What Is 4K Resolution? A Basic Definition
4K resolution is a common display resolution, often known as 2160p and UHD. The resolution of a display describes how many pixels it has in width x height format. The more pixels on a screen, the sharper the image should be. The Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), an organization of motion picture studios that develops digital cinema standards, defines 4K resolution as 4096 x 2160 (opens in new tab), but this resolution is uncommon in consumer goods. PC monitors, laptops, and TVs labeled as 4K resolution typically have a resolution of 3840 x 2160. However, this resolution is officially referred to as Ultra HD (UHD). UHD/ 4K resolution monitors are frequently seen.
Most recent GPUs (opens in new tab) support UHD/ 4K resolution output, though playing games at this resolution will require a reasonably strong graphics card (opens in new tab). As a result, many gamers prefer to play games in 1080p (opens in new tab) resolution (1920 x 1080).
There are various high-end laptops with 4K screens on the market. There are also several 4K resolutions on the market now that are reasonably priced. However, if you want a 4K gaming monitor with a high refresh rate (120Hz or above), you’ll have to spend a premium.
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Common PC Display Resolutions
| 5K | 5120 x 2880 |
| 4K | 3840 x 2160 (typical monitor resolution); 4096 x 2160 (official cinema resolution) |
| Ultra HD (UHD) | 3840 x 2160 |
| QHD aka WQHD aka 1440p | 2560 x 1440 |
| 2K | 2560 x 1440 (typical monitor resolution); 2048 x 1080 (official cinema resolution) |
| WUXGA | 1920 x 1200 |
| Full HD aka FHD aka 1080p | 1920 x 1080 |
| HD aka 720p | 1280 x 720 |
