4K vs 1080p

[Bzdougie]

Plan on getting an xps 15 for engineering school and was wondering if the 4k is really worth it for what I'm doing? I'd like to get the most out of my battery life but if the 4k is really that nice I'll take it. I won't be using the touch function and budget is really no issue. 

[Oshino Shinobu]

At 15", 4K is pointless IMO. If you ask me, anything below about 30" is too small for 4K without large amounts of scaling. For 4K media consumption, I'd say 27" is the smallest I'd go. At 15" there's no point in it, it will just drain the battery quicker. 

 

EDIT: I have a 28" 4K monitor and it's too small for everyday use without scaling. The few programs that benefit from it only just manage. I'd say 32" would be good from a productivity standpoint and maybe everyday use (without scaling) if you have good eyes or sit close to it.

[ARikozuM]

Put the money towards an SSD rather than a 4K screen.

[Yi Chen]

Go for 1080p for better battery and use the money you save for something else. 

[Lazaro]

I have the Dell XPS 15 9550 with the 4k screen 84wh battery..

 

The screen is amazing,

 

but for what you're doing for sure get the 1080. I would say mine gets 3-4 hours on battery at mid brightness. 4k eats a lot of power.

[Enderman]

I got a 1080p XPS13, didn't need touch screen (dirty fingerprints ew) and didn't need super high resolutions.

Works perfectly fine for me, and longer battery life is a plus.

[DrMacintosh]

A 2560x1600p is an amazing compromise. 4k on laptops is a cash grab.  

[GurcemEugeneZekai]

Watching 4k content, Editing Photos and Videos are great with 4K monitors. But gaming and everyday use + battery drain is a huge compromise for the everyday user.  

3k 1600p panels looks promising with much better fps when gaming.