1440p vs 4K – What’s the Difference?

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Playing a game in a high-quality resolution seems like the surest way to take the most out of the experience. After all, no one likes looking at pixels instead of seeing an epic image. The problem is, the higher you go on the resolution scale, the less you start noticing the difference. 

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This, of course, has gotten a lot of users wondering. Is paying for 4K monitors and 4K games even worth it? Is the difference noticeable at all? The most common contender to 4K picture is 1440 px. It’s already a high-quality image, and the difference in price is quite noticeable. 

Which one is better: 4K or 1440p 

Let’s remark right away that neither 1440p or 4K is the most popular configuration. So far, 1080p hold the leading position. However, a lot of gamers start exploring more expensive options, opting for the higher display quality. 

 The list of typical resolution choices consists of the following options:

  • HD resolution – 1280 x 720;

  • Full HD – 1920 x 1080;

  • Quad HD (QHD) – 2560 x 1440;

  • Ultra HD (UHD) – 3840 x 2160, also known as 4K;

  • Full Ultra HD – 7680 x 4320 (8K). 

1440p is already considered a resolution with superior visual quality but 4K enhances this experience by doubling the vertical and horizontal resolution of 1080. This way, the picture quality is twice as good as in 1080. 

However, not each computer can handle such superior visuals. Your graphics card has to possess very powerful settings to smoothly process this kind of picture. 

Generally, the best resolution for an average gaming PC has to deliver 60 frames for a second (FPS). Anything above this number is a matter of personal tastes and computer’s power. 

How does the resolution impact the computer’s price? 

Generally, the cost of 4K PCs is twice as much as the one of 1400p. Here are some popular offers along with their price tags – just so you can see the tangible evidence: 

  • 1080p display: ASUS VG248QE ($250-300 at Amazon)

  • 1440p display – Dell Gaming S2417DG ($430 – 450 at Amazon);

  • 4K display – Acer Predator XB271HK ($590 – 620 at Amazon).

So, while the changes in visual quality are not always noticeable, the differences in price are evident. Still, is it a reason to refuse the pleasure of buying a 4K display?

Of course, it’s not the case. 4K gaming software becomes much more popular and in five years, can take up a significant market portion. On top of that, the visual differences start being significant as soon as you increase the size of your monitor. Let’s look deeper at this one. 

When are 1440p and 4K displays actually different?

Typically, when we say ‘1440p’, the letter ‘p’ identifies the height of a screen. From this follows that 1400p monitor has 1400 pixels in height and 2560 pixels wide. If you will use this resolution on a bigger monitor, the quality will be unsatisfactory. 

On the other hand, it’s a whole different story with 4K monitors. Here 4000p actually refers to the width of the screen instead of height (4K screen is actually 3840 pixels wide – for beginners, these details don’t matter but professionals can tell the difference right away). So, a 4K screen’s height is equal to two 1080p displays put together. 

Is the difference even noticeable?

If you’re sitting a decent distance from your TV, there is only a certain ‘resolution’ your eyes can distinguish different colors from. If you are 4-5 feet from the screen, the 1440p screen won’t look any different to a 4K resolution. However, if you are sitting at a distance of one-two feet from the screen, you’ll see that 4K visuals look much sharper.

Also, a 4K wouldn’t work to its full capacity unless it was on a very large TV 50+ inches, or unless in a computer monitors case you were much closer to it on a desk with a slightly smaller screen. 

On top of that, the experience depends on a game. With action games where realistic design matters a lot, the difference between 1400p vs 4K will be rather obvious.  

So, three main factors that influence visual differences are:

  • The size of your monitor and PC power. Before acquiring a 4K display, make sure your GPU can handle this density;

  • The distance between you and the screen – if you don’t like sitting close to the monitor, 1440p or 4K wouldn’t make much difference; 

  • The game design – whether the program uses vivid colors and action elements. 

Conclusions

If you have just begun switching to improved HD, start with 1440p. Compared to 720 and 1080p, this upgrade will make a lot of difference. Once you are used to Quad HD, you can consider upgrading to 4K if you are ready to invest into a bigger monitor and a powerful GPU. 

For movies and TV shows, changes between 4K and 1440p usually go unnoticed. For gamers, however, the distance is more noticeable because we sit closer to the screen and need to have great visibility. However, significant upgrades require significant upgrades – you will have to boost your hardware and buy an expensive monitor. Still, if you are serious about gaming, the result will definitely prove to be worth it. 

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