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PCGAF: 4K/30fps or 1080p/60fps?

finalflame

finalflame

Gold Member
Hey GAF. So I have a gaming PC with an overclocked 980 Ti + i7-6700K. I also have an XB270HU 165hz, IPS, G-Sync monitor.

However, some of my preferred gaming is sitting on my couch on my living room's 4K TV, which my PC is hooked up to by means of a long HDMI 2.0 cable, providing full 4K/60fps. As we all know, a single 980 Ti is not enough to push 4K at much above 30-40fps for most modern titles. In my case, Witcher 3.

So I'm faced with a choice. Play at 4K/30fps, maxed minus HairWorks, or tone down my TV resolution to 1080p and play at a nice, comfy 60fps with HairWorks.

To be clear, the 4K option is a locked 30fps without dips at absolutely max graphical fidelity. 1080p would allow me to turn on HairWorks and lock the FPS at 60. I am having a hard time making a decision -- the crispness and beauty of 4K is pretty jaw-dropping, and 30fps feels good enough to me, considering I do a considerable amount of gaming on my PS4 as it is.

What do you prefer, PCGAF? 1080p60 or 4K/30? Which do you think is better and why?
 
2

213372bu

Banned
1080/60 by a far margin.

While it may not be exactly the case with the Witcher 3, many of PC's greatest games benefit greatly from 60 fps playability-wise.

I run 1440p/60fps though.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
I'd say it depends on the game. If you can get tear-free 30 FPS on some games (say, RPGs), it's fine.

If you're playing a shooter / racing game / fighting game, 60+ FPS is what you want.
 
S

secretanchitman

Member
I'm in the minority - I will always take native resolution/image quality over fps, so 4K/30fps.

For example, I have a 15" Retina Macbook Pro and I play at 2880x1800, even if it means lowering down the settings. Also have a 27" 5K iMac which I lower settings for. I cannot stand sub-native images so I compromise.
 
F

Fantomas

Member
1080p/120fps for me. Though that's just because I have a 120hz monitor. ;)

Given the choice though I guess it would depend on the game. Some games I wouldn't mind running at 30 if I could max it out on a 4K monitor, that's for sure.
 
C

CHC

Member
1440p 60 FPS.

If you can do 4K at 30 you can do that. Best of both worlds, in my opinion, especially if you're downsampling onto a 1080p screen.
 
M

moolamb

Member
1080p/60.

My guess is you're only really noticing the sharpness/crispness of 4K by direct comparison, but once you get used to it, it will wear off. 60p is better for your eyes, immersion and gameplay.
 
R

Red Hood

Banned
If you said 4K 60fps or 1080 120/144fps, that would be a harder choice (most likely 4K/60), but as it stands now definitely 1080/60fps. Smooth frame-rate over great visuals.
 
D

Daingurse

Member
Witcher 3? 4K/30fps IMO. I play Witcher 3 at lower than 60fps already with increased fidelity through .ini tweaks, and quite enjoy the extra eye-candy and increased draw distances. With Witcher 3 I would play at 4k/30fps over 1080p/60fps. I've played Witcher 3 at both, and can enjoy the game either way.

Really all depends on what you value more. Playability or graphical fidelity? Responsiveness or eye-candy? I decide these things on a game by game basis.
 
L

low-G

Member
I have a 970, AND I only have a 1080p monitor, but I see too many games that only fully support 1080p to even want a higher res monitor yet.
 
H

Hyoukokun

Member
I played The Witness at 4k/30fps. I think 30fps is fine for something like that that's not an action game. Dark Souls 3, though, I'm playing in 1080p.
 
Y

Yudoken

Member
1440p/60fps or 1080p/at least 60fps

E.g. MGS PP even runs at 1440p with almost everything maxed with a GTX 970.

General Lee said:
1440/60 is the way to go right now. It'll look much better than 1080p and won't drag the FPS down like 4K.
Click to expand...

Also this, 30fps is not really an option.
 
Blackage

Blackage

Member
Depends on what you're playing! Assassin's Creed/Witcher 3? 4K/30FPS, Street Fighter V/Overwatch? 60FPS Priority!
 
D

Deleted member 325805

Unconfirmed Member
60fps is more important than anything to me, I'd take 900p over 30fps if I really had to. I keep my PC updated to the point where I can run anything at 1080p/60fps (assuming the game isn't broken), if I can't hit 60fps 99% then I lower the settings, if I still can't and it's good port I know it's time to upgrade.
 
deadscreensky

deadscreensky

Member
60fps is a minimum requirement for gaming, the accepted standard for going on 40 years now. 4K resolution is not. Easy choice.

Keep in mind that temporal resolution is really important too, it's something too many gamers ignore. When you cut your framerate in half you are dramatically reducing resolution, just like going from 4K to 1080p does. You're not choosing resolution over framerate, as is popularly assumed, you're choosing one form of resolution over another. You want a balance, and for my money 1080p/60fps is going to get closer to that ideal for most situations than 4K/30fps will.
 
F

FarFromAnyGame

Banned
I've never played a game on 4K but does that benefit the experience if the game's assets are made for 1080p? I mean why 4K when the game has much lower res textures?(I know some games/mods have "4K" textures)

I understand the less aliasing and the superior image quality at 4K but is it worth sacrificing framerate and lowering some graphics effects?

I prefer having better graphics settings and framerate than waste all that power on just resolution.

Again, I've never played a game on 4K.
 
O

Onemic

Member
Dennis said:
24 fps is totally playable for most game types.

I played through Crysis with an average of about 15 fps haha.

Loved every second.
Click to expand...

As someone who was an extreme budget PC gamer during my teen years and experienced under 30fps as the norm for most games. No, just no. 24fps is not an good experience in any genre. It was only playable to me back then because I had no other option. I would never willingly make a game play under 30fps on average just to make it look more pretty.
 
finalflame

finalflame

Gold Member
professor_t said:
I'm definitely in the higher framerate camp. Why is this not a poll?
Click to expand...

If a mod would like to make it one, that would be dandy. I'm not sure I had the option.

Anyhow, just taking in everyone's opinions. Just got to White Orchard at 4K/30 so far, game still looks fantabulous. I must admit it's less fluid at 30 than I'd like, having just come out of DkS3 at 60fps but..doable thus far.
 
T

TheDanger

Banned
Dennis said:
24 fps is totally playable for most game types.

I played through Crysis with an average of about 15 fps haha.

Loved every second.
Click to expand...

GTA V ran at 25 FPS avg. on 360/PS3, loved the hell out of it, but now when I played Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One the drops really bothered me during combat. I guess I am spoiled now with PC and current gen consoles, but so many great games had terrible performance last gen, even TLOU, never bothered me. Now when I switch to 30 FPS on the PS4 version it's like night and day. Some games really nail 30 FPS though, like Forza Horizon, can't for the life of me understand how it manages to feel smooth after playing FM6 a few minutes earlier.
 
L

LCGeek

formerly sane
1080p/Lightboost/ULMB is pretty straight it's impossible at higher res even with the best though. 4k is overrated I'd kill for better dot pitch or very little pixel persistence instead. When 4k reaches it i will be happy until then no rush not at 30fps or 60fps.
 
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