I like my 144 Hz GSync. However, to echo what other people here have said, I wouldn't go higher than 60 without GSync - the way it eliminates stuttering is just amazing.

If you've never gone beyond 60 Hz, I'd argue that you don't need to, but once you have experienced it, it's hard to go back.

You can check if a particular FreeSync monitor you have in mind is supported by Nvidia too as many are.

Thank you all for your views. It seems no one regrets paying for the extra refresh rate. And yes, I would prefer getting something with Freesync. And having said that... Don't games need to support Freesync for it to make a difference? Oh. I always read about the wonderful colours of the IPS. VA is not frequently talked about, other than to say that it sits between IPS and TN in speed and picture quality. I shall research it further. Thank you for pointing it out to me. Nice one, but I'm afraid I won't be able to pull that one off! ;-) I can't go that crazy. Well, yes (and you are not the only one pointing towards this), but I believe that, if we were talking about FPS in games, that is more relevant. Smooth cursor movement and page scrolling are less demanding.
Still, if a game plays at lower frame rates, you still get a benefit from the higher frame rate, right?

I won't be playing Cyberpunk 2077 or other top games. Maybe The Witcher 3 would provide a good target. Now, in WQHD or 4k? Maybe I'll leave that to another thread. 4k and high refresh rate are expensive! Wait... it has fans? I'm glad you are enjoying it, but that, sadly, won't work for me.
Would you still recommend Dell as a monitor brand? Well, I do, but we can control the refresh rate by software.

I'll be replacing most of it, looking for "bang for buck" more than "top specs". However, a good screen is important for comfort and convenience.

Games don't need to support Freesync, everything is negociated by the GPU driver and the monitor itself.
If you're using Linux, take a look at Mangohud/GOverlay as you can pretty much override game setting regarding V-sync and max FPS. It is a little great program to help setup the games.

Regarding your question to Judicat0r, If the game frame rate falls bellow what the monitor can display in Hz, say 48Hz, the game will stutter and tearing will appear. That's what the Freesync is for, will adjust the monitor refresh rate to the game refresh rate.
If eventually you are playing a game locked at 60fps, as soon as you enter the desktop (like Alt+Tab) you'll get all the benefits of 144Hz again.

I agree with everyone that getting a higher refresh rate monitor is worth it, and it's probably worth going for 120Hz/144Hz straight away. But for me freesync is the biggest improvement! The problem with fixed 60Hz refresh monitors is that vsync can add a lot of input latency (which sucks for anything where you want quick and precise mouse -- whether FPS, RTS, or something like Terraria..). You could always turn vsync off but then you might get nasty tearing which just looks really out of place in many games. And finally, old games would often require workarounds because they'd run way too fast (and waste lots of CPU cycles) without vsync. A freesync monitor pretty much fixes all those issues: low input latency, no tearing, framerate is still capped to something reasonable. Unless you're a real tint snob, the difference in image quality probably doesn't matter that much. FWIW I have VA and IPS side by side, both have their pros and cons. I'd say if you're playing in a well lit room, then IPS is probably the better option. If you like to play dark games in a dark room.. well, IPS glow might just drive you mad (it does drive me mad). VA black crush isn't nice either but it's a bit less jarring. (Read: both suck, I'm waiting for microled/oled displays) With freesync, yep.

I don't recall the differences off-hand, but google what are the differences between those technologies, and what are the features that matter to you the most.

For instance, I recall one or some of those (could be TN and/or VA) tend to have lower response time, which is good for high-speed gaming. On the other hand they might e.g. have a lower viewing angle, but I personally don't consider that important with a gaming monitor, as I am usually in front of it alone, in the middle. The viewing angle might be more important with e.g. a TV if you have a big family who watches TV at the same time.

https://www.techspot.com/article/1788-display-tech-compared/

https://www.howtogeek.com/658701/tn-vs.-ips-vs.-va-whats-the-best-display-panel-technology/

It has a single small fan for the G-Sync Ultimate module in the back of it. But as I've written in the update, as long as you vacuum the dust from the area it blows the air from like once a month, it will always stay at the lowest speed, even if you have it set on 240 Hz. Originally, I was worried when a few months after buying it, the fan suddenly got really loud. But immediately after getting rid of the dust blocking the vent and thus preventing heat from coming out, it went back to basically quiet. I don't notice it at all. Unless your PC is 100% silent, it is not an issue.

The Dell was pretty good. Very smooth and responsive, but struggled with color banding in darker shades. Lenovo still has a bit of it, but much less visible. Whereas it was very obvious on the Dell, I have to actively look for it on the Lenovo. Besides the banding and the lack of built-in gamma control, the Dell was pretty much perfect.

Thank you, guys. you helped me understand things better.

That is always nice to know. Thank you for the info.

Sadly, VA screens seem to be harder to find. I would really like to check them out at a store.
I'm not yet familiar with the MicroLED systems (I have read Apple would be releasing something using it), but I'm all in for OLED.

Ah, but that's the rub. If anything, I like silent machines. One day I would like to have a full-passive PC, even if it would be a modest computer.
I would more easily spend an extra 50€ on a component because it is more quiet, cooler or consumes less than on one that one that provides an additional 20 FPS.

Well... that and the lack of FreeSync. I'm going AMD due to the open-source drivers.

It varies from person to person I guess, but I noticed very little difference. I picked up a 1080p 144Hz Freesync on sale a year ago and used it on my PC until recently, when I switched it out for a 60Hz 1440p screen.

Now the 144Hz is just standing around being used in 60Hz mode with my Switch and Xbox.

Quiet cases/fans/coolers/parts are easy to find (and relatively cheap) nowadays. I hardly ever hear my desktop PC tower (sitting on the desk, next to me).
The "loudest" part is the graphics card (when I play a game), but I don't hear it because I don't play games without in-game sounds/music.

When I had my Athlon XP1700 and X2 4200+, they sounded like a big ass compressor, just idling.
(I'm not saying that Intel hardware from the same era was that much quieter - higher end PC hardware just sucked concerning noise)

I wouldn't like a monitor that needed to be dusted every month. I clean out my PC case every 2 years with compressed air...

Ah, finally we have a dissident! Welcome!
Please share with me the kind of games you play or your usual use you make of your computer.

Well, I clean mine every summer. It is getting old and the PSU is more noticeable now.
Some cases block the fan sounds better in a more active way, but they constrain airflow, and that makes the fans spin faster.. it is never easy. I think the best is to have more than one machine.

I use a Raspberry Pi to play movies on the TV. No fans! :-)

I have Fractal Design Define R5 case... read some reviews - quiet AND cool is definitely possible, we're not in 2005 anymore.

I use an Nvidia Shield Pro (2019) for video, it has a fan inside, but I've never heard it.

Using sound-dampening material surely helps. My current case makes use of something of the sort.
I like it, and will consider it when choosing a case. So many drive bays!

Sadly, many graphic cards use 2 or 3 fans nowadays.

If you are not in market for G-Sync, then that is definitely not a good option.

But I really mean it when I say the fan is basically unnoticeable, especially when gaming or watching a movie. I've had PCs in the past that were many times louder than this monitor.

I too plan to make the transition to a high refresh monitor by the end of the year, but it's not a priority. What I'm looking for is a 27" IPS, 2560x1440 at 144 Hz. One of the best at moment seems to be the LG 27GL850-B, which is a bit on the expensive side, but totally worth it. The best cheaper alternative is probably the ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD.

Good resources on the subject:

https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/
https://www.144hzmonitors.com/
https://pcmonitors.info/

https://blurbusters.com/ and https://www.testufo.com/
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

Hardware Unboxed and/or https://www.techspot.com/reviews/monitors/ - good monitor reviews

Battle(non)sense - here is more about latency, input lag, FPS limiters, that sort of stuff.