I want your opinion Tek Syndicate,
I've already built my PC and am contemplating what to upgrade next.
I'll have to save up for some time before I can buy either one, and I plan on getting both eventually, but which should I get first?
A second monitor of mine (this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260104), or an SSD?
If you do not have an SSD currently, I would vote for that.
I always say, upgrade performance before peripherals( ie monitor)
I was thinking the monitor because I've seen a bunch of places where it would be useful to have a second monitor.
But does the SSD really that much of a stark difference? Would everything be faster? Like just opening up firefox would be instant and all?
Having a second (third or forth) monitor is amazing if you can multitask, but having an SSD is an unbelievable increase in performance. My laptop went from unusable to being my main system until I got another SSD to put in my desktop.
It would make your computer feel much more snappy. On start up and programs would load quicker.
If I had a second monitor, I don't think I would use it much. But my SSD certainly has the performance benefits that cuts game loading times massively.
If you play a lot of games like Skyrim or Total War, those games with long loading times would benefit hugely from an SSD. Other games wouldn't benefit nearly as much. There are advantages of loading multiplayer maps fast to choose the best classes.
What I am saying is, it is personal preference. If you do not have large games, then you might benefit from the second monitor more than an SSD.
Hmm. Ok. It's still a tough decision. I play CSGO and BF4 and such kind of multiplayer games a lot, so I think the SSD would help me a lot in load times, and of course making everything snappier.
But a lot of times I want to have Skype on a second monitor because it's annoying having to alt tab when someone is talking to me, and it takes forever.
Would an SSD make alt tabbing in and out of the game faster? And I know I can do fullscreen windowed so that it doesn't take as long but in some games (CSGO specifically) it causes stuttering for me.
If it'll make it alt tab out really quick then maybe it won't be a big deal.
If you use a second monitor, you might want to go fullscreen windowed anyways. I use Skype and Rainmeter on my second screen and usually have videos playing on my third and I love it. If you're ok with your loading time now, a second monitor is really nice, but again SSDs are REALLY fast.
I can tell you that your load time with BF4 will be drastically cut in half. As far as alt-tabbing goes I think that is more reliant on memory
I have 8GB of 1600 mhz RAM.
SSD
SSD
both? if its only going to be a second screen just buy a cheap one simple 4:3 hell could even use a CRT screen!!
I use this set up
just 3 cheap screens, 1 samsung SyncMaster 710N 1 other branded 4:3 both running 1280x1024 (ASUS GT 610 2GB Silent drives them) and 1x 16:10 1440x900 (Driven by GTX 760 AMP!) screen dunno the brand again VGA
best set up i've ever had
As long as the monitor is 16:10, I say go for the monitor!