4K resolution is one of the best resolutions that computer users can wish for these days. 4K is a term that can be used for a number of specific resolutions with approximately 4000 horizontal pixels.
The most common type of 4K screen is probably 3840 x 2160p, which is used with many Ultra HD TV screens. 3840 x 2160p is 4 times the pixel density of your typical 1920x1080p screens, so it’s quite an upgrade if you can afford it and run it successfully.
If you want to have a 4K monitor connected to your computer, however, you need to make sure that your computer can display it properly. So, how do you know if your computer can display 4K?
To see if your computer can display a 4K resolution, simply head into the display settings of your computer. When there, click the drop-down list and scroll down until you find the solution that you want to display. Your computer needs to be able to handle 4K and you need a monitor that is able to display 4K as well.
As you can see, checking whether or not your computer is able to run 4K is fairly straightforward. However, the prerequisites to be able to run 4K is slightly more in-depth. Let’s go through it in detail below.
Can My Computer Display 4K?
There are some prerequisites that you need to fill in before being able to run a 4K setup. One of the most important ones is your graphics card. It needs to support 4K in order for the resolution to work.
Even if you have a 4K monitor: without a GPU that can support it, it won’t work. Check before you buy anything that your GPU supports the resolution, and if not, what GPU you need to buy that does.
It’s easy to find out whether or not you have a GPU that supports 4K. If you have an Nvidia card, go here and look for your graphics card.
If you have an AMD card, it needs to have Polaris architecture or more modern technology. Remember that 4K support is not the same as gaming support for 4K. Polaris architecture is suboptimal for gaming in 4K.
Also, your processor needs to be fairly recent, especially if you have a laptop with an integrated processor. For example, Intel’s integrated processors need to be Haswell or newer. Go here to see the product specifications for any given Intel processor.
Furthermore, you’re going to need at least HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort to use 4K, so check if your PC has those ports. Check the GPU manual or the GPU manufacturer’s website to determine this!
Of course, you’re going to need cables with those ports. That means that you want the proper HDMI/DP cables. Now, most of the time, a 4K monitor is going to come with a proper cable, but if not, you’re going to have to buy one.
There are a bunch of different places where you can buy cables like these. Tech sites or local stores should work just fine.
How to Check if Your Monitor is 4K
To check if your monitor is 4K, there are multiple options available. For one, you can simply check the box that the monitor came in and look for signs that it supports 4K. Since 4K is, well, the main selling point of such a monitor, it shouldn’t be hard to find.
Secondly, you can download MonitorInfoView. This is a tiny utility program that you can install to view information about your monitor. Supported resolutions, model of the monitor, product ID, and so forth. Moreover, you can also use the program to adjust brightness, sharpness, and other settings that your monitor may have come with.
Thirdly, you can visit the manufacturer’s website. Find the monitor you have on their website and check the specifications there. In general, monitor manufacturers/retailers have user manuals readily available there.
Finally, you can contact the manufacturer and ask, although that seems a tad bit unnecessary since there are multiple more easy ways to check.
Why Can’t My PC Display in 4K?
If you think that you should be able to display 4K and can’t, don’t fret: there are a couple of steps you can take to solve this. For example, you need to make sure that the scaling is properly set.
To check the scaling in Windows, simply follow the steps below.
- Right-click the desktop and select Display settings
- Under Scale and layout, experiment with different scaling settings to see what works best for your screen
Make sure that you have updated drivers for your GPU as well. If the drivers you have are really old, a lot of problems can arise. Simply download new drivers from your GPU manufacturer’s website.
Moreover, it’s advisable to install the latest Windows updates. Windows updates contribute to the functionality of your computer, and leaving Windows outdated for too long can cause issues.
Finally, using a different cable/port (try both) could be a solution to this issue. It’s fairly common that ports and cables break in some way so switch it up a bit to see if that resolves your issue.
What Size Monitor is Best For 4K?
The best size for your monitor depends on what you are going to use it for. For example, watching movies and shows has a different ideal size than a monitor that you’re going to use for gaming. With that in mind, what size monitor is the best for 4K resolution?
40” 4K TVs are pretty popular these days. It’s like having four 20” 1080p monitors stuck to each other on one big 4K TV.
But, as far as monitors go, I’d argue that there’s more variance. A computer monitor can be used for so many different tasks. As I said earlier, bigger monitors might be nicer when watching stuff, while something like a 27” monitor is very popular when it comes to gaming. Here’s a poll from Reddit, however, where most people seemed to like the 32” monitor the best.
Moreover, what size is best for you also depends on your budget. Naturally, two differently sized monitors with identical quality are going to differ quite a bit in price just because of the size difference.
I wouldn’t really buy a 4K monitor that is 24” or smaller. With sizes that “small”, the difference between 1080p and 4K is there, but it isn’t particularly noticeable.