The technology around us continues to change at an incredible pace, making it virtually impossible for anyone to keep up. In the world of resolutions, it’s not that long ago that we were drooling over 720p. Then came full HD at 1080p. Now the whole world appears to be going crazy about 4k resolutions. If you have been thinking about buying a new monitor for your computer, the question that you are likely to ask yourself is, should I go for a 1080p monitor or, rather, should I opt for a 4k monitor. One of the things that you need to understand is that these higher numbers do not always mean that you are getting anything better. Indeed, here are a few reasons why you have probably been had if anyone has convinced you to go for a 4k monitor for your PC;
Why you would consider buying a 4k monitor
There are a couple of reasons why people tend to go for 4k monitors;
- As a way of future proofing themselves. Should you buy your monitor now, you won’t have to make another purchase any time in the coming future.
- There is supposedly an increase in quality on 4k monitors when compared to full HD monitors. However, this claim is rather open to debate, as you will notice in the argument below.
Why you don’t need a 4K monitor on for your PC
The following are some of the reasons why you don’t actually need a 4K monitor for you PC;
- The hardware on your computer probably does not support 4k resolutions
Unless you are a serious gamer and have assembled your own rig, chances are high that the hardware on your computer does not support 4k resolutions. Indeed, a 4k resolution monitor would probably be a serious waste of money unless you are a gamer.
Gamers typically upgrade their graphics card to make their machines meaner and capable of managing the high intensity demands of the gaming environment. Even then, very few games are compatible with 4k resolutions, making the investment rather dubious.
Though you will still be able to play 1080p games on your computer using a 4k resolution monitor, the experience will probably leave a lot to be desired.
- 4K monitors are still too expensive
4k monitors tend to be way more expensive than their full HD counterparts. Considering that you would need to upgrade the GPU on your computer to be 4k compatible, the costs can add up. Not only that, but you may also need to upgrade your processor in order to take full advantage of your 4k resolution monitor. In short, you may as well buy a new computer!
- It’s debatable whether or not the human eye can actually see 4k resolutions
Thing is, the human eye is rather fixed in what it can see. You can’t upgrade it, as an example. There is, therefore, debate on whether or not humans can see 4k resolutions. That is the major reason why buying a 4k monitor is proof positive that you are a dummy.
You are probably buying something that you cannot naturally hope to fully see. Instead, what you should do is go for a good quality 1080p resolution for your computer. Indeed, experts agree that, in almost all instances, it’s very hard for the human eye to perceive of the difference between 1080p and 4k.
