27" Dell UltraSharp U2713HM 2560x1440 IPS LED Monitor w/ USB 3.0 + $50 Newegg Gift Card $649.99 + Free Shipping

Quote from alchi : Let's say I had this monitor and scaled a game down to some other 16:9 resolution like 1920x1080. Would it look the same on this as it would on a monitor with 1920x1080 as its native resolution or would things not look quite as nice?

It won't look as sharp as native resolution. While playing 720p on a 1080p tv will look ok because you sit pretty far away, with monitors it's different since you're so up close. It also depends on how picky you are too. Some people don't mind the scaling.

what is a good GPU match with this monitor?

I bought this monitor and I have a 8800GT OC. LOL

I want to get a card that can handle the native resolution and not break a bank!

I was looking into 550 ti OC?

I am a mild gamer. By no means hardcore. I am also steering towards Dell UltraSharp U2913WM 29", 2560x1080 Full HD, 21:9 Monitor.

Should I return this and go with U2913WM?

Thanks guys!!

So getting this monitor and pairing it with my intel 4000 mac mini would make me a sad panda when I played any games? (in windows or in macos?) I've got the 1920x1200 dell monitor.

I still want the higher resolution but it sounds like not with the current video chipset I've got. I might have to go build that desktop PC after all.

Quote from alchi : Let's say I had this monitor and scaled a game down to some other 16:9 resolution like 1920x1080. Would it look the same on this as it would on a monitor with 1920x1080 as its native resolution or would things not look quite as nice?

But why would you do this? If you're willing to settle for 1920x1080, just buy a gigantic TV for the same price as this monitor. That said, I've had a 2560x1600 monitor for years and had to crank it down to 1680x1050 to play Crysis on my GTX 280. When you get used to viewing things at a higher resolution, any step backwards, no matter how good the scaler is -- it's going to look worse.

Quote from Pinchy : what is a good GPU match with this monitor? I bought this monitor and I have a 8800GT OC. LOL I want to get a card that can handle the native resolution and not break a bank! I was looking into 550 ti OC? I am a mild gamer. By no means hardcore. I am also steering towards Dell UltraSharp U2913WM 29", 2560x1080 Full HD, 21:9 Monitor. Should I return this and go with U2913WM? Thanks guys!!

For this monitor, I'd recommend a GPU with 2gb of memory if you can go that route. Once you start jumping over the 1920x1200 resolution, that extra memory will be of good help even for mild gaming. I'd point towards something along the lines of a 660 ti if you can afford that.

Don't bother with the U2913 monitor as it has a lower resolution than this one. It's only selling point is watching 21:9 movies without any black bars, and that's not a great one IMO.

Go for something such as an HD7950 or GTX660Ti. You want at least 2gb of vram for this resolution if you plan to game a bit.

Quote from jmr2198 : the way I see it... If I got this monitor right now, I would need a second video card possibly to game a good frame rates. Currently have a single nvidia GTX 570 2gb. That would incur yet more $$$. I have an old Dell 24" 1920 x 1200 right now. I will bite when it is $550 or so. I'd rather have this monitor than the Korean ones. Looks nicer, has a better warranty, and has more inputs too.

You are wise in your thinking.

I got two Koreans and love them. But have since upgraded to SLI 670 GTX since that res. requires such horsepower.

Quote from Pinchy : what is a good GPU match with this monitor? I bought this monitor and I have a 8800GT OC. LOL I want to get a card that can handle the native resolution and not break a bank! I was looking into 550 ti OC? I am a mild gamer. By no means hardcore. I am also steering towards Dell UltraSharp U2913WM 29", 2560x1080 Full HD, 21:9 Monitor. Should I return this and go with U2913WM? Thanks guys!!

This monitor requires a GTX 670 minimum for gaming. I've got two in SLI and am satisfied. A single will do good for a little while and anything less will not be future-proof.

That 29" Dell is a funky resolution and way to low on the vertical pixels if you ask me. It would require less video card though and is cheaper right?

My GTX570 overclocked to 870MHz plays BF3 (multiplayer online) at lowest settings at 2560x1440 at 60 fps, so for those of you who are worrying about lacking the horsepower to play games, try turning down the settings, truth be told, even on low BF3 still looks amazing, but that's just me. But it's true for most games, things like AA and MSAA are intense drains of GPU power, but if you are willing to turn down some features you can run these monitors with single card configurations (most games look just as good even at low quality)

edit: I have an Achieva Shimian IPSB (tempered glass)... I think i was the first one to get the tempered glass model too.

Quote from alchi : Let's say I had this monitor and scaled a game down to some other 16:9 resolution like 1920x1080. Would it look the same on this as it would on a monitor with 1920x1080 as its native resolution or would things not look quite as nice?

Quote from nahpungnome : It won't look as sharp as native resolution. While playing 720p on a 1080p tv will look ok because you sit pretty far away, with monitors it's different since you're so up close. It also depends on how picky you are too. Some people don't mind the scaling.

Quote from graure : But why would you do this? If you're willing to settle for 1920x1080, just buy a gigantic TV for the same price as this monitor. That said, I've had a 2560x1600 monitor for years and had to crank it down to 1680x1050 to play Crysis on my GTX 280. When you get used to viewing things at a higher resolution, any step backwards, no matter how good the scaler is -- it's going to look worse.

These guys have the facts right. A 1920x1080 signal on a 2560x1440 display isn't going to be as sharp as it would on a native 1920x1080 display. The question of using the lower resolution is moot, because the 1920x1080 display limited to the lower resolution, anyway. That said, the scalers are pretty good these days, so the loss of sharpness is mostly due to stretching the image, and will look similar to a 27" monitor with a native 1920x1080 resolution -- maybe a little better, since this is an IPS panel instead of TN like most 1080p screens.

I've played lower resolutions than native maybe 1/3 of the time so I could keep shadows and other features on, have minimum anti-aliasing turned on, and keep decent frame rates. It's far less distracting than having the frame rate drop on me. I only have a 24" Dell IPS display, I'm just overdue for a GPU upgrade. You may notice it more with the 27".

I disagree with graure that a gigantic TV is better for 1080p gaming for one reason: when you're not gaming, you still have the benefit of high resolution. That can be great for programming, photo editing, or just having side-by-side windows without having to scroll horizontally.

Game in 1920*1200 in window mode here

If Amazon price matched this deal with the same offer, I would be all over it.

O wow got one of these back in the end of December at the same price, do you guys think I can squeeze that gift card out of them now?

Quote from alchi : Let's say I had this monitor and scaled a game down to some other 16:9 resolution like 1920x1080. Would it look the same on this as it would on a monitor with 1920x1080 as its native resolution or would things not look quite as nice?

No. It's an LCD, not CRT.

Don't know what prices will do with these. None of the WQHD manufacturers selling here have dropped thier prices while the Korean versions are all up in price over the past month.