Video card to support 4K display @ 60Hz?

[wpcoe]

I've been spoiled by the high-resolution displays on my Lenovo notebook and Microsoft Surface 3 tablet. The 23" 1920 x 1080 screen for my desktop computer just seems annoyingly primitive in comparison.

I'm seriously close to buying a 24" LED monitor with 3840 x 2160 resolution. Problem is finding an affordable graphics card that will support that resolution at 60Hz. The options are Display Port or HDMI v.2, it seems.

Many video cards don't specify frequency, only resolutions supported. e.g. SAPPHIRE NITRO Radeon™ R7 360 2G D5 and GIGABYTE Radeon R7 360 -- both specify 4096 x 2160 on DisplayPort, but is it at 60Hz or only 30Hz?

Do all DisplayPort GPUs support 4K @ 60Hz?

I'm not concerned with gaming capabilities, nor in playing 4K videos, just want to see a crisper display with my desktop computer like I see on my notebook/tablet screens.

[KhunBENQ]

The GIGABYTE:

http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/faq-page.aspx?fid=3448&pid=5467

What is the maximum display resolution it can support? It varies by the output, please refer to the information below:

• Dual Link DVI-I: 2560 x 1600 @60Hz
• DVI-D: 2560 x 1600 @60Hz
• DisplayPort: 3840 × 2160 @60Hz / 4096 x 2160 @60Hz
• HDMI: 3840 × 2160 @30Hz / 4096 x 2160 @24Hz

Edited May 6, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[wpcoe]

Wow, good catch, KhunBENQ!

Here I was looking at "Specifications" when it was under "FAQ"!

Thanks a bunch. Now I can go forth and spend my money.

[KhunBENQ]

Lucky find.

Quite difficult to find reference information/datasheets.

[KittenKong]

I'm not concerned with gaming capabilities, nor in playing 4K videos, just want to see a crisper display with my desktop computer like I see on my notebook/tablet screens.

In that case you dont need 60Hz.

[wpcoe]

I'm not concerned with gaming capabilities, nor in playing 4K videos, just want to see a crisper display with my desktop computer like I see on my notebook/tablet screens.

In that case you dont need 60Hz.

My eyes are sensitive to flicker, so thought the 24/30Mhz frequency would be a problem. Is that only true on old CRT-tube monitors?

[KittenKong]

I'm not concerned with gaming capabilities, nor in playing 4K videos, just want to see a crisper display with my desktop computer like I see on my notebook/tablet screens.

In that case you dont need 60Hz.

My eyes are sensitive to flicker, so thought the 24/30Mhz frequency would be a problem. Is that only true on old CRT-tube monitors?

Well, I suppose you might notice something. Could you set your existing monitor to 30fps to see how it is? Seems a shame to spend a lot on a video card if it doesnt give you anything that you really need.

[wpcoe]

Right-clicking on the Win10 desktop: Display Settings > Advanced display settings > Display adapter properties, both the Monitor and Intel HD Graphics Control Panels tabs only offer 60Hz as a choice. Is there someplace else that would offer a choice of a lower refresh rate?

On Monday I ordered a Dell P2415Q monitor and Gigabyte R7 360 video card at a local J.I.B. shop. Supposed to be in the store tomorrow. The R7 360 card was the cheapest I model I could find with Display Port that definitely supported 4K @ 60Hz and was "only" B4,190.

I scrapped a potential upgrade to a Skylake system -- I'm still using an Ivy Bridge i3-3225 -- because I couldn't find a micro-ATX H170/Z170 motherboard in Thailand with DisplayPort. I decided to stick with my current system because I would still have needed a video card with a Skylake system. If the upgrade itch strikes again later, the video card purchase won't be wasted.

Edited May 11, 2016 by wpcoe

[KittenKong]

Right-clicking on the Win10 desktop: Display Settings > Advanced display settings > Display adapter properties, both the Monitor and Intel HD Graphics Control Panels tabs only offer 60Hz as a choice. Is there someplace else that would offer a choice of a lower refresh rate?

Normally the video card control panel would have these settings (my Nvidia does and ATI cards do too) but with Intel you may have fewer options.

On Monday I ordered a Dell P2415Q monitor and Gigabyte R7 360 video card at a local J.I.B. shop. Supposed to be in the store tomorrow. The R7 360 card was the cheapest I model I could find with Display Port that definitely supported 4K @ 60Hz and was "only" B4,190.

Well, at least that way you know where you are. 4000B is a lot cheaper than they used to be!

[wpcoe]

Got the new monitor and video card this afternoon. Very glad I did the upgrade. I do a lot of online reading, including forums, and the sharper text is so much nicer. Granted, 4K on a 24" monitor (185 ppi) isn't quite as sharp as my notebook (267 ppi) or tablet (213 ppi), but it's a big step up from the 1920 x 1080 on a 23" screen (96 ppi).

If software developers like Adobe and Corel would get off their butts and make their software high-res friendly, it'd be even better. Microsoft is pretty good in Windows 10 and the Office Suite about supporting it.

[Jdiddy]

I'm not concerned with gaming capabilities, nor in playing 4K videos, just want to see a crisper display with my desktop computer like I see on my notebook/tablet screens.

In that case you dont need 60Hz.

Ive had 120/144hz monitors for awhile now and find 60hz painful for even desktop and internet use, couldnt even imagine putting up with 30hz lol especally with scrolling and moving windows around