Gaming in 1440p on 4K Monitor?

[JimmyRecard00]

Hello

How good/bad would it look to run at 1440p (probably 144hz or higher) on a 4K Monitor?

It’s either just get a 1440p Monitor and stick to that… or get a 4K monitor and have the flexibility to change for different games and stuff?

I have a 12700K, 32gb 3600, RTX 3070 Ti et – I will be running Windows 10 (maybe dual boot to 11?)


So I’d like to know how good/bad it would look for:

• Gaming (eg Steam, Origin etc etc)
• Watching Movies/TV/Youtube etc
• Normal Windows tasks, Browsing, Office, File Explorer etc?

I’ve heard some people say it’ll be awful and others say it’ll be just as good?

I don’t want to do competitive fps where cripple all the graphics settings to get insane fps… I do want to play games like Tomb Raider series, Far Cry series, Wolfenstein/Doom Series, Portal, open world etc etc and online fps shooters (but looking nice).


I’m curious about this in particular because I’m tempted to try gaming at 4K on a 4K monitor; but

• I know that the FPS will be a little to low for my liking in some games – so for those it’d make sense to drop down to 1440p… and
• I’m worried everything will be way to tiny on a 4K screen without any scaling etc for when you are not gaming or watching video (eg for normal Windows usage)?

I would really really love to hear from people with a 4K monitor who either do this regularly – or who might be kind enough to try it out and report back?

I’ve heard people say that you never want to use Scaling in Windows to drop the resolution down as it won’t look as good in lots of different use scenarios as above? They say you should get a monitor at a physical size and resolution that you are comfortable with at its native settings.

That sounds good in theory but I won’t be sure how things will really look until I get something and try it out myself at home. Can’t get a good sense in store as you can’t sit down in front like you do at a computer desk and you can’t do anything but play video from youtube etc.

So yeah – thoughts, recommendations?

 

[Colif]

So are you going to use scaling or not?

I would use it on windows just so its not too small. I had a 4k monitor for 5 years, windows 10 defaults desktop to 150% scaling. It doesn't stop games using the monitor as 4k, it just makes windows usable without a microscope. There are some applications that don't use windows scaling and use monitor's native resolution, and it makes it tiny. Logitech Gaming Software was one such example, it was so hard to read I just avoided changing any settings if I could.

I swapped to a 1440p monitor last year since I was always running at that resolution anyway. 150% scaling of a 4k monitor = 1440p

I’ve heard people say that you never want to use Scaling in Windows to drop the resolution down as it won’t look as good in lots of different use scenarios as above? They say you should get a monitor at a physical size and resolution that you are comfortable with at its native settings.

I don't know if that is true or not. I only buy a new monitor every 5 years or so, they aren't tied to PC purchases, as they can last longer than one PC. So I don't have enough of them to compare. My peripherals (mouse, kb, monitor, speakers) aren't replaced everytime I get a new PC.

You could look on youtube and see if anyone made any comparison videos

 

[JimmyRecard00]

So are you going to use scaling or not?

I've never used scaling just heard about it and tried it briefly at a display screen in a shop...

I'm tempted to buy both a 4K and a 1440P monitor and try them both out, send back the one I don't want?

I would use it on windows just so its not too small. I had a 4k monitor for 5 years, windows 10 defaults desktop to 150% scaling.

I Noticed on the Win 10 at the shops that they had very limited settings for scaling... 100%, 110, 125, 150 etc.... can you customise it to whatever exact setting you want?

There are some applications that don't use windows scaling and use monitor's native resolution, and it makes it tiny. Logitech Gaming Software was one such example, it was so hard to read I just avoided changing any settings if I could.

Is there anyway to check which software can't do scaling before I buy? It could be a real problem if it was something like Ableton 10/11?

You could look on youtube and see if anyone made any comparison videos

Done all that but you really need to sit down where you're going to use it and spend some decent time to really have a sense of the different sizes and resolutions in different programs/modes.

That's what I don't have at all! Only ever used 1080p.


Can you use macros to change from this scaling to that or scaling off etc?
Eg if I game or watch Video I won't want it, will probably need it the rest of the time?


Cheers

 

[Colif]

i don't know if companies will let you return something after you bought it if there is nothing wrong with it, and get a refund.

Windows scaling is 100% to 500%, you can set a custom amount in that range - See link

I think 99% of software scales now. Games let you change the resolution they run in so I wouldn't worry too much about them.
The amount of software that doesn't scale is vastly outnumbered by the software that does.

The perils of running Windows 10 on a 4K monitor - gHacks Tech News

If you plan to connect a 4K monitor to a Windows device, or run a high DPI Windows laptop, chance is high that you run into display issues.

www.ghacks.net

You can hold down ctrl and use mouse wheel to go between scaling - works on desktop icons too - but it only works on the preset amounts, not custom.
Here shows another way - https://www.tenforums.com/graphic-cards/171539-hotkey-scaling-windows-10-a.html

I got 4k monitor as a gift, up until that point I had only had 1080p monitors too and wasn't even considering a 4k screen. Especially since my GPU at time wasn't capable of running 4k so I had to upgrade it. GTX 980 wasn't much better but at least screen wouldn't turn off because the GPU wasn't capable of running 4k at 30. I would probably still be on 1080p if I had been asked, or maybe 2k like I am now.

 

[JimmyRecard00]

i don't know if companies will let you return something after you bought it if there is nothing wrong with it, and get a refund.

I've only found this out recently...

At least in Australia... if you buy an 'ebay plus' item, or on amazon - if you buy something that is 'shipped/fulfilled' by amazon (doesn't matter who is the actual seller)... then you can return anything for full refund no reason needed and free shipping back to them - even if you opened it and tried it out.

So I might try a 4K and a 1440p screen and see which one I want to keep?

It looks like you usually pay a little extra which probably covers their extra costs for returns - but it could be worth it especially in this situation.

Only catch is you have to make sure you remember to return them in time! Get a month at least I think.

I might do this with some other things too... like get 2-3 mechanical keyboards (which I've never tried) - to see which type of switch I like and just keep one.

Thanks for the info and the links - I like the sound of that mouse shortcut too!


cheers!

 

[Colif]

shame you can't rent them for a month.

I didn't know that about Amazon. They might not like it if you do it with too many things.

 

[JimmyRecard00]

I didn't know that about Amazon. They might not like it if you do it with too many things.

They factor it into to their pricing... they still sell all the returned stuff.. In fact - you can specifically go to the Amazon Outlet part of their site to do just that.

A lot of people do this with clothes in particular... they'll get 2-3 sizes of everything cause sizing descriptions online are never the same. Return the rest.

It probably also helps Amazon/eBay etc that they know loads of people are going to forget and be stuck with spending 3-10x more than they intended... so it works out for them no matter what.

Anyway - this is what they want people to do because they know they will spend more money more often overall.

I agree if it was a small business you wouldn't even consider it. I've haven't tried it yet myself.

Good to know you can do it though if its something expensive where you are not sure if it's going to work as well as you'd like/or suit your needs!


cheers

 

[Brian Boru]

use Scaling in Windows

I've used scaling in Windows—125 or 150%—for a long time, say ~15 years. Never a problem, so don't worry about it, you're very unlikely to hit a snag.
I've found it preferable to run monitors and TVs at their recommended resolution, and use scaling to fine tune the display to my liking.

Can you use macros to change from this scaling

Totally guessing here, but I expect PowerShell should be able to do that.

Windows scaling is 100% to 500%

Well heck, I never knew that! Thought it went to 175% only.

 

[Colif]

custom range is 100 to 500, standard ones I have go to 225% on my 1440p

• 100
• 125
• 150
• 175
• 200
• 225

but if you click custom you can choose anywhere in range but it might not look good.
scaling only works in one direction, you need dlss for other way.

 

[JimmyRecard00]

I've used scaling in Windows—125 or 150%—for a long time, say ~15 years. Never a problem....

So looks normal/good to you?

If you use scaling... how does Windows know to ignore scaling for gaming and Video (eg 4k video in mkv, streaming youtube etc) or doesn't it? Does it scale everything all the time?

Totally guessing here, but I expect PowerShell should be able to do that.

cheers man

 

[JimmyRecard00]

custom range is 100 to 500, standard ones I have go to 225% on my 1440p

I didn't know that either... that's what i was worried about (eg if limited to 175% etc and not enough)...

but if you click custom you can choose anywhere in range but it might not look good.

Is this more so if you pick a resolution that isn't the same aspect as your screen... or just random ones look bad for some reason? Do they need to be multiples of certain numbers etc?

scaling only works in one direction, you need dlss for other way.

You mean you can make everything smaller if you have DLSS (which I'll have)?


cheers

 

[Brian Boru]

looks normal/good to you?

Yep, fine.

does Windows know to ignore scaling for gaming and Video

It does. Games and video are not affected. These explain/discuss better than I could:

Does windows scaling affect video quality?

I was playing around with YouTube and opened up the "Stats for Nerds" option. I have a 1440p and 1080p monitor, and both are running at 125% scaling in windows display options When I looked at the "Viewport" section of the YouTube stats, it said I was running at a lower resolution that is upscale...

linustechtips.com

What Is the Difference Between Scaling and Screen Resolution in Windows?

If you are trying to get your monitor or laptop screen set up for the best, or most comfortable viewing, you may find yourself wondering which adjustments are the best ones to make and how they can affect each other.

www.howtogeek.com

Does setting the scaling option in windows also apply to apps (like games) and why?

I tried this the other day - looks great on the desktop - made my games laggy as hell though - up to *0fps*... Turned it off, games back to *rocksteady 60fps* Are there any other options to have bigger icons and letters on desktop? (yes I know large icons, but that doesn't change the ridiculously...

linustechtips.com

random ones look bad for some reason?

Does Windows DPI scaling reduce resolution or image quality?

Hi, I am currently using a 4K monitor with DPI scaling of 200% (recommended) at 3840x2160. I was wondering if that changes any quality of image or resolution, such as resolution or pixel being cut in half? Isn't DPI scaling putting out more pixels per inch, which equates to...

forums.tomshardware.com

Windows scaling issues for high-DPI devices (Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4, or Surface Book) - Microsoft Support

Discusses Windows scaling issues for high-DPI devices. Provides resolutions and workarounds for various scenarios.

support.microsoft.com

 

[Colif]

You mean you can make everything smaller if you have DLSS (which I'll have)?

I probably used a bad example
scaling lets you use a 4k monitor to display 1080p (this is just an example)
DLSS lets you use a 1080p monitor to get the same detail as a 4k picture (another example)

You can't use dlsss to make a 4k picture as detailed as 8k yet AFAIK

if you could go below 100% scaling the image wouldn't fit on the display, as it would be bigger than native resolution.

I haven't had to mess with scaling enough to know the uses for custom resolutions. That might help more if you trying to connect an unusual monitor with strange resolutions - I assume they exist out there.

 

[DXCHASE]

I have a 12700K, 32gb 3600, RTX 3070 Ti et – I will be running Windows 10 (maybe dual boot to 11?)


So I’d like to know how good/bad it would look for:

• Gaming (eg Steam, Origin etc etc)
• Watching Movies/TV/Youtube etc
• Normal Windows tasks, Browsing, Office, File Explorer etc?

Well i have been using 2k for years now and im crushing games in FPS with a 3070ti and a cpu from 2014, so i would wager that its going to look good with a CPU/GPU that were both released this year lol.

A 3070ti can handle most games in 4k at max settings and hit 60 fps but will probably remain around there and dip a little, older games obviously are going to hit higher ones depending on the games optimization.

It just comes down to personal preference really, refresh rate is way more important to me than the resolution your playing at, so im saying go with a 2k 165hz+ monitor, or if you like ultrawides, get one of those!