Buy 2560 x 1440 now or wait for 4K?

Q

qdemn7

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I need a new monitor. I want at least a 27". $1,000 is my absolute maximum. I need multiple inputs, and Display Port is an absolute must. This will last me at least 3-5 years. I am only a casual gamer. I spend more time doing other things.

After reading the posts over at We Crave Games it seems like there are some good monitors out there for well under $1000.

Right now I'm looking at the BenQ 2710PT which Amazon has for $449 that is $350 off.
 
Depends on the panel type you are looking for. If you need IPS then for 4K you are stuck with either a 24" monitor for under $1k or at least $2k for a larger IPS screen.

If you really want higher resolution but you can stand TN panels with the color shift, then they are well under $1k for a 27" or 28".
 
No 4K advisable to buy now. Thus obviously 1440p one to go, if purchasing now. It might change if you'll reask in a year.
 
If I were looking to buy a monitor today, I would be focused on the lg 34um95. That thing looks awesome.
 
4k displays are still immature plus if you plan to game on 4k you need to spend serious amount of money to buy the graphics cards for that assuming you want games to run near 60 fps with max settings.
 
Church said:
Or even better - BL3200PT :p
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I'll add my vote for this one if you're not crazy about the 21:9 LG 34UM95.

I would not go smaller than 32" for 4k due to the pixel density for desktop use. Your budget also means you're limited to TN panels at this resolution. If you're going to be doing more productivity than gaming then I would go with a VA like the BenQ BL3200PT ($629 at Amazon for a great quality 32" 2560x1440 monitor) or an IPS like the LG 34UM95 ($900-$1000 when retailers have stock, 34" ultra wide 21:9 aspect ratio).
 
Regardless of the maturity of 4K hardware, the OS and software are generally the bigger issue. If you do things other than game, and you use Windows, your experience will be.. less than ideal. I don't know about Linux but I'm told it has it's own quirks by distro. OS X has the least pains but last time I tried to use it with a 4K monitor it wouldn't "Retina-ize" the display at all.
 
I would just grab a decent display with 2560x1440 for like 400$ now and wait for 4k to mature.
 
I agree with isp. Go for a good 1440p if you want to save money and/or plan on getting 4k next year. If you want something close to 4k now you could get the LG 34UM95 but it is pricey.
 
Skott said:
I agree with isp. Go for a good 1440p if you want to save money and/or plan on getting 4k next year. If you want something close to 4k now you could get the LG 34UM95 but it is pricey.
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I concur.

:D
 
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to take a hard look at the LG 34UM95, and will probably buy that. Fry's is selling them for $999.99. I spend much less time gaming these days. I think 21:9 will meet my needs for desktop uses.
 
I got the LG 34UM95 because I know I wont be going to 4k next year. I expect the 4k monitor choices to be much better but the GPU muscle for gaming on them is going to be prohibitively more expensive. I dont want to pay for 3 or 4 cards and not be able to max games. So I'm waiting for AMD and nVidia to catch up. I figure its going to be 2 or 3 years at least so I'll game at 21:9 for now.

For those that feel the same way I suggest the LG 34UM95. However if you know you are going 4k next year for sure skip the UM95 and get a affordable 1440p until next year. I think that is a better cost saving move. The 34UM95 is just too costly right now if you are only going to use it a year and then move on.

That's my current logic anyway. :D
 
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