How do you choose a 4K Gaming monitor?

To choose the right 4K gaming monitor, it's important to keep a couple of things in mind.

• Which refresh rate do you want?
• How high should the maximum response time be?
• How large do you want the screen to be?
• Do you find G-Sync or FreeSync support important?
• Do you want to use the monitor for a console too?

A 4K gaming monitor is a little different than a regular 4K monitor. Besides the resolution (3840x2160), a gaming monitor differs in terms of a couple of important specifications. The number of Hertz is an important factor, also called the refresh rate. The refresh rate determines how many frames per second the image refreshes. The higher number of Hertz, the smoother the image will look. A 144Hz monitor refreshes a lot more images than one with 60Hz. If gaming is serious business to you, choose a monitor with at least 144Hz.

Another important specification is the response time. The response time indicates the number of milliseconds it takes to send an image to the monitor. In this case, the lower the better applies. The most ideal is a response time of 1ms, which is the lowest possible one at the moment. Some 4K gaming monitors have a response time of 3 or 4ms. If you're going to play games with fast-moving images, make sure to choose a monitor with 1ms. If you like to play other games too, 3 or 4ms is fine too.

The 4K gaming monitors are available in different sizes. Which screen size is suitable for you depends on your personal preference. We'd recommend at least 27 inches and a maximum of 32 inches in terms of screen size. This size is the best for 4K gaming, because you'll see everything properly with this screen size. There are larger models of 43 inches too, but this size is only recommended if you sit further away from the screen.

FreeSync and G-Sync are options that greatly affect the display of your monitor. With this technique, your video card works together with the screen to align the refresh rate. Thanks to this, the chance on lags is smaller. FreeSync works with AMD video cards, while G-Sync works with NVIDIA video cards. Keep in mind that especially G-Sync monitors are expensive. Do you want the best image display while gaming? We'd recommend G-Sync or FreeSync.

The 4K monitors aren't just meant for PC gamers. Console gamers can benefit from a 4K gaming monitor too, to use in combination with their PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. These consoles have been optimized for 4K gaming. For consoles, it's especially important to keep the screen size in mind. Refresh rate and FreeSync / G-Sync aren't applicable to consoles. Choose a smaller monitor if you like to sit closer to the screen, or a larger monitor when you sit further away from the screen.