How much PC do you really need? Your monitor decides
Most people think too big for the graphics card and too small for the monitor. Why the reverse order makes more sense, and where you can save with a clear conscience.
When someone writes to us, there is almost always a number in the air: a budget. What is mentioned far less often is which screen the whole thing will run on later. Yet that is exactly the question that decides what a sensible price is.
Why the monitor sets the upper limit
A PC can only deliver as much image as your monitor can show. A 60 Hz screen shows 60 frames per second, anything above that is simply discarded. If you run a 700 euro graphics card on such a monitor, you are paying for performance that gets stuck in the cable.
The same goes for resolution. In Full HD the graphics card has to calculate a good two million pixels, in WQHD almost four million. The jump costs noticeable performance, and it only pays off if your monitor actually has those pixels.
First the screen, then the PC. The other way round it gets more expensive without getting better.
Three typical cases
- Full HD at 60 Hz. An entry-level system is perfectly enough here. You will not see more performance, you will only pay for it.
- Full HD at 144 Hz. Now more computing power pays off, because high frame rates actually reach your eyes. Especially in fast games.
- WQHD at 144 Hz. This is the point where a stronger system really makes sense, and where we usually advise the middle level rather than the biggest.
What is often overlooked
The processor is often overrated and RAM underrated. For most games, 16 GB is the sensible standard today; with the processor, the next more expensive level often only brings a few extra frames but costs considerably more money.
What almost always pays off, on the other hand: a fast SSD and a decent power supply. You notice both every day, the SSD when starting up, the power supply because the PC stays quiet and still runs stably after years.
How to find out easily
Look in your monitor's settings or search for its model name. You need two figures: the resolution and the refresh rate in hertz. With these two numbers we can tell you quite precisely where it makes sense for you to stop.
And if you are planning a new screen anyway: tell us. Sometimes the most honest recommendation is to take a hundred euros off the PC and put it into the monitor.
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