Gaming

How come most gamers are choosing between 1440p and 4K monitors nowadays? Are there any other alternatives to popular resolutions worth considering? You can find the answer to these and more questions in our article.

4K Vs 1080p Gaming

It’s not a secret that the world of display resolution has undergone considerable changes over the past years. Not so long ago, Full HD, also commonly referred to as simply 1080p, was considered the highest standard every customer choosing a TV set or a monitor aspired to.

Full HD features a set of video modes that​ characterized by the horizontal pixel count of 1920 and 1,080 pixels displayed vertically​. The video game industry, in its turn, responded with new games that boasted mind-blowing graphics, which couldn’t but captivate millions of gamers. Thus, with the advent of 1080p, lots of video game fans got an opportunity to make the most of their favorite titles.

Another revolutionary resolution wasn’t long in coming. 4K, also known as Ultra HD, or 2160p, made a splash with the audience worldwide several years ago and now is only gaining in popularity.

According to Wikipedia, the term ​4K​ is generic and denotes any display resolution with the horizontal pixel count of around 4,000. As you see, it is four times as many pixels as in Full HD. Thus, gamers have more than eight million pixels at their disposal, which ensures a higher pixel density and consequently, a clearer and sharper image displayed on your monitor.

Now as you know so much about both 1080p and 4K, you may be wondering why 1080p, which is evidently inferior to its 4K counterpart, still remains a favorite with lots of gamers. Let’s take a closer look and the benefits of both resolutions and figure out which will work best for you.

Those gamers that don’t attribute much attention to visuals and don’t mind disabling some graphics features may find 1080p quite appealing. If you opt for a 1080p monitor, you won’t need to worry about upgrading your computer. Even the cheapest GPU can work pretty well with 1080p displays. Thus, you’ll be able to achieve decent frame rates at 1080 using budget-friendly hardware.

Needless to say, the 4K resolution lends better definition and clarity to your video. As a result, your games will look more realistic and pleasing to the eye. Still, there is one thing that makes so many players refrain from acquiring 4K monitors. First, 4K monitors are far from being budget-friendly. Second, playing 4K games require a high-end machine. Thus, if you’re not ready to fork out for such an expensive monitor and upgrading your PC, you may find the 1080p option more attractive.

Still, if money is not a problem to you, if you’re a fan of demanding AAA games, if you like playing sophisticated titles on a large screen, and visuals mean a world to you, you should definitely opt for 4K.

Any Alternatives?  

Apart from 1080p and 4K, there are some other options worth considering. The first one is 1440p you probably have heard of. This resolution appeared shortly after Full HD’s debut. To our mind, this resolution has been undeservedly neglected. Compared to Full HD, 1440p offers a more distinct and clearer picture on both very small and large monitors. Therefore, we suggest that you consider it if you want to get the most out your games, but, at the same time, want to refrain from expensive excesses.

​1440p is commonly used in high level gaming, where image quality is almost as important as frames per second. It’s easy to get this resolution working on almost any platform, and you can be sure your frame rate won’t suffer.