Thoughts on monitor for best visuals

I have a 27 inch Samsung monitor with a resolution of 1920X1080 and a refresh rate of 60Hz.

As much of the information on the PFD (Beechcraft King Air) is very small and I struggle to see it clearly (yes I know that I can zoom in) I am considering upgrading to a 32 inch monitor as everything will then be slightly larger.

After speaking with a salesperson it seems that resolution plays an important part in how sharp the image is and the monitor I am considering is 4K (2560X1440).

Does screen resolution always affect sharpness of the image or are there other things to consider?

The salesperson also stated that the refresh rate affects the smoothness of movement but apart from outside scenery is this important with FS2020?

I believe that higher resolution also affects refresh rates/fps as the video card has to work harder. Mine only has 6GB Vram - could this be a problem?

Lastly does anyone have any opinions on MSI brand monitors (I have never heard of them before)?

copied from google......

"The RTX 2060 isn't powerful enough to game at 4K, at least using maximum quality settings, but that's not really the point. ... At some point games are absolutely going to require more than 6GB of VRAM for best visuals"

Thanks,

A new video card adds at least $A600 (the cost of the monitor is $A600) which tips me over what I can currently afford.

Maybe I can get the 4K monitor and if it affects fps too much use it at resolution 1080 until I can afford a better video card.

My first consideration is simply to upgrade from a 27" to 32" monitor and many are the same resolution as my 27" ie 1920x1080 but surely the sharpness would not be as good as 2560x1440. Here I am thinking of the altitude and VS speed settings on the PFD which are very small and difficult to read unless I zoom in close. Consider the following image of the pfs and auto pilot panel both of which needs to be displayed when setting required altitude and VS - the VS is marked with a red arrow and if VERY small. Is there something different I can do to set ALT and VS.

Currently I get around 30fps from 'pilots view' and 40fps over Sydney Australia with the following settings.

What could I expect with a new video card with 8gb vram and everything else much the same as my current card using it at 4K?

Lastly is 75Hz fast enough for FS2020?

First thing to note is that 2560x1440 (also called 1440p) is not 4k, which would actually be 3840 × 2160. I find 1440p to be a decent resolution for games, especially for a 27" monitor. The higher the resolution, the more GPU power you need, and for 4k you really need the fastest GPU you can get (ie. GTX 2080 or better, and preferably a 3080). Anything less on the GPU side and I would stick to 1440p at the most.

As for sharpness, both the physical size as well as the resolution play a role. A 1080p 32" monitor would be relatively grainy at typical desk viewing distances as you will be able to see each individual pixel, whereas a 27" or 32" 1440p would be sharper, and a 4k model the sharpest of all. Keep in mind that the high resolution will also affect Windows and other programs too. Many applications these days are designed so that text and icons won't be too small, but there are still many that aren't.

What you could try is take a screenshot, save it to a USB stick and see if the store would let you open it full screen on the larger 1080p monitor to get an idea of what it would look like. This would only work when looking at monitors with the same 1080p resolution though.

Thanks loki.

Sorry I was getting things confused. NO I would not necessarily want a 4K monitor (4 X the pixels of the 1080p) and I think 1440p (1.6 x pixels of the 1080p) in a 32" monitor would be good enough and reasoned that I need better than 1080p for a larger screen for sharpness.

I will consider taking a 1080p screen shot on usb to my local store and compare 27" and 32" but would expect it to not look so good on a 32" monitor.

Will my 6GB video card be 'up to' a 1440p screen without too much drop in fps?

Do you think that I would noticed any difference with FS2020 on a monitor of 75Hz compared to one at 140Hz? I have been advised that faster Hz results in smoother animation.

Will my 6GB video card be 'up to' a 1440p screen without too much drop in fps?

Your GTX 2060 should be able to handle a 1440p monitor without too much drop in performance or settings. Given the issues with GPU supplies these days, not having to find and buy a new one would be good.

Do you think that I would noticed any difference with FS2020 on a monitor of 75Hz compared to one at 140Hz? I have been advised that faster Hz results in smoother animation.

The faster refresh rates only matter if your computer can generate matching frame rates. If you're only getting 30-40FPS though, then you won't notice any difference going over a 60 Hz refresh rate. However, what would make a difference is that many gaming oriented models offer Nvidia's G-Sync or AMD's Freesync features that allow the monitor to adjust the refresh rate to match the frame rate of your sims or game. There is a lower limit to the supported refresh rates though.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-g-sync/

Great reply loki - thanks

Now all I have to decide on is a flat or curved monitor and I am thinking that with a 32" monitor viewing at no more than 24" away a curved one might be better.

As a bit of a newbie, thought I would share my personal thoughts.

I have an i5 9600K running at 4.8 Ghz. 32 GB sys memory. Graphics is a Gigabyte GTX 1660 OC (6 GB VRAM). Monitor is an AOC 32 inch curved. Res' is 2560 x 1440 and I have it running at 144 Hz. Most FS Settings are on 'High'. AS you can see from the screenshot, flying over London (UK FS Update 3) and REX WeatherForce running live weather, I am getting just below 26 fps. I, personaly, am quite happy with this and it appears (to me) to be running acceptably comfortably. Jitters and judders are so small as to be barely noticeable. Yes I would love to upgrade to a 3070 or 3080, but under current circumstances that's just not going to happen!

Happy & safe flying peoples.

https://prnt.sc/100ry2x

https://prnt.sc/100s9f2

https://prnt.sc/100srje

I went with a 32" curved, have a lower grade PC system (with a 4gb graphics card) than yours and the view IMHO is marvelous compared to my former 24" flat screen. MY PC desk could support something even larger but my limited budget can't - lol.

Upgrading and then adding my $75 budget IR head tracker has made for a wonderfully immersive sim experience. Doubtless not as much as VR, but my system isn't powerful enough and for now good VR is mighty pricey, just like the PC I'd need to run one.

I've got a MSI 27 inch monitor with refresh at 144mhz and I am pretty happy with it.

I was skeptical at first but its much better than my samsung 27inch. I use the samsung as a 2nd monitor and have undocked the radio, weather, mini vfr map on it.

Specs for my machine are I7-9700 @ 3.6ghz 32gb Ram, RXT 2070 Super and I rarely dip below 30fps even in the heavy graphic areas like the handcrafted airports or flying in and around NYC, London etc.

I have my settings at high visuals on almost all.

Thanks heaps from everyone especially those who mentioned brand names as that is something I know nothing with only SAMSUNG which I have been 'sticking with' for some years now.

I liked the screen shot of London which also showed some quite small 'text' on instruments which was clear.

I am mainly upgrading as I think I need at least a 32" monitor as I am having problems with small 'text' of the PFD of the Beechcraft KingAir (altitude and VS settings especially)

My short list of monitors is -

AOC AG323 QCXE (32" 2560 X 1440) 144Hz 550nits

GIGABYTE G32QC (32" 2564 X 1440) 165Hz 350 nits

MSI Optix G32CQ4 (32" 2564 X 1440) 165Hz 250 nits

with preference for the first 2 as the MSI doesn't seem to have any height adjustment.

I am to unfamiliar with any of these brands in monitors but consider that AOC and MSI might specialize in monitors (I though that Gigabyte's 'forte' was montherboards and video cards) and as such might be better at developing monitors. They all offer 3 years warranty.

I also appreciated your thoughts on curved monitors as from the time they first came out I could not understand how they could be better than a flat screen but maybe with the larger screen such as 32"

I forgot to add my specific Acer monitor choice -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DR5PG8S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

How does running a 4K monitor below the native resolution look such as 2560 X 1440, or 1920 x 1080?

Thought maybe could do this letting the display upscale the image until I get a faster GPU

How does running a 4K monitor below the native resolution look such as 2560 X 1440, or 1920 x 1080?

Thought maybe could do this letting the display upscale the image until I get a faster GPU

I always thought that monitors are best used in their native resolution.

Have a look here

and here

Hope this answers your question.

I've been stuck in indecision for a couple of months now. I'm on the verge of buying this curved 49" Samsung https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-49-inch-Odyssey-FreeSync-LC49G95TSSNXZA/dp/B088HH6LW5/ref=sr_1_18?crid=9V5DICAFDVGU&dchild=1&keywords=curved+monitor&qid=1613784341&s=electronics&sprefix=curved%2Celectronics%2C235&sr=1-18

But then everyone with the G2 Reverb headset raves about it, yet my current graphics card isn't up to G2 needs and I'm not about to pay $900 for a $350 graphics card that I will want to replace in a year anyway - so it's back to the curved monitor.

But it seems crazy to go off in both directions, I know I'm going to get the G2 once graphics cards come down in price.

So I'm stuck in indecision, although my current 49" isn't so bad.

BTW this last update has placed a burden on my GTX 1080ti. I get stutters now that weren't there before.

I always thought that monitors are best used in their native resolution.

Have a look here

and here

 

Hope this answers your question.

In most cases the native resolution is best, although running a monitor at half of its native resolution will usually look pretty good too. Some people will do this with 4k monitors where they use the full resolution for graphics work, and then run their games in 1080p mode. A bit of a waste, however, if you aren't going to make use of the higher resolution at all though.

As for monitor brands, there are quite a few around these days. However, while there are several companies selling the end monitors, the actual LCD panels themselves are only made by a few companies (LG and Samsung being two of them).

Over the years I've used TFT Central for monitor reviews.

https://www.tftcentral.co.uk

https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/blog/tftcentral-recommendations-list-gaming-monitors/

I have a 27 inch Samsung monitor with a resolution of 1920X1080 and a refresh rate of 60Hz.

 

As much of the information on the PFD (Beechcraft King Air) is very small and I struggle to see it clearly (yes I know that I can zoom in) I am considering upgrading to a 32 inch monitor as everything will then be slightly larger.

 

After speaking with a salesperson it seems that resolution plays an important part in how sharp the image is and the monitor I am considering is 4K (2560X1440).

Does screen resolution always affect sharpness of the image or are there other things to consider?

 

The salesperson also stated that the refresh rate affects the smoothness of movement but apart from outside scenery is this important with FS2020?

 

I believe that higher resolution also affects refresh rates/fps as the video card has to work harder. Mine only has 6GB Vram - could this be a problem?

 

Lastly does anyone have any opinions on MSI brand monitors (I have never heard of them before)?

Resolution of the monitor is the main factor in how well a game looks, the salesperson is correct in this. The refresh rate is not quite as critical but it does make a noticeable difference in how smooth the gameplay is. For a game like FS2020, yes, the refresh rate can make a difference. The refresh rate in a monitor is a bit tricky because it may or may not work depending on the video card you have (particularly the brand, being either AMD or NVIDIA). The current one you have, the RTX 2060, will have the ability to match the refresh rate of any G-Sync monitor and *some* FreeSync monitors (you can look up reviews of monitors online to see how well the refresh works).

You are also correct in that the higher the resolution and refresh rate is, the more taxing it is on the video card. You mentioned you're considering a 4K monitor. 4K resolution can look absolutely gorgeous, but it can also absolutely crush your video card unless you have the absolute best (in which case, either an RTX 3080 or 3090 video card would do the trick, and those run at least $1000 in US and are extremely difficult to find right now due to unimaginably high demand).

For myself, I have a Monoprice Zero-G 35" Ultrawide monitor, which has a resolution of 3440x1440 (monitors with a height of 1440 are typically known as 2K monitors, so it sits between 1080 and 4K, offering a nice compromise of performance and value). It has a 100mhz refresh rate which, while it is FreeSync, works well with my RTX 3060 Ti. I must say here that ultrawide monitors make an enormous difference in flying and heartily recommend one. I don't know if Monoprice has a presence in Australia, but it can't hurt to look (http://www.monoprice.com). They have a few monitors that offer tremendous value.

Yes, MSI has monitors as well and they cater to the gamer demographic. FS2020 would probably do well on any of those monitors and they offer a nice value. They have some ultrawide monitors as well. I've read reviews of MSI monitors and they're all well-received (not effusive praising, mind you, but solid).

FS2020 is notoriously brutal on PCs. I can play mine with high settings enabled but not ultra. I have yet to explore some of the more denser areas to see what kind of FPS (Frames Per Second) hit I would get, like flying around Manhattan or any of the spotlight locations from the world updates.

Good luck!

Some people will do this with 4k monitors where they use the full resolution for graphics work, and then run their games in 1080p mode.

Thanks Loki,

Don't want to buy a 2K monitor now and then later buy a 4K after getting the faster GPU. I'm going to wait for a RTX4080 or a RTX5080 but need a monitor now.

You mentioned you're considering a 4K monitor. 4K resolution can look absolutely gorgeous, but it can also absolutely crush your video card unless you have the absolute best (in which case, either an RTX 3080 or 3090 video card would do the trick, and those run at least $1000 in US and are extremely difficult to find right now due to unimaginably high demand).

 

Thanks for your reply. I had become confused when I mentioned a 4K monitor mainly I think because the first 32" monitor I found for sale online was a Samsung 4K and thought it was the next step up from 1080p. I will be 'aiming' at a 2K monitor with at least a 75Hz refresh rate, the more the better regardless of what fps I get (currently 30-40 with all settings HIGH).

My shortlist has now been reduced to not include the MSI as my local PC shop now does not have them at any of their stores. Top of my short list now would be the Gigabyte especially as I have been using their motherboards and video cards since my first PC 20+ years ago with no failures yet.

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I have another question.

I have decided on a Gigabyte 32" X2 monitor (1440p) and am starting to think forward about the fact that my graphics card only has 6Gb Vram (RTX 2060 OC 6GB) and wonder what improvement I could expect if I simply replaced the graphics card (6Gb) with the latest RTX 2060 BUT with 8Gb vram (they are noticeably cheaper than upgrading even to an RTX 2070 8Gb)?

Would any benefits be not worth the outlay considering that I would sell my RTX 2060 6GB for at least half the price of the upgrade (going on what they sell for on Ebay).

Hi loki

YES the latest 2060 would be a RTX 2060 Super OC which I guess runs faster and so should result in a faster fps but would the increase be worth the bother? If only 2 or 3 then I would say not worth the trouble.

I am just trying to determine if the 1480p monitor would result in a slower fps and as I really don't want to reduce graphic settings below HIGH and still get 30-40 fps.