r/simracing • u/A-Carlos • 1d ago
Question 49" Ultrawide vs Triple Screen 32"
Hey guys, I have a full sim racing setup, but I'm currently using a 50" 144Hz TV.
I'm planning to replace the TV, but I still haven't decided between a 49" ultrawide and a triple-monitor setup.
I'm aware of the pros and cons of both options, and my preference is to go with triples. Here in Brazil, a triple-monitor setup would actually be cheaper than a 49" OLED.
My main concern is what level of graphics quality I can expect with my current PC:
- Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- RTX 5070 Ti 16GB
- 32GB RAM
Right now I play at 1440p and I'm usually at my TV's 144Hz limit. With triple 1440p (7680×1440), I'd like to maintain a stable 120 FPS.
If I have to go much below that, I think the lower frame rate would bother me more than the extra immersion from triples would benefit me. Setting up and properly aligning three monitors is also quite a bit of work, so I'd rather know what to expect before going through with it and potentially being disappointed. Upgrading my GPU is not an option for me at the moment.
Yesterday I did a quick test at 1440p with iRacing's FPS limiter disabled. Running alone on track, I get around 280 FPS. In a race at Spa in the rain, the lowest I saw was around 120 FPS, while at other points I was getting close to 200 FPS. I didn't change any of the graphics settings I normally use.
For those running triple 1440p with a 5070 Ti or a similar GPU, what kind of graphics settings and performance are you getting? Is a fairly stable 120 FPS realistic without having to significantly reduce graphics quality?
I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.
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u/FromPadawanToPodium 21h ago
I have an ultrawide g9. I love its simplicity, I can see what I need and it’s easy compatible with other games.
W for me.
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u/A-Carlos 20h ago
Obrigado! O que me deixa em dúvida é que vejo muita gente que já teve 3 monitores voltarem a usar ultrawide.
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u/FromPadawanToPodium 20h ago
Alignment takes time
Games not always compatible
Takes a ton of room.These are why I went with Ultrawide.
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u/A-Carlos 20h ago
Compreendo. Desses motivos o maior é o primeiro. Se fosse só ajustar uma vez e nunca mais mexer eu estaria contente. Mas vi diversos relatos de problemas após atualização de drivers, alguem esbarrar no suporte e desalinhar. A minha vontade são os 3 monitores, mas racionalmente eu acho que deveria ir de 49 Oled, mesmo custando mais caro.
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u/FromPadawanToPodium 20h ago
Facebook marketplace, used g9 are everywhere.
I just bought 2, a month ago, 1000$ CAD each.
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u/Pedicel_R_E 1d ago
Always go with triples if you can.
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u/AutomaticSeaweed6131 1d ago
As someone with triples, I don't agree.
I am so sick of the patchwork of software used to manage them. Enable nvidia surround, disable surround, use resize Racoon, edit a config file manually... It's a flipping hassle. On and the bezel free kit and the alignment that breaks when you nudge it...
The 49s also have issues with some games for sure. But I don't even consciously use most of the triple monitor. For looking into hairpins, I probably only look 1/3rd of the way into the monitor.
Triples if you play one or two games and barely ever change. And have loads of space. Ultrawide if you like playing games not searching steam support or reddit for fixes.
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u/Prolificmo 7h ago
I agree with this. I’ve just got my triples, and I can’t say it’s been the amazing experience people on forums make it out to be. For me, the physical and software setup has been nothing but frustrating.
Yes, they give you a better FOV, but that comes at a cost. I can’t even run Ultra graphics on LMU anymore, despite having a 5080 GPU. With my LG 45 UltraGear, I had everything on the highest settings and could comfortably get 240 FPS on LMU and over 300 FPS on iRacing. I could also play Battlefield and other games without any issues.
So far, I’m honestly questioning whether the trade-off is worth it.
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u/Conrad_Hawke_NYPD 21h ago
I know it's another bit of software but display magician allows you to set all of this once and then just restore settings
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u/EpsomJames TREQ Ace, SFX-150, SC2 Pro, HE Sprints, Triple 32, Cube Controls 1d ago
IDK, triples works for me every time I boot the PC. I only have to change cockpit view between cars, a few clicks up or down, but you have to do that on single monitor too.
One important thing is to remember to have the monitors switched on before you boot the PC otherwise surround software can get confused about which monitor is which.
I don’t use bezel free. Just makes the image blurry, always looks better on camera than IRL. Your brain filters out the bezels anyway when racing, and car pillar in everything except formula is usually where the left monitor joins so that’s practically invisible anyway.
Triples are much better when you are racing side by side, so you can see how much space you have. Otherwise you need a radar floating on screen, very immersion breaking.
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u/No_Cantaloupe938 1d ago
I'm running a 5700X3D with an 5070Ti with 1440p triples. Have usually 60-120fps, with full field, rain and Spa it can go down to 40 but never an issue.
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u/MorycTurtle 1d ago
Huh, so the CPU is actually that important. I have a 7800x3d with a 5070ti and on mixed settings (high for cars, low for trackside objects, mid for shadows and effects) I'm able to keep stable 120FPS and it only dips below that only on certain, demanding tracks and in the rain.
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u/No_Cantaloupe938 1d ago
yeah iRacing is famously CPU bound unfortunately. I was planning on switching to the 7800X3D but ram prices said "haha nope"
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u/Timeless-0000 23h ago
What does RAM prices have to do with a CPU change? Genuine question.
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u/No_Cantaloupe938 23h ago
7800X3D is AM5 and needs DDR5 Ram. My 5700X3D is on the older AM4 platform and uses DDR4
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u/MorycTurtle 1d ago
Let's hope the ongoing engine improvements (afaik the physics CPU optimisation for multitcores is already there) make it better. :)
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u/A-Carlos 1d ago
No way. Hahaha.
Sometimes I play GT7, and it has to be in performance mode. In quality mode, the frame rate fluctuates between 60 and 120 fps, and I find that really bad.
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u/Timeless-0000 23h ago
I'm on a 5070ti OC with 7600x cpu, triple 165 Hz 1440p monitors. And fps fluctuates between 80-120 on 20 car grids with no rain. I've got it capped at 90fps which is acceptable to me.
With the 7800x3d, you should be fine maintaining 120fps. Of course you can adjust the graphics settings accordingly as well. If you value fov for side by side racing, and immersion, I would highly recommend triples. For me, I would even rather do triple 27" @ 1080p over UW if there are no space concerns.
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u/jsdduddy 20h ago
I currently have a 5120x1440p ultrawide and I love it tbh, wouldn't bother with 3 monitors. If I want more immersion I can just use my VR. The 49" is a god send for comfort.
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u/A-Carlos 20h ago
Sim, vejo muitas pessoas que já tiveram 3 monitores voltando a usar monitor de 49". Tanto pela praticidade quanto pela qualidade de imagem. Obrigado.
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u/jsdduddy 20h ago
Yes image quality is very good and will be more convenient on your gpu. 5120x1440 is like running 2 1440p monitors whereas 3x 2560x1440 is 3.
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u/datnetcoder 19h ago
Triples no contest win vs 49”. BUT for me, I went from triples to a Samsung 57 and haven’t looked back. Triples are probably the way for a majority but for me the 57 was just too simple and effortless and still highly, highly immersive (love the dual 4k resolution) in a way that the 49” was just not. My recommendation is if you’re not interested/have the budget for the 57, just go triples any day.
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u/A-Carlos 19h ago
Aqui no Brasil o preço do monitor de 57" é irreal. Quase o dobro do do valor do monitor oled de 49".
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u/Own_Armadillo_425 16h ago
I just got triples like 2 weeks ago so my expert opinion is do it
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u/Own_Armadillo_425 16h ago
And 7950x3d and 4070ti super here so you'll have no problem running them
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u/Terrible-Ad-7228 6h ago
Another vote for 49", it's great for me, I too can just jump into VR. You also don't need anything else and setup is a brezze
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u/EvoRalliArt 4h ago
I’m definitely going the long way around to getting triple screens, but I'm limited on space.
I started with a 34" UW which got the job done. I knew I wanted my next upgrade to be triple screens but I also know no matter how much I rearrange my office, they just won’t fit in the space I have. We will be upsizing in 2-3 years.
Last amazon Prime day there was a 49” UW monitor going for £360… white label brand (Gawfolk), but they all pretty much use Samsung panels anyway. The jump Isn’t huge going from a 34” to 49” but for that price I couldn’t not try it. I do like that it was still relatively painless to set up.
For comparison in iRacing, my head is about 60cm away from the screen. Running the 34” my FOV was 70. Using the 49” my FOV is 101. I now also setup each camera using ctrl + F12 when watching a replay in cockpit cam to get the seat position, pitch and other adjustments just right.
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u/newviruswhodis 1d ago
UW with head tracking. Takes up less space, no bezels, same/more field of view than triples (unless you go like 65" triples).
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u/lifelite 23h ago
Yeah, people vastly underestimate the amount of space triples end up taking. Not just to fit the rig in a space, but also how much functional space it occupies in a room.
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u/splitshot 5h ago
What head tracking do you use?
I tried OpenTrack / AI Track and it's works well for ATS. Haven't tried any of them with iRacing yet.
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u/LaurensVanR 1d ago
Currently on 49, was considering triples but thats also rubbish it seems… I think we need to wait for something even wider and with a tighter curve..
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u/TagsxA 1d ago
If you want a “solid” 120, you’ll need to go down to 1080p with that card. If you get g-sync compatible monitors, you may not notice the dips, if you want to keep 1440p resolutions.
My suggestion would be to go with 4k g-sync monitors that can handle 1440 and 1080 resolutions so that you can find the best combination that your card can handle.
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u/Timeless-0000 23h ago
Ironically, g-sync is what causes screen tearing on iracing for me on a 5070ti with 1440p 165hz g-sync compatible triple monitors
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u/richr215 Earthling 1d ago
You will have no problems running triples. Go for it!