More specific use (what games, what programs): WoW, Diablo 3, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends, Civ 5: Beyond Earth. I sparingly play other games that are more demanding, such as Bioshock Infinite, and want to start to play some new games such as Wildstar.
Planned time until purchase: 2-4 Weeks
Do you need an Operating System?: No
Do you have any specific preferred components?: G-Sync Monitor, upgraded components to utilize the monitor upgrade
Do you need a sound or wireless card?: No
Do you want stock cooling or do you plan on overclocking?: Have been using stock fine; the processor is overclocked at 4 GHz base and boosts to 4.3-4.4.
Do you need a monitor? mouse? keyboard?: Looking for a monitor upgrade, maybe replacements to my current Keyboard/Mouse.
Zip code/location? (Shipping costs): 99212


I've had my current system in its entirety for almost two and a half years. It has served me well, and I have come into some money recently and am looking to upgrade several aspects of it. I made a thread about building the computer about 28 months ago. If you need any reference to its parts, you can check the thread here: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=64686975&f=189&o=0

I feel as though I can go two ways with this: upgrading components of my system or building a new system altogether. I must admit that after I built the computer I neglected to keep up with the developments in computing technology until just within the last month, so I feel more like a newbie now than when I last built a computer. However, I think that upgrading components in my system is the best choice for me currently. One of the technological developments since I built my last computer has been the emergence of G-SYNC technology. This technology is very appealing to me because I experience stuttering in some games (Diablo 3 comes to mind). Additionally, I still use a 60 Hz, 5 ms 21.5" monitor (the one on the previous thread), and a higher quality monitor in itself appeals to me right now.

While my system is a couple years old, I feel that parts of it are still highly viable. The processor I purchased was unlocked, and I am running it at 4 GHz on its stock cooler, though I used special thermal paste if I remember correct (it self-boosts up to 4.4 GHz when it feels it can). The PSU I purchased has headroom (650 W) to allow for upgrades, although power efficiency appears to have really made breakthroughs in the past couple years. The RAM I purchased had some nice timings on it which helps it stay relevant.

If I upgrade my current system, I consider two possible upgrade paths, both of which include an updated SSD (probably the Samsung 850 Evo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147373 my Samsung 830 has worked like a champ, just not big enough).

In one corner is a G-SYNC Monitor, a 27" ACER monitor that runs at 1920 x 1080 just like my current monitor, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009657 and is around $600.

In the other corner is the ASUS ROG Monitor that sells for a whopping $800 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236405&cm_re=rog_swift-_-24-236-405-_-Product but runs at a higher resolution, 2560 x 1440.

If I upgrade the monitor to one of these beasts to take advantage of G-SYNC, I'll definitely need some more firepower in the case. My initial thought is to upgrade to a GTX 970 ($350ish) if I were to purchase the 1080p monitor, or to upgrade to a GTX 980 ($600ish) if I went with the ASUS ROG.

That's as far as I've thought, and other questions still remain. Would just upgrading the video card be enough to support 144 Hz G-SYNC monitors? Does my 2.5+ year old MB even support a GTX 980? Would my processor bottleneck a GTX 980? Would I notice any different using the ASUS ROG / GTX 980, or, rather, $500 of difference, than the GTX 970 & ACER monitor? Anyways, I'm not planning on making a purchase within the next week or two, but possibly within the next month.

I appreciate any comments, concerns, or questions. Thank you.

gsync is a scam
on anything under 4k res
grap a 970
wait for the new asus 120hz 1440p ips monitor
buy that
and yur all set

Isn't that new monitor going to be $600 itself?

I understand the appeal of an IPS monitor, but I'm also concerned about paying so much for the same response time and possibly just as much or more motion blur as I experience now. While a main appeal of G-SYNC is for ending micro-stuttering, I do game seriously (diamond multiple seasons in League & play some FPS games & other ranked, competitive games) and I was also hoping to improve response time with this upgrade, especially as I start to get older and my natural reflex/reaction times decrease.

This post was edited by Interesting on Jan 17 2015 01:55am

this ips is made for gaming
you wont be getting ghosting with 5ms
120hz

on top of its freesync enabled anyways

Could be getting trails with 5ms, though it is less likely with 120 Hz. I also wouldn't get anything from freesync because I run nVidia cards.

Honestly, I'd just get another monitor that you like, a bigger SSD, and a 970. Don't really need a ton. Also, I don't think g-sync is worth the amount of cash honestly. But that's your call. If you wanna upgrade your mouse and keyboard, I know a lot of people are in love with the Logitech ones. Your cpu is fine and your mobo is fine. Might wanna consider getting some cooling if you are OC'ing just to be safe and all. I don't like using stock with OC.

I am sorry if I do seem combative toward suggestions. I am a stubborn person, and I am thankful for any and all suggestions as I normally wouldn't consider alternatives. Since I am not making a purchase for several weeks, I am trying to keep an open mind and really consider other opinions.

Dropping $800 on a monitor is pretty ridiculous, and I think that G-SYNC & assorted technologies will steeply drop in prices over the next year or two. I also found out that the screen of the ASUS ROG Swift, for example, sticks out 8 inches from the back of its base support. This change would bring the entire screen, 5.5" larger than my current monitor, an additional 4" toward me on my desk for a very uncomfortable viewing closeness.

At this point, upgrading the SSD & GFX Card look like the best options. I may just keep my current monitor for a bit longer. I also think that this monitor, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014412&cm_re=xl_2420g-_-24-014-412-_-Product is a viable option if I did want to go for a G-SYNC monitor. It is on sale often and I see it online for $530 right now, which is still stupid expensive, but the difference between this & the ASUS ROG Swift is the cost of a 500gb Samsung 850 Evo. It's also a little smaller (24") and still 1080P, which, however, means I can probably get away with a GTX 970 on it rather than a GTX 980 that I'd probably need on the 1440P ASUS ROG Swift, which would be another couple hundred dollars of savings.

I'm not sold on anything yet, other than the SSD. Just musing. Appreciate the comments!

Also, I did add an additional case fan to the case and it helps with the heat from the CPU OC. The CPU has been overclocked for over a year, marathon gaming sessions many of those days, and still does fine.

Been strongly considering purchasing a Macbook Pro instead of upgrading my desktop. However, I've kind of swung back toward purchasing a G-SYNC Monitor and a GTX 980, and possibly just saving money until new MBPs come out probably this summer.

The ASUS ROG Swift appears to be the one I'd buy if I do pull the trigger as it combines everything I want. The other G-SYNC Monitors all lack something, such as an 8-bit TN panel for at least respectable colors, or WQHD. Hell, that ACER one I linked in my original post has a pixel pitch of .31, higher than I've ever seen, whereas the ROG Swift has a pixel pitch of .23 and will look much sharper.

If I did go for the ROG Swift, and then had to purchase a quicker gfx card to get the most out of 144 Hz & WQHD, would it be completely necessary to pick up a GTX 980, or would the 970 be able to do the job?

Depends on the game, what settings you run at, and how much AA you want.

For example, playing CS:GO you will be fine with a 970.

In Battlefield 4 at 2560x1440 with a GTX 970 (at 4x MSAA), you should see around 50-55 fps while a 980 will give you 54-61 fps.

WoW at all max settings at 2560x1440 runs at 65 fps with a 970, at least thats what I get.

For LoL and HotS you should be fine.

On a side note....the human eye can't even respond to any thing under 7ms.