What IS 4K?

[MalevolentSpoon]

So, as I've been binging on LTT for the past few weeks, as well as scattered other tech nerd tubers, I've seen tons of talk about resolution. 4k this, 4k that, and it's left me very confused about a lot of things.

 

What IS 4k actually? Although I should probably check for a TechQuickie on that one...

 

What is 1440p? Is that not the same as 4k?

 

What kind of computer hardware does 4k REALLY need? I've seen folks say that you have to have crazy setups like a 8700k with two 1080ti's in SLI, and then others like this one Craigslist ad where a guy said he could play at 4k with two 980ti's in SLI.

 

Lastly, should I even care all that much? Even though it's talked about a lot, I swear I remember mentioning of 4k monitors being few, far, and hundreds if not thousands of dollars between.

[Max_Settings]

4K and 1440p are resolutions. 4K is 3840x2160 and 1440p is 2560x1440. And yes 4K needs some serious power. Even a 1080 ti is not enough to max every game at 4K. So you hearing 8700K and 1080 ti SLI is somewhat correct.

[PlayStation 2]

1440p is 2560x1440.

4K as an actual definition is 4096x2160, but is generally and incorrectly referred to as 3840x2160. If you want to go the 720p/1080p route with that resolution, the proper term for that would be 2160p.

[unkn0wn1]

All it is is a resolution of a screen.

4k or really UHD is 3840 x 2160 which is higher than 1440p and 1080p, 1080p is 1/4 the resolution of UHD is also requires a much more powerful GPU to run 4x the pixels a typical 1060 will run 1080p just fine but going up will most likely need a 1080ti or better to run triple A titles at 4k 60p

 

 

 

 

[Enderman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution

[Taja]

Well, people already explained WHAT 4k is,but about playing in 4k...

Well, if you are actually smart and know how to TWEAK SETTINGS, 4k is playable with even a gtx 1070. It may be not optimal, and depends on the games ofc. But for the "omg im a gamer and I need 60fps ultra all games", you will need a 1080ti at least.

[Orangeator]

Yeah I play on a 4k monitor with an overclocked 980 TI just fine. It is for sure demanding, but you don't need the "best of the best". But to better answer your question... 4k is a resolution, or how many individual pixels are in a given display. Basically, the more pixels there are the higher the PPI (pixels per inch) is. You want a high number of this because it makes everything sharper, from pictures to super fine readable text.

 

Edit: On a personal note, I would rather play 4k low than 1080p ultra any day.

[vanished]

Wow, that's a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about what these things mean ...

 

4K is a class of resolutions containing anything roughly 4000 pixels wide.

Examples include 4096 x 2000, 3840 x 1080, etc.

But when most people say it here they mean 3840 x 2160.

 

1440p is any resolution that is something by 1440

Examples include 2560 x 1440, 3440 x 1440, 7000 x 1440, etc.

But most people mean the first one when they say it.

 

You can read the link in my sig for more about the "*K" notation specifically.