1080p vs 1440p - how to plan around your monitor?

Daniel Dukai

Daniel Dukai

Member
I've been out of the tech loop for quite a while. Even the 1080p monitor that I am typing this on was a big upgrade for me, I didn't know about 1440p and 4k monitors until only recently.

My question is: - how do you choose components for your PC when building around either monitor and why? (not interested in 4k though, too expensive for me)

I am more interested in 1440p monitors and the machine that would be good for it.
 
Origin Saint

Origin Saint

Well-Known Member
I find 1440p to be the current sweet spot in gaming for keeping costs lower than 4k capable machines, but still getting some badass resolution and whatnot. Whether or not you want beyond 60Hz which corresponds to 60FPS usually when considering V-Sync settings, is another substantial factor in choosing components.

I'm going to assume you're upgrading from your current rig, in which case, as I'm sure you know, you'd need a new GPU for sure, and really, a new PSU as well. Quite honestly, the whole system needs upgraded, but I'll assume you just want the graphical fidelity upgrade by itself.

In which case, also assuming a budget because you didn't specify, I would recommend a Radeon RX 480 GPU. As far as PSU goes, I'd say something SeaSonic, EVGA or Corsair at 550W to ensure reliability with the new GPU.

Realistically, you ought to get new RAM, CPU and MOBO. But that's not directly tied to just a higher resolution, so I'm leaving that out for now.

As far as monitors go, there isn't too terribly much to say. Just find a BenQ, Samsung, LG, Dell, HP or ASUS. Acer is also alright. I'd stick to 27" personally, but that's sort of a preference thing. Then decide if you want 60Hz or 144Hz. If not gaming, 60Hz is perfectly alright, if you're gaming, 144Hz would be best, but with that CPU and RAM, you would be bottlenecked a bit.
 
Daniel Dukai

Daniel Dukai

Member
Yes, I'd replace my current rig. Yes, the PSU is crap. My parents bought this PC for me. But now that I'm out on my own, I can buy something more expensive. Hopefully this year, I will replace the whole thing with at least 4 cores (I'd like 8, honestly), 16 GB RAM and either an RX-480 8GB or a GTX 1060 6GB. I'm leaning more towards the RX-480 myself. SeaSonic would be my choice for PSU, since it's been recommended to me, also I can buy it since it's available where I live. I've been looking at the 620W model. Is Bronze enough? Who should buy higher tier PSUs?

My current monitor is 21-22". At first, I thought I would go just a bit higher to 24". But I guess you could make a case for a 27" screen as well. I translate documents, and I could use the extra monitor screen real estate.
 
Origin Saint

Origin Saint

Well-Known Member
Daniel Dukai said:
Yes, I'd replace my current rig. Yes, the PSU is crap. My parents bought this PC for me. But now that I'm out on my own, I can buy something more expensive. Hopefully this year, I will replace the whole thing with at least 4 cores (I'd like 8, honestly), 16 GB RAM and either an RX-480 8GB or a GTX 1060 6GB. I'm leaning more towards the RX-480 myself. SeaSonic would be my choice for PSU, since it's been recommended to me, also I can buy it since it's available where I live. I've been looking at the 620W model. Is Bronze enough? Who should buy higher tier PSUs?

My current monitor is 21-22". At first, I thought I would go just a bit higher to 24". But I guess you could make a case for a 27" screen as well. I translate documents, and I could use the extra monitor screen real estate.
Click to expand...


Well with that information, do you have a budget in mind? I could sling a recommended re-build for you if you can provide a budget.
 
Daniel Dukai

Daniel Dukai

Member
Origin Saint said:
Do you want to include monitor, keyboard, mouse, OS, etc?
Click to expand...

No, I'm keeping my peripherals and don't need a new OS.

As for the monitor, I'd only include it in the budget if I can buy a decent rig as well. Keep in mind that whatever you recommend, I will have to add like 15-25% to the price.
 
Origin Saint

Origin Saint

Well-Known Member
Alright, so here's draft #1:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.89 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z270-P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($129.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 8GB ARMOR 8G OC Video Card ($219.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.90 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus PB258Q 25.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor ($301.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1065.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-30 10:38 EDT-0400

The CPU is the latest Intel, but personally, I would wait for another 3 weeks, and choose the new AMD R5 1600 at $219 instead (6 cores, 12 threads, 3.2GHz).

The bronze rating is just fine, the higher this rating, the better the power efficiency. The higher it is, you'll be wasting less of the power from the wall on heat dissipation and power loss, etc... Higher is better, but honestly probably unnoticeable for most.

I threw in a monitor. It's 1440p @ 60Hz, 25". Pretty decent for the price. At this exchange rate, I think this list is looking at $1,256-ish in your land, or 307,060 HUF.

I didn't ask, are you looking for a new case as well? If so, that would only add on probably an average of about $80 more or so depending on the case you're looking for.
 
Origin Saint

Origin Saint

Well-Known Member
Daniel Dukai said:
My case doesn't have any usb 3.1 outlets and is lacking the latest perks of new mobos. So yeah...
Click to expand...
Well cases really come down to be subjective and based on preference, but I would suggest this one I think just to start with.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811854048

If you want to look for cases, my suggestion is to use PCPartPicker and just filter on the left for things you want, and you'll get you a big list to trawl through and see what you like best. Like I said, that will put the total build right at the top end of your budget when considering price differences.
 
Daniel Dukai

Daniel Dukai

Member
I want to buy a new monitor eventually 1440p @ 27".

If I stay at 60mhz, I guess I should just buy an RX-480 8GB.

Hey, what do you think of the Zalman Z11 Neo case?

EDIT: Hmm. I've been looking at some 1440p / 144hz monitors, and I am not sure if I should buy one. I have a 22" 60hz monitor, and I feel that the RX 480 8GB is enough. Does it come with an VGA adapter or I need to buy one?
 
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