Monitor + GPU upgrade help.

[Deleted]

Hey,

So I'm looking for a good 1080p monitor(21-24" and a graphics card to go with it since I don't think my 4850 will handle 1080p aswell as I want.

I've got a budget of ~£300 for both monitor and card.

I don't really know what to look for in a monitor so I've a few questions from the info that is posted on most website alongside the monitors.
What response time should I be looking for?
Does contrast ratio matter?
Does the brightness matter?
Will I notice a difference between 60Hz and 75Hz refresh rate at 1080p?
Will I notice any difference between LCD, LED and IPS screens?
Are there any brands that I should avoid?


Some monitors I've found for examples, I don't know if they're good or not.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006513JU...SIN=B006513JUQ
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/215-a...001200cd-m-5ms
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/215-a...1-250cd-m2-5ms
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/215-l...-50000001-vesa
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/22-ii...80-100001-hdcp


For GPU, I'm not sure what is actually worthwhile to get for me, since I like to play MMO's mainly, GW2, Rift, Tera, WoW - I can bounce between them each month so want something to play them all really.
I've been thinking about a GTX560Ti 384/448core(£150-170), ATI 6870 (£130), 7850 (£190) or holding out to see what a GTX660/ti comes in at.
What would be your recommendation?


I would prefer them from scan.co.uk as I get free next day delivery with them, although any site will do if they're priced good aswell.

[hapylol]

Easy enough

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card (£192.94 @ Scan.co.uk)
Monitor: Asus VE228H 21.5" Monitor (£109.07 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £302.01
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-09 18:43 BST+0100)

You really don't need to wait for the 660TI. The 7850 will handle the games you listed for years.

[Deleted]

What's more important to you; a fast image with low response time or a nice image with vivid colours? If the latter I'd recommend something like the LG IPS236V (23", 1080p, 6-bit E-IPS panel).

The 7850 is a solid choice and definitely a good pick at around £200. If you prefer nVidia you can (as you said yourself) wait for the 660 but as it hasn't even been announced yet it's anyones guess when it will show up.

[Deleted]

After a quick google search the monitor you recommend seems to come in at £160-170, which eats over half my budget. I would prefer a better image on my monitors so my games look extra nice.

Would either of these LG IPS monitors compare to the one you list?
LG IPS225V
LG IPS235V

Also would you say for 1080p that the 7850 would be worth the extra £30-40 over a 560Ti?

[Deleted]

Also would you say for 1080p that the 7850 would be worth the extra £30-40 over a 560Ti?

Depends. If you have the money, yes. If you are on a budget - perhaps not. I'd vote for the 6870 instead of the 560 Ti though as it is usually a lot cheaper and performs within margin of the 560 Ti.