Recently I've been finding myself wondering.. which is better? 1080p? 4k? 60hz? 100hz? Regular aspect ratio or ultra wide? Well I did some research using all the real equipment I have in my house, across three home computer gaming setup.
The Computers Being Used
i7 8700 Air cooled
16GB 2666mhz ram
GTX 1070ti stock
Samsung 34inch QLED Ultrawide 100hz2k or 4k60
Wife's Gaming Rig
i7 10700k stock clocks Water Cooled
16GB 3000mhz ram
RTX 2070 Super stock
Dual Monitors Samsung 27in 4k100hz UHD and 60hz 1080p Viewsonic
i7 8700k Overclocked to 5ghz Water Cooled
32GB 2666mhz ram
RTX 2080 OC
Dual Monitors Acer Predator 272B 240hz 1080p, and 42in 4k60hz Samsung QLED Frame
Details on PC Configurations
All the setups can run Overwatch at full tilt, as you don't really need a super computer to get high FPS out of it. I had some concerns with my son's computer, but it was Freesync enabled so locked in at 100fps/hz with zero issues. All three computers are pre-built from Bestbuy, have been looked over, and have a few tweaks as far as power consumption and cooling profiles. In the case of my computer, I was running benchmarks on it all the time, so it's heavily tweaked.
Game Reactions
240hz @ 1080p Gsync
My normal setup, I play Overwatch almost every day for at least an hour on the Acer Predator Monitor and RTX 2080. Everything is on epic settings, Gsync turned on, and it's constantly pegged at 240fps without any issue. Zero screen tearing and response is insane and ultra accurate. I've been playing a lot of Ashe lately and I can attribute my aim and play style around having great tools to do the job. It's not blurry when I turn, the sharpness of picture is exactly how I like it. No perceptible mouse or input lag.
60hz @ 4k No Gsync
42in Samsung Frame above my 240hz monitor, epic settings, with V-sync enabled to take down that tearing. Turning around makes everything really blurry. There is no way as Ashe I can flick shot anything to make this work. I switched characters that did not have as much fine movement, and even tried Widow. Widow was more playable as you take a little longer on the shots. The clarity of the image from 3 feet away from the monitor is great, but I see little difference in the 1080p vs 4k at this distance. Overall, this is not the ideal playing experience for a DPS character with tons of jerky movement. Noticable input lag.
100hz @ 2k Ultrawide Freesync
Another Samsung monitor, this time the new 34inch QLED with Freesync. Right off the bat, the zooming on the sides of the monitor in my peripheral vison, which can only be described as a tunnel effect, is distracting, but kind of novelty and I'm enjoying it. Only the slightest small tearing at the top of 100hz when turning or shaking the mouse fast. Definitely playable with a DPS but I feel like I'm watching a movie of myself playing slightly slower than normal. Only when a ton of things were happening close to me did I feel like it was getting away from and I felt dizzy from the blur. This monitor is amazing obviously, and the visual clarity side of it, and the richness of colors is really great. Very small amount of input lag, but it could be my imagination at this point. Poor GTX 1070 really at it's limit here, but stayed at 100hz with a few settings turned down to High.
60hz @ 4k Ultrawide Freesync
Had to take some settings down to get this to work on the QLED monitor on my son's rig, everything on medium/high. Tearing is unavoidable. The decrease in graphic quality is noticable but not distracting. It's like playing the Samsung frame with more blur and tear. Could be slightly better on a higher end video card, but I doubt it. Not enjoyable at all.
60hz @ 1080p No Gsync
This is a horrible gaming experience. I played Overwatch on a 1080p 60hz monitor for almost a year and was dizzy after 30 minutes of playing. This is a better experience than I remember from those days, as this monitor is made for design and is from Viewsonic. The picture looks good for 1080p, and the colors are really rich and accurate. Smearing at the edges. Turning the mouse quickly makes me want to vomit. Played 2 rounds as Lucio and I could feel myself getting the hang of it. Very noticeable input lag.
100hz @ 4k Freesync
This is a very playable experience. I'm close to the monitor, like the Predator 240hz panel, so no distance variable there. The image is just so clear, surprisingly clear and beautiful. No tearing unless I'm really slamming the mouse back and forth quickly. Played several games as Lucio and Moira, then switched to Junk Rat and lobbed some bombs around and chilled out. Blurry when a lot going on and things blowing up, but rock solid at 100hz and never moved with the RTX 2070s. I found myself getting use to the lower frame rate, but avoided playing Ashe as it was making me dizzy when I turned the mouse too much. Again, like watching a movie playback of myself playing on youtube. I could definitely get use to this. Played for an hour or more.
The Results
From Best to Worst
1) 240hz @ 1080p. By far the best experience. Felt closer to the game and I literally play better. Zero blue. No input lag. Picture could be sharper. Acer makes a good monitor.
2) 100hz @ 2k Ultrawide. This was really fun to play and felt great. Ultrawide gaming is fun and different. If this monitor was 144hz, I would 100% almost want this as my daily driver.
3) 4k @ 100hz. Such detail, I really didn't know existed. Everything just looked so clear. For a game I've played for over 1000 hours, I didn't know it could look this good, and I'm seeing details I missed before. Almost a tie with the Ultra Wide.
Final Thoughts
I would like to play 144hz @ 1440p and see the middle ground. My friend from work has a 1080p panel that is design built for gaming- 1080p @ 144hz and I would like to try that. I'm really wondering if the 144hz is the sweet spot. 100hz 4k shocked me at how good it was, and I'm guess a 3080 would be needed for 4k@240hz for any game.
