Key Takeaways

The difference between 1080p and 1440p monitors is that the latter has just over 1.5 times the pixels. Comparatively, 4K monitors have 4 times the number of pixels as 1080p monitors.

However, 4K monitors can't reach nearly as high a refresh rate as 1080p and 1440p monitors. The highest refresh rate on a 4K monitor we could find was 165 Hz, whereas 1440p monitors can get up to 360 Hz and 1080p monitors can get up to 500 Hz.

1080p, 1440p, and 4K monitors all have their own pros and cons. When determining which type of monitor resolution is right for you, you need to think about how you'll be using it. Here's what you need to know.

1080p Monitors: Cheap, Fast, and Efficient

A 1080p monitor has a resolution of 1080 vertical pixels by 1920 horizontal pixels. This is the lowest resolution monitor type which is true HD. These days, this is the standard resolution of most low-budget consumer-grade monitors.

Pros of Using a 1080p Monitor

1080p monitors are cheaper than their 1440p and 4K counterparts. They're easier to produce as they don't require as robust components as 1440p and 4K monitors. As such, 1080p monitors are the ideal choice if your wallet is looking a bit empty.

Due to the relatively low resolution, 1080p monitors can reach high refresh rates. The fewer pixels a monitor has to deal with, the easier it is for it to update them all with new visual data. These days, you can find a 1080p monitor with refresh rates of 240 Hz (Hertz) or higher with relative ease. Alienware has even started making 500 Hz monitors at 1080p resolution.

Relating to the ease at which 1080p monitors can do their job, they also don't require that powerful of a graphics card when you're gaming on a PC. Your graphics card should be able to keep up with your 1080p monitor while gaming at even the most intense levels.

Cons of Using a 1080p Monitor

The biggest downside of using a 1080p monitor is that it can't display visuals of higher resolutions in full accuracy. For example, if you want to watch a 4K movie on a 1080p monitor, you'll only see it in 1080p.

1080p monitors just don't have enough pixels in their displays to correctly show 4K media. 4K media is meant to be displayed on a monitor (or other visual output devices such as a 4K projector) that has a resolution of 2160 vertical pixels and 3840 horizontal pixels. Even with the best Blu-Ray player, you won't see beyond the native resolution of your monitor.

Yes, that's right, the "4K" refers to the horizontal number of pixels (that have been rounded up). This is the opposite of 1080p and 1440p monitors, which are marketed based on their vertical number of pixels---but more on that later.

You can still view the movie (or whatever type of media it is) in a way that lets your monitor display the full frame, but you'll lose out on about half of the visual quality. What would normally be displayed across two pixels now has to be shown through one.

1440p Monitors: A Balanced Middleground

A 1440p monitor has a resolution of 1440 vertical pixels by 2560 horizontal pixels. Sometimes referred to as "2K" monitors due to their horizontal pixel count being in the 2000s, these monitors have become increasingly common in recent years---especially among gamers. This type of monitor has just over 1.5 times more pixels than a 1080p monitor.

Pros of Using a 1440p Monitor

The higher pixel density can come with nicer visuals. Your 4K media will always look better on a 1440p monitor than on a 1080p monitor because there are more pixels with which your monitor can display visual data.

On that note, the extra screen space can also be pretty useful! This is especially true if you work on a computer and need to look at multiple things at the same time, such as viewing reference images while creating art or looking over multiple documents when writing.

Like 1080p monitors, the 1440p variety can reach some pretty high refresh rates.  We haven't yet seen 500 Hz varieties of 1440p monitors---however, Asus recently released a 1440p monitor that has a 360 Hz refresh rate.

Cons of Using a 1440p Monitor

Sadly, media at 1080p resolution and lower will look a bit blurry on a 1440p monitor, as your display is filling in gaps. By this, we mean that 1080p media (or lower) was meant to be displayed on a 1080p (or lower) monitor.

When you try to play 1080p or lower resolution media on a 1440p monitor, your monitor doesn't have data for a lot of its pixels, so it fills them in with information from surrounding pixels when it expands the picture to fill the frame. This can be circumvented by setting your 1440p monitor to 1080p (if you have that option) or turning on the overscan function (which most modern monitors should have).

Moreover, 1440p monitors still can't display 4K media at full quality. It has the same issue as when a 1080p monitor tries to display 4K visuals: there just aren't enough pixels to accurately depict the 4K video file's data. This leaves 1440p monitors in an awkward middle zone. With that said, 4K media will still always look nicer on a 1440p monitor than on a 1080p one.

When it comes to gaming, your PC will need a better graphics card to keep up with a 1440p monitor than it will for one of the 1080p kind. The difference isn't huge, but the extra work needed can still result in frame drops and similar performance-related issues.

4K Monitors: Looks Great, but Needs the Right Setup

A 4K monitor has a resolution of 2160 vertical pixels by 3840 horizontal pixels. Once again, we'd like to point out the misleading marketing in that the "4K" refers to this product's horizontal pixel count as opposed to its vertical pixel count.

However, due to both the vertical and horizontal sides doubling in size, 4K monitors have four times the number of pixels as 1080p monitors. 1080 multiplied by 1920 equals 2,073,600 individual pixels, while 2160 multiplied by 3840 equals 8,294,400 individual pixels. That's a lot of pixels!

Pros of Using a 4K Monitor

As you're probably already aware, 4K monitors can fully display 4K media in full accuracy. You'll see every single pixel that you're intended to! This makes watching many of the latest movies and TV shows a truly enjoyable experience.

On top of that, due to the huge amount of screen space, you can fit a lot onto a 4K monitor when working. Frankly, it's overkill for creating art and general office work, but more room to work with is hardly ever a bad thing.

Cons of Using a 4K Monitor

One downside of the high resolution is that lower-resolution media will look downright awful. 1080p media gets stretched more than a Mr. Fantastic action figure when displayed on a 4K monitor. _#1Don't even get us started on trying to play an original N64 game (made for standard definition: 480p) on a 4K monitor---mamma mia!

However, to clarify, by "stretched", we mean that there simply isn't enough visual information in media made at 1080p (or lower) resolution to fill in every single pixel of a monitor with 4K resolution. This results in the media appearing more "blocky" as, when upscaled to 4K resolution, lesser resolution media's lack of pixel information becomes much more obvious. It would be like playing Minecraft at this point.

Additionally, 4K monitors are more expensive than their 1080p and 1440p counterparts. There are bound to be great deals here and there for 4K monitors, however, they'll still cost more than most lower-resolution monitors.

_#3

Due to the huge number of pixels, 4K monitors can't really reach the same impressive refresh rates as higher-end 1080p and 1440p monitors. You can get gaming-focused monitors like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8, which has a refresh rate of 240Hz, but that's a far cry from monitors like this 1080p Alienware monitor with a 500Hz refresh rate._#2

What's more, also due to the high pixel density, you'll need a really powerful graphics card_#4 if you intend to use a 4K monitor for gaming. Otherwise, your PC will start having performance issues such as frame drops, lag, and more.

How to Choose the Right Monitor Resolution

You should choose what kind of monitor to get based on what you need it for. How much you get out of your monitor depends heavily on whether you're using it for work, pleasure, both, or neither. Let us give you a bit of advice on how to determine such factors.

A 1080p monitor is best for people with a low budget who intend to use it primarily for gaming. Even with a low-end PC, you can make use of a 1080p monitor with a high refresh rate for a competitive advantage in fast-paced multiplayer games.

A 1440p monitor is best for those working with a moderate budget who want to use their monitor for both gaming and work. Being able to reach high refresh rates without needing the beefiest possible graphics card is a boon to gamers---but make sure your PC can handle it. Also, the added screen space is useful for people who work on a computer and need to fit more things on-screen at once.

A 4K monitor is best for those who intend to use it to watch movies and TV shows---or if you simply enjoy using a high-resolution desktop monitor for everything. _#5While gaming with a 4K monitor can look really nice, you should only do so if you have a powerful graphics card and PC or are gaming from a console. The great amount of screen space can be nice when working on a computer---such as when doing graphics editing---however, it's a bit over the top unless you're doing something like recreating the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

With the variety of options available to you, whether you plan to use your monitor for gaming, work, or other needs, you'll always find something you need. If you're not satisfied with what you get, you can always alter it in some way, such as overclocking your monitor. Happy high-definition hunting!