The 5 Best 4k Monitors - Fall 2024

The best 4k monitor we've tested is the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. It's versatile for a number of uses, including office work and gaming. It displays vibrant colors in both SDR and HDR, gets extremely bright in HDR, so highlights truly pop, and fights glare easily. Its 4k resolution and 27-inch screen display very crisp text, and its outstanding ergonomics and wide viewing angles ensure the screen looks consistent no matter where you view it from, and you can easily adjust it.

Even if you want to use it for content creation, it performs well as it has a very accurate sRGB mode. It also has a decent local dimming feature thanks to its Mini LED backlighting, meaning it displays deep blacks next to bright highlights, which is great for using it in dark rooms. It's also great for gaming because it has a fast response time, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and a 160Hz refresh rate. That said, if you want a 4k monitor with an even higher 240Hz refresh rate, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is also a great choice, but it costs a lot more.

If you're not doing lots of work on your monitor and are looking for the very best performance, check out the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's a premium 32-inch 4k QD-OLED monitor with considerably better picture quality than the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. It displays more vivid colors and has less blooming around bright objects, though large highlights don't pop as much. Additionally, it has fantastic motion handling, and unlike the Acer, there's virtually no blur in fast-moving scenes. It's even great for console gaming, as it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and supports all console features.

It's also a great option if you want to watch movies or TV shows with it, as it has a smart platform with built-in Tizen OS and a remote, so you can use it like a TV. You can even connect a small soundbar to it via its ARC port. However, unlike the Acer, OLEDs like this risk permanent burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time. If you're doing many different things on your monitor and don't have things like taskbars always showing in the same place this isn't a concern, but if you spend most of your time doing the same thing, the Acer is a better option if you're concerned about burn-in.

If you don't need the high-end performance and gaming features of the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx or the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80, you can save a bit of money by getting the Dell U2723QE, which tends to cost less. It's different from the Acer and the Samsung because it doesn't have the same deep blacks and bright highlights, so it doesn't look as good in HDR, but that's the trade-off for getting something cheaper. Instead, it's focused on productivity, as it has a massive USB hub with five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports.

One of the USB-C inputs supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery, so you can easily connect a laptop to display an image from it and charge it using a single cable. It also has a KVM switch that makes it easy to switch between different devices and use the same keyboard and mouse. Besides that, it easily gets bright enough to fight glare, which is ideal for most well-lit office spaces. However, it doesn't handle reflections well, so if you want something with better reflection handling, consider the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV, which is similar but lacks a KVM switch.

If you're looking for something that costs less and doesn't need the productivity features of the Dell U2723QE, consider the LG 27GR93U-B. You can use it in a range of environments, as it gets quite bright and is good at overcoming glare. It even works well if you want to share your work with a colleague, as it has great viewing angles. That said, it has reduced connectivity, with a smaller USB hub and no USB-C ports.

Where the LG excels is in gaming. It has far better motion handling than the Dell, so fast-moving objects look crisp. Additionally, its colors are almost as vivid as the Dell, and it gets slightly brighter, though not enough for highlights to pop. As a result, it works well if you plan to use it for both gaming and work.

If you're looking for the best budget 4k monitor, there are some good options you can choose from, like the Dell S2721QS. Similar to the LG 27GR93U-B, it has sharp text and is bright enough to overcome glare. However, its connectivity is a step down from the LG, as it lacks a USB hub, so you can't connect any peripherals directly to the monitor or charge your laptop from it. Still, if your laptop or desktop computer has enough USB ports to connect all your devices, you can save money by getting this monitor instead.

The most significant difference between the two is the Dell's gaming performance. It has far worse motion handling, so fast-moving objects don't look crisp. While it's okay if you play slow-paced games, it's not well suited to playing fast-paced ones. Additionally, its HDR colors also don't look as vivid.