Weighing between an ultrawide monitor vs 4K monitor? We know this is a bit of a tricky choice to make. Both the ultrawide and 4K monitors come with some high-end features and specifications. Thus, it is not that easy to choose between these two types of monitors.
We can tell you that both of these types of monitors have their own pros and cons. But the final choice will depend upon the types of tasks you will perform using your monitor. If you can figure that out first, then it will be easy to find the best fit for you between a 4K and an ultrawide monitor.
For your convenience, in this comprehensive post, we will try to enlighten you on this topic. So, let’s get started…
Ultrawide Monitor Vs 4K – What are the Ultrawide Monitors?
Typically, most ultrawide monitors come with a resolution of 2560x1080p or 3440×1440 pixels. You will also notice that these monitors come with a 21:9 aspect ratio. Whereas typical monitors come with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Now, the most peculiar characteristic of an Ultrawide monitor is the size of the screen. Every ultrawide monitor will have extra screen size horizontally than vertically. That means these monitors will be wider than usual monitors. And, that is from where the name ‘Ultrawide’ comes from.
What are 4K Monitors?
By contrast, the 4K monitors come with a screen resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. If you compare it to the most common ultrawide monitor resolution, then 4K resolution has about 3 million more pixels than a typical ultrawide monitor.
Difference Between a 4K and an Ultrawide Monitors:
There is a clear distinction between an ultrawide and a 4K monitor. First off, these are different from one another by definition. For instance, when we are talking about a 4K monitor, we are actually referring to the resolution of the monitor as 4K. On the other hand, when we say ‘ultrawide’ monitor, we are actually referring to the size and the look of the monitor, not the resolution.
There are also a few other distinctions between these two types of monitors. Based on those, one type of monitor will be better than the other for each user. As a result, if you want to know whether a 4K or an ultrawide monitor will be better for you, then you have to consider a few things first. For instance, will you use your monitor for gaming? Or for watching movies and videos? Or do you want to be more productive?
Lucky for you, we will be discussing all of these points in the following section and tell you if an ultrawide or a 4K monitor is better. So, let’s go…
Ultrawide Monitor Vs 4K Monitors – For Professional Use:
Usually, you will find 2 types of ultrawide monitors such as flat/normal ultrawide and curved ultrawide monitors. Now, an ultrawide monitor does have an advantage over a flat 4K monitor in terms of screen size. As you know ultrawide monitors are a bit larger horizontally, you will have more screen space using an ultrawide monitor.
So, let’s say, you need to open a lot of tabs for your professional purpose, you will love ultrawide monitor in those situations. Also, if you work with spreadsheets and documents etc., even then ultrawide monitors will come at handy. Yes, you might say that using a multi-monitor setup could be better in those cases. But we believe an ultrawide monitor is actually a better option if your work calls for opening lots of tabs.
Let’s say, your work is related to video or photo editing. In those instances, a high-resolution monitor will help a lot. However, an ultrawide monitor will also be helpful in those cases. Because most of the edition programs have a big workspace window. So, in typical flat monitors, it is not possible to cram up all the options and timelines easily.
However, the additional horizontal space on an ultrawide monitor will give you an edge using those photo/video editing programs comfortably. So, it is up to you, if you want a higher crisp resolution, you should go with a 4K display. But if you want to use the extra screen space of an ultrawide monitor to your advantage, then you can go with Ultrawide monitors.
Next, when you will be using a 4K monitor, due to the high pixel density, everything on your monitor will look a bit tiny. You can fix that issue using ‘Windows Display Scaling’ settings, though. But there are certain apps or programs that might not be able to scale correctly. Worse yet, there are some apps that cannot be scaled up at all, unfortunately. In those cases, you are better off with an ultrawide monitor.
Verdict:
Go with a 4K monitor, if you want the best screen resolution and pixel density regardless of the type of work you do. But if you do a job where you need to open multiple tabs frequently or have to work with photo/video editing programs, then you can go with an Ultrawide monitor.
Ultrawide Monitor Vs 4K Monitors – For Gaming:
There is no doubt that a 4K monitor will be able to offer the best gaming experience because of the higher screen resolution. But on another note, you will have to have a PC with a high-end configuration that can handle most games at 4K resolution with a good FPS.
If your gaming rig is not up to the mark of handling modern games at 4K resolutions with at least 60 FPS, then you should not opt for a 4K monitor. Remember, the higher the resolution, it will be hard for the PC to offer more FPS in-game. To remedy this issue, you can obviously lower the resolution while playing games. But what is the use of a 4K monitor if you can’t use it to its highest potential?
Now, you know that an Ultrawide monitor will come with a 21:9 aspect ratio by default. As a result, it will give an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience than a usual 4K monitor.
This is a good side of ultrawide monitors when it comes to gaming. But, the problem with this unusual aspect ratio (21:9) is that it gives the gamers a slight advantage in some games as they can see more than the gamers that are using a conventional monitor. Albeit, it is not applicable to every game.
Furthermore, there is an issue with ultrawide monitors as well when it comes to gaming. There are a lot of games that don’t support the 21:9 aspect ratio. Typically, most of the compatible games are known for not supporting the ultrawide default aspect ratio.
If you play those games on an ultrawide monitor, you will see black bars around the monitor to compensate for the additional screen space.
In that regard, if you play games that are not compatible with the 21:9 aspect ratio, you should not choose an ultrawide monitor. But if you can cope with the black bars around the screen or don’t play many of the unsupported games, you can opt for an Ultrawide over a 4K monitor.
Verdict:
A 4K monitor is best if you have a PC that is powerful enough to run all the latest games at 4K resolutions. In that regard, you will have to spend a lot of money on both the monitor and the PC components.
An Ultrawide monitor would be suitable if you want a more immersive gaming experience regardless of the screen resolution. Also, make sure if the games you want to play the most support 21:9 aspect ratio natively.
4K Monitors Vs Ultrawide Monitors – For Entertainment Purpose:
Once again, it is always better to go with a higher resolution monitor for entertainment purposes. If you use your monitor regularly for watching YouTube videos, movies, or any videos in general, then you can go with a 4K monitor. Recently, we are seeing a lot of connections that are available in 4K resolution.
If you want the best visual experience while watching a video, you should get a 4K monitor. However, remember, you need to have the content or media in 4K resolution as well. If you watch a 1080p video on a 4K monitor, it will be blurry and you will not enjoy it at all.
On the other side, ultrawide monitors are great for watching movies in their native resolution. You might not know that most of the movies are actually produced at an aspect ratio of 2:39:1. And, it is similar to the 21:9 aspect ratio. That means, if you want to watch movies in their native aspect ratio and in full screen with more immersion, you will love an ultrawide monitor.
Verdict:
In our opinion, a 4K monitor will always be better if you watch your favorite movies, videos, or shows at 4K resolution. However, if you don’t watch 4K contents, it will not be worth it to buy a 4K monitor.
Conversely, if you want to watch movies in native resolutions or more immersive, then you should better go with an Ultrawide monitor.
Before We Go – Ultrawide Monitor Vs 4K Monitors:
If you have read the post above, you will come to know that it all boils down to the preference of the users whether they should go with a 4K or an ultrawide monitor. Plus, you would also need to consider some other factors like the display panel type, pixel density, color gamut, refresh rate, response time, etc. before you can finalize your decision.
In short, you will love a 4K monitor, if your PC can handle it. However, if you have a low-end PC, you might not play the latest games at 4K resolution. In those instances, it is useless to go with a 4K resolution. And, an ultrawide monitor would be the best option out there.
We hope this post will help you to choose the best option between an ultrawide and a 4K monitor according to your needs.
So, which one is better in your opinion-4K or an Ultrawide monitor? Do let us your opinion by commenting on the comment section down below and also reading these related posts about:
