A 4K monitor is usually the first choice these days for anyone working in visual design as ultra high-definition (UHD) becomes the norm. The best 4K monitors deliver higher pixel density for a cleaner, sharper image provided the screen is large enough, which is what you want when working with visuals, especially video.
Some quite affordable 4K monitors are now available, so the question is which to buy rather than whether to go for 4K or FHD. Below you'll find options ranging from high-end displays with excellent colour accuracy for creative professionals to more economical options.
Our expert reviewers have tried and tested dozens of models, benchmarking them and using them for creative work. We assess each in terms of build, ergonomics, features, display quality, connectivity and price based on our own reviews, recommendations from working creatives and comparing the specs.
Below is a quick list of the top five of our picks as the best 4K monitors in brief. You can scroll down further for our full comparisons and more pointers on how to choose the best 4K monitor for you.
This is our top pick for anyone looking for a solid balance between specs and price. It offers full sRGB coverage and a modern design with slim bezels but doesn't cost the Earth. Read more below
If you're on a smaller budget and don't need particularly good colour coverage for creative work or speedy specs for gaming, this monitor from the ever-reliable Dell is great value and may be all you need. Read more below
Professional monitors can cost a small fortune, but this 4K screen from BenQ provides the colour coverage and accuracy that photographers need at a relatively attractive price point. Good connectivity and special features seal the deal. Read more below
If you're a demanding creative pro that needs the best of the best, here it is. This stunning 4096 x 2160 resolution monitor blew us away with its image quality and accuracy and myriad professional features. Read more below
Most monitors still don't feature an in-built webcam, but this option from Dell is an exception. Aimed at creative execs, it also offers great picture quality with accurate colour modes and good connectivity. Read more below
Good 4K monitors don't have to be big. This Samsung display has a smaller price and it's also more compact at 28in, perfect for a smaller workspace. Colour specs are great for the price, but there's no USB-C. Read more below
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The best 4K monitor overall
(Image credit: Dell)
01. Dell Ultrasharp U3219Q
A solid mid-range monitor that will cover most people's needs
Our expert review:
Specifications
Screen size: 31.5-inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Panel tech: IPS
Inputs: 1x HDMI, 1x Displayport
USB: 4 x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type C
Reasons to buy
+
Thin 6mm bezel
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Great colour accuracy...
Reasons to avoid
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... but not quite 100% AdobeRGB
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Only two display inputs
Pro features for under a grand put this at the top of our list of the best 4K monitors. Following in a long tradition of fine displays from Dell, the UltraSharp U3219Q offers full sRGB coverage, 95 per cent DCI-P3 and exceptional colour uniformity, making it ideal for all types of creative, including those working in photo and video.
We think this monitor is reasonably priced for a screen of this size and quality, which is rather impressive, all things considered. It doesn't have features like the colour calibrator of the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X below, but it's about a quarter of the price, and still offers a high-quality build. A sleek design meets a matt IPS panel finish and 6mm thin bezels, all adding up to a superb monitor at an outstanding price. All things factored in, this is the best 4K monitor you can buy right now.
Dell takes second place in our selection of the best 4K monitors too, but this time with a much more affordable display. Well, it's not exactly cheap, but it's a lot more affordable than most good 4K monitors. It looks good too. Dell monitors aren't exactly known for their sleek looks, but the curved S3221QSA is a lot more elegant than its name, standing out from all those black and grey business monitors with its white back and base.
With a contrast ratio of 3,000:1, support for 1.07 billion colours, a response time of up to 4ms and a 178/178 viewing angle it offers crisp and vibrant visuals. There's no USB-C, which feels like quite a major oversight for a monitor aimed at professionals, and there's no true HDR either, but there are some multitasking features that we found useful, like Picture in Picture, picture by picture and EasyArrange, which lets you organise apps and tabs. If you can live without a USB-C port and true HDR, this affordable 4K monitor is a steal.
Professional 4K monitors can be massively expensive (just see the stunning Eizo ColorEdge CG319X and the Asus ProArt PA32UC-K below), but there are now some fantastic UHD screens that strike a great balance between specs and price. Our favourite, certainly for photography, is the BenQ SW321C Pro. When we reviewed it, we found it to be the perfect (reasonably) affordable 32-inch 4K monitor for photo editing for performance and usability.
The colour gamut is outstanding. BenQ quotes 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB/Rec 709, and 95% DCI-P3/Display P3. In our own tests, we got 100% Adobe RGB out of the box (to get 95% DCI-P3 colour gamut, you need to switch to DCI-P3 colour mode). As for accuracy, our tests gave us a Delta E ≤ 2 average of 0.90 in Adobe RGB colour mode and 1.55 in DCI-P3 mode. With HDR10 and HLG support and some nice features designed with editing in mind, we think this is the best value professional 4K monitor around. See our full BenQ SW321C review for more details.
The Eizo ColourEdge CG319X is the connoisseur’s choice in high-quality displays. Eizo displays are a very familiar sight in professional video and photography studios – and this 31-inch 4K monitor, with a 10-bit display and 24-bit colour look-up table, is a stunner. The CG319X also boasts one feature that sets it apart from competing high-end 4K screens: 4096 x 2160 resolution rather than 3840 x 2160. This reflects the slightly taller 4K standard used in digital video production.
When we reviewed it, we found the design of the ColourEdge CG319X to be a little dull and utilitarian, but then you're really buying this for the display itself, and we found that to be unfaultable, producing a jaw-dropping image. There's a built-in calibration tool to keep your colours as accurate as possible – it pops across the screen every time it's powered on – and you get a bundled monitor hood. If money is no object, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X is the best 4K monitor you can buy right now.
Fantastic picture quality with accurate colour modes
+
Windows Hello-enabled webcam
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Great looks
Reasons to avoid
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Heavier than some other options
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More expensive than other options
The Dell UltraSharp U3223QZ isn't as expensive as the 4K monitor above, but it's not aimed at casual creatives either. This is more of a monitor for creative executives. It has the specs needed for creative work: with 1.07 billion colours, but it also has productivity features aimed at managers, including an unusual soft-touch top bar and pro webcam.
We found the webcam to be superb, serving for professional-looking video-conferencing. Other nice features include the KVM switch so you can easily switch between two computers and multitasking tools like split-screen and dedicated video-conferencing buttons. As for the display itself, 100% Rec 709, 100% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 make it great for image processing but the 60Hz refresh rate and max HDR at 400 nits mean it's not the best for game development.
For a more compact 4K monitor, this 28-inch Samsung 4K display follows very closely on the heels of the Dell 4K S3221QS at number two on our list of the best 4K monitors in terms of value. It lacks pro features but there's still 100 per cent support for the sRGB colour space, a high 300cd/square metre brightness level and support for 60Hz 4K.
It's a decent-looking display that also boasts various connectivity options including dual HDMI and Display Port, too – although again this budget option has no USB-C connection. You can use picture-by-picture if you want to use two inputs alongside each other, such as a TV box or gaming console. The viewing angle is narrower than more expensive monitors, which is worth bearing in mind, but this monitor should do the job for anyone who doesn't have particularly exacting requirements.
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q is by no means the best 4K monitor you can buy, but it is our pick as the best 4K monitors for gaming when it comes to value. This 28-inch monitor can swivel, pivot and tilt almost anywhere you need it to and it has lovely thin bezels and a neat cable management solution. It offers gorgeous vibrant colours, super sharp image quality and a design that hints at gaming but not so much that it can't stand in as a 4K monitor for general use for anyone who watches a lot of visual media.
Most displays are 16:9 or 16:10 format, so the 3:2 Huawei MateMiew immediately got our attention when we tested it out. This slightly squarer format is good for viewing certain types of content – viewing images and documents in portrait format is easier, and a picture taken on a standard camera can be displayed full bleed. Of course, the flip side is that widescreen video will have big black bars above and below the frame – so it’s probably not the best choice for movie watching.
The MateView is firmly pitched at working creatives. Its IPS panel is capable of displaying 100 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut, and 98 per cent of the DCI-P3 video colour space. It also has a maximum brightness level of 500 nits, and a 1200:1 contrast ratio. The sleek, slim-bezel design is a nice addition too, and we found the touch-sensitive smart bar to be an ergonomic way to control the monitor. It's available at a tempting price and we reckon it's a solid choice for creatives.
Lots of extra features, including some productivity and entertainment tasks without a PC
Reasons to avoid
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Mount doesn’t offer full articulation
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Speakers are mediocre
The Samsung M8 is a novel proposition. It feels almost like it's aiming to be an Apple all-in-one, but without quite having the all-in-one bit. I say quite because the monitor can perform some tasks without a PC attached, including web browsing, email, gaming and Smart TV streaming.
Why would you want such features? Well, the Smart TV functionality could save your from buying a TV and you can even play games via the Xbox Game Pass if you don't have gaming-capable PC. It doesn't have Google Home Assistant or Siri, but we found that Alexa and Samsung's own Bixby work well.
As for screen quality, its peak brightness is only 400 nits but we found that the dynamic HDR10+ works well to recover detail in dark and light areas. The contrast ratio as stated is 3,000:1, though the highest we measured was 2,530:1. Based on our test results, the screen offers 100% sRGB, 89% AdobeRGB, and 94% DCI-P3 colour gamuts – pretty good for creative work, although pro video editors and digital artists will be better served with one of the pro-level monitors above. After calibration, we got an impressive Delta-E average of 0.89 for colour accuracym and uniformity was also good.
This 4K display also benefits from an attractive, thin, light design (although the ports and OSD button could be better located and the mount doesn't offer full articulation). The biggest disappointment is the sound quality – it seems they decided you'll be using speakers or headphones, so why bother? That aside, there's plenty here to make this a very interesting 4K monitor.
Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x Thunderbolt 3
USB: 2 x USB 3.1 Type A, 1x USB 3.1 Type C
Reasons to buy
+
Full AdobeRGB coverage
+
Thunderbolt 3
Reasons to avoid
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Top of price range
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Max 60Hz refresh rate
Asus's flagship ProArt PA32UCG-K boasts a premium appearance, 10-bit colour, a range of inputs (including Thunderbolt 3), 1,000-nit brightness and great colour accuracy, using a 14-bit look-up table (LUT). Hardware support for colour calibrators is also included out of the box and accuracy can hit 100 per cent of sRGB, 99.5 per cent of Adobe RGB, 95 per cent DCI-P3 and 85 per cent Rec.20. So basically, it's a solid screen for those who need accurate colours for photo or video editing.
Like the Eizo screen above, it comes with its own monitor calibrator so you can perform regular calibrations for the best possible accuracy. This all comes with a massive price tag, but the feature list and image quality put it up there as one of the best high-end 4K monitors.
The BenQ EW3280U is a great all-round display with impressive colour accuracy, enough coverage and an attractive price. It may be part of BenQ's entertainment line, but we tested the monitor for different tasks over several days and found it to be good at handling productivity and creative workloads, as well as gaming. The screen size and resolution make it a great option for designers and creators who aren't ready to commit to splashing out on something like the Eizo and Asus options above.
The screen is a generous 32-inches, which makes working with 4K images and videos much more comfortable, while designers of all kinds will appreciate the factory-calibrated colour accuracy and Rec 709 adherence. See our in-depth BenQ EW3280U review for more details.
4K, also known as ultra-high definition or UHD, is a measure of a screen's resolution. 4K monitors have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which compares to a resolution of 1290 x 1080 for full high definition (FHD). This means that it's almost four times FHD resolution. What that means in practice is that images look sharper and tighter, which is great for viewing HD video and higher-quality video game graphics. At least if you're using at least a 27in monitor that is (the extra detail isn't so notable on small screens).
Do I need a 4K monitor?
If you work in any visual creative area, a 4K screen can improve your experience by allowing you to see your work in more definition. If you work in video, you'll almost certainly need at least a 4K monitor since 4K video has almost become the norm. If you're producing 4K video for a client, then you really need to be able to view it in 4K while you work. For more display options, see our pick of the best monitors for graphics artists.
Is a 4K monitor worth it?
It's almost certainly worth investing a good 4K monitor if you're a creative professional. They're still more expensive than 1080p displays, but they have come down in price a lot as they become standard, and they're now so much more affordable than they were that it's no longer such a big decision.
While 4K doesn't make a lot of sense for a small monitor, from 27-inches and up it makes a huge difference compared to FHD, which will be immediately apparent to anyone. Gary Heiting, an optometrist and senior editor of the website AllAboutVision, even says that the increased screen resolution can reduce the risk of eye strain, so working in 4K over long sessions can be more comfortable even if you don't need to produce 4K video.
Is my computer compatible with a 4K monitor?
You might hope that buying one of the best 4K monitors will automatically improve your viewing experience, but it's important to know that not every laptop or PC can support 4K. Most recent PCs or Macs should have no problem displaying 4K resolution, but it's a good idea to check the recommended display resolution before you buy a new screen. We have a guide to screen resolution that may help.
To check your device, right-click your desktop and select “Screen Resolution”. Under display settings, you'll find a range of screen recommendations. If 3840×2160 is listed, you can be confident that your computer will indeed support a 4K monitor. If not, then you'll need to upgrade your computer as well as your monitor if you want to enjoy 4K video rendering.
There's also the issue of ports. You’ll need to make sure your PC has either an HDMI 2.0 port or DisplayPort 1.4 port that can support 4K since earlier versions of these ports do not. Your CPU And GPU also have an impact on your device's ability to run 4K, because 4K is more demanding.
If your device uses Intel integrated graphics, you'll want to have at least a 4th generation (Haswell) core processor. If you have Ivy Bridge or earlier, you'll need to have a recent graphics card installed. If you're unsure, check your processor at ark.intel.com to find out what the motherboard or integrated CPU graphics is capable of.
You can now go 4K without spending a fortune, but the best 4K monitors can still be very expensive if you want pro-level calibration and the best colour accuracy. If you're going to be using your screen for any kind of colour work, then you want precise colour accuracy. Most entry-level 4K monitors actually do a fairly decent job, but the best 4K monitors for designers will have full coverage of the AdobeRGB or DCI-P3 colour space.
if you're a professional creative with a big budget, the best 4K monitors overall in our list above are the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X at number 4 or the Asus ProArt PA32UC-K at number 8. However, their specs and features (and price) make them overkill for non-professionals. You'll want to invest in the best monitor calibrator too unless the monitor you choose comes with one of its own.
After colour, size is obviously another major factor in choosing the best 4K monitor for you. The most popular choice is 27-inches but 32-inch screens are becoming more common and get the most out of the 4K resolution.
You'll also want to check what ports a monitor has before you buy it. The two cheapest options in our list of the best 4K monitors don't have a USB-C connection, something that many creatives will want for hooking up devices quickly and easily. Most monitors have DisplayPort and HDMI ports, but this can't be taken as given either – the LG Ultrafine 24MD4KL is well kitted out with USB-C and the faster Thunderbolt 3 ports, but skips the older ports.
We made our pick of the best 4K monitors based on years of experience in reviewing and testing monitors for creative work. We test monitors for brightness, uniformity, contrast and colour gamut and accuracy both out of the box and after calibration. We also put monitors through their paces for real practical use, including using them for general work, photo or video editing, gaming and media. We also compare our own reviews with those of our sister publications, including TechRadar.
A veteran from the days of the 8-bit ZX Spectrum, Orestis is always interested in the fastest, slickest way to make computers do new and exciting things.
