I'm fairly new to PC gaming and currently use an LG UltraGear 1080p 180Hz monitor with an RTX 4050 laptop. I'm considering upgrading to an Alienware 1440p 180Hz display. Would the higher resolution be worthwhile with my laptop, especially since I usually play RPGs such as Grim Dawn and Path of Exile at around 60 FPS on medium settings? I'm more interested in sharper image quality than pushing very high frame rates. I also use a PS5, and some games look blurry at 1080p, so I'm hoping a 1440p monitor might improve that experience.
3 Answers
For your situation, the upgrade is mainly about sharper visuals rather than higher refresh rate. Your PS5 is stronger than the laptop GPU in many gaming scenarios and should handle 1440p more comfortably. Just make sure the monitor supports the PS5’s preferred resolutions and refresh rates, and consider keeping the laptop at 1080p with upscaling in games where native 1440p is too demanding.
An RTX 4050 laptop GPU is fairly limited at native 1440p, especially in newer, demanding games. You should expect to lower settings or use upscaling to maintain smooth performance. For the games and 60 FPS cap you described, though, it can still be perfectly usable; the main issue is that the monitor’s 180Hz capability probably won’t be fully utilized.
The upgrade makes the most sense for the PS5 and image quality. A PS5 can make better use of a 1440p display than an RTX 4050 laptop can in demanding PC games, thanks to console-optimized settings and upscaling. If you were buying specifically for the PC, a 4K 120Hz display could also be worth considering for console use, but 1440p is a good middle ground.
That’s what I was hoping to clarify. I mostly play slower-paced RPGs and cap them at 60 FPS, so I’m primarily looking for more pixels and a cleaner image rather than competitive-game performance.