1440p vs. 4K - What's best for me?
Hi everyone,
So Christmas is fast approaching and I'm looking for a solid monitor upgrade for myself for gaming, editing, and daily use. I've currently got a dual-monitor setup: the main being the ASUS VS247H-P (23.6'' | 1920x1080 | 60Hz) and the secondary monitor being a standard 20'' 900p Acer monitor.
Considering my build can plow through any game at 1080p max settings:
CPU: Intel Core i7 3770k @ 4.0GHz
GPU: EVGA 980ti 6GB Classified SC
RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz
I'm currently torn between two monitors, the [ASUS PB287Q] (http://www.amazon.com/PB287Q-Monitor-3840X2160-Resolution-28-Inch/dp/B00KJGY3TO), or the Acer K272HUL. The main difference between these two are 1440p and 4k, with a ~$100 price point gap. I feel like the 4k monitor would offer more leeway in the future.
My reasoning behind this is that the 4k monitor will allow me to play games at 1440p as well if I can't run the more demanding titles at the framerate I want. Additionally, the 4k monitor would be fantastic for editing and desktop space.
I'm still open to any recommendations too, so feel free to give your input. I'd prefer if the monitor would be 27''+. I'd likely use the current 1080p monitor I have as a secondary display.
Thanks so much!
Posted Dec 5, 2015, 10:59 PM UTC
I just went through this exact same dilemma and let me tell you its a nightmare. I also considered going ultrawide. For me I REALLY wanted adaptive sync and that limited my options. For ultrawide that meant spending at least $1200. 4k had 1 or 2 possible options at $800 - $900 but it came down to driving all those pixels for gaming. the 980TI will do OK at 4k, but not great. I suspect the next gen games may be a little too much for it. So for me , I went 1440P with a 980TI and so far I couldn't be happier.
Yeah, but considering the 4k monitor is only $100 more and I could simply turn games down to 1440p in the games options, wouldn't the 4k monitor make more sense? It seems like it just has more room for the future.
1440p Content on a 4K monitor will look worse than on a native 1440p monitor due to 4K not being a multiple of 1440p. So you wouldn't want to do that.
And I've used all manner of monitors, and honestly, 28 inches is way too small for 4K. Scaling is atrocious in Windows and you'll have to strain your eyes just to read text if you don't use any scaling. Applications too don't scale very well. 28 inches is just way too small to bring out the intricate details of any 4k content. Sure, there will be an improvement, but it doesn't feel like the 4 X increase over 1080p.
I would advise you to go for a 29 inch Ultrawide ($200) or a 1440p 144 Hz monitor ($450 approx), or if you can extend your budget a 34" ultrawide 1440p ($500) would meet all your criteria.
Thanks for the info, honestly I'm not sure if 144hz is quite my thing yet. How would something like this fare?
BenQ GW Series GW2765HT 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor
Price History Chart and Sales Rank | FAQ
Well, if 144 Hz isn't your thing, then i guess it's best to go for 1440p over 4K. To give you a better understanding on how 4k feels like on a 28 inch, here's a neat little trick. I'm assuming you have a 1080p monitor right now. Go open any website where there is a lot of scrolling (a reddit thread is perfect), and zoom out in your browser settings to 30% (if you're using a 24"), or 25% (if you're using a 27"). That is how 4k would look like on a 28".
The monitor which you linked seems fine on paper, but you'll need to check out a professional review to get more details. But i would highly recommend going for an 34" 1440p ultrawide monitor if you can extend the budget just a little bit. The LG Non Curved model went for $500 this Black Friday, and i expect it to sell for the same price (or even cheaper) for Christmas. Go to r/ultrawidemasterrace if you need convincing.
Why do you need to spend $1200 for an ultrawide??!!! You can get a non curved 34" 1440p for around $500-550, and a curved one for $700. Unless of course you're thinking of the Acer X34 which costs $1300.
For an ultrawide with adaptive sync... Yes and I stated that adaptive sync was a must for me.