3d or 120hz? Which is a better experience?

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demi0227_basic

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#1 demi0227_basic
Member since 2002 • 1940 Posts

I have a 570 GTX and will at some point in the future get another for SLI. My question, hopefully for those that actually know from first hand experience, is A) Can you game at 120hz without 3d across 3 monitors and B) Would playing without the 3d to get the full 120hz X 5760x1080 effect be better than actually having the glasses on?

I'm interested if full 120hz gaming is awesome. My 120hz TV makes a MUCH bigger difference in fidelity compared from the jump of 720p to 1080p and it just "guesses" the frames in between each frame it's fed (only takes a 60hz signal like most tvs). So can monitors run natively with a computer that is actually pushing 120 frames, and if so is that better than having the 3d effect on? I've read 3d is the worst pain in the butt gimmeck, but I've also read its like the jump from 2d to 3d games in terms of immersion. Educate me gentlepeople!

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Baranga

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#2 Baranga
Member since 2005 • 14217 Posts

I only have one 3D monitor so I can't answer most of those questions.

120hz is an incredible experience on your goddamn desktop. I work all day with Word, InDesign and other similar stuff and the doubled refresh rate is wonderful. Running a game at 120fps on such a monitor is also awesome. It's basically the smoothness of old CRT screens mixed with the detail and colours of modern monitors. I don't think there's any 3D monitor that can natively deinterlace video like a TV, but there's software available for that.

I''ll paste a recent post I made regarding 3D:

The 3D kit is very easy to set up. The glasses come with a couple of nose pieces and are comfortable. I also wear corrective glasses and I have no problem wearing the 3D ones on top of them. They last surprisingly long too, about 40 hours until a new charge is needed IIRC. The software gets constantly updated. In the 9 months since I bought the kit it already had a couple of great upgrades, my favourite being 3D for non-fullscreen applications. I'm working at home and now I can easily jump in some windowed 3D Civilization when there's not much to do!

Hundreds of games have 3D support. The drivers come with an extensive list of games, rated by their 3D performance. There are also tips to improve it; when you start the game a small pop-up tells you to turn off bloom or whatever for the best experience. By the way, the performance is halved in every game. It will also take a couple of hours to get used to the effect, so it's better to start at gentle 3D settings.

The 3D Ready games are absurd. Just Cause 2 and Bulletstorm are my favourites. You can easily adjust and fine tune the 3D effect - depth, convergence, field of view etc. I set up Torchlight to pop out of the screen, it looked like a bunch of action figures came to life. For Just Cause 2, I made Rico to be exactly at the limit between popping out and being in the screen, and I get a huge adrenaline rush when debris or cars pass that limit and seem to jump right at me. Civ 5 looks like a tabletop game.

Even Fallout 3, which basically looks like **** is improved by 3D. It's hard to explain how cool it is to see objects in 3D. The lamest Fallout rock becomes a point of interest. Empire: Total War is **** amazing - moving the camera through thousands of highly detailed troops is something you have to see to believe how incredible it is. You suddenly grasp exactly how titanic the scale of that game is. Flying or freefalling in Just Cause 2 is also incredible. You can also judge distances much better. In the case of Call of Duty, playing multiplayer in 3D makes it easier to spot enemies among all the visual noise. Burnout Paradise in 3D is basically that wormhole sequence from 2001. Even games like Assassin's Creed, which have mediocre support, are worth checking out for a while.

I completed a bunch of 3D Ready games in this mode. I really can't stand playing Bulletstorm or Torchlight in 2D now. Some older games (like Timeshift) earned a 3D replay. For others I just activate it to fool around or out of curiosity. Due to constant driver updates and an increasing number of 3D Ready games, it's always an option.

3D movies can't be adjusted like the games, but you can fiddle with colour and brightness so you might get a better experience than in a cinema where the projector isn't properly calibrated. Also you can watch YouTube videos in 3D.

To wrap up this post: 120Hz monitors are worth it even if you won't use 3D. 3D is great when done properly and a pleasant curiosity even if the game doesn't properly support it. Some games are undeniably better looking in 3D. I don't regret my purchase, it'll provide good entertainment until autostereoscopic screens become the norm.

If you have the money, go for a 120hz monitor even if you won't use it in games.

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cain006

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#3 cain006
Member since 2008 • 8625 Posts

I'd say if you're playing a competitive game where you really need the framerate, don't use the 3d. Otherwise I would use it. Getting a 120 hz monitor is definitely worth it though.

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davaniius

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#4 davaniius
Member since 2007 • 498 Posts

Getting a 120hz monitor is a very good step up. I recently bought one with the 3d vision kit and totally forgot about the 3d due to having some much fun. Biggest reason for me was screen tearing. I am able to play most games over 60fps so it was a case of screen tearing or v-sync which caused my mouse to act like it was on ice skates.

The 3d vision experience is very good in my opinion. I don't want to play games without it anymore. I play the cod games and bad company 2 in 3d.

I still get the same scores playing in 3d as I do in 2d so I don't buy into the competitive argument. It's just about having fun to me.

I only have one monitor at the moment. My dream is to get 3d vision surround.

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demi0227_basic

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#5 demi0227_basic
Member since 2002 • 1940 Posts
Thanks for your' info guys. Seems to me like a summary would be; 3d is awesome when it's done well, or to dabble, but even without 3d the 120hz makes a huge difference. Yes yes?
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Zubinen

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#6 Zubinen
Member since 2011 • 2555 Posts

Hey guys, I'm also looking to buy a monitor for under $300, what should I get?:

Acer AT3265: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009269

BX 2331: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001439

Or something else? And yes, although the AT3265 is $299, it fits exactly within my budget, and budget wise does not differ from cheaper options since my dad offered to buy me a monitor.

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oldskooler

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#7 oldskooler
Member since 2003 • 26 Posts

Are there any high end 120hz monitors for us PC gamers? I realise most want $2-300 monitors but I mean really... I don't expect much out of those. I used a Sony 24" FW900 for years so image quality is most important to me. I'm currently using a 27" Asus LCD and while it's great.. could be better. It's only 60hz and the blacks just aren't black. I desire some sort of local dimmed LCD with a true 120hz. This would be the ticket if such exists in the 24-30" range. I don't care if it costs an arm and a leg.. I just want it!

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Baranga

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#9 Baranga
Member since 2005 • 14217 Posts

Are there any high end 120hz monitors for us PC gamers? I realise most want $2-300 monitors but I mean really... I don't expect much out of those. I used a Sony 24" FW900 for years so image quality is most important to me. I'm currently using a 27" Asus LCD and while it's great.. could be better. It's only 60hz and the blacks just aren't black. I desire some sort of local dimmed LCD with a true 120hz. This would be the ticket if such exists in the 24-30" range. I don't care if it costs an arm and a leg.. I just want it!

oldskooler

I have this Asus VG236 monitor. You can buy it bundled with the 3D kit or alone, but the bundle is a better deal.

Thanks for your' info guys. Seems to me like a summary would be; 3d is awesome when it's done well, or to dabble, but even without 3d the 120hz makes a huge difference. Yes yes?demi0227_basic

Yes.

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DarkblueNinja

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#10 DarkblueNinja
Member since 2009 • 1016 Posts

Are there any high end 120hz monitors for us PC gamers? I realise most want $2-300 monitors but I mean really... I don't expect much out of those. I used a Sony 24" FW900 for years so image quality is most important to me. I'm currently using a 27" Asus LCD and while it's great.. could be better. It's only 60hz and the blacks just aren't black. I desire some sort of local dimmed LCD with a true 120hz. This would be the ticket if such exists in the 24-30" range. I don't care if it costs an arm and a leg.. I just want it!

oldskooler

One of (or problaly the best) the best 120hz monitor at 27' right now is Samsung's S27A950D/S27A750D. Great colors, Low input lag, 2D->3D and IMO good looking. The only bad thing about that monitor is: the resolution is only at 1920*1080 and the monitor is very expensive. There should come a 23'/24' version of the monitor, so its good for 1920*1080 resolution but no one know when it comes out. You should try check the reviews around the webs and video on Youtube.