The best cheap 4K monitors provide the kind of richness and depth of detail that we expect from 4K, but without that wallet-busting price. And now with Black Friday deals already coming in, November is a great month to get a bargain on a top quality 4K monitor.
You might be surprised by how affordable 4K monitors can be these days – for a price just a little higher than you' pay for an HD monitor, you can enjoy working, browsing, gaming and watching movies in crisp 4K quality. So, where to begin?
Jump to the monitors you want...
01. The best cheap 4K monitor
02. The best for photo editing
03. The best for video editing
04. The best for graphic design
05. The best for digital artists
Everything we've selected here has one main thing going for it – affordability. These 4K monitors are suitable for all sorts of specialty applications; there are some for gaming with high refresh rates, some for designers and photo editors that offer large colour gamuts, and some that are ergonomically designed to be comfortable to work at for long periods. Video editors should also look at 4K monitors, as it's getting more and more common for clients and consumers to expect video in 4K, and we've included a 4K monitor specifically for video editing in our recommendations.
Whatever you need, there should be a monitor here for you, and you can click the headings in the box above to jump straight to a particular application if you know what you're looking for.
If you have a bit more to spend and want to consider more premium options, then we also have a more general guide to the best 4K monitors. We also have roundups of the best monitors for video editing and best monitors for photo editing if your needs are specific to those applications.
If, however, you simply need great 4K monitor available at an affordable price, read on the for best choices available right now, and the best deals you can get them for.
The best cheap 4K monitor deals
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This Asus monitor's clearly aimed at gamers, but what really matters here is its combination of specs and price (although, its looks are pretty restrained compared to other gaming monitors on the market). You'd expect to pay a lot for a 28-inch cheap 4K monitor complete with basic HDR; this one's currently available for just over $350/£350.
It's an IPS panel that delivers a 90% DCI-P3 colour gamut and 1000:1 contrast ratio, along with a 178 degree viewing angle, and you can connect to it with either HDMI or DisplayPort. There are better-looking monitors around, sure, but this one gives you unbeatable performance for your money.
This isn’t only one of the best cheap 4K monitors, it’s also one of the best for photo editing at this price point. With accurate, consistent and vibrant colours, it displays your images as you need to see them. It’s got 1.07 billion colours in its arsenal, and a 178-degree viewing angle that ensures colours won’t shift if you’re looking at the screen from a different perspective.
Having a flicker-free display is also handy for long stints spent editing at your computer, and while the 27-inch display is on the smaller side, you probably don’t need any more than this for images. The maximum refresh rate of 60Hz and the lack of FreeSync means this isn’t one for gaming, but as an affordable 4K tool for getting immersed in editing your photos, it’s an ideal choice.
With as many colours as the Philips above, this BenQ is a great option for a 27-inch cheap 4K monitor that boasts excellent colour accuracy. Yes you can get cheaper but it probably won't be up to snuff for design or creative work.
We do wish it has USB-C on board though - it is a little light on the bells and whistles which make some displays truly compelling. But if you just need it for work rather than gaming or entertainment, it's excellent for the money.
Need a BenQ that's a little bigger? Then scroll further down this list!
The best ergonomic cheap 4K monitor
The LG 32UN880 UltraFine Display Ergo represents an excellent mid-range 4K monitor that will look great at any angle, thanks to its genius stand. Instead of the obvious centralised, static stand, LG offers a far more versatile option. The c-clamp stand attached securely to your desk, and from there you can pull, push, elevate, lower the monitor to your heart's content. And with the super easy one-click mount, setting up the monitor is as easy as, well, one!
The LG 32UN880 UltraFine Ergo's colour accuracy is excellent, as is the picture quality, and all for well under a grand. A strong contender for one of the best cheap 4K monitors out there.
The best cheap 4K monitors for photo editing
Sure, the NEC MultiSync EA275UHD's design is a little boring. But it's what's on the screen that matters, and this is an excellent cheap 4K monitor for photo editing. Colour reproduction is very good, and it has its own photo-viewing mode. The screen does need a bit of calibration out of the box to fully realise its potential, but if you don't mind fiddling with the settings, you'll get an excellent 4K monitor for your money.
The best cheap 4K monitors for video editing
OK, so the BenQ PD3200U isn't exactly the cheapest of this cheap 4K monitor list, but its screen size and resolution make it a savvy choice for video editors, 3D designers and creators generally. It boasts a generous 32 inches of screen real estate, so you can fully appreciate the 4K resolution of your video footage.
Meanwhile, 3D designers will be grateful for the inclusion of a CAD/CAM mode, and everyone else will appreciate the factory-calibrated colour accuracy and Rec. 709 adherence.
If you have a little more money to spend, the ViewSonic VP3268-4K is a top-class mid-range 4K monitor that makes for another ideal choice for video editors, thanks to its large screen size and impressive contrast ratio. It also includes a HDR mode, which many video editors will feel is an essential feature for a monitor, allowing you to edit your HDR footage. It's not the best when it comes to Adobe RGB coverage, but for the price you're getting an excellent 4K monitor, and there are some great deals out there to get the screen even cheaper.
The best cheap 4K monitors for graphic design and digital artists
If you’re hunting for a graphic design 4K monitor, the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CV is definitely one to consider. With 100% sRGB and 100% Rec.709 colour gamut, it delivers pretty stunning colour accuracy, with vibrancy and detail. Asus says that it has Delta E colour accuracy of < 2, which makes it a good choice for professional work. It’s perhaps a little on the pricey side for a 27-inch monitor, but there’s a lot for visual professionals to like here. The 12 ProArt preset modes are also handy for quickly optimising the monitor to your preferred working space.
The Dell UltraSharp UP3216Q certainly one of the best cheap 4K monitors when it was first released, but now that it's been out for a few years, there are some excellent deals to be had with this screen – making it our pick of the best affordable 4K monitor for digital artists. You want the colours displayed on your monitor to be as accurate as possible, and, for the price, the Dell UltraSharp UP3216Q's colour accuracy is excellent. Dell is well known for making very good monitors, and its reputation is ensured with this brilliant cheap(ish) 4K screen. It doesn't have some of the features that some newer monitors have, such as HDR, but it's still a top choice if you're looking for a bargain.
Balancing budget and performance, the Iiyama ProLite B2888UHSU is the best cheap 4K monitor overall. While many 4K monitors are expensive, the Iiyama ProLite B2888UHSU does an excellent job of providing brilliant 4K performance for video and photo editors at a competitive price point. It comes with a TN panel, which isn't too hot at viewing angles – but you'll be fine when sitting directly in front of it. And it has a large number of video inputs as well. This is a fantastic pick if you're looking for a cheap 4K monitor, and you'll find the best deals available above.
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