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

I'm intrigued by curved ultrawides, but do I think it would be the biggest upgrade I could make? um, no... I just feel like its kind of an interesting spot in terms of screen real-estate, DPI, refresh rate, and immersion. 4K doesn't appeal to me right now because 4K monitors are all too small which would require DPI scaling (thus eliminating the extra real-estate benefits and causing wonkiness in the process), can't really be driven at the quality settings I want by a single GPU, and have input bandwidth limitations that mean that even if your GPU *could* do more than 60fps on 4k, you're limited by DP bandwidth to 4Kp60

$1k+ for one with Gsync is killing me though, haven't been able to bring myself to buy one.
 
For me the biggest leap was going from a 24" 1080p monitor, to a 27" 1440p gsync monitor last year. I have had my 24" Dell since 06/07? Just the picture quality alone was remarkable. But to have a curved monitor? Not really sure I would consider as the biggest upgrade for your gaming rig.
 
I have seen curved displays in person and I don't really see what the fuss is about. Many, many other features (144 Hz, IPS, G-Sync) that are way more important to me.
 
Kalabalana said:
Games should start adjusting the view windows to reflect curved displays (distance of view, and curvature) to address visual anomaly.
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This is what is holding back my purchase. I know of no games which currently offer a curved projection. I know of no games planning to do so either. I very much want a curved monitor though.
 
Any real possibility of seeing 5040x2160 or similar ultra-widescreen curved monitors? I really don't want to lose any of my 1600 pixels of vertical view even dropping to 1440 matters.
 
Gaming on a 65+" television with surround sound > curved monitor.
For that matter, the real biggest upgrade for any gaming system is a top of the line video card. No other component even comes close.
 
Biggest upgrade is VRR tech, in my opinion. G-Sync has made a bigger impact on my gaming experience than anything else in the past decade.
Domingo said:
Gaming on a 65+" television with surround sound > curved monitor.
For that matter, the real biggest upgrade for any gaming system is a top of the line video card. No other component even comes close.
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I think they're one in the same. You would be squandering video card power if you didn't have a display that could push the video card hard. Likewise, you would be robbing yourself by not pairing a quality display with your top end video card.
 
Coming from an 8 year old Dell 3008WFP to a 34" Asus PG348Q, it was absolutely NOT the biggest upgrade I could do.

My first Intel X25-M SSD was by FAR.
 
MikeTrike said:
144Hz Curved Ultrawide here...



Comparing that to a reverse-curve tube doesn't exactly count IMO...

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I guess if everyone was a cyclopes this would be accurate/would matter.
 
Activate: AMD said:
I'm intrigued by curved ultrawides, but do I think it would be the biggest upgrade I could make? um, no...
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Yeah, I don't think it's even in the top 10.


By far the biggest upgrade an average user can make - if they don't already have one - is to get an SSD.
 
If prices will go down a bit , i can defiantly see myself replacing my Asus 27" IPS 144Hz with a 34" Ultra Wide one.
 
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I'd love a curved monitor for my desk but the price tags need to come way down before I get one.
 
A curved monitor would be decent, but as far as my gaming pc upgrades go; footrest, snuggie, minifridge, and new chair come before it.
 
T_A said:
If prices will go down a bit , i can defiantly see myself replacing my Asus 27" IPS 144Hz with a 34" Ultra Wide one.
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Appropriate typo, seeing as how the 21:9 aspect ratio will never see widespread support.
 
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I could see curved being handy on ultrawides. Past that, I wouldn't pay extra for curved, but I don't think it would bother me if my monitors happened to be curved either.

I'm a two-monitor setup right now, and they are placed at an obtuse angle to each other so the desktop effect is (what I imagine to be) similar to a curved ultrawide - but I don't game across both screens, just on the left, with a web browser and such open on the right.
 
My poor man's curved screen is NVidia Surround using three 24" monitors.

Aside from the bezels I still think it works well for gaming and is very inexpensive, compared to those curved deals.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
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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I have that exact same Audio-Technica. It seems to have crapped out after a year. I got it mainly for games, because I can't stand any headset. I'm going to check out that CAD. Thanks!
 
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Brian_B said:
Off topic somewhat - just wanted to say - I got my wife that chair last year for Mother's day or something. Best chair I've ever sat in (as well as best Mother's day gift I've given her to date). It's a seriously comfy chair.
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We bought one for my dad, and it is comfy, but we were really disappointed to find out that while you can pull a lever to make it recline, you can't lock it at a certain rake. If it sits too upright for you like it does for me, the only thing you can do is push back against the floor constantly or find something to prop your legs on.
 
criccio said:
Coming from an 8 year old Dell 3008WFP to a 34" Asus PG348Q, it was absolutely NOT the biggest upgrade I could do.

My first Intel X25-M SSD was by FAR.
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Dangit.. I'm in the same boat. I have a 30" Dell, but I've got that upgrade itch. I would totally get one of the Acer or Asus 34" ultrawides, but not all games support 21:9.. in particular Overwatch. A 34" ultrawide is probably not as vertical as a 30" 2560x1600, so games that are stuck in lower aspect ratios will be much smaller to view. Alternatively, there are the 27" flat 144/165 monitors.. smaller screen.. less resolution, but much higher refresh... why can't they just do like a 3800x1600 which is as big as a 30" no matter how your aspect ratio is.
 
34 inch Dell Ultrawide curved here and yes, it is good for gaming. Can't imagine having one in my living room though, sitting that far away.
 
I order a refurbed Acer X34 last week and it arrived last Thursday. I set it up that night and spent most of the evening adjusting all my games to the 21:9 aspect ratio and just making it all correct.

Then I finished worked Friday and spent that evening gaming and streaming "The Wire", and realizing that the new "computer glasses" I had just got were terrific for this monitor. Oh, and the movie display was pretty nice with a small black bar on the left, off center. I thought it was strange but once I got into the show it didn't bother me at all.

By Saturday I had mostly adjusted to the new display and my gaming was more about the game and less about the monitor and it's newness.

Sunday was a great gaming day right up until about 5:30 that evening when the monitor just died.

It was a refurb, the Acer Refurb outlet has already sent me a return packing slip and offered a full refund for the $850.

I am looking right now at new Acer X34 monitors on sale at Newegg. I'm not going back. The jump from 27" 1080P @ 60Hz to 34" Ultrawide curved 3440 x 1440 @ up to 100 Hz is too great a difference for me to not buy another.

I can't say how much the curve works into the total viewing experience but I can say that I really like that display, and I mean I like it $1100.00 worth.

But that's me.

I also like'em skinny :LOL:
 
outside of the actual benefit of the curve (reducing/eliminating off angle gamma shifting at the edges) i dont see any benefit to the curve at all. hell, i cant even see or notice the curve.
 
whateverer said:
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.
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How is non-gaming use on cuved screens? CAD, Excel..
 
I remember the first flat CRT I ever saw, I swore it was concave instead of flat, because I was used to the convex surface of all previous screens, and it was awesome. Based on this, when I finally get an ultrawide monitor, I'll probably look for a curved version.

But for a TV? Hells to the no. TVs need wide viewing angles, computer monitors do not. Curved TVs are a bad idea, and I won't be getting one.
 
Sold my Curved for a flat 4K monitor. Couldn't be happier with the choice. Curves are not bad at all. But its not a game breaking feature.
 
hahaha...I avoid the argument by having over 30 monitors in my house, 13 in use regularly...from a couple of Trinitron crt's to 30" to curved 34" and 48" and about everything in between...right tool for the job and all...

some items may be available...but local pickup only....hahaha
 
Kelter said:
Dangit.. I'm in the same boat. I have a 30" Dell, but I've got that upgrade itch. I would totally get one of the Acer or Asus 34" ultrawides, but not all games support 21:9.. in particular Overwatch. A 34" ultrawide is probably not as vertical as a 30" 2560x1600, so games that are stuck in lower aspect ratios will be much smaller to view. Alternatively, there are the 27" flat 144/165 monitors.. smaller screen.. less resolution, but much higher refresh... why can't they just do like a 3800x1600 which is as big as a 30" no matter how your aspect ratio is.
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I wanted something with the same or more pixel's than my 2560x1600 Dell, G-Sync support and something higher than 60Hz and the PG348Q was the only one I could find. I'll be honest, the drop in vertical resolution is noticable and Overwatch support is TERRIBLE (i play at 2560x1440 with black bars on the sides) but all in all, it's still a huge step up from my 8 year old Dell, especially for gaming.

Battlefield 1 @ 3440x1440 with G-Sync is freaking unbelievable.
 
I love my curved TV as a monitor and don't see any reason to go back to a flat screen for computer use. I'm not a frame rate whore, so gaming at 4K and 60Hz works quite well for me.

However, for TV viewing I still prefer a flat IPS screen.
 
If the software doesn't know about the curve then all you're doing is distorting an already distorted 3D to 2D projection even more. What is needed is software that can interpret the viewport and rewrap the image onto curved or angled displays. If you set up an eyefinity display with the side monitors at a 30° angle instead of flat the game engine has no clue and you just get extreme sides. Sure you see more but it isn't wrapping around you like in real life. We spent so much time fixing CRT curvature problems and now people want to go the other direction. All I can do is sigh and watch the marketing people win as tech spirals out of control.
 
No way.

SSD if you don't have it (Silent + super fast loading = amazing) or a good 1440p or higher gsync monitor would be a much more worthwhile upgrade imo.

Curved screens annoy the hell out of me personally.
 
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