Can’t decide on one thing? Well nobody can! It’s always one thing beating the other through unlimited chaos of pros and cons. Don’t lose faith just yet- in this article we will try and simply explain what option you should go with. So 1080p or 1440p or 4K? As they say, it bigger is always a tad bit better but then again playing at a higher refresh rate is a different kind of happiness.

Forget all that you have in mind and just consider these three things-

  • The screen size.
  • your ideal viewing distance and
  • your PC’s performance

So out of 1080p vs 1440p vs 4K, which is the best? Most might say that 4k is the best, others might argue that, so let’s get straight to the point- there is no winner; it highly depends on personal preference.

To clear all your doubts we are starting with the basics:

What is Monitor Resolution?

 

Resolution is referring to the size of the monitor in terms of pixels. As you increase the monitor resolution you are displaying more pixels increasing visual image quality and clarity.

E.g. A 1080p resolution displays 1920 horizontal pixels and 1080 vertical pixels. Common Gaming Monitor Resolutions:

  • 1920 x 1080 — FHD (Full HD) / 1080p
  • 2560 x 1440 — QHD (Quad HD) / 2K 1440p
  • 3840 x 2160 — UHD (Ultra HD) / 4K 2160p
  • 7680 × 4320 — FUHD (Full Ultra HD) / 8K 4320p

Let’s learn a bit about Pixel Density?

 

The relationship between screen size and resolution is calculated in PPI (Pixels per Inch). You would see individual pixels if the PPI is too big and small details will look grainy and blurred.

The PPI Density reduces as the screen size for a fixed resolution increases. For eg, while 720p resolution looks great on a phone screen, it looks awful in a movie theater unless you stand very far away from the screen. Since you keep your phone and tablet so close to your ears, they have a high PPI.

Optimal Viewing Distance:

 

To have the optimal viewing experience, you should never be able to see the individual pixels on the screen. Higher resolutions will help you more if you sit closer to your phone.

If you’re 5 feet away from your laptop and have a 25-inch display, you won’t be able to tell the difference between 1080p and 8K resolutions, so there’s no point in using a higher resolution. To take advantage of higher resolutions, you’ll need a bigger projector.

If you’re sitting 1 foot away from your screen and using a 25-inch display, then, you’ll probably note the disparity in resolutions, and the best resolution will be 8K.

The average gamer sits 2-3 feet away from their computer, and the best resolution for a 25-inch monitor at this distance is 2K/1440p. To experience 4K resolutions at this distance, you’ll need a bigger display, at least 27 inches or larger.

That was all about Optimal Viewing Distance now let’s talk about resolutions.

 

1080p / FHD

1080p resolution is called entry-level and is a good choice whether you’re on a spending limit or a professional gamer. Many professional gamers choose to play at 1080p for two reasons: initially, a smaller resolution has lower hardware expectations, making it far simpler to attain better frame rates and play at the higher refresh rate of 240Hz. Furthermore, professional players like to play on smaller 24-inch displays so that they can see everything on the board without having to raise their heads. A 24-inch display is well-suited for 1080p gaming, as you can probably point out.

1440p / 2K

When compared to 1080p vs 1440p, 1440p has twice as many pixels as 1080p and helps you to get even smoother graphics when playing at fast refresh rates if you have a mid to high-end PC. For most players who want a higher visual quality of gaming, we suggest a 1440p / 2K resolution. If you’re seated 2-3 feet away from your laptop, we suggest a 27-inch 1440p display.

2160p / 4K

4K displays were once hideously expensive but they are getting more accessible by the day. But nevertheless, we assert that a higher refresh rate is much more essential than a higher resolution for your gaming experience. To play 4K games at higher refresh speeds, such as 240Hz, you’ll need a top-of-the-line PC. We advocate staying with 1440p at 240Hz if you can’t get 240Hz at 4K.

4320p / 8K

Until and unless you have the best possible gaming system with multiple GPUs, we recommend skipping 8K displays right now. This is due to the incredibly high-performance criteria for running games at 8K at a good frame rate/refresh rate. To enjoy the additional visual clarity that 8K offers, you’ll need to buy a big display and sit close to it. This will require you to turn your head to see the edges of the screen, which takes away from the gaming experience.

Conclusion

To conclude this, the higher the resolution, the better, but the higher the refresh rate, the best. You know by now that, if you’re a professional gamer or have a limited budget, 1080p at 240Hz is the best choice. But then we also suggest 1440p with a 27-inch or larger screen for most other frequent gamers.