Do I need to change my chosen monitor on my ordered build?

[Spyder_Webb]

I can't really advise on 34" ultrawides since I don't use them (bit small for me!)
I think though you can get very good VA 34in Ultrawides in the £400-500 territory.

I think a few people here like the AOC CU34G2X

Gaming Monitors - Cheap gaming monitor deals | Currys

Optimise your gaming experience with gaming monitor from Currys. Our exciting collection features monitors with 144hz refresh rates and immersive 4K visuals.

www.currys.co.uk

Thanks a lot for this. What are the benefits of Ultrawide?

I had a look at the AOC CU34G2X on Currys but it's out of stock!

But they do have:

GIGABYTE G34WQC Wide Quad HD 34" Curved VA Gaming Monitor - Black

Wide Quad HD 3440 x 1440p; Refresh rate: 144 Hz; Response time: 1 ms; Input: HDMI / DisplayPort; Built-in speakers; Can be wall mounted

www.currys.co.uk

and

IIYAMA G-MASTER Red Eagle GB3466 Quad HD 34" LED Gaming Monitor - Black

Wide Quad HD 3440 x 1440p; Refresh rate: 144 Hz; Response time: 1 ms; Input: HDMI / DisplayPort; Built-in speakers; USB 3.0 x 3; Can be wall mounted

www.currys.co.uk

and

IIYAMA G-MASTER Red Eagle GB3461 Quad HD 34" LED Gaming Monitor - Black

Wide Quad HD 3440 x 1440p; Refresh rate: 144 Hz; Response time: 1 ms; Input: HDMI / DisplayPort; Built-in speakers; USB 3.0 x 3; Can be wall mounted

www.currys.co.uk

Would any of those models suit my needs?

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Also, does anyone have any experience of buying a 'B-Grade' monitor form www.overclockers.co.uk? Or would this be advised against?

I thought it might be a way to get a quite good monitor for a more reasonable price? Any thoughts?

The descriptions say:

"B Grade items may have been used, have damaged packaging, missing accessories or a combination of these (Motherboards may be missing I/O shields).

Some items may have scuff marks or slight scratches but should otherwise be an operable product."

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Thank you all for your help so far.

I've also found this one:

Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor - Laptops Direct

Buy Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor from LaptopsDirect

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

Any further thoughts or recommendations would be very welcome.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thank you all for your help so far.

I've also found this one:

Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor - Laptops Direct

Buy Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor from LaptopsDirect

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

Any further thoughts or recommendations would be very welcome.

That would suit the 3070ti at a maximum, 3ven the 3070 would be ample.

 

[Martinr36]

Martin, I notice you have reduced the storage, added a HD, upgraded the MBO, increased the PSU, changed the case, changed the cooler and removed the extra fans and the Blu Ray drive. What is your thinking behind each of these changes?

Ok, i'm trying to get you the best bang and gaming experience for your buck, the case is to give better cooling which you need with the 5800x as itrs the hottest running of the gaming AMD CPU's, same reason for the cooler, that case like most cases these days doesn't have bay for a DVD (they obstruct airflow and reduce the cooling, with the fans that come as standard with that case and improved cooler you wont need the extra fans. The upgrade on the motherboard is also down to the heat that the 5800x produces, the 570's have better heat sinks and VMU's than the 550's, I also dropped down to a 3070 GPU as with the budget you were talking for the monitor you wouldn't get a monitor that would make use of the 3080Ti

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Ok, i'm trying to get you the best bang and gaming experience for your buck, the case is to give better cooling which you need with the 5800x as itrs the hottest running of the gaming AMD CPU's, same reason for the cooler, that case like most cases these days doesn't have bay for a DVD (they obstruct airflow and reduce the cooling, with the fans that come as standard with that case and improved cooler you wont need the extra fans. The upgrade on the motherboard is also down to the heat that the 5800x produces, the 570's have better heat sinks and VMU's than the 550's, I also dropped down to a 3070 GPU as with the budget you were talking for the monitor you wouldn't get a monitor that would make use of the 3080Ti

Thanks so much for your explanations. I can see where you're coming from now.

 

[Martinr36]

Thanks so much for your explanations. I can see where you're coming from now.

No problem, on the DVD side if you really need one, get an external, I have 2, one for occasional use on the desktop and one for the laptop, neither gets a lot of use

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Thanks again everyone for all your help. I need to stop looking at monitors now as my mind is absolutely boggled. I will come back to it on another day. All the best.

 

[Spyder_Webb]

No problem, on the DVD side if you really need one, get an external, I have 2, one for occasional use on the desktop and one for the laptop, neither gets a lot of use

I just wanted to use the system to watch DVDs and Blu Rays as I have a massive collection which doesn't get a look in with all the streaming available these days

I thought an internal player would be faster and tidier

 

[Martinr36]

I just wanted to use the system to watch DVDs and Blu Rays as I have a massive collection which doesn't get a look in with all the streaming available these days

I thought an internal player would be faster and tidier

If its just for that I'd get a DVD player to hook up to the TV

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Hi, I'm still on the look out for a more reasonable monitor for my ordered system.

I am considering:

Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor - Laptops Direct

Buy Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor from LaptopsDirect

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

which would give 3440 x 1440 x 165 = 817,344,000 pixels p/s

Or:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Odyssey-Curved-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B08669WZRH/

which would give 2560 × 1440 x 240 = 884,736,000 pixels p/s

Am I calculating these correctly? If so, is it best to go for the higher total number (highest Hz) or the wider screen (better resolution)?

Any further help or advice would be appreciated!

 

[Martinr36]

The normal human can't detect the difference above about 120Hz

 

[AgentCooper]

Hi, I'm still on the look out for a more reasonable monitor for my ordered system.

I am considering:

Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor - Laptops Direct

Buy Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor from LaptopsDirect

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

which would give 3440 x 1440 x 165 = 817,344,000 pixels p/s

Or:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Odyssey-Curved-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B08669WZRH/

which would give 2560 × 1440 x 240 = 884,736,000 pixels p/s

Am I calculating these correctly? If so, is it best to go for the higher total number (highest Hz) or the wider screen (better resolution)?

Any further help or advice would be appreciated!

Wide screen every time. Better for immersion when gaming and really has a wow factor the first time you sit in front of it and take it all in 👍

 

[SlimCini]

Hi, I'm still on the look out for a more reasonable monitor for my ordered system.

I am considering:

Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor - Laptops Direct

Buy Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor from LaptopsDirect

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

which would give 3440 x 1440 x 165 = 817,344,000 pixels p/s

Or:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Odyssey-Curved-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B08669WZRH/

which would give 2560 × 1440 x 240 = 884,736,000 pixels p/s

Am I calculating these correctly? If so, is it best to go for the higher total number (highest Hz) or the wider screen (better resolution)?

Any further help or advice would be appreciated!

Your calculations are correct but they don't really paint the picture you're looking for. What they do tell you is that the 240Hz 1440p monitor would be using more GPU power at 240Hz than a ultrawide would use at 165Hz. But you're not going to hit those frequencies all the time anyway. The more important thing to realise and consider is with the same GPU, you'd get lower frame rates with the ultrawide than the regular 1440p.

If you want higher frames go with 1440p. If you want ultrawide because it's ultrawide then go with that. If you have a card that will power either easily then go ultrawide. If you have a card that will struggle with framerates and drop below 60-100 then go for the regular 1440p as it won't have quite as low framerate.

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Thanks guys.

What about this one - it's not widescreen but it's 4K and yet only 27" - is that too small for 4K?
I'm calculating: 3840 x 2160 x 144 = 1,194,393,600

Lc-power -LC Power LC-M27-4K-UHD-144 -LCD-Monitor -4K -68.6 cm (27) -Lc-power Hardware/Electronic Grooves.land/Playthek

Lc-power - LC-Power LC-M27-4K-UHD-144 - order with free shipping.

www.grooves-inc.co.uk

Is this ultimately better or worse than the widescreen Samsung LC34G55TWWUXEN above?
3440 x 1440 x 165 = 817,344,000 pixels p/s

i.e. is it better having 4K and a bigger pixel p/s number - or is it still better having the widescreen at 165 Hz?

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Your calculations are correct but they don't really paint the picture you're looking for. What they do tell you is that the 240Hz 1440p monitor would be using more GPU power at 240Hz than a ultrawide would use at 165Hz. But you're not going to hit those frequencies all the time anyway. The more important thing to realise and consider is with the same GPU, you'd get lower frame rates with the ultrawide than the regular 1440p.

If you want higher frames go with 1440p. If you want ultrawide because it's ultrawide then go with that. If you have a card that will power either easily then go ultrawide. If you have a card that will struggle with framerates and drop below 60-100 then go for the regular 1440p as it won't have quite as low framerate.

Thanks a lot for this. I think my last post crossed with it.

Reading your post I'm tempted to go with the ultrawide as I'm getting an RTX 3080 Ti.

But would you still recommend the above ultrawide (34") over this 4K (27")?:

Lc-power -LC Power LC-M27-4K-UHD-144 -LCD-Monitor -4K -68.6 cm (27) -Lc-power Hardware/Electronic Grooves.land/Playthek

Lc-power - LC-Power LC-M27-4K-UHD-144 - order with free shipping.

www.grooves-inc.co.uk

I never thought choosing a monitor would be such a minefield! So many people must just go ahead and plump for one without thinking or asking for help. It's crazy!

I really appreciate all the advice. Thanks.

 

[DarTon]

Also, does anyone have any experience of buying a 'B-Grade' monitor form www.overclockers.co.uk? Or would this be advised against?

I thought it might be a way to get a quite good monitor for a more reasonable price? Any thoughts?

The descriptions say:

"B Grade items may have been used, have damaged packaging, missing accessories or a combination of these (Motherboards may be missing I/O shields).

Some items may have scuff marks or slight scratches but should otherwise be an operable product."

On this topic. I've actually had good experiences buying technically "refurb or grade B" monitors from outlets. These have typically been returned by customers since they were bought in error or the office decided they didn't need them etc. Many ares still factory sealed and perfect. I won't touch anything that has damage to the screen but I'd consider a scratch to the base or rear of the monitor. These are typically Dell monitors and the downside is that you only get a 1 year warranty, not 3 years, but 1 year is still as good as many other manfacturers give on new monitors.

I'd be more be careful about B grade items from places like Overclockers though. Typically they are selling to retail and often the product has been used for a week or two then sent back when someone didn't like it (which is ok) or something wasn't quite right about it (which is not so ok if you end up with it).

I'd say something like this is a pretty good buy at £342 given it has no damage at all and reviews say this UW is pretty good (https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/s3422dwg) but clearly it's more of a risk than buying new.

 

[Spyder_Webb]

Am I right in thinking a 4K 27"
at 3840 x 2160 x 144 = 1,194,393,600

Lc-power -LC Power LC-M27-4K-UHD-144 -LCD-Monitor -4K -68.6 cm (27) -Lc-power Hardware/Electronic Grooves.land/Playthek

Lc-power - LC-Power LC-M27-4K-UHD-144 - order with free shipping.

www.grooves-inc.co.uk

is better than an Ultrawide 34"
at 3440 x 1440 x 165 = 817,344,000 ???

Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor - Laptops Direct

Buy Samsung Odyssey G5 34" WQHD 165Hz 1ms Curved Gaming Monitor from LaptopsDirect

www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

Or are the extra 7" worth the reduction in resolution?

I'm concerned because someone said 27" is too small for a 4K monitor? And some people seem to prefer the ultrawides?

 

[AgentCooper]

I think you’re getting too hung up on counting the pixels, buddy.

If we boil it down to the bare bones, a 4K monitor will give you more detail on screen but ideally you want something around 32 inch and you want a 144Hz refresh rate. These aren’t cheap.

An ultrawide 1440p monitor will have a similar amount of pixels, but with the extra horizontal real estate that provides more immersion and it won’t look quite as detailed if you get really close to the screen.

So let’s turn it round and ask; what matters more to you, personally?

 

[Spyder_Webb]

I think you’re getting too hung up on counting the pixels, buddy.

If we boil it down to the bare bones, a 4K monitor will give you more detail on screen but ideally you want something around 32 inch and you want a 144Hz refresh rate. These aren’t cheap.

An ultrawide 1440p monitor will have a similar amount of pixels, but with the extra horizontal real estate that provides more immersion and it won’t look quite as detailed if you get really close to the screen.

So let’s turn it round and ask; what matters more to you, personally?

Oh my god, I don't know.... arrgghhhh

Sorry, I'll compose myself.

Ok.

So I think I should probably forget 4K for now unless I want to spend a LOT of money and get a 4K 32".

I should plump for the Ultrawide because it will probably deliver a better gaming experience. As long as I don't play with my face right up to the screen...

I guess I could always save up and upgrade the monitor in the future if I really need it to be better....