Need 2 Monitors

[Meekers]

I am in the market for 2 new monitors. I currently have 2 cheap 24 inch monitors that I have been using for a long time. I have never really put much thought into my monitor purchases, grabbing whatever was on sale that had acceptable reviews, without really understanding anything.

Looking for 2 27 inch monitors. Also looking to take a step up in resolution to 1440. I game on one and generally have a video or webpage on the 2nd. I also play mostly strategy(civ, total war) and aarpgs/mmos/moba. I do not play any first person shooters.

I currently have a 7950 which will be sticking around until I see how things settle after vega and Nvidia's response. I buy gpus in the 300-400 bracket so I am leading towards AMD/Freesync as I will probably get bang for my buck, but I am hardly committed to AMD.

While I am not upgrading my GPU right away I want to start looking at monitors and understanding more. If the right ones are available now I may grab them right away. The 2nd monitor does not have to be the same quality as the first one as there will be any gaming on it. I assume it is only worth freesyc/gsync on the main one. I have a flexible budget but not looking to break the bank on these. Preferably not looking to spend more than $700, less is always better and more would be considered if needed.

 

[4K_shmoorK]

Considered an ultrawide? Seems like it would be perfect for everything you described (besides Overwatch's lack of 21:9 support). Something like the Dell U3415W or LG 34UM88C?

If you'd prefer two panels, do you have a preference TN or IPS? Two Acer XG270HU could be had for relatively cheap considering their specs (144Hz 1440p Freesync).

 

[Meekers]

Considered an ultrawide? Seems like it would be perfect for everything you described (besides Overwatch's lack of 21:9 support). Something like the Dell U3415W or LG 34UM88C?

If you'd prefer two panels, do you have a preference TN or IPS? Two Acer XG270HU could be had for relatively cheap considering their specs (144Hz 1440p Freesync).

To be honest I only have a basic understanding of TN vs IPS, never used them back to back to get a real feel for it. I have cheap TN panels now so that is what I am used to but open to anything really.

As to an ultrawide, I had not considered one. Does windows treat it as 2 different monitors with their own task bars? If it does then I would definitely consider one.

 

[4K_shmoorK]

Well 1440p IPS panels are going to run you a bit more than 1440p TN panels. And there aren't too many 1440p TN panels out there worth buying to begin with.
TN: Faster response, poor viewing angles, lackluster colors, less expensive
IPS: Not quite as 'fast', great viewing angles, great colors, more expensive

As for the ultrawide, windows recognizes the panel as a single display. Either 2560x1080 or 3440x1440, the resolutions vary between panels. To me, bezels can be fairly distracting but I understand that not all share this sentiment. It really comes down to preference.

There are alot of combinations out there (especially if you have not decided whether or not to buy NV or AMD for your next card). It also helps to establish a maximum budget for the panels so that you can work down and around to try and find the best panel(s) for you.

 

[Meekers]

Bezels annoy me when a single image is split but I use each monitor independently so they do not bother me. What I like about my setup is that I can have a game on one monitor that is full screen windowed so I can just mouse over to the 2nd monitor that has its own taskbar so I can change anything there without affecting the main monitor.

As for a budget if possible I would like to keep it under $700 with the majority going to a freesync gaming monitor, though that is not a hard limit for me, less is obviously ok too! Also, been looking at prices and there seem to be many more choices and similar prices at 4k. Would that make more sense?

 

[4K_shmoorK]

Well, you could grab the ASUS MG279Q (2560x1440 144Hz IPS Freesync) from Fry's for $489 and pair it with a 27" 1080p (something like this BenQ GW2760HS VA for $169, ASUS MX279H IPS for $235, or a Korean QNIX QX2710 PLS 1440p for $220).

For $489, I don't think I could recommend any other 27" 1440p Freesync over the MG279Q. Great panel with great features. Up to you on your auxiliary panel, comes down to preference.

 

[Meekers]

Well, you could grab the ASUS MG279Q (2560x1440 144Hz IPS Freesync) from Fry's for $489 and pair it with a 27" 1080p (something like this BenQ GW2760HS VA for $169, ASUS MX279H IPS for $235, or a Korean QNIX QX2710 PLS 1440p for $220).

For $489, I don't think I could recommend any other 27" 1440p Freesync over the MG279Q. Great panel with great features. Up to you on your auxiliary panel, comes down to preference.

Thank you! That ASUS looks like what I am looking for. Now I just need to decide if I should go for it or wait until I settle on a gpu. Either way, you provided me a great frame of reference, much appreciated.

 

[4K_shmoorK]

No problem!