As a general rule, every person needs a monitor. It’s the thing you look at when using your computer and choosing the right one is important – especially if you spend eight (or more) hours a day staring at it. But which one is better for you?
You may have seen a few words and phrases bounce when looking at different screens, two that often appear under the banner of accuracy; 1440p and 2160p, also known as 2K and 4K, respectively. Resolution is basically the number of pixels on your screen. The higher the number of pixels, the sharper things generally look. But it’s not always that simple and there are other variables to consider.
The short version you really need to know is that 2K monitors have a vertical resolution of 1440p also known as 1440p, QHD or Quad HD. That’s twice the resolution of 720p HD and a third more than 1080p. Then we have 4K, which has even bigger numbers. Here, we’re looking at horizontal resolution and the name comes from around 4000 pixels. In the case of most screens, you’ll get a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels – more vertical space than a 1440 pixel screen, as you’ve now found out.
With that in mind, bigger numbers are better, right? Not necessarily, and we’ll go into why.
4K vs. 2K Monitor: Price and Availability
You’re not likely to struggle to find a 4K or 2K monitor, and you’ll likely be able to find one at most price points, too. 4K screens tend to be on the larger side and can be more expensive as a result but there is no hard and fast rule here – screen prices are more than raw pixels, with many other features and screen size differences to consider.
If you can buy the same monitor with the same features but with two different resolutions, it is very likely that 4K will cost more than 2K due to the smaller pixels. It’s just the way these things work.
Depending on the type of monitor you’re looking for, one resolution may be easier to find than another. 4K monitors tend to be used by professionals who need as much desktop space as they can get. Conversely, gamers prefer 2K resolution which means monitors can sometimes be better suited to that demographic. Think LEDs and, in some cases, lower quality materials and materials.
4K vs. 2K Screen: Design
In terms of the industrial design of the screens, this will largely depend on the manufacturer in question and on which end of their lineup your screen of choice will fall. As mentioned earlier, 4K monitors often come with more business-like setups, while 2K monitors are usually designed with gamers in mind.
While the 1440p specs are for vertical resolution, the horizontal specs will vary depending on which monitor you choose. Wide (16:9) and ultrawide (21:9) monitors will have more pixels because they have more physical distance to cover and the widest monitors are much easier to find if you prefer 2K over 4K.
As for the actual display panel itself, both types of screens are likely to be either LCD or OLED. However, 4K screen makers sometimes lean towards OLED for its improved performance in terms of contrast and color reproduction. You’ll have to pay more to get an OLED, but it might be worth it depending on what you’re going to use it for.
4K vs. 2K Monitor: Performance
With 2K monitors often aimed at gamers, they can benefit from improved response times and other gamer-oriented features. This isn’t to say that you won’t find a 4K monitor that will meet your gaming needs, but it is more mainstream in the 1440p realm. Look for response times as low as 1ms if you’re serious about gaming.
The same can be said for higher refresh rates and in some cases, variable refresh rates. These monitors can change the rate at which you refresh their screens on the go, which is a great feature for gaming and reducing things like screen tearing.
On the other hand, 4K displays tend to be designed with video in mind, which means that things like refresh rates and response times may not be so important to buyers. These buyers want as much desktop space as possible, and that’s where 4K monitors really come into their own because of the sheer number of pixels involved.
4K vs. 2K Monitor: Which Should You Buy?
The big question, and as is often the case, will largely depend on what you plan to use your monitor for—surprise no one noticed every section above ended in a tie.
If you are a gamer, choosing a 1440p monitor is probably the best option for you. You’ll get a higher resolution screen that will most likely match the aesthetic of your gaming setup. Most importantly, you’ll have more options when choosing a monitor with gaming-oriented features like higher refresh rates, lower response times, and more.
The lower resolution when compared to 4K displays also means it’s easier to drive — your graphics card won’t need to shove so many pixels around the screen, which improves performance. If you’re rocking the latest GPU that money can buy, you might not have to worry too much about that. For everyone else, 4K can be a real pain when trying to get every last frame out of your device.
In everyone else’s terms, 4K might be the better option. It has more space for apps, and this is a huge deal for multitaskers. 4K is also the best resolution if you plan to do video or photo editing because you’ll be able to see more of what you’re working on as you work on it. You can minimize panning, scrolling, and zooming with a 4K monitor, as you can see.
4K screens are sometimes larger, though they are quite large and you’ll need to consider something with more pixels yet. However, these screens are highly specialized and very expensive.