The Biggest Upgrade You Can Make To Your Gaming PC Is A Curved Monitor

Megalith

Megalith

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Well, [H]? Is he right? (At least, in a literal sense?) I have already given my thoughts on curved screens, but while my next TV will definitely not be curved, I am willing to give that feature a chance in regard to near-field displays. However, I remain convinced that visual distortion will still be pretty noticeable despite closer viewing distances. Strangely, this guy never brings that anomaly up, although he does address that other problems, such as screen reflections, are less of a concern with curved monitors than televisions. Personally, my biggest concern when it comes to display shopping is still panel type—maybe it is just my imagination, but I like how I am seeing VA panels more and more.

There’s a straightforward technical reason for why I found Battlefield much more enjoyable on a curve. Most first-person games condense a wide field of view into the narrow window of a screen because that gives the player more information to work with. That generates a dissonance: you’re looking through a circumscribed box, but seeing more than the box should properly show you. Curved, ultrawide monitors feel more realistic when rendering game environments because they can unfurl the visual information across a wider space, and instead of making the things on the player’s right or left sit directly in front, they can position those more appositely. That’s my theory, anyhow.
 
I would not buy a curved TV, but I love my Dell 3440x1440 21:9 display for gaming. Ultrawide and curved is extremely immersive when you sit right in front of it. I can also run games at full detail at the native resolution unlike a 4k display. The only bad thing is that there are quite a few games out there that do not natively support the resolution, so you have to do some mods, hacks or workarounds if you don't want to play with it stretched or with black bars.
 
I can agree with the benefits that a super-widescreen curved monitor provides...but, the limiting factors are: high prices, lower refresh rates than competing flat-screened "gaming" monitors, and they'll be fighting an influx of upcoming price-competitive 4K monitors with >60 Hz refresh rates.

I'm currently enjoying the heck out of my 24" 144Hz 1080p monitor, so if I was looking to upgrade to a super-widescreen monitor, then my next logical step would be at least 1440 vertical pixels. The cheapest super-widescreen 3440x1440 that has a higher than 60 Hz refresh rate sold by Newegg costs $910 new (for up to 75 Hz)...I'd have to shell out a whopping $1200 for the same resolution at a higher 100Hz max refresh. No. Way. In. Hell.
 
No.
Curved doesn't mean or do anything. It's a marketing gimmic that will lower your viewing angles for no reason.
SSD is still the biggest upgrade.
Specifically for monitors, it's 144hz, IPS, 4k, gsync/freesync in that order
 
Let me preface my comment with that I use a curved 48" TV as my monitor on my daily driver:

screens.jpg


The fact that this screen was curved was not why I bought it. It was just something that it came with. The curve on every curved screen I have seen is relatively minor, not something that is going to have a HUGE impact either way. The only benefit I do feel like I get from the curve is subtle, and unique to my special usage case (48" screen used at standard desktop distance of about 2.5ft) and that is that the curve helps reduce off angle viewing color/light shifts toward the edges of the screen.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd be looking for a slightly smaller flat screen (maybe 42-44")

I don't consider the curve of this, or any other screen I've seen to be a significant attribute of it. Curves are just a fad, and they'll be gone soon.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Let me preface my comment with that I use a curved 48" TV as my monitor on my daily driver:

View attachment 15915

The fact that this screen was curved was not why I bought it. It was just something that it came with. The curve on every curved screen I have seen is relatively minor, not something that is going to have a HUGE impact either way. The only benefit I do feel like I get from the curve is subtle, and unique to my special usage case (48" screen used at standard desktop distance of about 2.5ft) and that is that the curve helps reduce off angle viewing color/light shifts toward the edges of the screen.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd be looking for a slightly smaller flat screen (maybe 42-44")

I don't consider the curve of this, or any other screen I've seen to be a significant attribute of it. Curves are just a fad, and they'll be gone soon.
Click to expand...

Well, Schiit...
 
Games should start adjusting the view windows to reflect curved displays (distance of view, and curvature) to address visual anomaly.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Let me preface my comment with that I use a curved 48" TV as my monitor on my daily driver:

View attachment 15915

The fact that this screen was curved was not why I bought it. It was just something that it came with. The curve on every curved screen I have seen is relatively minor, not something that is going to have a HUGE impact either way. The only benefit I do feel like I get from the curve is subtle, and unique to my special usage case (48" screen used at standard desktop distance of about 2.5ft) and that is that the curve helps reduce off angle viewing color/light shifts toward the edges of the screen.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd be looking for a slightly smaller flat screen (maybe 42-44")

I don't consider the curve of this, or any other screen I've seen to be a significant attribute of it. Curves are just a fad, and they'll be gone soon.
Click to expand...

All I can say to this is.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
No. My 34" ultrawide is curved. *If* you sometimes get eye strain from long periods of usage, it does help. But improving gaming overall? Nope. If you're starting at 1080p@60, then biggest upgrade visually is to move to 120+Hz. After that, moving to an ultrawide format.

When it comes to my curved ultrawide, it's a home office thing. Hours of staring at putty windows and sprawling sql developer grids...the eye strain relief was worth it.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Let me preface my comment with that I use a curved 48" TV as my monitor on my daily driver:

View attachment 15915

The fact that this screen was curved was not why I bought it. It was just something that it came with. The curve on every curved screen I have seen is relatively minor, not something that is going to have a HUGE impact either way. The only benefit I do feel like I get from the curve is subtle, and unique to my special usage case (48" screen used at standard desktop distance of about 2.5ft) and that is that the curve helps reduce off angle viewing color/light shifts toward the edges of the screen.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd be looking for a slightly smaller flat screen (maybe 42-44")

I don't consider the curve of this, or any other screen I've seen to be a significant attribute of it. Curves are just a fad, and they'll be gone soon.
Click to expand...

Kudos for the portrait displays on the sides. :)
 
I've been looking at some of the GSync curved ultrawide screens by Asus and Acer. They are cool, but...

I'm not sure I can justify the price.

I'm not sure they are as immersive as my 3 dell ultrasharp monitors at 5760x1200.

I'm not sure I like every ultrawide monitor with GSync looking like it is a prop for a Transformers movie.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Let me preface my comment with that I use a curved 48" TV as my monitor on my daily driver:

The fact that this screen was curved was not why I bought it. It was just something that it came with. The curve on every curved screen I have seen is relatively minor, not something that is going to have a HUGE impact either way. The only benefit I do feel like I get from the curve is subtle, and unique to my special usage case (48" screen used at standard desktop distance of about 2.5ft) and that is that the curve helps reduce off angle viewing color/light shifts toward the edges of the screen.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd be looking for a slightly smaller flat screen (maybe 42-44")

I don't consider the curve of this, or any other screen I've seen to be a significant attribute of it. Curves are just a fad, and they'll be gone soon.
Click to expand...

I'm using a 48" curved as my primary monitor as well. I initially thought it was too big and swapped it out for a 40" but decided that 40" was too small after the 48" so I exchanged it again. :p
 
I think Curved gaming screens are just a stopgap the panel makers invented to sell panels using the tooling they already invested in that the TV market doesn't really want.

I'd still like to see a 5120x2160 HDR screen become available before "8K" TVs hit the market, but I think we will see OLEDs and direct emission quantum dot TVs come to the TV market while PC monitors stagnate and they try and sell "HDR complaint" monitors that aren't actually HDR and not good for gaming while they still push gimmicks like curved screens.

It used to be that monitors were always better displays that TVs, but now I think the panel makers just milk the market and trickle out "improvements" because while you can get a nice 40 something inch HDR "tv" for under $$700, you cannot get a nice monitor that is actual HDR and the announced ones are well over $1000 but still don't match the specs of the cheaper HDR tv alternatives.
 
I use surround still. 34" curved is probably good enough for me for gaming, but I need the 3 1440p displays for home office work and one is a dock for my work laptop when I work from home. With all that in mind I haven't been able to convince myself to make the leap.

It kind of bothers me that [H] has abandoned surround testing, but I think the last time I bitched I was told that 4k takes the same horsepower and is more common so Surround/eyefinity testing was not worth the effort.

Secondly I was searching around last night and couldnt find a true 4k monitor with 144hz? Does that not exist?
 
For me, Gsync has been the biggest game changer.

And while I really liked 144hz on my Acer Predator monitor, I've found that my laptop that does 75hz and has Gsync is just as good (and keeping 75 frames is easier with a 970m)

60 is noticeably slower than 75 for whatever reason for me. At 75 I'm quite happy.

I do have a curved 55" samsung TV with an HTPC hooked up to it. I don't know exactly what our viewing distance is, but we love it and the curve isn't enough to cause a problem with sitting on the sides.
 
daglesj said:
Will all be flat within 3 years.

Just another fad like 3DTV etc.
Click to expand...

I personally don't think 3DTV is a fad. I actively look for movies I like that are in 3D. Most movies that release in the theater in 3D make it to Blu-ray as 3D. It's definitely not a gimmick. I feel curved monitors if anything work for gaming more than any other purpose though. Curved screens from a distance just don't look right, while when viewing up close I do feel a bit more immersed.
 
I've never used a curved display, but my next monitor will most likely be one.

I have my 3 flat monitors arranged in an arc because it makes sense to see each one straight on. Why wouldn't I want a single display to be the same?

Now on the other hand, having a curve and having your eyes anywhere other than the exact focal axis of the screen, makes no sense at all. In this case, flat is better in every way.
 
I just know one thing. When sitting in front of my regular 50" 1080p TV as my monitor. I get sick from heights when I play games. I have to turn off head bob and some of the FOV, or I feel like I want to vomit.
 
xX326Xx said:
I personally don't think 3DTV is a fad. I actively look for movies I like that are in 3D. Most movies that release in the theater in 3D make it to Blu-ray as 3D. It's definitely not a gimmick. I feel curved monitors if anything work for gaming more than any other purpose though. Curved screens from a distance just don't look right, while when viewing up close I do feel a bit more immersed.
Click to expand...
You are in the minority. It fustrating going to the movies and being stuck in the crappy theaters cause they only play the 3D version on the IMAX screens. I miss out on the upgraded sound systems also. I wear glasses and is irritating to have to wear 3D glasses over mine. I wish it fucking died off already so I can actually go enjoy a movie like I use too. At least TV manufacturer got the picture and axing the 3D in most their high end models.
 
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xX326Xx said:
I personally don't think 3DTV is a fad. I actively look for movies I like that are in 3D. Most movies that release in the theater in 3D make it to Blu-ray as 3D. It's definitely not a gimmick. I feel curved monitors if anything work for gaming more than any other purpose though. Curved screens from a distance just don't look right, while when viewing up close I do feel a bit more immersed.
Click to expand...

You didnt read the trade reports last week then? Most TV manufacturers have dumped 3D already. Very few new 3D TVs.
 
DarkStar02 said:
I'm using a 48" curved as my primary monitor as well. I initially thought it was too big and swapped it out for a 40" but decided that 40" was too small after the 48" so I exchanged it again. :p
Click to expand...

I determined that I thought 40" was a bit on the small side, resulting in too high DPI for 4K resolutions, and I didn't want to use any scaling. I also determined that 48" was a little bit on the large side, resulting in slightly low DPI for 4k.

According to my calculation 42"-44" would be the perfect size range for 4K DPI for desktop use. When I bought the JS9000 though, this size didn't exist. The Smallest siuze for the JS9000 was 48". I could have gone for JU6700, JU7500 or JS8000 models at 40", but the image quality was supposedly much better on the JS9000, and even then they existed in 40" and 48" but nothing in between.

If this screen ever dies on me, I'll be hoping to find a 42"-44" MONITOR (not a TV) with Displayport inputs, high refresh rates and G-Sync. Who knows if it will exist at that point.
 
I prefer the curved screen for something as wide as 34" at two and a half feet away from me. I own an LG 34" curved display and my eyes feel better using it over my older 30" (flat) Gateway and to a much smaller degree my LG 27" 4K display. I spend at least 8 hours in front of that monitor when I'm working from home and 1-3 hours a day otherwise.
 
I swear there was a news thread announcing the death of curved panels, like the death of 3D panels the other day.
 
thesmokingman said:
I swear there was a news thread announcing the death of curved panels, like the death of 3D panels the other day.
Click to expand...


Don't mistake news posts as the official opinion of the H. They are a reporting of what is going on out there so we are all informed. Right now, some are arguing that Curved monitors are a huge deal, but probably more are arguing that they are a fad. The H has reported on both of these sides now. :p
 
Would I get the same Vertigo from heights playing on one? I'm sick of feeling sick when in high spots in games on a big monitor.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Don't mistake news posts as the official opinion of the H. They are a reporting of what is going on out there so we are all informed. Right now, some are arguing that Curved monitors are a huge deal, but probably more are arguing that they are a fad. The H has reported on both of these sides now. :p
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I am not on either side. I believe at a given size and placement, they can have a great use. But "biggest upgrade" you can get? Hell no. 144Hz comes long before that, assuming you have supporting HW to supply the frames.
 
The biggest upgrade is just buying a ps4 pro




riot incited
 
Fad. Just like 3D.

I don't need curves to re-introduce distortion back into my life. I don't play enough immersive games to justify the added distortion when doing everything else.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Don't mistake news posts as the official opinion of the H. They are a reporting of what is going on out there so we are all informed. Right now, some are arguing that Curved monitors are a huge deal, but probably more are arguing that they are a fad. The H has reported on both of these sides now. :p
Click to expand...

Obviously it was a jab. The biggest upgrade anyone can make to anything is a personal choice which makes articles like these a joke.
 
Nukester said:
When I saw your mic with the filter, for some ungodly reason that image hit my head. Yeah... I'm weird like that.
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Ahh, I bought that mic when I had a really difficult time finding a decent standalone mic to use with my headphones. (I didn't want a "gaming" headset, as I liked the sound from my good headphones better.)

I tried a few desktop models, but they either sounded like ass, or broke after a few months. Then I tried a clip-on which I broke after I kept forgetting I was tethered, and got up from my desk and walked away.

After that I got fed up and started using the cheapest entry level "professional" models I could find. Pictured is an Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB. It wasn't bad. It lasted about 4 years before it crapped out about a week after I took that picture above. Great for in game chatting, though it had a little but of a humm when the volume was turned up, so I probably wouldn't ahve used it for any kind of professional recording.

Now I use a CAD u37. It was much cheaper, but still does a good job.
 
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Cobra said:
I love my Dell 3440x1440 21:9 display for gaming
Click to expand...

I also love my Dell ultrawide and I don't notice any curve when sitting at my desk. I can see the viewing angle being an issue on a TV, but this is less an issue on a computer monitor (unless your whole family watches you game). I definitely prefer my home setup with the single 34" ultrawide vs my work set up with 2 x 24" wide screens. The curved monitor is more subtle and less obvious than the angle between the dual screens.
 
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