4k is a resolution of 4,000 pixels by 2,000 lines. Compared to the standard HDTV that has a 720p or 1080p pixel count and 1,080 or 1,920 pixels respectively on screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. 4K monitors are around $800+ at the time of writing this article which makes it too expensive for most people who can’t afford such an upgrade as they often need to buy games as well in order to experience higher resolutions than what’s available now so you’ll be paying more money than needed just for your monitor if you’re not careful about where you purchase that one piece of hardware from Some developers offer free updates when they release new versions however some aren’t compatible with older revisions / software setups and don’t provide any sort of warning before purchasing their products
4k gaming is the process of playing video games on a 4K resolution. The term “4K” refers to the number of pixels that are displayed in one horizontal line, which is 3840 pixels. It’s not just about how much sharper your screen looks, but also about how many more pixels you have for rendering graphics and other visual effects. Read more in detail here: is 4k gaming worth it reddit.
Gaming in 4K. You may have heard this word tossed about, and as technology advances, it will undoubtedly gain in popularity.
In today’s article, we’ll look at what 4k gaming is, what gear supports it, and what the future holds for extremely high-definition gaming.
So, what does 4K gaming entail?
4K gaming is just conventional gaming with a display resolution of 4K (ultra-high definition).
It’s All in the (Number of) Pixels in 4K
This graph compares the relative sizes of common screen resolutions to 4K.
In the most recent technological progress, most TVs and computer display displays were full high definition standard, or 1080p (called for the number of vertical pixels on the display).
- 1080p (sometimes known as Full High Definition or ‘Full HD’) is a high-definition video format.
- 1092 x 1080 pixels
- A little more than 2 million pixels
And now there’s 4K, the next generation of high-resolution display displays. The following are the specifications for computer displays and televisions:
- 4K (also known as 2160p or Ultra High Definition, or ‘UHD’) is a high-resolution video format.
- 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Approximately 8.3 million pixels
How Does 4K Impact Gamers?
There are a few concerns to be aware of if you wish to play games in ultra high definition, all of them arise from one big difference:
Your display now has nearly four times the number of pixels as a full HD monitor.
This simple adjustment presents significant hardware issues, particularly for gamers:
- You’ll also need a monitor that supports 4K resolution. If you’re going to use it for gaming, make sure it has a refresh rate of at least 60Hz.
- Your graphics card is now under extreme strain, as it must process and produce an additional 6.3 million pixels (no trivial feat).
- Because of the higher resolution, your mouse sensitivity will alter as well. Make sure you have a gaming mouse with a high enough DPI to handle the super high definition.
The processing speed of your CPU and RAM are unaffected by a higher resolution. In each frame, the number of items/objects remains the same. More pixels only increase GPU demand, not CPU stress.
Benefits vs. Costs
Is 4K gaming really necessary? It’s worth analyzing the cost against advantages of purchasing a 4K enabled gaming computer since it’s a very new technology (that’s still rather pricey).
Because the human eye can only resolve a fixed distance, there comes a point when increasing pixel density isn’t perceptible. You won’t be able to distinguish a single pixel when pixels are too tiny (which is the goal of higher resolution displays). This is particularly true when you move away from the screen.
The bigger the screen and the closer you are to it, the more you need a better resolution. What’s the bottom line? 4K is only worthwhile if you can:
- You have a screen that is rather huge.
- The distance between you and the screen is pretty short.
Many gamers would consider this to be “nearly worth it,” particularly if they are gaming on a huge screen.
The graph below will help you determine if 4K resolution will make a significant impact for you (it is based on a person with 20/20 vision being able to distinguish two points separated by 1/60th of a degree).
If your display arrangement falls within the hatching blue region, and you have 20/20 vision, 4K may provide considerable gains.
Of course, pixel density is more important than single pixel size.
When compared to the same screen at lesser resolutions, a higher pixel density indicates greater screen’real estate’; you have more useable space on the screen.
However, there is a limit to this as well: when everything gets reduced down, more screen real estate is possible. You don’t want to reduce the size of items to the point where they’re impossible to read.
Hardware that can handle 4K
Here are some of our 4K-capable gear recommendations:
Gaming Monitors in 4K
In terms of displays, it’s more cost-effective to acquire a bigger screen in order to get the most out of UHD.
UHD displays are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 24′′ to 40′′ at the time of writing. Because pixel density changes with screen size, each size will provide a somewhat different viewing experience.
While they are certainly on the expensive side, there are a few solutions that have proven to be quite popular. First up is the Samsung U28D590D, a 28-inch 4K display that has received mostly excellent feedback. Unless you sit extremely near to your computer screen, it’s also the lowest size screen we’d suggest for 4K.
The Samsung U28D590D is a 28-inch UHD monitor by Samsung (from Amazon.com)
If you want a bigger screen, there’s also the BenQ BL3201PH, a 32-inch display that will truly make your 4K experience stand out. This screen receives outstanding evaluations as well, although it is likely to be out of most people’s financial range.
The BenQ BL3201PH is a 32-inch IPS LED 4K monitor by BenQ. (from Amazon.com)
However, if you have a lot of money to invest, you may as well go all out and purchase the largest display you can find. For your consideration, we propose the Philips 4065UC 4K monitor:
The Philips 4065UC is a 40-inch UHD computer monitor by Philips (from Amazon.com)
4K Gaming on TV Screens
At the present, 4K monitor screens are somewhat expensive. If you really must have the 4K experience but don’t have a lot of money to invest, a TV screen may be preferable than a computer display.
Choosing a 4K TV display over a monitor may save you money by allowing you to have a bigger UHD quality screen for a lower price than a 4K computer monitor. However, keep in mind that the viewing quality may not be as good at close ranges (TVs are supposed to be watched from a distance and hence are not manufactured to the same standards as computer displays). Also keep in mind that input lag might be a problem on certain TV sets.
This video goes through some of the important issues to think about when deciding whether to use a TV screen or a computer monitor for your setup:
Which Gaming PC Configurations Support 4K Resolutions?
As previously said, 4K gaming may be quite demanding on your graphics hardware.
Our $800 setup can barely handle entry-level 4K gaming, so you’ll have to dial down the settings and play at a lower frame rate. Keep an eye out for our high-end builds, which will be released shortly!
Check out these video card possibilities that can handle 4K gaming if you just want to update your graphics card.
4K Gaming Graphics Cards
These cards are top-of-the-line, and their pricing reflects that. Before attempting to run numerous, less costly cards, we suggest picking a potent single card.
GeForce GTX TITAN Z from EVGA
GeForce GTX 980 Ti from EVGA
Radeon R9 Fury X from Sapphire
4K Gaming in the Future
For the ordinary gamer, 4K gaming is still out of reach. Unless you have a really powerful computer, the additional rendering burden of a higher number of pixels might degrade your computer’s performance, and we don’t think it’s worth it to sacrifice smooth gameplay for more pixel density.
If you’re truly interested in the 4K gaming experience, there’s a terrific article here that contains some excellent comments and images from a few titles that show precisely what to anticipate when it comes to gaming in UHD.
As for us, we’re holding off till technology advances just a little further to bring UHD gaming to a more accessible price point, but the 4K gaming era is unmistakably approaching.
4k resolution is a display resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. 4K gaming is the use of this resolution on a television or monitor. The first 4K TVs were released in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 4K mean in gaming?
A: 4K refers to a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. This is four times the number of horizontal and vertical pixels that are standard on Full HD, or 1080p.
Is 4K good for gaming?
A: 4K is the best resolution for most games, but its not always going to be good for your eyes. Things can get blurry when moving fast in a game and you may have trouble with lower frame rates if youre playing on a 60Hz monitor.
Is 4K really better than 1080p?
Related Tags
- is 4k gaming worth it
- 4k monitor
- 4k gaming monitor 144hz
- how many hz is 4k monitor
- 1080p vs 4k gaming
