Is 2560 x 1440 4k: 2560×1440 vs 3840×2160 [Which Should I Choose?]

2560×1440 vs 3840×2160 [Which Should I Choose?]

Not sure if you should get a monitor with 4K UHD or WQHD resolution? Here’s everything you need to keep in mind before deciding!

By Rob Shafer

Answer:

When it comes to gaming, choosing between 2560×1440 and 3840×2160 comes down to the type of games you play and what frame rate your system can maintain.

A higher resolution offers sharper details, but it’s also more demanding. Screen size and refresh rate should also be taken into account, as we explore in the article.

For other use, 4K UHD is not nearly as taxing, so you should go with the highest resolution you can afford without sacrificing other important monitor specifications and features.

Not sure if you should buy a monitor with 2560×1440 or 3840×2160 resolution?

To be fair, it’s not an easy decision to make as there are many things to keep in mind. Don’t worry – we’ll cover everything you need to know in order to make the right call!

Note that the 3840×2160 resolution is also referred to as 4K UHD (Ultra HD) or 2160p, whereas 2560×1440 also goes by QHD, WQHD (Wide Quad HD) or 1440p – it’s sometimes incorrectly referred to as ‘2K’ – but this resolution actually stands for 2048×1080 instead.

Before deciding which screen resolution you should go for, you need to take into account other monitor specifications, such as screen size, panel type and refresh rate as well as your budget, PC components and use case.

Screen Size

Note that it’s actually pixel density (pixels per inch) that determines how sharp or dull the image quality will be, as well as how much screen real estate you will have.

Let’s start with the most popular screen size for 1440p and 4K monitors, 27″ – 28″.

With a 27″ 1440p monitor, you get 108 PPI (pixels per inch), resulting in crisp details and text with plenty of screen space and no scaling required.

On a 27″ 4K display, you get 163 PPI – the image is a lot sharper and there’s even more screen real estate.

However, things like small text will be too tiny to read, forcing you to apply scaling, which will increase the size of the user interface, but also make it even sharper.

So, on a 27″ 4K monitor, you can get everything to be the same size as on a 27″ 1440p display but with sharper text and details.

That difference in detail clarity, however, is much less noticeable in video games, and because 4K UHD is a lot more demanding on your GPU, the performance hit won’t be worth the difference in picture quality for most people.

For other use, such as photo/video editing and office-related tasks, 4K is the way to go. If you don’t need a high refresh rate, you can even find 27″ 4K monitors for around the same price as the 1440p models.

In case you plan to do some gaming on the side, a 4K 144Hz monitor is considerably more expensive (double the price) than a 1440p 144Hz variant. Also, you’ll need to make sure your GPU will be able to provide you with a satisfactory frame rate in your favorite games.

When it comes to 32″ monitors, 1440p resolution starts to show its weakness. You get the same pixel density as that of 24″ 1080p displays – roughly 92 PPI.

In contrast, 4K UHD still looks very sharp on 32″ sized screens with around 140 PPI.

So, the bottom line is that if you want a crisp image quality, you can get away with 1440p on 27″ monitors, but for 32″ displays, 4K UHD is preferred.

Of course, if you really want a 32″ screen but can’t afford a 4K UHD model or the PC specs to run it properly, there are great 32″ 1440p monitors available too.

Refresh Rate

For the same amount of money, you can get a 4K 144Hz or 1440p 240Hz gaming monitor. Here, the choice comes down to your personal preference.

If you play a lot of competitive eSports titles where you can maintain ~200FPS+, 1440p 240Hz is the way to go, whereas if you prefer more graphically-oriented games and have a powerful GPU, 4K 144Hz will suit you better.

For the price of a 4K 60Hz monitor, however, you can get a 1440p 144Hz display, which will provide you with a significantly more responsive and enjoyable gaming experience.

Other things to keep in mind include HDR, response time and VRR performance. For a proper evaluation of these, you’ll need to check out individual reviews after deciding which resolution/screen size is for you.

Mini-LED vs MicroLED – What Is The Difference?

Which Resolution is Better for Gaming? [2023]

1440p, or QHD is 5 times the resolution of 1080p full HD, but it is still beneath the 4K resolution by a long shot. However, with the higher resolution comes a higher price tag and more factors to be aware of.

In the end, is the better picture quality worth your money? You will find out in this expert review of 1440p VS 4K.

What is 1440p

1440p has a screen resolution of 2560×1440. It is also commonly referred to as QHD.

1440p Pros

Let’s take a closer look at the pros of the 1440p in the 1440p VS 4K review.

1440p is a more affordable option compared to its counterpart, but can still deliver impressive resolution. Compared to the 4K, the 1440 takes up less CPU power and storage and less equipment is needed to reach a 60 frame per second standard.

1440p Cons

The cons of a 1440p screen is quite obvious – it offers a lower resolution. A lower resolution means the pictures are less defined and the pixelation [1] occurs much sooner than a 4K screen.

What is 4K

A 4K resolution screen is 3860×2160 and it is one of the best screens for gamers.

4K Pros

The higher the resolution, the more screen real estate you get. The movie theater giants Dolby Cinema and IMAX, for example, have the largest display screen because of their impressive resolution. 

This means more content fits into the screen than a monitor with a lower resolution. This makes it ideal for not only gamers, but also for your workflow if you do video editing and such tasks.

The sharper imaging also contributes to a more immersive and realistic experience no matter what you are doing.

4K Cons

Other than requiring more storage and CPU power, 4K screens run into a lot of scaling issues. If you go from one page to the next depending on your screen size, you can end up with very blurry text. This is seen when you go from 27 to 24-inch screens.

Lastly, the price of 4K screens is also higher than QHD. So if you are on a budget, the QHD should suffice for everyday use.

1440p vs 4K: In Everyday Use and Gaming

You won’t really need to invest in 4K for everyday use, but for professional video editing or similar tasks, the 4K does have its benefits.

As for gaming, the 4K offers benefits that the QHD 1440p just cannot meet. When looking at 4k vs 1440p for gaming, the 4K is by far the better option. Just for visual experience alone, the 4K offers sharper pictures and heightened details.

With the higher resolution however, you also need some heavy duty hardware to support that power. We’re talking about strong graphics cards, CPU, and a 4K monitor.

Our experts will add that for efficiency of carrying out editing and designing tasks while doubling as a good gaming resolution screen all at an affordable price, the 1440p is your best option.

Is 1440p and 4k the same?

No, 1440p and 4K are not the same. 1440p, also referred to as QHD, has a screen resolution of 2560×1440 pixels and 4K quality has the screen resolution of 3860×2160, which makes it capable of producing higher quality images.

Is 1440p 2k or 4k?

1440p is 2K, as 4K is a higher resolution. 1440p is often shortened to 2K because of the screen resolution of 2560×1440. Another common term for 1440p resolution is QHD.

What percent of 4k is 1440p?

1440p is about 44% of 4K. 4K offers much better resolution than 1440p, or often referred to as 2K or QHD. You can expect sharper imaging and clearer pictures from 4K content.

Can a 4k TV run at 1440p?

Yes, you can run 1440p on a 4K TV without upscaling and the quality will still be great. However, the native resolution of 4K on a 4K TV will still deliver the best results and experience for gaming and movies.

Is 1440p better than 4k for gaming?

No, 1440P is not better than 4K for gaming. The winner is largely dependent on your personal preference. 4K offers better imaging quality but 1440p, or 2K, is better for efficiency such as a high refresh rate and frames per second.

Does 1440p look bad on a 4k monitor?

No, 1440p doesn’t look bad on a 4K monitor. However, because of the lack of pixels compared to 4K, if you play 1440p, or 2K content on a 4K monitor, the images will be a bit blurry or pixelated.

Conclusion

In our 1440p VS 4K battle, there is no clear winner. The resolution you go for will hinge on your preference and the purpose of the monitor. For movies, 4K will deliver high quality images like you have never experienced, but 1440p is better for everyday tasks and it is easier on your wallet.

We also compared 1440p against 1080p to know which one is better for gaming and everyday use here. 

anime, drawing, 2560×1440, 4K, HD wallpaper

anime, drawing, 2560×1440, 4K, HD wallpaper Choose a resolution and download this wallpaper

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  • iMac:

    iMac 21.

    5″ LED-backlit 1080P:

    1920×1080

    iMac 21.5″ Retina 4K:

    4096×2304 90 003

    iMac 27″ Retina 5K:

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    MacBook:

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    MacBook Air 13″, MacBook Pro 15.4″:

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    iPhone:

    iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS:

    320×480

    iPhone 4, iPhone 4s:

    640×960

    iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone SE:

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    iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 8:

    90 002 750×1334

    iPhone 6 plus, iPhone 6s plus, iPhone 7 plus, iPhone 8 plus:

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    iPhone X, iPhone Xs, iPhone 11 Pro:

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    1242×2688

    iPhone Xr, iPhone 11:

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    iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini:

    1080×2340

    iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 14:

    1170×2532

    iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 1 3 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Plus: iPhone 14 Pro:

    1179×2556

    iPhone 14 Pro Max:

    1290×2796

    Android: 9000 5

    • 720×1280
    • 1080×1920
    • 480×854
    • 480×800
    • 540×960
    • 600×1024
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    • 1080×1812
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    • 720×1208
    • 375×667
    • 320×568
    • 1440×2960 ​​
    • 1080×2160

    iPad:

    iPad, iPad 2, iPad Mini:

    768×1024, 1024×768

    iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, 2017 iPad, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, 9.

    7 iPad Pro:

    2048×1536, 1536×2048

    10.5″ iPad Pro:

    2224×1668, 1668×2224

    11″ iPad Pro:

    2388×1668, 1668×2388

    12.9″ iPad Pro: 9 0055 2732×2048, 2048×2732

    10.9″ iPad Air:

    2360×1640, 1640×2360

    10.2 «iPad:

    2160×1620, 1620×2160

    8.3″ iPad mini:

    2266×1488, 1488×2266

    007 2736×1824

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  • 1024×600
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    • 1440×2160

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    License:

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    DSR technology: how to make 4K on a regular monitor

    Many probably already know about 4K (3840×2160) resolution, but very few people use it in games, there are good reasons for that, for such a resolution you need to buy an unreasonably expensive monitor, and most smart people will spend money more usefully on other things. Let’s also not forget that such a resolution requires a very powerful PC.

    But if you still have not an ancient computer, and you want to play 4K without buying a special monitor, nVidia came up with a rather interesting technology about a year ago DSR , with its help you can get pseudo 4K, i.e. the graphics card processes the image in high resolution, and then adjusts the image to the resolution of your monitor, while maintaining the clarity of 4K lines.

    Now almost all modern games support 4K resolution, but do not rush to run and turn it on in the same Witcher 3, this resolution will lower your FPS to an unplayable level, while not much improvement in the picture, in such highly demanding games, everything is the same it would be better to use normal anti-aliasing.

    So why use such a resource-intensive, but not giving a strong result technology? I found the answer. In addition to heavily loaded games like The Witcher, there are a huge number of games with average graphics, so these games can be turned into real graphic masterpieces. From a rather mediocre picture, you can make a very clear drawing without annoying ladders, this is especially noticeable when the developers did not even take care of high-quality anti-aliasing in the game.

    And so, if I intrigued you, let’s move on to connecting this technology, the first thing you need to understand is that you definitely need a fresh nVidia video card In this article we are talking about nVidia ). Go to nVidia Control Panel, click Manage 3D settings, look for the parameter DSR — Degree, check the box next to 1.78x (which is WQXGA resolution 2560×1440) and 4.00x (which is 4K resolution 3840×2160). DSR — Smoothness of is best left at 30%. (The description of the setting and the resolutions I have chosen apply to 16:9 aspect ratio monitors, i.e. most)

    The setup is complete, now run any modern game, go to the settings, and in addition to the standard resolution of 1920×1080, you can choose 2560×1440 and 3840×2160.