There was a time when buying a 4K monitor would have been out of your budget league, with large screen hardware costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars. With lots of manufacturers introducing cheaper 4K display, the industry has started to move onto higher resolutions, purchasing a 4K monitor is now more affordable than it once was.
However, there are still a lot of things to consider before making a purchase. We will be establishing a series of guidelines that we would like you to follow. This will help you in making a 4K monitor buying decision less time consuming, and once you finally unbox it, you will be extremely satisfied with what you invest.
6 things to consider before buying a 4K monitor in 2018
1. Research
It is always good to do some research online while making your buying decision, you will benefit from it. You’ll get to know more about products from different manufacturers, features and be able to compare prices.
Reading 4k monitor reviews online is the first step you should do to make the best buying decision and buy a monitor that is worth your money.
2. Image quality
It is not just the resolution you should look at, but the color quality of the image being projected by the 4K monitor. If you are one of these creative professionals that do extremely accurate color grading work, then you will need a display that gives the 100 percent of the Adobe sRGB space. In this way, you will not need to spend countless hours in calibrating the monitor. However, do take care that monitors that feature 100 percent color accuracy are not going to go easy on your wallet.
3. Size of the monitor
Having a ‘larger than life’ monitor will be advantageous to your requirements. Even if you get a monitor with a resolution of 4K, if it features a small screen, you might have trouble fitting and see lots of things on display.
For example, with a larger screen, you will be able to split two or four equal 1080p windows in the same display, and thanks to the superior size of that monitor, you will be able to see everything clearly, which will drastically improve your workflow.
However, the larger monitor will definitely be taking up a lot of space and is going to be probably the heaviest piece of computer equipment you have ever carried around.
4. Portability
For lots of people, portability is going to be the least concerning thing for them because it is already a large piece of hardware. However, for some, they do require frequent traveling and will require something that can easily be accommodated in their suitcase so they can stretch their desk space for better productivity. Then again, a smaller screen will not allow you to see everything on displayclearly.
5. Inputs and port selection
Modern 4K monitors have a unique selection of ports, including USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. Before buying a 4K monitor, choose one which features the same port that is present in your notebook, or motherboard. This will help to reduce incompatibility problems after your purchase.
Even though you will need to purchase dongles and adapters for a monitor that does not have the same port as your laptop or computer’s motherboard that will require extra money, and honestly, you can do without this headache. Always remember, a modern 4K monitor will have either an HDMI, Display Port, Thunderbolt 3 (disguised in the USB-C interface) or all of them. You just need to figure out which port will be able to provide you with the best future proofing.
6. Price
While 4K monitors have become a lot affordable than they were several years ago, they are still not the cheapest hardware to upgrade to. Always remember that the cheapest 4K monitors might be the best value for your money or a terrible purchase that you’ve ever made.
That also goes for a 4K monitor that features an expensive price tag. However, the majority of the times, an expensive 4K monitor will come features and ports that you need while a cheaper one will come with poor build quality, improper color accuracy, and other compromises. For this, you will have to check out your budget and make the decision accordingly.
Were these five guidelines useful to help you search for a monitor that fits your budget and provides you the best ‘bang for your buck’?
