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Top 10 Best 4k Monitors For Gaming Of 2024

Gretchen Rubin
  Mar 29, 2024 7:26 AM

Using the internet, we discovered how many possibilities are there. Even we got lost: the competition is tough. So, we laid out criteria to choose the best 4k monitors for gaming. The criteria were fairly simple: get the most bang for a buck, have great performance and user reviews.


Overview

With the greatest 4K gaming monitor, you can improve the visual quality of more than just your games. Any computer with a garphics card installed is significantly improved. The most compelling case for making the jump to 4K can be seen in recent video games, which benefit greatly from the higher quality. Those of you who are ready to make the jump can do so with the following 4K displays, all of which are well-constructed and capable of delivering a fantastic picture and a high refresh rate.

Even while you'll need a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU) to make the most of a 4K display, budget cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti(opens in new tab) and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT(opens in new tab) may nevertheless deliver impressive results. If you're not going to be cranking the settings to their absolute limits, it's a lot more manageable. We may also have some next-gen cards on the horizon once GPU supply returns to normal, which is becoming the norm again. These should also ideally all be 4K-ready.

To play games smoothly, you'll need a monitor with a high refresh rate (ideally over 60 Hz) and frame-syncing technology (G-Sync or FreeSync). For a more immersive experience, you may want to consider upgrading to one of the top gaming TVs(opens in new tab). That is, if you can spare the room.

With the expectation of ten years of next-gen, action-packed gaming, the extra money spent on a top-tier 4K gaming monitor is well worth it. Through the years and many revisions of your personal computer, it will be capable of producing stunning pictures. Consider it an investment for the future that will provide immediate benefits.


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Buying Guide

There are a few things to keep in mind as you shop around for the ideal 4K gaming monitor:

4K gaming requires a high-end graphics card

To play games at medium settings, you'll need at least a GTX 1070 Ti(opens in new tab) or RX Vega 64(opens in new tab), while playing at high settings will need an RTX-series card or Radeon VII(opens in new tab). We recommend consulting our Graphics Card Buying Guide(opens in new tab).

G-Sync vs FreeSync

G-Sync is exclusively compatible with Nvidia graphics cards, whereas FreeSync requires an AMD graphics card to function properly on a compatible display. Theoretically, G-Sync should work on a display that only supports FreeSync, but in practice, you may experience performance issues. There appears to be no significant difference in the two systems' ability to prevent screen tearing in popular games. In-depth performance comparison between Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync can be found in our post.

4K and HDR go hand-in-hand

HDR content, which provides brighter and more vivid visuals, is commonly supported on 4K displays. The G-Sync Ultimate or FreeSync Premium Pro (previously FreeSync 2 HDR) monitor is required for Adaptive-Sync support with HDR content. Monitors with a brightness of 600 nits or above provide a substantial improvement over standard dynamic range (SDR) displays. Check out our HDR vocabulary page (new tab) and our HDR monitor buying guide for additional information.

Size

Since the picture quality on all 4K monitors is excellent, you can pick a screen size as large as your needs and finances allow. Displays between 27 and 32 inches are recommended because to the high pixel density. Furthermore, we believe that a 65-inch screen is the minimum size at which the individual pixels of a 4K display become noticeable.

 

On the other hand, as display size reduces, sharpness typically increases. In the same amount of space, you may see the same number of pixels. A 27- or 28-inch 4K display will have greater sharpness than a 32-inch display, which will have greater apparent sharpness than a 43- or 48-inch alternative. If you care most about image clarity, you should probably think about the difference.

Panel

The IPS panels used in most 4K monitors have a rather low contrast ratio. The good news is that in addition to their brilliant hues and crisp movements, they also provide accurate color reproduction and a high level of fidelity. A VA panel is used by just a select few alternates. This sort of screen improves contrast ratio and keeps decent color performance, but it usually degrades motion clarity in low-light situations.

 

When shopping for a gaming keyboard, gamers should look for ones that have a Mini-LED lighting. To enhance contrast, an IPS screen is paired with localized dimming from an array of LEDs. In addition to stunning HDR, mini-LED screens are a visual treat. Mini-LEDs are still relatively uncommon, however this is expected to change in the near future.

For the time being, OLED is only used in televisions. There are a few 4K OLED displays on the market, such as the LG 32EP950-B, but they are prohibitively expensive and designed more for professional media creation than gaming.

Refresh rate

The standard for 4K gaming monitors is 144 frames per second; some models can go higher with an overclocking function. At first glance, this could be seen as discouraging. However, as 4K gaming puts a huge strain on a gaming PC, many games will not be able to maintain a frame rate of 144 FPS, let alone 240 FPS or more.

Input lag

Input lag refers, in basic terms, to the amount of time it takes for an external action to be displayed on your screen. How long it takes for something to happen on screen, such as when I click a mouse button, is expressed by the input lag, which is given in milliseconds. Input lag below 2ms is possible on some of the finest gaming monitors, although 4K displays often have a higher latency than 1080p displays due to the larger amount of pixels that must be redrawn during each pass.

Response time

It's important to distinguish between input lag and response time, which is the time it takes for a pixel to go from black to white or from one shade of gray to another. To remain competitive in the long run, you should strive for a reaction time of 5ms or less when buying for a gaming panel, and even the slowest 4K monitors should meet this minimum requirement.

FAQS

Is a 4K gaming monitor worth it for PC gaming?

First and foremost, you need to think about whether or not your PC can take advantage of a 4K gaming monitor. If you want your computer to be able to handle the increase in resolution to 4K, you should upgrade to one of the top graphics cards(opens in new tab) available. If you want to succeed, you should also try increasing the size of your display.

It was a 24-inch display, so the 8.3 million pixels we were producing were lost on us, but the first 4K monitor we tested was beautiful. If you upgrade to a 55-inch Philips Momentum screen, your high-definition world will suddenly seem much larger.

Should I go for an IPS, TN or VA panel?

An IPS panel is always better than a TN one in our opinion (opens in new tab). While a quicker TN may be cheaper, the cheaper technology can't compare in terms of image clarity, viewing angle, or color reproduction. VA technology is another option that can be used instead of IPS and TN, and it is more cost-effective. While the colors aren't particularly vivid, the contrast is excellent.

What monitor is best for 4K?

There is no clear winner when it comes to who makes the best 4K monitor, but trusted Ultra HD displays can be found from reputable brands like Asus, Acer, LG, and BenQ. The recommended minimum refresh rate for smooth gaming is 60 Hz, and you should avoid 50 Hz displays if at all possible.

What monitor size is right for 4K gaming?

If you want to take full advantage of the improved visual fidelity that a 4K display provides, a 27-inch display is the very minimum you'll need. However, depending on the size of your desk/home theater setup, the text on this panel may be too small for your liking. This is where displays of 32 inches or more come in useful for 4K gaming.

What is the sweet spot for a 4K monitor?

If you've got the cash, a 32-inch 4K monitor is the greatest 4K monitor for gaming, filling the sweet spot between the more typical 27-inch 4K panels and the humongous 43-inch screens. In the middle ground, most users find the 32-inch 4K gaming monitor to be the finest option.

Conclusion

Clearly, moving up to a 4K display includes more than just a pixel-by-pixel increase. However, you're finally prepared to hit the stores. We have evaluated a wide variety of 4K displays and compiled a list of the finest options for three primary use cases: professional workstations, gaming rigs, and design studios.

Have fun browsing for bargains!


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