TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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TV's for PC monitor/gaming

Post by Executioner »

I have an old Samsung 24" monitor that I bought at Costco back in 2013. I would like to get something bigger and I've been thinking about just getting something like a 32" TV for gaming. Are TV's okay for gaming or should I stick with a PC monitor?
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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I'm looking at these models: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/shop/best- ... er-monitor

Only looking at 32" screens as I'm sitting close on my desk so I don't need a big monitor.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Most TVs are not good as computer screens. They do image processing and you don't want any image processing between your computer and the screen. They also generally have more delay, and lower response times, and unless it's specifically a high refresh rate model, it will be capped at 60Hz. I have found some 120Hz TVs aren't recognized at over 60 Hz in Windows because Windows uses a limited driver. TVs generally don't render desktop text as sharp as a monitor.

Some TVs do have a 'Game mode' that disables the image processing and improves the delay time, but I've yet to soo a TV that displays text as sharp as a monitor.

Now if you get a bigger monitor or TV another thing to keep in mind is resolution. I'm assuming your current monitor is 1920x1080 (1080p)? If you go to a higher resolution, the video card will need to work harder (for games - desktop doesn't matter), and your frame rate will be reduced. If you're mostly using desktop and not much gaming, then you may want a higher resolution so you have a bigger desktop. If gaming is the main concern, and your current video card is barely giving you enough frames then that might be a problem.

Resolution vs size matters. Staying at 1080p but going from a 24" to a 32" is just going to make the pixels bigger and a bit blurrier. Fine for gaming, but doesn't help desktop apps much, unless your vision is severely degraded and you just need everything bigger.

Going to a 27" 2560x1440 monitor would be a big step up. 3 inches doesn't seem like much (that's what she said!) but when I went from a 24 to a 26 and it was a big deal.

Most regular HDTVs jump from 1080p to 4K with nothing in between. If you're gaming, you don't want 4K unless you have a very powerful card (3080 class).
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Those TVs you linked to are mostly 1080p, so you're talking about huge pixels for desktop work. If you want to stay at 1080p, I'd really consider a 27" monitor like this one: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-se271 ... Id=6394138

Maybe even consider an ultra wide screen 1080p like this 29 inch: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-29-ultr ... Id=6451077

Having sat at a few setups at clients houses where they used a regular 32 inch TV, I can tell you that at that distance, the TV is too tall. You end up having to move your head up and down, giving you neck pain. Ultra wides work better. They encompass nearly the whole width of your view, and enough vertical space that you can take it all in with one glance. I love my 34 inch ultra wide.

Now you would be increasing the resolution with an ultra wide 1080 (2560x1080 instead of 1920x1080), but it wouldn't be a huge increase, and framerate impact on games should be slight, but there will be a hit if you run native resolution. On the Windows desktop, you'll appreciate the extra desktop realestate.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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After reading more on line yesterday evening, I think I'll stick with a PC monitor. I did notice with my old LG TV that it did have a "game mode" in the settings. I gave that TV to my daughter because it started to have images burn in on the screen, but she did not care about the image burn in. Watching movies, you don't even notice it except if you watch regular TV that has commercials with a red or yellow background.

Do most of you guys play games at 1920x1080 or do you go the 4k route?
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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While I have the horsepower (technically) for 4K with the RTX 3080 and the new rig, in reality I doubt I would be able to play at high quality at the framerates I like at 4K. I also really don't see the point.

I game at 3440x1440 (35" ultrawide monitor). The GTX 1080 ran most games at that resolution respectably with medium to medium high quality. The RTX 3080 runs them all with no issues at at least 90 FPS, except for MS Flight Sim, which has it's own performance issues unrelated to the video card. The resolution is stunning, and the wide screen is very immersive.

When I did game at 1080p it was fine, but my first G-Sync monitor was a 27" 2560x1440. I loved that monitor, but at that time I only had a GTX 760 and it could barely push that resolution at any kind of playable framerate, with low quality settings. I often played at 1080p on that card to compensate. The GTX 1080 fixed that eventually.

I recently played on that old 27" 2560x1440 (I keep it in the garage as a spare) as I was breaking in a PC I built for a friend, and I set it up on my workbench with that monitor. That monitor is still awesome, and if my wide screen decided to die I could comfortably go back to it.

So if gaming is important, you need to consider your PC hardware.

QUESTIONS:

What's the specs on your PC (CPU/GPU)?

What resolution are you gaming at now?
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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CPU: Intel i5 6600k
Mobo: Asus Z170-K
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
Monitor: Samsung B2330 (model code:LS23PUZKFYUZA) https://www.samsung.com/us/business/sup ... s-b2330hd/

I game at 1920x1080 per my Samsung monitor. I have been playing some of the older games like Crysis, Crysis 2, and Crysis Warhead at that resolution.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Yeah that rig is okay for 1920x1080 in general. Depends on the game of course. Older games will run great, newer games may need to have eye candy turned down. Your card is not as fast as a 1080, but looking at some quick benchmarks, it's within 20-30 FPS in a lot of games.

You could go with a wide screen 2560x1080 and still be playable but you'll lose some framerate. How much? At a guess maybe 10 FPS on average. Maybe a bit more.

A 2560x1440 resolution monitor would be a way too much for that card. Games would be playable, but you'll be cranking the graphics quality down to low and framerates might still not be very good in newer games.

Of course if you plan on buying a new video card when Card-a-meggon is over maybe next year, then 1440 is an option. but you won't be able to play some games at native resolution.


My suggestions for what they're worth:

Get a bigger 1080p monitor:
You're playing on a 10 year old TN 23 inch monitor with an ugly, wide bezel right now. I think if you bought a modern 27" IPS 1920x1080 monitor, like that Dell I linked to above, you'd be blown away at how much bigger it is, and how much better a modern IPS panel looks compared to that 10 year old Samsung. Also you'll get a higher refresh rate as your current monitor is only 75Hz. Modern monitors are 120Hz minimum. Gaming performance would be about the same because it's the same resolution. Downside: Same size desktop in Windows so no extra real-estate, but not sure if that matters to you. You COULD, however, connect the old monitor as a second display to get a bigger desktop, which is what I did for a long time before getting a wide screen. Assuming you have the desk space. You'd still game on the new monitor only, so no hit on gaming performance with two monitors.

Go 1440p and play at 1080p until you get a new card:
If you plan on getting a new video card in the next 6 months or so, and you want to get into 1440p gaming eventually, then you could buy a 2560x1440 monitor, and just play most of your games at 1920x1080 for now, to avoid the performance hit. The monitor will just stretch the image to fill the screen. Yeah, reduces sharpness a bit, but it'll still look real good. When you do get a faster card, you're ready to game at 1440p. Also, you know have a bigger desktop in Windows.

Hope this helps...
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Also, since you have an NVidia card, I would shop for a Freesync monitor that is officially compatible with NVidia G-Sync. List here: https://thepcenthusiast.com/freesync-mo ... th-g-sync/

Basically that lets you turn off VSync and get no image tearing.

That Dell I linked is not G-Sync compatible but there's plenty on that list. Also, in the ad for it it should say something like "Freesync and G-Sync compatible" if it's a Freesync monitor that NVidia drivers officially recognize as a G-Sync.

NVidia keeps certifying and adding new Freesync monitors to the supported list all the time. You do need the latest NVidia driver though.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Thanks Bob for that information. I'd like to get a new video card, not the latest and greatest, but with prices out of this world and I'm now retired, I don't want to spend that kind of money on a video card right now. I rather just get a bigger monitor since the one I have is 10 years old and it's only a 23". I would like to get something around 32" or slightly larger, but I'm limited on my desk to the size.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Here is my current desk:

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It goes back about 40". My tower sits on the right side which is part of the desk.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Go to the Best Buy and just look at some of the 27" monitors. I think you'll be surprised how big they really are.

That said, I just went down that G-Sync compatible list, and if you don't mind a refurb, there's a 32" LG 1080p gaming monitor for $229 through an Amazon reseller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KTN8KFH

SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF: For G-Sync to work, you need to connect via DisplayPort. Monitors don't usually come with a DP cable nowadays. Even if you're not using G_Sync, I would still recommend DP over HDMI. HDMI sucks donkey balls. HDMI doesn't support refresh rates over 60 Hz unless the monitor and cable specifically support the HDMI 1.4 spec. DP is always better, but you may need to buy your own cable: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Di ... B005H3Q59U

Whenever the video card market gets back to normal, I'd look for a RTX 3060 Ti. MSRP (real MSRP) should be around $500 or a bit less. That's what the EVGA store is listing them for, and their prices are only $40 above MSRP right now. That would be a big improvement in performance for your card without breaking the bank.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Thanks for those links. I just ordered that one from Amazon you had in a link, along with a display port cable.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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The 32 inch?

Man I'm looking at that Samsung you have now. Samsung used the big rounded frame on all their monitors and HDTVs back then. I have a 40 inch Samsung HDTV from 2008 that has exactly the same frame on it. Still works too. I have it in the spare room. That was my first flat panel TV I think.
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Re: TV's for PC monitor/gaming

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Yeah the 32". The Samsung monitor still works. Never had any issues with it and no dead pixels, but I'm probably going to move it to my garage to replace a very old Dell monitor that I bought at Goodwill for $15. I think it's a 17".

On a side note, I also received today my o-scope that I bought from Ebay. It was recommended by one of the skilled techs on Tapeheads.net. The scope will allow me to check electronics, and also allows me to learn how to use it. Last time I used an o-scope was at work to check a wave form from a Laser Micrometer.

Why am I buying all this stuff since I'm retired? I received my first Social Security check today.
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