Is 4k worth it?

Phil

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Hey gang, I was curious, I am getting at the point where the next few things to upgrade is my GPU, CPU and monitor, but I don't know a whole lot about 4k as I am learning and reading up on it looks hella expensive if you want 60 fps, so my question is, is it worth the money sink right now? Is it better to wait another year or two for the components to drop in price? I see all these videos of 4K and they just look sick!
 

Mich Angel

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I say if you are photographer using a lot of graphic program as Gimp, Photoshop etc...
or Video editing like in Davinci Resolve or fusion Aftereffect etc..
or doing a lot of work in 3D using programs like Houdini, Maya, MAX, Blender.. etc....
Or any program where you would benefit having a larger more pixel dense screen.
it's worth every penny.

BUT

If you're not and only aim for gaming surfing and watching a movie or so every now and then some graphic work
Then I say get as large monitor, with as high refresh rate as your wallet allow instead. 28", 32" - 42" 144Mhz or higher etc..

CHEERS! 🍻

Side note:. Alternative if prize is not a problem and you just want it to look as kick as good as it can go for 4K or get one of each because you can...
 
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Thugari

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on a computer 4k is awesome. if you get one with hdr even better. computer monitors benefit from 4k due to the range you are away from it. most people with 4k tv's cannot distinguish 4k after 10 ft away from it. they due still see i difference in color though. 4k has more subtle color details that can be seen further away. also as for older games that are not in 4k, a decent monitor will scale down to 1080p with no issues as 1080p is 1/4th of the 4k resolution. i recomend if your upgrading to go ahead and take the leap. its worth it on a computer.
 

Mich Angel

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I might add that I use 4K and I love it, but then I am photographer and work in video editing, 2D, 3D programs a lot so I might not be objective enough for a opinion in games.
Tho games look amazing in HDR+ 2K.. 4K.. etc...
 

Phil

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My current setup is


I know to hit 4k marks I am going to prolly need a new CPU, GPU and monitor but that is spendy, I would be looking at 1500$ bare minimum. Just want to be sure its worth it, my other plan was to swap out the 1070 for a 2070 around 500$, get another 35" ish monitor but 1440p with at least a 144hz refresh rate, but with my current setup outside of the video card would I even see a drastic improvement by switching monitors? Is 1080p and 1440pm a big enough diff? The price diff between 4k and 1440p is drastic for something like this.
 

BUTUZ

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Simple answer is, no it's not worth it, not if you like getting 60+fps in your games.
 

Thugari

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My current setup is


I know to hit 4k marks I am going to prolly need a new CPU, GPU and monitor but that is spendy, I would be looking at 1500$ bare minimum. Just want to be sure its worth it, my other plan was to swap out the 1070 for a 2070 around 500$, get another 35" ish monitor but 1440p with at least a 144hz refresh rate, but with my current setup outside of the video card would I even see a drastic improvement by switching monitors? Is 1080p and 1440pm a big enough diff? The price diff between 4k and 1440p is drastic for something like this.
sorry, it says permision denied
 

Thalstan

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Hey gang, I was curious, I am getting at the point where the next few things to upgrade is my GPU, CPU and monitor, but I don't know a whole lot about 4k as I am learning and reading up on it looks hella expensive if you want 60 fps, so my question is, is it worth the money sink right now? Is it better to wait another year or two for the components to drop in price? I see all these videos of 4K and they just look sick!
If you are shooting or playing back video, yes.
If you are gaming, no.

1440 (2k), is the real sweet spot these days between performance and video quality. You can still get good frame rates while having a high refresh rate and graphics that are superior to 1080p (regular HD).

Once you get above 34 inches though, you might want 4K, but I have found 27 inches to be a good size for traditional desk setups.
 

Talonsbane

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I'm understanding where you're coming from @Phil . I'm looking to build my GF a PC so that she can TESTify around the Verse with the rest of us wonderful TESTies. I've decided to wait until the next annual wave of CPU's & GPU's come out because then the current line up usually gets marked down a lot to clear out the inventory for the new products.
 
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Phil

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Seriously after pricing out a new monitor, CPU, motherboard, graphics card its like 2500$ lol. Ya I will be waiting a bit. I guess the other question I had is there a big enough difference in 1440p vs 1080p? I could swap monitors and grab a 2070 but if the difference is negligible I guess I could wait another year or so.
 

maynard

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as a former home entertainment system installer during the transition from 480p to 1080p I have some insights on this

the short answer is, "It depends..." :-)

the differences in resolution are obvious in still scenes

you don't notice the difference nearly so much in action scenes such as sports

so if you're primarily interested in Space Tourism, gazing at the amazing vistas in space and planetside, go for 4k

if you're into dogfighting or FPS, make a monitor with a high refresh rate your first priority

getting high refresh rates at high resolutions requires seriously expensive graphics cards
 
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Printimus

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I've been running 4k for quite a few years now and its really really hard to go back to normal HD resolutions. The quality and fine detail are extraordinary. Yes, you will need more expensive hardware to drive the content AND get the frames you are aiming for, but if you can afford it, I would say go for it.
 

Jolly_Green_Giant

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I made the transition to 4k from 1440p several years ago when I got into Digital Photography, I got a true 4k 4096-2160 so it had a little bit more width to the screen, a proper 4k format. I don't play too many FPS games, so a lot of city builders, MMO's, dungeon crawlers and top down strategy. I had a 1080Ti I upgraded from a regular 1080, and running games at 60fps was pretty hard even with the Ti. It was miles away from the other cards, but you still couldnt get 60fps on several titles with max settings. When I upgraded to a 2080 Ti, it was a big jump in FPS and would play most everything at 60fps. I have a few games I still can't get 60fps on, but even then, It doesn't matter as its not an FPS.


I have an OC'd 2080 Ti and an OC'd 9900k. Even then 4k gaming is still rough if you want at minimum 60fps on EVERYTHING. Was spending $1500 on a 2080 Ti worth it? To me? Yeah. I also do photography and spend most my time on my computer, so this is like anyone elses hobby that they end up spending a good chunk of change on.

If I wasnt willing to spend so much, I could definitely say the 2080 Ti and all the other things you'd want to buy isn't worth it if you really arent even sure you care about 4k.

I love it though. Since my monitor messed up, I've been using a 55' LG C8 OLED TV with HDR. God damn gorgeous picture. You should see SC in HDR / 4k 60fps. Its quite nice. Little did I know the newer 2019 LG OLED's come with g-sync and 4k 120hz. Missed out on that goodness by a year.

So yeah, you're looking at spending a lot if you're someone who want's to push the fidelity to the max. Is it necessary? I'm sure 1440p would be "fine", but fuck that. I can't ever go back. Im actually pretty mad right now just because I think Nvidias new cards, especially their top end card is rumored to beat the 2080Ti by half, and up to 70% in some titles performance wise. If that is true, that is insane. And also intel's new processors are using another socket type, which means I'd have to get a new motherboard if I decided to upgrade the CPU to another Intel. This probably means I'll build AMD next time unless intel can convince me otherwise. Watching those threadrippers dominate media benchmarks does tempt me.
 

Rear_Intruder

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The image is worth it. But I can not get 60fps on high settings in many games EG RDR2, Assassins creed. I have a good setup. Maybe wait until the next GPU's are released to see if they are much better. But you could always get a 4k monitor anyway, SC looks great and it does not make much/any difference to my fps from 1440p
 

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Phil

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Ya I don't really have 2500$ to drop just to get 4k atm lol, its kind of a dilemma atm, I have some money to burn, should I just grab one piece at a time until I get there? which pieces do I start with? lol
 
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