Quick Answer
For now, getting a 1080p or even the 2K over the 4K monitor may be better most especially if you are looking to get the best in terms of performance. However, there is nothing wrong with getting the 4K if you are looking to have something for the future since, with no doubt, 4K is the future of gaming.
Gaming has changed so much in the last few years with the coming of things like the 4K monitor which offers the best of gaming experience thus far. Nonetheless, it may not be for everyone because apart from the price it asks for, it requires a more advanced technology than every display before it.
Before anything else, let us point out that as regards image resolution size, the 4K which has 3840 x 2160 and is gradually slipping into the mainstream may in not too distant future become the standard for gaming. Before then, however, the 1920 x 1080 which is also referred to as the 1080p remains a traditional monitor. There is also the 2K which has a resolution of 2560 x 1440p.
The big question now is with a dimension that doubles 1080p, should one go for the 4K?
Is 4K Monitor Worth It?
4K may or may not be worth it for one, but that will all depend on your needs as well as what you are willing to spend. Here are some of the benefits and the downside of getting the 4K.
Benefits of the 4K
One of the most important reasons why 4K may be worth it is that it will offer you better visual fidelity if you are using a larger display. With the 1080p, the visual quality may get to drop when you are using a very large display because of the pixels. However, with the 4K, you get more pixels that will offer you sharper pictures without any distortion.
In addition to that, you get better details when gaming with the 4K than you naturally would with anything lower, and of course, you will get less aliasing with a 4K. What is even more is that there is even a greater sense of depth with it as regards the picture.
Let’s again add that even when you get a 4K and decide to run a 1080p game on it, you will definitely still get a much better picture quality when you tune down your settings.
In addition, when the 4k came newly, the main problem for a lot of people was with the price because it was significantly more expensive than other monitors. Nonetheless, the price is very much on the decline, that price is not something that can significantly stop you from getting the 4K monitor if you have your eyes on it. That said, the monitor is still on the expensive side of things.
One of the biggest things that will make the 4K worth going for is that it is the display for the future. It is no secret that most recent games are designed with the 4K resolution and gaming computers are coming with the capabilities such as GPU that can run them very well. This simply means that in a few years to come, 4K will become the mainstream gaming display.
With that said, we are already seeing 5K and even as high as 8K monitors being designed, but those are mostly out of the line even when you are looking to have a future-proof display because you will not find games that will demand such displays and at the same time, they cost a lot and require too much power to run them.
The downside of getting a 4K monitor
On the other side, one of the main things that could turn one away from getting a 4K monitor is that it needs more powerful hardware than lower monitors, most especially the GPU. For a 4K set-up, you will need to have a high-end GPU such as the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080. On the other hand, if you are sticking with the 1080p, the GTX750 Ti which is a mid-range card will be enough to run your games.
See Also: Is HDR Monitor Worth It? – Here’s a Simple Answer
Even with the GTX 1070 Ti, you will not be able to run 4K games at 60FPS as that is reserved for GTX 1080 Ti. The prices of these GPUs go above $300 while that of the GTX 750 Ti is at less than $200.
Apart from the hardware issues, you also have compatibility issues. You will experience this problem most if you are a gamer who loves playing older titles. It is not every game that can be played in the 4K resolution. You can decide to upscale it, but that will only mean that you will sacrifice good quality image on the altar of playing it on the 4K resolution.
One more thing to understand with the issue of compatibility is that unless you are able to get a native 4K game, upscaling the 1080p may not be able to give you as much good image as you would get with a native one.
Finally, we have to go back to cost again. Although as pointed above the price of the 4K monitor has significantly gone down, having a 4K setup is not very cheap. This is because apart from getting the monitor, you will also need to get a more powerful GPU which is more expensive if you already do not have one.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, your choice for 4k monitor may not even be with the price because there are other things more serious to consider. If what you need is the best visual fidelity for the present or if you want to spend less, it is the 1080p that you should go for. However, if you need a future-proof monitor, your money should definitely be on 4K which as we have pointed already, is the not too distant future of gaming.
What you should consider before settling for either the 1080 monitor or the 2160p is when you may want to upgrade again. If you are hoping to upgrade anytime soon, it will not make too much sense to go for a 1080p before later going for a 2160p. However, if you are sure you will use it for many years before upgrading, the 1080p may still be a good option.