With builds that can support them getting a little cheaper, the best 4K monitors for gaming are becoming a favorite among PC players. Today's 4K monitors not only offer 4K resolutions, but also High Dynamic Range (HDR), and picture quality that rival 4K TVs. If you want your games to look the best, a 4K monitor is what you want, especially if you're looking to be sucked into an immersive open-world game like Outerworlds or The Witcher 3.
The only downside to picking up a fancy 4K HDR gaming monitor is you tend to get lower refresh rates and slower response times, which could be a turn off to competitive gamers who play twitch shooters and fighting games or anyone who favors 120fps or above. If you're more concerned about having your games look the best, then look no further. Of course, you could get something with 144Hz and 4ms response rate and 4K, but it'll cost you.
A close cousin of the Acer Predator X27, once top of this pile, the XB273K is a seriously excellent 4K monitor. It harnesses everything the X27 has and does and
trades off very little in order to rehouse it in a far cheaper model. It is immediately more tempting than X27 and the only real change is in the HDR; the XB273K has a slightly lower quality of HDR. But that's about it.
You'll still get a truly excellent picture quality, with terrific colour quality, contrast and depth; the speed of the monitor means its great for faster shooters or online games too; G-Sync offering the best adaptive sync technology for your rig; a fine assortment of ports to have you covered; and offers such a well-rounded overall experience you'll have zero regrets. For reference, you may see it listed as the XB3 or XB273KP depending on the shop and where you are in the world.
Perhaps a little obviously, packing many top-end features into a display means it’ll have a price to match its excellent quality and capabilities. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ follows this pattern as it is an incredible display but expensive. The difference here is yet more features are crammed in—one in particular—that perhaps set it slightly apart from the rest. As well as the ridiculously clear, bright and detailed images that the PG27UQ’s 4K and HDR-enabled 27-inch display shows off, this monitor also incorporates Nvidia G-Sync tech, making this an absolute behemoth of a screen.
On the back, it’s a bit lean on the connections but you should have everything you need (present are an HDMI 2.0 input, DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5mm audio, and two USB 3.0 ports). It’s also an incredibly well-designed bit of kit with the stand effectively funneling cables, as well as looking cool and having its own down-facing LED display.
Providing you have the gutsy PC required to make the most of this beaut, it’ll give you some of the brightest, most vivid pictures going, a 144Hz refresh rate (in 4K resolution!), made smooth as anything by the G-Sync tech (provided you have a Nvidia GPU); it really is an astounding end product. The Iist price is very high, so might well put people off, but for those that take the plunge, it will not disappoint.
The above Acer and Asus monitors clearly show that 4K-resolution displays come at a premium. Not only is it likely, though not a dead cert, to cost you an arm and a leg, but it’ll also demand an enormous amount of power and grunt from your machine to make the most of it. You will need to be heading toward the top end of the cards such as the 2080s and 2080 Tis (and sometimes a dual-card setup) in order to consistently get the best of it all.
The elephant in the room when considering 4K monitors is that it will, almost without fail, mean a tradeoff between resolution and refresh rate—and we’ll see that here with this monitor’s sitting at 60Hz. However, given this, the Acer Predator XB321HK comes to the show delivering an impressive offering. It’s a 32-inch, IPS panel, so its colours are bright and it has enough screen to easily put its 3840x2160 4K UHD resolution to good use - but without deploying HDR tech. The Predator XB321HK’s price tag is on the high side but it is cheaper than the X27 and so offers great value for 4K.
And while the compromise in refresh rate and the lack of HDR may appear irksome at first, this is still a luxury monitor that’ll perform exceptionally well, leaving you very pleased—particularly if you’ve spent a chunk on powerful graphics cards, and maybe can’t quite warrant stretching even further to the X27.
If you're on the lookout for a quality way in to the field of 4K monitors but haven't got the cash to throw at the situation, then the BenQ EL2870U is one for you to seriously consider. The picture quality, overall, is some of the best we've tested in recent months, and seen on a TN monitor. There's also a really nice balance to the capabilities and offerings of the EL2870U with all things considered. Crispness and detail, with good contrasts and tones are beautifully presented while it performs well from the lushest of environments on screen, to the dingiest.
As a budget-level monitor it does top out its refresh rate of its glorious 4K resolution at 60Hz, but that's fine for most, and certainly fine for the price and 4K-entry point it represents. Unfortunately there's no G-Sync, but FreeSync is present to help smooth out the experience, while a 1ms response time gives it a speedy edge. Also present are BenQ's original screen techs incorporated to aid users' eyes when using the monitor for long periods of time. The eye-care technology consists of the the Low Blue Light Technology, which removes harmful blue light that can damage eyes, and Brightness Intelligence + (B.I.+), which changes the brightness and color temperature of your on-screen images based on your surroundings.
We can confirm that these are not just gimmicks and do benefit you. Combine these with the brilliant picture quality and speeds the EL2870U offers as a whole package, and this is an impressive point of entry to 4K monitors and offers amazing value with a impulse-purchase worthy price point.
This is a premium monitor in every sense of the word. Avoiding any trade off between technologies to get the best of everything, the Acer Predator X27 gives you, well, everything. The monitor is fabulous and has a 4K-resolution and is HDR-enabled so ticks the main future-proof boxes right off the bat. But it doesn’t stop there and also offers G-Sync, and a high refresh rate. Its IPS panel comes with a refresh rate of 144Hz (when overclocked), so it's a bursting-at-the-seams bright-as-anything look, but the integrated VisionCare technology will take care of your eyes (Acer says).
The monitor has G-Sync which enables it to refresh at a variable rate instead of being locked to its max of 144Hz and it also syncs the refresh rate to your in-game framerate, removing any chance of stuttering or tearing. So, in terms of high-spec screen tech, you can have total confidence in its capabilities. When it comes to connectivity, there are a number of ports and connection opportunities on the monitor’s back and left side. The rear sports two USB 3.0 ports as well as HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 out, and the side has another two USB 3.0 ports. Despite the very high asking price, the X27 is such a great monitor that we’d recommend you consider it if you can. If it ever goes on sale it’ll be an extremely tasty deal.
Also embracing the 4K resolution-without-HDR approach, the BenQ PD3200U is, almost accidentally, a 4K monitor worthy of gamers’ consideration. It’s a wonderfully large 32-inch display that, while its allegedly aimed at designers and creatives more than gamers, is incredibly competent for high-end gaming too. Its IPS panel is wonderfully clear, and the image quality is fantastic, enhanced by being in that wonderful 4K resolution. Additional features include its own tech such as Low Blue Light and Flicker-free elements, which make using the monitor at night vastly more comfortable. And its connectivity is good, offering two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.2, mini DisplayPort, dual USB 3.0 ports and a 3.5mm audio port. The addition of an SD card slot is an extra bonus too.
It's worth remembering that this isn’t necessarily directly aimed at those who game, and its refresh rate of 60Hz reflects that. But, having said that the 4K resolution and wonderful quality will negate that for most. This will also make it a prime screen for those who perhaps have a graphic design or video editing hobby or job, as well as those that have a console wired into their gaming room or setup, and its price will certainly tempt some to give it a try.
Very much appearing more like a TV than a monitor, the 43-inch 4K HDR Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB is almost cumbersome, but still very much worth a look. Being such a size may present a challenge in making sure it can fit on your desk safely and well enough for effective use, but it is also weighty enough to give you no worries about its stability.
It’s priced a bit higher than a regular 4K HDR TV of the same size, but it definitely seems to put gaming—and PCs—first. It has a good haul of ports covering HDMI 2.0, USB-C, DisplayPort, and mini DisplayPort, it has a backlight that glows according to what’s shown on the front of the screen (called Ambiglow), and its an MVA-type panel that boasts a 4ms response time. Given its size, it may appeal to those who also have a console hooked into their setup alongside a PC but its 4K and HDR qualities are undeniable and, teamed with its TV-size and decent price tag, will be very appealing—particularly to those who take a ‘more is more’ approach to displays.
