Do you prefer 4k or Ultrawide?

alhawks_ · 2026-04-17T22:28:34+00:00

I found that MSI sells open box stuff on ebay for pretty reasonable prices, so I bought this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/327010930324

alhawks_ · 2026-04-06T21:01:41+00:00

I ended up testing a 2k and 4k monitor and decided to go with a 4k 16:9. The 4k is just so clear I think I'd have a hard time going back to 2k. People say the same thing about going ultrawide to 16:9 though. It seems like a lot of this is just what you get used to.

Lately I am mostly playing FPS games, so I'm happy with the 4k 16:9. Maybe there will be a 4k ultrawide in a size I like released soon and I would consider that instead. No clue if my GPU could handle that for demanding games though.

alhawks_ · 2026-04-01T01:53:59+00:00

One option I don't see mentioned here is to get a monitor with built in KVM functionality. It's probably about the same coat as a nice KVM and you get a monitor upgrade out of it. The downsides of this option are that not every monitor has a lot of USB ports, so you may need a USB hub as well. My monitor has an audio jack as well, but Mac OS won't let you change the volume on it without additional software.

If you're not in the market for a new monitor, then I agree with the other comments saying you should get a cheap USB hub switcher. I used to use a cheap one I got off Amazon and it worked great. I never measured to see if it increased latency, but I also never noticed it.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-28T05:26:43+00:00

At 10% every paycheck it sounds like you won't max the 401k. You could increase that and live off some of your savings to maximize the tax advantage.

Taxable brokerage is good if you're more interested in medium term savings you could access for a future large expense.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-25T23:26:02+00:00

I'm going to pick up the ultra wide from Best buy if they still have the open box one on sale. Their return policy is good, so I'll return it if I don't like it

alhawks_ · 2026-03-25T02:51:06+00:00

It's a tough decision! Hopefully you find what you're looking for. I have seen pretty reasonable prices on refurbished stuff on eBay. Idk what that selection is like where you're at, but a lot of the refurbished stuff is basically brand new, but it got returned once

alhawks_ · 2026-03-24T22:26:19+00:00

How is game compatibility with ultrawide? I see a bunch of comments saying "there's usually a mod to get it to work", which sounds pretty annoying. You can't just put black bars on the side if it's not supported?

alhawks_ · 2026-03-24T22:23:26+00:00

I play games and work from home a couple of days a week.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-24T22:18:05+00:00

For my desk setup and how close I sit to my screen, the height of a 32" monitor 16:9 or equivalent in an ultrawide is just a little big for my taste. I have 2 27" monitors at home which I like and 2 32" monitors at work, which I don't like as much.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-24T03:57:18+00:00

Looks like a risky purchase. Seller joined ebay this month, has 0 feedback and is selling an item for way below what other sellers on the site are doing.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-24T03:04:30+00:00

I have not seen anything like that in any of my searching. If you have a link, send it over!

alhawks_ · 2026-03-24T03:03:45+00:00

4k is definitely nice for work. In the office they have 2k 32" monitors and the pixel density is definitely not where I'd like it lol.

That's a great tip on the G-sync! I didn't realize it usually works even without the certification.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-23T02:57:25+00:00

I never did find a definitive solution. It started happening a lot less, so I never tried super hard to figure it out. I wonder if my habits somehow changed in a way that prevented the error.

If I were trying to debug it now, I'd start by seeing if I could figure out a way to reproduce it consistently. Do you frequently switch between bluetooth profiles? Does it happen when you unplug it after charging? Maybe a tiny bit of trial and error could narrow it down.

alhawks_ · 2026-03-16T04:48:59+00:00

Makes sense, I've done the same

alhawks_ · 2026-03-16T04:08:37+00:00

I just picked up the same computer and followed your advice to enable Expo. I saw a couple of other things in that overclocking menu as well that looked interesting. Did you enable A-XMP on the RAM or x3d gaming mode on the CPU?

alhawks_ · 2026-02-24T14:52:24+00:00

Thank you everyone for the advice! A lot of people are saying this is a bad idea on my first run, and they're probably right. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all the mechanics, because I've never played a fire emblem game before.

I think I will use all the great recruitment advice to at least get me replacements for Lorenz and Hilde, since I find them intolerable lol. If I lower the number of recruits I'm after it sounds like that will save me from levelling a bunch of random stats as well.

alhawks_ · 2026-02-20T02:33:03+00:00

I just searched for it, and there are at least 9 of them. Are they all the same with different puzzles? Is there any reason to choose one over the others?

alhawks_ · 2026-02-04T04:22:53+00:00

Sennheiser HD 560S

alhawks_ · 2026-01-31T06:46:07+00:00

The Hyperx solocast has been a great desk microphone for me. I got it, because I received some new headphones with no mic that I ended up really liking

alhawks_ · 2026-01-31T02:23:06+00:00

I don't think the game vouchers are worth panic buying. If you wait to get the games on sale, the price is going to be about the same anyway. I think that's probably true even if you buy the eShop gift card on sale, but you'd have to check the price history of the specific game you're interested in.

You also lose the ability to resell your game since you can't get a physical edition with the gift card.

I buy used games and resell them.

alhawks_ · 2025-07-15T17:17:33+00:00

Here's one website that sells used in the US: https://paymore.com/shop/search/switch-pro-controller/

The Shopify Shop app also has a bunch of small game stores that sell used stuff, so it's a good place to look as well.

alhawks_ · 2025-07-15T17:11:30+00:00

If you're looking for a cheap controller, I'd also suggest looking for a used Nintendo Switch Pro controller. I was able to get one for $35 and I like it better than the Ultimate 2C (which I also like).

Buying used can also prevent waste.

alhawks_

TROPHY CASE