Hey all - I am looking to upgrade my monitor with a new gaming monitor. I currently am running 1440p 60hz and am interested in a higher refresh one. I've got a 980ti and usually play games like LoL and FPS like BF4/BF3/CoD etc...  I've been looking at 144hz displays but can't figure out whether it's worth the extra $$ for gsync or not - and can't find a clear answer online. I am generally able to push 100+ FPS in the games I play now and I have read that gsync is really only "useful" if you drop below 60FPS.  Anyone here that has used both care to chime in?  
 
The panel I am considering is the Dell S2716DG which is gsync / 1440p /144hz  and I can get it for about $450.  I could get a 144hz standard or FreeSync (yes I know that won't work) for about $100 less.  I've also seen it recommended to turn off gsync in some cases due to lag and to just us the "ULMB" function of the monitors.

EVGATech_DaveB
I personally have a 1440p, 144Hz, GSync monitor and I wont go back.  The higher refresh is great for high FPS, and for something that either can push my system hard enough to drop the frame rate or something that was poorly optimized so there are frame rate drops, the GSync helps a lot to make sure everything plays smooth as glass.  Of course, YMMV and not everyone's eyes are the same, but I have been sold on GSync since I saw a demo at an NVidia booth a few years back that had the same demo going on 2 screens and one was GSync one was not, and the difference was very noticeable.

Are there screen "artifacts" or tearing you want to call them when running 120FPS on a standard 144Hz screen?  I hear the move from 60hz to 120hz+ is VERY dramatic.  I'd also be going from IPS to TN which I hear for gaming the input lag is changed by a lot.  I'm not a pro gamer by any means but I think playing BF4 I am getting a lot of blur which brings the game down.  The demo that was running on the 2 screens - I assume they were both the same refresh rate?  I really wish there were more places to try stuff like this out - it'd be nice to see this stuff 1st hand before dropping big bucks on stuff!

And if you had the opportunity to go 34" 21:9 (ultrawide 1440p) at 75hz (non g-sync) vs 27" 144hz gsync for relatively the same price...  Still go g-sync?

I have a Asus Rog PG279Q IPS panel with 165 Hz refresh this baby rocks. It's G-Sync.... know what they say once you go G-Sync you never go back! Something like that any way I love this panel.
Good luck with what ever you choose.

144Hz - 165Hz + G-Sync = 

WackyWRZ
OK - you guys talked me into it and twisted my arm.  2x Dell S2716DG coming my way. &nbsp http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&sku=210-AGJR
Now - is there a point of diminishing returns after a certain FPS?  Like is there much difference between 100->120->144?
 
Thanks again everyone for your input!!!!

I'd say anything above 125 isn't noticeable.

I'm using an Acer XB241H on a secondary system (which I guess makes me a lowly 24" 1080peasant ), and the difference was well worth the cost of entry.
 
The main appeal of G-SYNC for me was the ability to play games with the visual benefit of vsync (tearing gives me an enormous headache), but without the penalty of having my frame rate dropped in half when I couldn't keep up with the refresh rate. It allows me play the game as well as my hardware will let me, without the performance trade-off I'd normally incur just because I want a stable image, too.
 
Aside from the extra cost for the module, it's definitely a win-win.

WackyWRZ
I think this may be what I am experiencing in games as well which is what prompted me to look into higher refresh.  When playing BF4 or LoL at 100+ FPS i often see "stutters" but the stutter only appears to be one portion of the screen - if that makes sense.  I really notice it when map scrolling in LoL or driving vehicles in BF4 - it's super distracting and I get a headache or eyes hurting as well.  I assume this is some sort of tearing that I am seeing because I am over 60FPS and this will remedy that?

Yep. If you enabled vsync on your old monitor, you'd eliminate the tearing you're seeing, but you'd also be locking yourself to 60FPS max. With the higher refresh, you'd eliminate most of the tearing, too. But enabling vsync on the higher refresh monitor has the same limitations as your old monitor... if you can't maintain the max, your frames keep getting halved until you can maintain (unless the game uses triple buffering, but most games don't).
 
G-SYNC solves all that, though. No tearing, no matter what your frame rate is, and without the input lag most folks complain about when regular vsync is enabled.

I have a 24 "Sceptre 1900x1200 60hz monitor and have never experienced this tearing you all talk about. I had a old GTX 295 and now have a GTX980ti Hybrid. Neither card experienced this Problem. I usually play MWF3 multiplayer. Is this tearing just on certain Games ?

DAVE2HOT4U
I have a 24 "Sceptre 1900x1200 60hz monitor and have never experienced this tearing you all talk about. I had a old GTX 295 and now have a GTX980ti Hybrid. Neither card experienced this Problem. I usually play MWF3 multiplayer. Is this tearing just on certain Games ?

No, it's anytime the frames and refresh rate are out of sync. It's mostly noticeable when you're turning fast, or strafing from side to side. Vsync caps the framerate to the monitor's refresh, but it also introduces input lag with the mouse, and it often causes performance drops if you can't maintain your framerate.
 
Some people don't seem to be particularly bothered by it, which may be why you've never really noticed it. It gives me a massive headache, though. And it's not isolated to certain types of displays, because I first experienced it on an old CRT back in the day.

fearpoint
OP, you get your monitor yet?

Yup just got both of them tonight.  I was really worried about the IPS vs TN debate/debacle because my last 3 sets of monitors have all been IPS and the ones I use at work are as well so I am accustomed to colors popping and viewing angles being great.  Out of the box its like burn your retinas bright!  And compared to my old Acer AVHA monitors the colors are for sure different - but after some tweaking and using the icc profile from TFTCentral it's a whole lot closer.  I've also never tweaked the old ones much anyway so who knows how "off" they were.  All in all I think I can live with TN.
 
Now for the point of it all - gaming.  I fired up some BF4 and was much less than impressed...  I knew something was up and downloaded the inf/drivers from Dell so it wasn't just detected as "Generic PnP".  Then I made sure G-Sync was on and the refresh was at 144Hz (which it wasn't).  Fired up BF4 again and all I can say is OMFG.     There isn't a doubt in my mind that I made the right choice here (well outside of a 34" 144hz G-SYNC LOL).  The difference is immediate and dramatic I would compare it like going from 1080->1440 it's that big of a deal.  I'm running anywhere from 110-150FPS in BF4 so I know I am getting the benefit.  Everything is MUCH smoother - heck as soon as I switched to 144hz the mouse and scrolling web pages felt different.  The difference is so hard to describe - without seeing it you honestly don't know what you're missing like hearing about an IMAX theater and actually stepping foot in one!
 
Now to close this one out with yet another question.  I actually ordered 2x of these bad boys so is it worth keeping both of them?  I'm a dual monitor guy - gotta have them so I am going to get duals no matter what.  The question is do I send one back and get a cheap 1080 27"?  I feel like I might also be a little bit put off if they don't match too...

fearpoint

WackyWRZ

fearpoint
OP, you get your monitor yet?

Yup just got both of them tonight.  I was really worried about the IPS vs TN debate/debacle because my last 3 sets of monitors have all been IPS and the ones I use at work are as well so I am accustomed to colors popping and viewing angles being great.  Out of the box its like burn your retinas bright!  And compared to my old Acer AVHA monitors the colors are for sure different - but after some tweaking and using the icc profile from TFTCentral it's a whole lot closer.  I've also never tweaked the old ones much anyway so who knows how "off" they were.  All in all I think I can live with TN.
 
Now for the point of it all - gaming.  I fired up some BF4 and was much less than impressed...  I knew something was up and downloaded the inf/drivers from Dell so it wasn't just detected as "Generic PnP".  Then I made sure G-Sync was on and the refresh was at 144Hz (which it wasn't).  Fired up BF4 again and all I can say is OMFG.     There isn't a doubt in my mind that I made the right choice here (well outside of a 34" 144hz G-SYNC LOL).  The difference is immediate and dramatic I would compare it like going from 1080->1440 it's that big of a deal.  I'm running anywhere from 110-150FPS in BF4 so I know I am getting the benefit.  Everything is MUCH smoother - heck as soon as I switched to 144hz the mouse and scrolling web pages felt different.  The difference is so hard to describe - without seeing it you honestly don't know what you're missing like hearing about an IMAX theater and actually stepping foot in one!
 
Now to close this one out with yet another question.  I actually ordered 2x of these bad boys so is it worth keeping both of them?  I'm a dual monitor guy - gotta have them so I am going to get duals no matter what.  The question is do I send one back and get a cheap 1080 27"?  I feel like I might also be a little bit put off if they don't match too...

Called it!
 

^^ Same!  :)
 
@OP
Heck if you got the space, go surround with them!  But I would go with both and oust the smaller monitor, as if you do anything slightly graphical on it, you are going to be constantly grumbling at how bad it looks compare to your nice new 144 GSync.
 
Also, what was the final model you went with?  I have the ROG Swift, and no regrets there, but I imagine all of that basic genre will likely be really good.

DELL S2716DG 27" Gaming Monitor with WQHD 2560 x 1440 Resolution 144Hz Refresh Rate and NVIDIA G-Sync  down to   $ 469  at Newegg sale ---
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260333&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL042616A&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL042616A-_-EMC-042616-Index-_-LCDLEDMonitors-_-24260333-S0M
 
 

WackyWRZ

aka_STEVE_b
DELL S2716DG 27" Gaming Monitor with WQHD 2560 x 1440 Resolution 144Hz Refresh Rate and NVIDIA G-Sync  
down to   $ 469  at Newegg sale --- 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260333&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL042616A&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL042616A-_-EMC-042616-Index-_-LCDLEDMonitors-_-24260333-S0M

 
Or if you can catch them in-stock when Dell Outlet is doing their 30%-40% off coupons you can get them for $239/ea + TAX! 
 

OMG that's a great deal!  I got a great deal on my swift, but nothing that good.  Grats on the monitors and the savings.  Glad you are enjoying your new investment.