Monitors today...

[Javiz 104]

My old LG 30" monitor gave up the ghost today. It was connected with such an ancient DVI-D (or something like that) plug to my, also old (well, 6 years..), computer. Can anyone please educate me a little bit about 'modern' monitors ?... F.i. Do i go for such a 'curved' monitor or do i better stick with a normal flat screen ( i have read in some reviews about the Samsung C32HG70 curved monitor that it produces a truly wonderful picture but there is deffinately some 'warping' going because of the curved screen. I can imagine that and i have a feeling i won't like that very much. Anyone here using such a curved monitor for flightsimming ?....

Also, i seem to understand that all monitors today use a 'DisplayPort connector' instead of DVI. Will i be able to use my new monitor with my old system f.i. by buying an adapter cable ? ( i use a GTX 1070 ). Or can i just connect my new monitor to my old system via HDMI ? (sorry for my ignorance..) 

I am looking for a 32" inch monitor, apart from the 'warping' remark the Samsung C32HG70 gets very good reviews but i'd go for a flat screen 32" just the same.

Thanks very much for any hints / tips !

Cheers,
Jan

     

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

Hi Jan,

DVI is very old technology and no current monitors have those connections. They're now HDMI or DisplayPort. Both are purely digital and carry sound as well as picture. DVI was picture only.

Whether you want curved screen or not is only a decision you can make. Not many people seem to have them. Ultra-wide (21:9) displays are popular and again, it's a personal decision. The good news is your GTX970 has both HDMI and DP outputs which will connect to a modern monitor. You're wise to prefer 16:9 flat screen as that gives you the greatest choice.

One thing to look out for is panel type. There are 3. TN, VA and IPS. TN is the lowest quality and IPS is the highest. So VA should be the minimum you look for.

The other important consideration is resolution. The more pixels you have the harder the graphics card has to work. The monitor you mentioned is 2560*1440 which is okay for your card. A UHD monitor (3840*2160) needs a 1080Ti or better. Stick with 2560*1440.

Here's sites showing some of the better monitors.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-computer-monitors/

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/computing-components/peripherals/best-monitor-9-reviewed-and-rated-1058662

Make sure you read independent reviews rather than customer ones on Amazon etc.

[Javiz 104]

Thank you very much, Ray !  Just what i needed to hear. I see you have a BenQ 32" yourself running 3840x2160, right ? I can get it for a good price here in Holland but i understand you don't recommend that resolution for a vidcard less than the 1080TI ( i have a GTX 1070 rather than the 970 from your comment 😉 ) .

What do you think about the Dell S3220DGF like this :  https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dell-s3220dgf-gaming-monitor-review-high-performance-work-and-play   I would be able to run that with a GTX 1070, right ?.. It has a curved screen alright so that would be a bit of an adventure for me but i'll go with he who dares wins this time around (can always return it if i don't like it. I have had Dell computers and monitors before (even Alienware ), always good stuff and good service) 

I think i will forget about the Samsung, always talking about AMD in reviews, never Nvidia. I have used nothing but Nvidia videocards all my 30 years of flightsimming and never a worry about it. 😉

Thanks again, Ray, if you give me the go-ahead i'll order the Dell S3220DGF.

Cheers,
Jan  

 

 

 

 

 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

Hello Jan. The Dell looks a nice monitor. You’ll only know if you like a curved screen once you use it but if you can swap it then that’s fine.

If you plan on keeping the GTX1070 for a while then the Dell would be a good match. But if you would like to run 3840*2160 one day that means a monitor swap so just bear that in mind. You can run 2560*1440 with a 1080Ti but not 3840*2160 with a 1070.

The difference in power is considerable... https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1080-Ti-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070/3918vs3609

I love UHD but I got the graphics card first. What you don’t want to do is buy a UHD monitor and run it at a lower resolution. It looks grim and I have to do that for P3Dv3 flying Concorde because VAS would run out at higher resolutions.

In short, stick with the Dell and the 1070 and you should be fine. 👍

[Javiz 104]

Thanks a lot, Ray, order for a Dell S3220DGF is in session. May take a week, maybe even two. Can't wait because i am anxious to see this curved effect right here in my own home in my own seat. Luckily i have a home cockpit that uses 3 Illyama 24" monitors so i borrowed one to overcome the gap. I might think about a whole new setup once i have MSFS2020 running here (talk about can't wait...;-) and i will keep your comment about UHD in mind. 

Thanks again for your input, Ray, a great help highly appreciated !

Cheers,
Jan
 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

Hope you don't have to wait too long Jan. Sounds like a nice setup.

[Javiz 104]

Hi Ray,

Sitting in front of my shiny new Dell S3220DGF curved monitor looking at a black screen for a while now, it does look great. 😉

The thing is i can't seem to get it connected. 3 cables are supplied: HDMI, DP and USB. The GTX 1070 only has a DVI connector, no HDMI or DP. For all i know my computer ( i7-4960X 3.60GHz, 16GB ram) doesn't have a HDMI or DP connector neither but it has lots of USB connectors.

The thing #2 is that when i turn the monitor on a small menu is displayed with which i can select either DP, HDMI or Auto. No sign of USB.... So i put it on Auto and tried all USB connectors i could find on my computer, both at the front and at the back with zero result. The monitor kept displaying this message : No DP connection, going into power save mode within 4 minutes.

Dell support asks for a service tag, it's at the back of the monitor. I typed it into the box, then Dell says " Can't find it. Try detect automatic".

Ok. Then i  get : "Dell SupportAssist is only for PCs from Dell and Alienware". 

So much for Dell support  😞 😞

So all my hope to get this thing working is pinned on you, Ray. 

It should surely be possible to connect this thing to a 6 year old computer, shouldn't it ??..

What am i doing wrong here, Ray ?

Thanks a million for any hints/tips/thoughts.

Cheers,
Jan 

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Javiz

[Javiz 104]

Oh, yes, forgat to ask, if this isn't really going to work would it be a good idea to buy a new video card ? Or wouldn't my oldish computer warrant that.....

Or could a DP to DVI adaptor be a solution ? ( much cheaper.. 😉  )

Thanks, Ray.

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Javiz

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

Hi Jan,

Rest assured your 1070 has both HDMI and DP connections. They are smaller than the DVI one but they are there.

Here's a manual for the 1070. It shows the position of the ports. https://www.nvidia.com/content/geforce-gtx/GTX_1070_User_Guide.pdf

[Javiz 104]

As we say here in Holland " Now my clog  breaks ! "  ( i.e. slap me thrice and hand me to me mama )  😉

Thanks very much, Ray ! I am probabely getting too old for this business (or too dumb). All i saw on my video card was the DVI connector and a bunch of red thingamebobs. The card worked splendidly from the start so i never gave it another look. The thingamebobs proved to be rubber protective knobs hiding the other connectors. Connected with the DP cable it worked right away !  Woooaaaa!! I DO feel stupid ! 

Must say i am certainly not dissapointed with what i see but it didn't knock my socks off neither. The monitor i have worked with for the passed 6 years actually was a pretty good one too. LG 30 inch and other than the curved screen i can't really see much difference.

I do think i like the curved screen. Haven't found the time to do much with it so far but my first impression is very positive.

Well, all's well that ends well, éh ? Thank you so much again for teaching this hardware illiterate, Ray !! 

Best Regards,
Jan

   

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

@Javiz, glad you got it sorted. Removing the thingamebobs was obviously the key.

You have only increased the resolution slightly but make sure Windows has the correct resolution of 2560*1440 and you should also check in P3D that is the same.

It always helps to install the driver for your monitor so Windows sets it up correctly. Those are available on the website.

https://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt1/product-support/product/dell-s3220dgf-monitor/drivers

[Javiz 104]

Thanks Ray ! Yes, 2560x1440 is like carved in stone here for years already. And i already got the driver from the Dell site when i was overthere for help.. dõh, but thanks for the link !

Well, must say, all in all i am ultra high definately super happy with my new window to the world. I'd say a belated Wow! is in order here. 😉   I am sure now too that i do like the curved style, it is absolutely fabulous for flightsimming and all other simmings i keep myself busy and happy with ( just the other day i bought "Planet Zoo" , that's another Wow! 😉 ) and also Netflix watching. A little 'getting used to' is needed for things like 3ds Max. 

Thanks much again, my friend !

Cheers,
Jan  

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

Jan, that's why it has to be a personal decision as to whether you go for curved or not. Glad you like it. 👍