To help you unlock stunning visuals in all your favourite games, Overclockers UK is here with our guide to the best 2K and 4K PC monitors! We’ve even paired these with some of our pre-built gaming PCs that are compatible with 2K and 4K gaming.
2K Gaming
What is a 2K Gaming Monitor?
Monitors that support 2K gaming or QHD (Quad High-Definition) have 2,000 pixels and typically have a resolution of 2560×1440.
Is a 2K Monitor Good for Gaming?
2K monitors are perfect for gamers looking to enjoy top-quality images and videos compared to standard 1080p displays. 2K gaming monitors offer improved sharpness, accuracy, and ultra-fast refresh rates up to 240Hz. Ideal for those who love playing fast-paced FPS games, such as Battlefield 2042.
What Graphics Card Do I Need for a 2K Monitor?
In order to render all of the pixels and images on your screen, you need a GPU that features stable video memory and a high clock speed. The higher the number of pixels, the more memory and power your GPU will need to render any images.
For a 2K monitor, we would recommend an NVIDIA 4060 or AMD 7600 XT, as these GPUs have between 8GB-12GB GDDR6 memory and both have a core clock speed of 1500MHz. This provides you with plenty of video memory and clock speeds to render 2K resolutions seamlessly.
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ventus 2X OC 8GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture
- 3072 CUDA Cores
- 8GB GDDR6 video memory
- Real-Time Ray Tracing and G-Sync enabled
Sapphire Radeon RX 7600 Pulse Gaming 8GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card
- AMD RDNA 3 architecture
- Boost clock speed: 2755MHz
- 8GB GDDR6 video memory
- AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and DirectX 12 support
Overclockers UK’s Top 2K Gaming Monitors
BenQ MOBIUZ EX270QM 27’’ 2K Gaming Monitor
- 2560 x 1440 display resolution
- 27” display
- IPS panel
- 240Hz refresh rate
- FreeSync compatible
Gigabyte G27Q 27’’ 2K 2560X1440 Gaming Monitor
- 2560 X 1440 display resolution
- 27” display
- 144Hz refresh rate
- IPS panel
- FreeSync and G-Sync compatible
MSI MAG275CQRXF 27’’ 2K Gaming Monitor
- 2560 x 1440 display resolution
- 27” display
- 240Hz refresh rate
- VA panel
4K Gaming
What is a 4K Gaming Monitor?
A 4K monitor or UHD (Ultra-High Definition) feature 4,000 pixels and usually has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 or 4096 x 2160.
To enjoy all the advantages of your 4K monitor, you will also need to ensure that your peripherals and hardware are powerful enough to support 4K. For example, whilst the standard HDMI 1.3 or 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2 connectors can support 4K, you will only achieve up to 30Hz refresh rate. However, with a DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 connector, you can achieve a steady 60Hz or even higher.
Is a 4K Monitor Good for Gaming?
4K monitors have four times the number of pixels of the standard 1080p monitor for extremely high-definition images and realistic graphics in all your favourite games, films, and television shows.
With the larger screen resolution, 4K monitors allow you to see details you’ve never seen before and make your games more realistic and immersive. The incredible graphics of a 4K monitor are perfect for those looking to enjoy games such as the brand-new F1 22 game, which has exclusive Ray-Tracing support for PC.
What Graphics Card Do I Need for a 4K Monitor?
Similar to 2K monitors, the higher the number of pixels you monitor has, the more video memory and power your GPU needs to render images and videos.
For a 4K monitor, we would recommend an NVIDIA 4080 Super AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU. These GPUs both have between 10GB – 16GB of GGDR6 memory and data transfer speeds of up to 19Gbps. Along with a high core clock speed of up to 1700MHz and an increased core count, they will have all the required power and memory to render 4K resolutions at a respectable framerate.
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Super Gaming x Slim White 16GB GDDR6X PCI-Express Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Ampere architecture
- 10240 CUDA cores
- 16GB GDDR6 video memory
- Real-Time Ray Tracing and G-Sync enabled
SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX RX 7800 XT 16GB GDDR6 Gaming Graphics Card
- AMD RDNA 3 architecture
- 3840 streaming processors
- Core clock speed 2124MHz
- FreeSync enabled
- DirectX 12 and AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution support
Overclockers UK Top 4K Monitors
Gigabyte M32U 32’’ 4K Gaming Monitor
- 3840 x 2160 display resolution
- 32” display
- IPS panel
- 144Hz refresh rate
- FreeSync and G-Sync compatible
Samsung Odyssey G8 32’’ 4K Curved Gaming Monitor
- 3840 x 2160 resolution
- 32” curved display
- VA panel
- 240Hz refresh rate
- FreeSync and G-Sync compatible
LG 27GP950-B 27’’ 4K Gaming Monitor
- 3840 x 2160 display resolution
- 27” display
- NANO IPS panel
- 144Hz refresh rate
- FreeSync and G-Sync compatible
Complete Your Gaming Set Up
Your powerful 2K or 4K monitor is incomplete without incredible gaming hardware or peripherals to match. We’ve selected some of our pre-built gaming PCs that are compatible with 2K and 4K gaming, packed with stunning gaming hardware, and some top-quality peripherals to complete your battle station.
Refract Gaming Indigo Pre-Built Gaming PC
- Pre-built gaming PC for elite tier gaming and high-quality streaming
- Designed by the OcUK team of PC enthusiasts
- Enjoy games such as Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 at 115+ FPS at 4K
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU
- 3 year parts and labour warranty included
Refract Gaming Celeste Pre-Built Gaming PC
- Pre-built gaming PC for mid-range gaming and content creation
- Each component has been hand-picked by the OcUK team
- Enjoy games such as Forza Horizon 5 at 155+FPS at 1440p
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU
- 3 year parts and labour warranty included
Endgame Gear OP1 Wireless USB Optical Gaming Mouse
- Wireless optical gaming mouse
- Pixart PAW 3395 sensor
- Up to 26,000 CPI
- Hybrid skate design
Ducky One 3 Full-sized Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
- Full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard
- Built with Ducky’s QUACK mechanics
- Braided USB Type-C USB cable
- Double-shot keycaps
- Per-key RGB lighting
Your Top 2K or 4K Gaming Monitor?
What monitor do you use for your 2K or 4K gaming adventures? Why did you pick it? Tell us in the comments.
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 6 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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