Considering a new desktop & G-Sync LCD... Suggestions?

Since I'm in the spending mode with moving to a new home and all being in debt to the bank for another 30 years, I figured I'd go all out, well maybe not all out, but go with a nice desktop setup. I do like the mini ITX systems, as I've owned several, and it keeps it compact. But most importantly I am interested in triple monitor gaming, so I know it won't work. But what is the smallest case with effective cooling that I can get. I found this sucker, but not sure when it will be available: http://www.kimeraindustries.com/#specifications

I would like 1440p G-sync LCD's 27" preferably but would be OK with 24" as well. While the intent of this setup is obviously gaming, I also plan on doing productive work with it as well, and all that screen real estate will be a blessing to work with. What are the best bang for the buck G-sync LCD's at 1440p? I think the Asus PG278Q is about my best and only option from what I can tell.

I believe I would need a GTX card with three displayports for it to work with triple monitor gaming, and even with SLI connections have to come out of the same card too, correct? I am considering GTX 980 SLI, but not sure if 980 ti is really needed, and an unnecessary added expense.

Also what are some good triple monitor brackets? I'd like to consider one that attaches to my desk so that if I choose to move it to another location it's not a cumbersome task to mount to another wall and putting more holes in the wall.

Thanks. this will likely be a months long project, and may never come to fruition, but if I can get together a reasonable cost system I may bite.

 

For the monitor, the first choice I could think of is the one that I own, the ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q




For your PC, I suggest you go with my route, Origin PC FTW! the new Alienware

For your needs, the ORIGIN PC CHRONOS should suite you. Configure it as you wish using their online configurator


I choose the EVGA case for you but feel free to check the others by clicking on the cases at the bottom




PS: For the CPU, only choose the 5960X or 5930K as they have 40 PCIe lanes which is very essential if you want to go with a Dual or Triple SLI setup.

People say there is no difference but believe me, I've tried it, the difference is about a 25% performance hit if you don't go with 40 PCIe Lanes and an x16 motherboard. Hence, I recommend the ASUS X-99 Deluxe as it has more x16 PCIe ports than the Rampage V Extreme

 

Why do you want to go the surround gaming route? It's a lot of extra work. Many games don't support such resolutions/FOV or have rendering issues at extreme FOV, broken bezel correction, etc. Like 3D Vision, Nvidia has pretty stopped supporting surround in recent years.

Not to mention, 3x1440p needs some serious GPU horsepower to push as it's 33% more pixels than 4K. I'm talking 980 Ti SLI minimum.

The PG278Q is TN so not a good choice for surround. The Acer XB270HU and Asus PG2749Q are IPS.

Might I suggest going 21:9 ultrawide instead? You could drive it with a single 980 Ti and compatibility will be much better. It will be much easier too on your wallet and your sanity not having to mess around with 3rd party hacks like Flawless Widescreen and browsing WSGF all the time.

 

@Matrix Leader - LOL. I just configured a $4400 desktop + $2300 for LCD's + misc brackets and cables probably +$300. That's like $7000! I might have to rethink this. LOL.

@octiceps - Well I want to get back into flight sims and driving sims. I want the three monitors for regular desktop work too. Nice to be able to manage apps on separate monitors, they snap to size well that way. Single monitor, I haven't looked, but not sure if there's a way to set zones to have windows snap to certain sizes. But I'll look into 21:9. Maybe that new Asus 3800R?

Edit: Hmm, single screen would be nice and a lot more streamlined. I may look into that more. Maybe go with a single GTX Titan X then if it's 3440x1440. But a single 980 ti should work fine with 2560x1080 and that LG 34UM67.

 

Yep 3800R, that's the one.

Another thing to consider is going AMD. Eyefinity is a more mature technology than Surround. AMD GPUs seem to scale better too at higher resolutions.

 

I may consider it. Haven't touched Radeon cards in a while, but if they're better bang for buck and performance I'll definitely give it a go. R9 390X the way to go?

 

Titan X is a total waste of money. The 980 Ti came out to compete with AMD's latest offerings, the 980 Ti gives you 95% of the performance of what the Titan X would at fraction of the price.

See this:

 

They're not. 980 Ti is faster than Fury X with more VRAM and they're the same price. I made the AMD suggestion in the context of multi-monitor gaming and Eyefinity, but for single monitor gaming (my recommendation) go with Nvidia. You don't need a Titan X for 3440x1440, just get a 980 Ti (or 2). Titan X has no reason to exist.

390X is a rebranded 290X 8GB, forget it.

 

So... what kind of sims you will be playing? GPU selection will depend on it. But one thing for sure - get a good overclockable CPU, not necessarily with lots of cores. Simulators like CPUs and every MHz they can get from it.
Also if you will be playing more demanding sims on a triple monitor setup, forget about mITX. If you still want something fairly small, go with mATX. Enough space for 2 GPUs (should you need them) and good airflow.
I also remember that I recently suggested you projector, but you didn't like that idea. I think a 21:9 would be a nice compromise. With TrackIR it will be even better.
Oh and I also trust that you will build the PC yourself. I can't imagine gramps Wingnut trusting someone else to do it for him. Too bad I live on another continent. If you didn't have time or hassle, I would gladly do it for a you in exchange of a convenient price of tri-fiddy. Or what the heck, I received so many games from you that I would even do it for free.

And in conclusion, a nice video:

 

I agree with octiceps, for surround gaming AMD is the way to go. Plus a little known fact is that only AMD currently supports PLP setups. If you're going the surround route, do NOT get 3x1440p monitors because that's 33% more pixels compared to 4K your GPUs need to push, and nothing short of 980 Ti SLI with a hefty overclock will give adequate performance.

ROG Swift is getting a bit long in the tooth now, and unless you can find one for cheap, not worth paying that much for a TN panel. Acer's XB270HU is a 144Hz IPS panel, and a much better choice. TFTCentral has a nice review on it. I'm currently using this panel and aside from questionable QC issues in the initial batches, I'm very pleased with it. (well, there are things I take issues with, but I got this monitor for free, so can't exactly complain)

Btw, don't buy into the GSync hype. Eurogamer has by far the most honest review on GSync and why it's most definitely NOT a game changer. The long and short of it is that it DOES NOT make 40 FPS seem like 60 FPS, and for games where frames swing wildly, it does jack all.
Some relevant snippets:

Spoiler

Unless you absolutely want a GSync panel, I would honestly recommend the Asus MG279Q. It uses the exact same panel as the Acer XB270HU, only difference is it's a Freesync monitor. But if you end up buying an nVidia GPU all it means is that you won't be able to use Freesync, but otherwise the monitor will still function like a normal 144Hz 1440p IPS panel. Newegg currently has it on sale for $600, and for what you're getting, it's a steal. For comparison the ROG Swift is still $750, and the GSync equivalent - Acer XB270HU - is $800. So like I said, unless you cannot live without GSync, don't waste money paying the GSync premium. If you do decide to get the MG279Q though, just make sure you confirm before buying it's the newer batch with the updated firmware, as the first batch had frameskipping issues when operating at 144Hz.

 

+1 for the Asus MG279Q if you go AMD or the Acer XB270HU if you go Nvidia. 144hz IPS...yum yum

So ITX or MATX?
I'd recommend MATX at the least so that you keep your options open. You'd probably need to look at bigger cases if SLI is perhaps on the cards. It's very similar in proportions to my old Corsair Air 240 build.

I recently did this build, basically SLI in the smallest case available, it was a bit of waste having the cards run at lame clocks to curb temperatures or otherwise deal with noisy GPU fans. It annoyed me enough to move into a different case. It just wasn't worth having 980 SLI if they had run 75% of their TDP.

It sounds like it's going in an office, is there any reason you wanted to keep the build as small as possible?

 

I dunno. I have a G-sync laptop right now (75Hz LCD) and I can say personally, it makes a difference. Maybe because I've been looking at laptop LCD's and GPU's too long, I don't know but the result is a very fluid experience that is very hard to give up once you've had a significant taste of it. I was a skeptic at first but now am a believer. Is it worth the cost premium, still not sure about that, but I'd gladly pay $100 more for a monitor that had it.

The PC will be going into my bedroom on a small desk. I'd prefer to have a smaller desktop than a larger one even though it will be going on the floor next to my desk.

The more I look, the more I want a single 21:9 display. It seems like the best lowest cost solution.

 

Sounds like a 3440x1440 display might be your best fit then.

 

A 34" 3440x1440 75Hz IPS G-Sync monitor would be perfect. Hopefully the Asus 3800R delivers.

 

Them curved 21:9 displays sure are sexy. But they are not exactly cheap either. There's this 34" curved LG monitor... For the same price you can get like 6 good 1080p monitors. But damn, dat curve...
I saw it IRL, looks awesome. 10/10 would like to play FSX on it. But again, dat price...
Come to think about it, this U2412M is also awesome. Certainly day and night difference coming from 16" panel...

Also, mATX deosn't really take too much space. My Core 1500 is just slightly bigger than Corsair Obsidian 250

Spoiler

In-flight mode:

Or are you thinking something more along Antec ISK600? In that case, sure, my build is huge. But if you're just gonna put it some place and don't bother about it anymore, does the size really matter?

 

OK so the Asus monitor is actually called the PG34Q. 3800R is the curvature.



The two Acer curved ultrawide models look interesting. X34 seems to have the best balance of specs. Z35 would be a great if it was smaller, like 27", or had a higher resolution, but I guess that would preclude 144Hz.

Gotta say, Acer has really stepped up its monitor game in the last few years.

 

Yeah, I also noticed that X34. Pretty nice all-around balance.

 

Yeah that X34 looks like a good option. The X341 which I believe is FreeSync version is $1099 at Amazon. Hopefully X34 G-sync won't be much more. And yeah, more I look probably will go with a mATX build. Single 980 ti hopefully should be able to drive that resolution? And 3440x1440 is a weird resolution, that's actually 21.5:9 not 21:9. Not sure why not a true 21:9.

 

Not to have a more weirder resolution.

 

Why not 3360 x 1440?

 

Beats me. Industry standard I guess.

 

Hey man, but do you really have time for game? sorry for being the devil

 

No. But when I do....

 

I am exactly like you, you see the Origin PC Millennium that I have in my signature? I bought it and didn't play a single game, just a few benchmarks, but if I ever do want to play one of the games, I want to be able to do it with all the power that I can

 

Lol I find this to be more and more the case.

 

Single 980 Ti is fine.

2560x1080 is actually 21.3:9.

 

Right! Because time is limited you don't have much time to fuss with all the settings. Just set it to native res and high or ultra and GO! Although half the fun is optimizing for performance. But then I have to choose, do I want to spend two hours farting around with optimizing or two hours actually playing.

 

I just let GeForce experience set the max settings and forget about it

 

Never mind me, I've got a single 970 and already spent over 100h in TW3 alone.
Sometimes less is more .

 

There are no Freesync 3440x1440 panels atm, they're either GSync or fixed refresh rate panels. The Acer panel in question is the XR341CK, and it's going for $1100 on Newegg. The Asus PG34Q is likely going to cost more than that due to the ROG tax. So yes unfortunately they all cost an arm and leg atm.

 

Am I missing something? Isn't that a 3440x1440 FreeSync monitor?

 

wow I must've fallen asleep or something

No you're right, the XR341CK is the Freesync version, and the XR341CK A is the GSync panel, and hasn't been released yet.

 

The G-Sync/FreeSync exclusivity makes everything a helluva lot more confusing.

Asus
PG278Q = ROG Swift TN
PG279Q = ROG Swift IPS
MG279Q = ROG Dominator

Acer
XR341CK = Predator X34 FreeSync
XR341CKA = Predator X34 G-Sync

On and on and on...

 

Truth be told I'd like a new Monitor but my ASUS 1080p 144hz was a gift from my wife only last Xmas... Hmm..

 

OK then, so what's the best IPS LCD G-sync capable > 1080p but < 4k? Preferably 30" or larger?

 

So far looks like the Acer Predator X34

 

Thanks. I meant to say 16:9... everyone can read my mind, right?

 

Thought you wanted ultrawide? Idk of any 16:9 greater than 30" that aren't 4K. 1440p wouldn't look very good at that size. Ever used a 27" 1080p? You get the picture.

 

Yeah. I think I'd prefer the 21:9 at this point. 3440x1440 seems like a good option. I'll hang out for the Acer X34 G-sync and see what it costs. Won't be buying for another month or so anyhow.

 

Supposedly the XR341CKA won't come until October, and will cost $1300.

And I agree with octiceps. Going from 24" 1080p to 27" 1440p was "barely" an upgrade. Meaning while there was a perceptible increase in visual fidelity (especially when looking at photos), it wasn't earth-shattering impressive. In fact a 32" 1440p panel would have the exact same PPI as a 24" 1080p panel.

Unless you really need the screen estate, I'd say it's not worth it for the kind of money you'd have to shell out. 4K on a single GPU would be my upgrade path if it was my money, and we're probably very close to it if Pascal delivers 2x Maxwell performance.

 

So the G-Sync X34 is 100Hz, not the 75Hz Nvidia lists it as. Interesting.

 

Wow, even better.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

 

Linus' review of the XR341CKA which is the FreeSync version (?) but otherwise relevant since it's got the same panel and other specs:



I swear to god these monitor names are confusing...

 

Really wish there was a single adaptive sync standard (and also for crap like physics, hair, etc.)...
Would be much for us users. Too bad money talks...

 

There is. It's called DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync, but Nvidia refuses to acknowledge it or upgrade their GPUs past DP 1.2. And even though mobile G-Sync uses open and free eDP standard instead of a proprietary G-Sync chip, Nvidia deliverately puts all these hurdles in the way to make more money. Like only certifying a very small number of eDP panels, putting restrictions on notebook BIOSes, and even making G-Sync MXM GPUs physically different than non G-Sync ones which currently makes G-Sync mobile cards impossible to SLI.

$$$nGreedia$$$

 

What's a good water cooling kit for CPU and (single) GPU?

 

Corsair H100i for CPU and something like this for GPU:


Otherwise you can go for that water cooling loop thingy, which I have no idea about.

 

No matter how I look at it, this will end up costing me about $4k in the end. Ugh.

Granted $1300 is for the LCD, and want a second decent 27-30" LCD to mount above it. I like using multiple monitors so I can have regular web browsing or video or something else going.

 

So judging by your mobo and case, you are going with a full ATX build. And that's a lot of SSDs and RAM.
My first price cutting measure would be RAM, first get 2x8GB and then maybe add another 2x8GB later on, if needed. You could also opt out for a smaller secondary FHD monitor, something like U2412M (usually can be found for around $250) or similar 16:9, which will be even cheaper. Or are you looking into 1440p secondary displays?

Activate the Al Gore mode!