Until a few years ago, you could only buy a 4K monitor in two cases: you were quite wealthy or lucky enough to win the lottery. Fortunately, as often happens with technology products, things have now changed, and buying 4K monitors is no longer expensive.
Even in some cases, it is possible to take home a 4K monitor for $200 or $300, which was unthinkable 3 years ago. So, for this very reason, you too have the desire to buy a 2160p monitor, and you have come to this article.
In this article, I will explain to you in broad terms how to choose a 4K monitor and show you the list of the best 4K monitors currently available on the market.
Things to consider when buying a 4K monitor
Here are things to consider when purchasing a 4K monitor.
Screen size
The screen size is measured in inches, and the choice of the thumb drive is very subjective. It depends on how much space you have available and how big your desk is. As for 4K monitors, I advise you not to go below 27 inches.
At the moment, the most popular dimensions are between 27 and 32 inches.
Format
The “standard” format is 16: 9, but in recent years other types of formats are becoming increasingly popular, such as 21: 9, wider than 16: 9, and 32: 9, much wider than the classic 16: 9.
Generally, 21: 9 or 32: 9 monitors, also called Ultrawide, can provide a more immersive gaming experience, but they can also be handy for multitasking.
Panel type
The choice of panel affects a lot how you will see the images on the screen. There are three main types of panels: TN, IPS, VA. I’ll briefly explain their main characteristics.
- TN Panel: This is the most common of the three, as it is cheaper to produce. It has very low latency and a higher frame rate, therefore very suitable for gaming. The negative characteristics of this type of panel is the viewing angle and color reproduction.
- IPS Panel: It is basically the opposite of the TN panel. It has a high latency, which makes it unsuitable for gaming. On the other hand, it has excellent color reproduction and an excellent level of contrast. Suitable for those who carry out video or graphic editing work.
- VA panel: It has better colors than the IPS panel, but in most cases, the latency is even higher.
Update frequency
The refresh rate is measured in Hz, and in simple terms, it indicates how many times per second the monitor updates the image. For example, if we have a 60Hz monitor, the image will be updated 60 times per second.
In daily use, the update frequency does not affect much. The situation changes during gaming. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the images.
There are 4K 144Hz monitors that can provide exceptional performance, but obviously, the price of these products will be very high. If you don’t want to compromise too many, I recommend you focus on a monitor with a refresh rate between 60 and 100 Hz.
FreeSync and G-Sync
FreeSync and G-Sync are two technologies created by AMD and Nvidia, respectively. Long story short, both technologies enhance the gaming experience by perfectly synchronizing the video card to the monitor.
Connectivity
Before buying a monitor, you need to know exactly what video outputs your PC has and make sure the monitor is compatible. For example, if you want to buy a monitor for your Mac, the ideal would be to go for a monitor with USB-C input. If, on the other hand, you need a good monitor to connect to your gaming PC, you could opt for the DisplayPort input.
List of the best 4K monitors
Here are the best 4K monitors.
LG27UL500
Let’s start the list of the best 4K monitors with a rather cheap product but with an excellent quality/price ratio.
I’m talking about the LG 27UL500 monitor, a product suitable for people who want to enter the world of 4K without spending too much. The low price should not suggest a poor quality product. On the contrary, it is not primarily suitable for gaming.
The main features of the LG 27UL500 are as follows:
- Screen size: 27 inches
- Format: 16: 9
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Panel: IPS
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Response time: 5ms
- Contrast: 1000: 1
- Brightness: 300 cd / m2
- Viewing angle: 178 ° / 178 °
- Technologies: FreeSync, HDR, Flicker Safe
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
BenQ PD2700U
If you are looking for a monitor to work and do not need special technologies, I recommend that you take a look at the BenQ PD2700U. Thanks to its fantastic panel and great features, I consider this product one of the best monitors for graphics or video editing work.
The main features of the BenQ PD2700U are as follows:
- Screen size: 27 inches
- Format: 16: 9
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Panel: IPS
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Response time: 5ms
- Contrast: 1300: 1
- Brightness: 350 cd / m2
- Viewing angle: 178 ° / 178 °
- Technologies: Flicker-free
- Connectivity: 1x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, 1x mini-DisplayPort
A 32-inch version is also available.
BenQ EL2870U
Staying at BenQ but moving into the gaming sector, I recommend that you take a look at the BenQ EL2870U.
If you want to enter the world of UHD gaming for the first time and your budget is not very high, my advice is to bet everything on this monitor. I’m sure you won’t regret it.
The main features of the BenQ EL2870U are as follows:
- Screen size: 27 inches
- Format: 16: 9
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Panel: IPS
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Response time: 5ms
- Contrast: 1000: 1
- Brightness: 300 cd / m2
- Viewing angle: 170 ° / 160 °
- Technologies: FreeSync, Flicker-free
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
LG 34WK95U
Do you work extensively in multi-tasking, and you need a lot of space? Moreover, do you want a monitor with a very high resolution? This LG 34WK95U is the monitor you need.
A really cool Ultrawide monitor, designed primarily for professionals. Packed with exciting features, connectivity, and technologies.
The main features of the LG 34WK95U are as follows:
- Screen size: 34 inches
- Format: 21: 9
- Resolution: 5120 x 2160 pixels
- Panel: Nano IPS
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Response time: 5ms
- Contrast: 5M dynamic contrast
- Brightness: 450 cd / m2
- Viewing angle: 178 ° / 178 °
- Technologies: Game mode, Flicker-free, OnScreen Control
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, x1 USB-C
ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ
If you are an avid gamer, your budget is big enough, and you really don’t want to miss anything. The monitor that you put on your desk is undoubtedly the ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ.
A large monitor, both in size and in features. 4K, 144Hz, HDR, G-Sync, what more could you want. Obviously, the extraordinary performances are paid. In fact, the cost of this monitor exceeds $1500.
The main features of the ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ are as follows:
- Screen size: 43 inches
- Format: 16:9
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Panel: Nano VA
- Refresh rate: 144Hz
- Response time: 1ms
- Contrast: 4000: 1
- Brightness: 1000 cd/m2
- Viewing angle: 178 ° / 178 °
- Technologies: G-Sync, DSC, HDR, Shadow Boost
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
Acer Predator X27P
If you have a powerful enough computer, love gaming, and have the budget, I recommend you take a look at this fantastic Acer Predator X27P.
In this case, we are talking about the top, as far as gaming is concerned. This monitor features a 27-inch Quantum Dot IPS panel, with a 4K resolution at 144Hz.
The main features of the Acer Predator X27P are the following:
- Screen size: 27 inches
- Format: 16: 9
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Panel: Quantum Dot IPS
- Refresh rate: 144Hz
- Response time: 4ms
- Contrast: 1000: 1
- Brightness: 1000 cd / m2
- Viewing angle: 178 ° / 178 °
- Technologies: G-Sync, HDR
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
