7 replies to this topic

[Hytchok]

I have to buy a new system for work. Divine providence and devilish planning are such that it just so happens to coincide with GW2.  I won't even bother saying what I have now because it just won't cut it.  Thankfully, I have been saving.

System buiding aside, the core of my concern with this post is: I am wondering if there is an upper limit to the screen size I should be getting with a single graphics card (I'm looking at AMD Radeon HD 6970 2GB or better)?

Once GW2 releases, I am pretty dead set on a 27" and kinda hoping to have the option of going even larger if possible (My Immersion!). But it occurs to me that I might be shooting myself in the foot.  Should I stick with 24"? Are larger screens just not suitable/supported for gaming/GW2?  Do I have to worry about overloading my graphics card if I go with 27 or 30"?  What sort of considerations should I be worried about?

Cheers guys

[Ladox]

If your screen will be 2560x1600 resolution, that graphics card might be cutting it a little close.
It runs games like metro 2033, which is a very processing heavy game, at an average of 30fps at that resolution.
However, it should run everything at 1920x1200 or lower perfectly fine.

At the moment GW2 is very CPU intensive, but that is probably mostly because it isn't optimized yet.
Although, I would expect GW2 to require quite a bit of CPU power later on as well,
so something like a i5 2500k would probably be the smart buy at the moment

All of the above if you're going to want to play at the absolute max, if not, it will be absolutely enough.

Also, if you're looking at the 6970, you might want to instead get the 6950 which is a lot cheaper and nearly as good,
a slight overclock and it will be as good.
Be sure to get the 2GB version though, it's a must at higher resolutions.

You can also flash the reference 6950 2GB into a 6970, if you get the right model, but that's a hassle and usually increases the temps quite a bit as well.

[Ancen]

There is no particular limit, but make sure you keep in mind your distance to the screen as far as peripheral vision and being able to see the whole picture still, and resolution (ensure your GPU will run it quickly enough!). 24" monitors generally have a 1920x1080/1200 resolution, while 27-30" ones run 2560x1440/1600 respectively (assuming you're buying the nice ones ). You'll need to guesstimate as to how well GW2 will run at the higher resolutions (they're around double the pixels of the lower ones) based on the info from beta weekends that people post. I'd err on the side of caution... better to go for a lower res if you don't intend to keep at the higher end of GPU's. 2560 is quite demanding comparatively. A single 6970 2GB would leave a lot to be desired in more demanding titles at either 2560 resolution, whereas at 1920 it'll be great, with top settings for most things.

[Silentverdict]

From my browsing, many 27" monitors are sold at the same 1920x1080 resolution, which you probably wouldn't want. Personally I have a 23" and 1920x1080 is perfect for it, I'd probably want a higher resolution if I got a bigger screen. For the bigger monitors than that, there are basically two well-supported screen resolutions above 1080p. The most common is 2560x1600. It's a 16:10 resolution, which most gamers still swear by. You'll also see 2560x1440 around some, since it's the same resolution but at 16:9, which is steadily becoming the standard for most widescreen displays, though many gamers (Bridger very vocally included) prefer the extra height that 16:10 gives.

Honestly that's probably the biggest resolution you'd want to go for in the future. It's a big step up from 1080p, and should do for many large displays, plus anything bigger than that will probably have less native support. However, there is more to monitors than resolution. This article is the simplest I've found that informs on some really important facts about monitors, and shares the best ones to get. http://www.rockpaper...you-should-buy/

As for graphics cards, you'll need lots of memory (2gb is good) for that big of a display. Looking at prices, it seems the 6970 is about $350ish. If you're willing to spend a bit more, the new Geforce 670s are getting ridiculously good reviews. They run about $400 and are within 10% as powerful as the 680s, with even less power consumption than the 680, and WAY less than the 6970. My advice is if you're willing to shell out around that much for a card, you'll be the happiest by far with a 670.

[Ancen]

Yeah, by the time you're running 1920x1080 on a 27"+ monitor the dot pitch is just too big in my opinion for the size. The Radeon 6970 can generally be had for around $200-250 nowadays, though, so not really close to the price of a GTX 670 . If your choice were on the edge of your budget and you could go for a 30" monitor + lower card, or a 27" high-res panel + better card, I would definitely go for the slightly smaller display and the better card, though.

[Silentverdict]

Hmm my newegg-fu must be weak, I'm having a hard time finding it there or on amazon for anything less than $320, unless you want to look at used GPUs (which isn't a half bad idea actually).

Otherwise yes, Graphics fidelity and power are more important generally than monitor size and resolution (within reason), which is why I'm perfectly content with my HD 23". Heck, you may decide you don't need more than 1920x1080 after all, and get sucked into a 120hz monitor for extra smoothness! It's all in the gamer for what they prioritize.

[Ancen]

Mmmmm, they were going at that before being discontinued, probably would have to go for something like a 7850 at this point to be at a good price-performance ratio. As you saw, it's hard to find a "normal" price on them like they were while they had been current, making them a poor value. A $240-250 pre-oc'd model (about 10% faster than stock in actual performance) off of newegg will be close to the same speed & cheaper. (here's a stock-clock review with 6970 comparisons http://www.anandtech...thern-islands/9)

[Hytchok]

All great info, particularly the linked articles.  Thanks you very much all.  I think will limit myself to 27"  I have a 24" now and want bigger, but I get the impression that a 30" will just be more trouble than it's worth in terms of native support (in GW2) and exhorbitant graphics card costs (I don't know enough to push envelopes).  If anyone has a 30" out there and will be playing next beta, please give us your impression!