2018)

jormungand said:


> https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824106004&cm_re=1440p-_-24-106-004-_-Product


https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Acer/Predator_XB271HU/


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## John Naylor (Feb 8, 2018)

Jborg said:


> I appreciate the feed back. This is the information I was looking for.
> I can definitely spend more.... that was just my starting range.
> I think I will probably invest into a IPS monitor and pay the extra premium for it considering what you said about TN to IPS and going from one to the other..



Keep watching ... I dunno whether to say grab the Predator for $600 before it goes up again or hold off and see if it goes down.  The 1070 Ti OC's will keep you above 60 fps in just about everything ... Dues Ex Mankind Divided is the only likely exception in TPUs 19 game test suite and that should should come in about 56 fps when card is OC'd.  make sure to test G-Sync versus ULMB when at 70 fps or better to see which appeals to your eyes more.



erocker said:


> Freesync does nothing unless you enable it with an AMD card at the driver level. Most games I play I don't use any sync and frames generally are over 100 fps. That alone with the higher refresh rate is worth it for me. Unfortunately 120hz monitors are in the past as 144hz seems to be the standard.



Unfortunately, with Freesync, you don't have the option of using ULMB, but some monitor manufacturers do provide Motion Blur Reduction technology on their own.  At 100 fps, Id use that setting all the time if so featured.  Of course that hardware module has a cost just like the hardware module in G-sync monitors.

Freesync / G-Sync are great belpw 70 fps, the effect is easil;y noticeable.  But above that, while it's still "doing its thing", it's not that much of an impact.  When frames are consistently above 70 fps, my boys generally switch to ULMB.  Dad has the two oldest flat screens in the house and I have the primary screen (VG248QE) set permanently set to use MBR all the time via Lightboost.  Wifie is still using a 1600 x 1200 CRT I purchased for $2k in 1993 for a CAD workstation.


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## Jborg (Mar 8, 2018)

So I ended up picking up the suggested monitor:

Nixeus EDG 27-Inch IPS WQHD AMD FreeSync Certified Range of 30Hz - 144Hz (Adaptive-Sync)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071G6PGP7/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Set it up last night.... and I must say.... I have been missing a huge part of the gaming experience this whole time. This monitor makes the previous one I was using seem like some piece of junk, but it definitely looked decent for the price I paid for it.

I was a little worried the monitor would be a little to big but it works perfectly in my bedroom as a monitor / TV.

Thanks for the feedback here!


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## BadFrog (Mar 9, 2018)

If you wanted to stay at 1080p on ur 1070 and reach the 144fps, why not look at the Asus VG248QE? It's 144hz, 24inch, 1080p, TN 1ms. It goes for around $250! 

https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920...8&qid=1520635276&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+vg248qe

Check my specs, I run a Asus PG278Q 1440p 144hz 1ms on a WC 1080 Ti and when I run that guy on high/ultra graphics, I don't get 144fps in games like pubg.


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## ASOT (Mar 10, 2018)

For gaming TN panels are favorite and nowdays are great ..almost like IPS if calibrated 

Both have pros and cons u just need to find what is better for u


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## John Naylor (Mar 10, 2018)

There's a prevailing mindset that folks have the some how a judgment can be made between any two TN and IPS monitors and you can walk away with an idea of which technology is better after doing so.    There is no way that any TN, even with 80 hours of tweaking and calbration will look anywhere near as good as a high quality IPS gaming monitor.    However, a TN gaming monitor will look better than most any equivalently priced IPS monitor under $500.   A non gaming oriented  IPS monitor would still be my choice over TN  for image editing.

The Nixeus EDG has an older panel made by AU Optronics which helps it cut costs ... it also cuts quite a few corners aesthetically and ruggedability.  Here's how the EDG matches up with the Predator:

Item - Nixeus EDG / Acer XB271HU

Panel - M270ANO2.3 / M270ANO2.2
Panel Bit depth - 8 / 10
Brightness - 300 / 350
Input lag - 10 ms / 5 ms
Motion Blur Reduction - No/ Yes, ULMB
Colors - 24 bit / 30 bit
Freq Range - 30 - 144 / 30 - 165

All in all, if you sporting AMD hardware in ya GFX card slot(s),Freesync is a  fine choice...  All G-Sync monitors include a MBR hardware module to support ULMB, and while some Freesync monitor manufacturers provide MBR hardware in some models (at a nice cost premium) , the Nexius EDG does not.  And that's the key point ... you could argue all day about whether the differences in the above specs are of any significance ... i would argue that the color depth and brightness are, some would say that they can detect the input lag difference ... I can't.

But the thing for me is that the impact of Freesync and G-Sync is most observable between 30 and 70 fps w/ G-Sync and 40 and 70 fps w/ Freesync.  After that it still functions but the impact starts to trail off.  But while some newer games will keep fps down < 70 fps  at 1440p w/ high end GFX cards, many games will not.  In Witcher 3 for example, with a  single 1080 Ti, your looking at about 110 fps and w/ 1080, about 85.... even a 1070 Ti gets ya 75 or so at 1440p.

Using a Freesync monitor w/ an nVidia card simply means you can't use Freesync.  It will work the same as any monitor w/o any adaptive sync technology and with a 1070 or above, this shouldn't be much of  a problem.  However, with this kinda of GFX horsepower, if you really want to benefit from the high refresh rates , the inability to use any MBR technology in lieu of active sync is a major drawback from my PoV.

The number of Freesync Monitors offering MBR is shrinking tho ... you can see a list here:

https://www.blurbusters.com/freesync/list-of-freesync-monitors/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW5CGIS?tag=blurbust-20


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## ASOT (Mar 10, 2018)

I personally got this one and is great IPS Predator XB1 XB271HU also VG245H TN 2nd one on my main gaming rig.

Remember great IPS are expensive


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