Is 4k the norm now?
Is 4k the norm now?
I own an older setup I assembled when the GTX 1080ti was released. The move to Windows 11 this autumn is making me consider various options. Back then, there was optimism about handling 4k smoothly, but it seemed to take longer than expected. Is 4k still common today? I’m okay with 2k since I’ve been there a while. Would using a 9070xt give me a 4k build? Should I upgrade my monitor? Also, are custom water loops still available? Thanks.
2K is definitely worth considering, but also check out 4K if you can afford it. The 9070 is meant to rival the RTX5070/5070Ti, so yes, it’s a 4K option. Also, custom water loops are still available if you can afford them.
As someone who has just upgraded to a 4k monitor it is amazing for gaming. IF you get a big screen.
32inch is about the smallest I would recommend and then you would need to scale windows fonts/icons etc to be readable. Think very small.
I run a 4070 on a 5600x and my monitor does up to 75hz and HDR extreme so my older eyes can see things a lot better.
I am perfectly fine with the lower framerates. My monitor can not display them any way.
Still run most of the games I play at high/very high/ultra settings.
I recently switched from a 27" 1080 to a 34" 1440 Ultrawide. I don’t think the difference is huge for gaming, but I appreciate the extra space mainly for work tasks and the current monitor prices are very good. 1080 still feels very standard among PC users, while 1440 is likely much more popular with gamers.
Would upgrading to a newer GPU still matter if I'm already running at 2k and 27 inches? I'm really getting into these details now with this Windows 11 update!
I don't believe 4K is the latest standard, not really, but it's enjoyable to play and looks great. And indeed, I share the view that 27-inch screens with 4K aren't ideal; consider a 32-inch setup for better results. It would be advantageous to play the newer AAA games at high or very high resolutions, and some of these titles already require GPUs with Ray Tracing support.
If you're not interested in the latest releases, then updating your GPU isn't necessary.
Especially not for the new RTX 5xxx series, which seems to lack the 32-bit PhysX technology (also missing some ray tracing optimizations, a reliable power connector that doesn't overheat, and the Hot-Spot sensor). Consequently, older games often perform poorly on these expensive new GPUs.
Regarding your water-loop concern, they're still available but remain quite costly, particularly when compared to modern alternatives like the excellent Dual Tower coolers we currently use. Also, the good airflow PC cases are widely available today, offering solid performance with manageable noise levels.
A larger panel size means a higher resolution is needed. 1440p works well for a 27-inch screen.
Keep in mind that at 4K resolution you're committing to a substantial GPU budget for the near future. At 1440p you're entering a more affordable range, still benefiting from good pixel density (PPI) and fast frame rates at higher settings. This is why it's becoming more popular.
1080p remains the most popular resolution, yet 1440p is gaining ground. And 4k still represents a small portion due to the expense of the hardware needed to run it. But it's worth considering if you can afford it.
Switching to 1440p in 2017 felt like a noticeable improvement. However, after purchasing a 4080 monitor two years later, I was surprised when the first game automatically adjusted to 4k. It was impressive. The downside is that reverting to lower resolutions makes the display appear poor once you adapt to 4k. And indeed, the ideal size for a 4k monitor is around 32 inches.