Upgrading from 1080p monitors to 1440p resolution will definitely give you visual improvement. Comparing 1080p vs 1440p, 1440p monitors have more number of pixels, better sharpness and clarity. This is mostly important if you are a serious gamer. The 1440p with higher refresh is best for gaming.
The monitor and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) should act in sync to eliminate any form of screen tearing and stuttering, especially in games. Comparing 1080p vs 1440p, in most cases, you can easily go for the 1080p with higher refresh rates. This is applicable for gaming as well.
The only reason to go for a 1440p monitor is because you need extra screen real estate and because if you want close to perfect image quality. ASUS, Acer, Dell are some of the best brands that excel in building monitors.
How I rated the product of 1080p vs 1440p:
Certain factors are very important while choosing a monitor. They are listed below.
Refresh rate
Monitors often have refresh rate of 60Hz, 144Hz or 240Hz. Higher the refresh rate, better the image quality. A 60Hz monitor will refresh an image 60 times in 60 seconds. Similarly, a 144Hz monitor will display an image 144 times in 144 seconds. The image above shows an example between 60Hz and 144Hz refresh rate and how they will appear to the user.
Refresh rate is not important for everyday use, watching videos or to some extent movies. It isn’t an issue either for programming. It is an issue for fast moving scenes which is most common in gaming scenes and sports.
Similar to refresh rates is frames per second or FPS. This means how many images can come to the display per second. FPS is important because along with having monitors with higher refresh rate, the graphics card should be able to support it as well.
Response time
Response time is the time taken to change from one color to another, it can be gray-to-gray or black-to-white. If the response time is higher, it will lead to ghosting of images and images will look like this.
ideally a response time of 5ms works fine but you will find several modern monitors that come with 1ms. Response time isn’t an issue if you use the monitor for research, writing, casual video watching, or photo editing. Multiplayer games like Street Fighter that has several fast-moving scenes must have lower response time.
FreeSync/G-Sync
Features like FreeSync, G-Synce makes gaming scenes smoother and clearer. In this case, the monitor and the graphics card should work together to minimize any delay. Otherwise screen tearing may occur.
Other factors:
Other factors that should be considered while choosing a monitor are: brightness, contrast ratio, aesthetics, etc.
Monitors should have brightness of around 250cd/m2. However, to get best results look for monitors with 300-350cd/m2. Some monitors may have 400cd/m2 brightness, which is even better.
You will often see contrast ratio listed as 1000000:1, but it isn’t the accurate value. Look for real contrast ratio which will be around 1000:1 for most monitors. You can look for more and, in this case, the higher the better.
Also, size of the monitor matters. An upgrade from 24” to 32” will be noticeable, but comparing 1080p 24-inch vs 1440p 27 inches, is it worth it? Well, you get 1440p resolution but the screen size isn’t that large so in most cases you won’t see the difference. However, the screen real estate increases.
1080p vs 1440p: Comparison analysis
What is the difference between 1080p and 1440p? If you compare 1080p vs 1440p, you can list a number of differences including price. Let’s have a look.
Table: Difference between 1080p and 1440p monitor
| 1080p monitor | 1440p monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920x1080 | 2560x1440 |
| Pixel count | 2.1 million | 3.7 million |
| Pixel per inch | 78 | 108 |
| Known as | Full HD | Quad HD, WHD |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Workspace | Medium sized | Large |
| Sharpness | Good | Better |
| Price | Inexpensive | Costly |
If you compare the 1080p vs 1440p resolution monitors, the first thing to understand is, pixels. The more the number of pixels, the better, clearer and sharper the image is. The 1080p vs 1440p image comparison shows that, the 1440p resolution monitors have higher number of pixels and produces crispier image than 1080p.
To be specific, comparing 1440p vs 1080p pixel count, the 1440p monitors have 78% higher pixel per inch (PPI) than 1080p. comparing 1080p vs 1440p vs 2160p, the 2160p is known as 4k. Is 1440p worth it over 1080p? Well, it depends. It is not mandatory to have clearer and crispier image in all use cases.
This means a 1080p resolution doesn’t mean the monitor will deliver poor performance or the images will look broken. With decent refresh rate 1080p monitors can also be used for everyday use and even for gaming. Read along to know all the details.
Can you use 1080p on a 1440p monitor? If you have a 1440p monitor, then watching 1080p on 1440p monitor will not be the best decision. When 1080p contents are upscaled, some information from the image is lost.
1080p vs 1440p: Top 7 product analysis
The following section enlists the top 7 monitors from 1080p and 1440p. Some of them are specifically designed for gaming, others excel in multitasking.
EIZO FlexScan EV2460-BK LED IPS (23.8″) 1080p
Features
- Aspect ratio 16:9
- Pixel density: 93 PPI
- Color palette: 1.06 billion colour tones / 10 Bit
- Brightness: 250 cd/m2
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Response time: 5ms
Product differentiator:
The Eizo 24” is one of the best 1080p monitor which has reasonable price, compact in size and has very good performance.
Performance:
The monitor has connections including USB 3.1 one upstream and four downstream, DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D and D-Sub signal inputs. You can connect PC, camera, mice, keyboards, headsets, etc to it. It has hybrid brightness control which gives you flicker-less monitor. The response time and refresh rate is very good especially if you want to use it for everyday use.
With 178-degree view angle in both horizontal and vertical direction, you can take a short break from office work and enjoy TV shows with multiple people. You can swivel the monitor by 344° and tilt it by 5 ° / 35 °. It can also be pivoted to 90° in both clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. The height can be adjusted by 14mm.
This flexibility in movement gives you advantage of setting the monitors position as per your comfort. There are several options and controls through which you can choose the best settings. Options are: Brightness, Contrast, All EcoView functions, Colour saturation/Mode, Signal input, Resolution, Audio source, OSD language, etc.
The monitor has a thin 1mm bezel and the 24” size is perfect for cozy tables. You can use it for multi-screen purpose as well. The anti-glare coating saves your eyes from pressure and strain. The images are crisp and sharp, and the colors are vibrant. So, you can also use the monitor for graphics related work.
With overdrive function, the movies or videos will not have afterglow due to time lag. It also has Auto EcoView which saves energy. It analyzes the ambient light and increase or decrease the brightness as per requirement. It is one of the best monitors for office use.
Acer XR342CK Pbmiiqphuzx 34 “Curved QHD (3440 x 1440) 100Hz
Features
- Contrast ratio: 100,000,000:1
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- IPS technology
- USB 3.0
- Aspect ratio: 21:9
- Response time: 1ms MPRT
Product differentiator:
This monitor is large in size, has large workspace and performs pretty well for everyday use. on top of that, with a 100Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support, gaming is smoother.
Performance:
This Acer 1440p monitor relieves your eyes from any fatigue and stress, and gives comfort so that you can use it for long hours. It has LED backlight technology and a view angle of 172° Horizontal/ 178° Vertical. It has built-in 2 x 7 W speakers. the speakers are quite loud, especially if you use it for sudden YouTube videos or watching movies.
The bass is decent for listening to songs. With FreeSync, you can use this for gaming but it’s a great monitor for everyday use.The 34” curved monitor is large enough for users who does several tasks at once. You can tilt the screen from -5° to 35°.
The ultra-wide screen will help you to increase productivity of office or academic works if you often have to switch between several tabs or docs. Due to 1440p resolution, the workspace is more so, you can get more information without frequent scrolling. With the 21:9 aspect ratio, you can also view multiple documents side by side.
Connections include: 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, 5 USB 3.0 & DisplayPort Inputs. You can use the USB-C port to connect and charge the MacBook Pro. The HDMI port that supports Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL), can be used to charge mobiles. It supports 1.07 billion color and 6-axis color tuning with which you can tweak color settings.
You can choose form 6 different shades: red, green, blue, magenta, yellow, or cyan. The ultra-wide 1440p monitor has a bezel-less design and a shiny dark enclosure which makes it quite attractive. If you want to use it for occasional gaming along with office work make sure to choose a compatible AMD graphics card to use the FreeSync properly.
Although curved monitors aren’t recommended often for programming, you can still use this large 34” curved monitor for coding purpose as well. The resolution and refresh rate are quite good for this. The texts are clear and readable. Users who are gamers as well as programmers will love this ultra large screen estate. This will improve productivity as well.
AOC G2590FX – 1080p, 144Hz, 25 Inch
Features
- Brightness: 400 cd/m²
- Color support: 16.7 million
- Response time: 1ms
- Refresh rate: 144Hz
- Contrast ratio: 1000:1
- Backlight: WLED
Product differentiator:
The AOC is one of the best 1080p monitor for gaming. If you don’t want to spend more on resolution but want the powerful gaming experience, this monitor will serve you right.
Performance:
This 25” 1080p gaming monitor has bezel on only one side which gives it a wide look. It is sleek and can be tilted by -3.5°/21.5°. The monitor supports several gaming modes: RTS, FPS, Racing, Gamer 1, Gamer 2, Off. It also uses FreeSync Premium as VRR technology. The 144Hz refresh rate ensures gaming has the best visual with accuracy and can display minute details.
With a response of 1ms only, the images in gaming and in action scenes will be free from ghosting and blur. The monitor can get quite bright and with 1080p resolutions, movies or games have vibrant colors with great accuracy. The images look rich, colorful and detailed.
This 1080p TN display supports AMD FreeSync and G-Sync needed for smoother and crispier gameplay. Also, the AOC Shadow Control and AOC Game Color helps to improve visibility in different dark areas of the game. The features make this monitor best for budget gamers, who want to game neatly without breaking the bank.
The viewing angle is 170º horizontal, 160º vertical. If you enjoy playing games by yourself, the view angle or color washout will not be an issue for you. It has a joystick with which you can scroll through the On Screen Display (OSD). There are multiple Overdrive options: Off, Weak, Medium, and Strong.
In case the frame rate or refresh rate changes, the GPU and refresh rate of the monitor will act together to be in sync. If the FPS becomes lower than 30, the Low Framerate Compensation adjusts the refresh rate which will eliminate any screen tearing, make scenes sharper and clearer.
Don’t worry about color degradation due to TN panels, these new TN monitors ensures wide color gamut and bright colors. Valorant 1080p vs 1440p, which is better? Playing Valorant is much better in 1440p with refresh rate of 144Hz.
Dell S-Series 27-Inch 1440p 155 Hz
Features
- Contrast: 1000:1
- Color support: 16.7 million
- Native resolution: 2560 x 1440 at 155Hz (Overclock with DP)
- 2560 x 1440 at 144Hz (Native with HDMI 2/ DP)
- 2560 x 1440 at 60Hz (Native with HDMI1)
- Brightness: 350 cd/m2
- Response time: 1ms
Product differentiator:
Is 1440p better than 1080p for gaming? Well, 1440p definitely have crispier images but there are games that work on 1080p as well. In some cases, the difference is negligible and isn’t big of a deal. What matters is, the refresh rate, response time and other factors. For immersive experience, you can include dual monitor 1440p and 1080p.
Performance:
This Dell TN panel with LED edgelight system is ideal for serious gamers. The aesthetics show a sleek and slim profile. Thin bezels and sturdy build are reliable. You will get 155Hz refresh rate if you are using DisplayPort with overclock. AMD FreeSync is available which is a must have for gaming.
If the refresh rate is under 40Hz, the monitor enables Low Framerate Compensation to increase the frames. You can adjust the monitor in any direction to set at a suitable position for you. Connections are: HDMI 1.4 and 2.0 port, DisplayPort 1.2, USB upstream and downstream ports, USB BC1.2 charging port, etc.
With 1440p resolution, the color accuracy, saturation, and gray scale are more than satisfying. To indulge into immersive gaming, you can set three monitors side by side. Like most other modern monitors, it also has anti-glare screen. The 1440p 27-inch monitor doesn’t have any built-in speakers and you would probably add extra speakers anyway to get the best gaming blasts.
If you choose the Fast overdrive option, action or fighting scenes will deliver excellent motion. Settings include 11 picture modes, Dark Stabilizer to adjust between blur and ghosting, custom color, etc. you can include Alienware headset AW988, Gaming Mouse AW558 and Keyboard AW568 with it. With excellent resolution you can also use it for graphics work.
The large monitor size and large screen real estate due to 1440p gaming is much better. Comparing 1440p gaming vs 1080p, gamers seem to win and perform successfully with 1440p games. The brightness is decent but could be more.
1080p 144hz or 1440p 60hz, which is best? Well, if you are playing shooting or action games where performance and smoothness of scenes are your first priority, then choose the 1080p 144Hz. On the other hand, if visuals, scenes and details are important the 1440p 60Hz or 1440p 144Hz will be better.
LG 32 inches Full HD IPS, Black
Features:
- Color depth: 16.7 million
- Response time: 5ms
- Refresh rate:75Hz
- Brightness: 300cd (typ) / 240cd (Min)
- Contrast: 700:1 (Min.), 1200:1 (Typ.)
Product differentiator
This large 32” will be very good if you want to watch movies seating closer.
Performance
This 1080p 32” monitor has IPS panel. The refresh rate and response time is good for movies and casual game playing. With a color gamut of DCI-P3 95%, the color reproduction is excellent which brings out the true colors of cinema. Along with this, the HDR 10 compatibility improves image quality as it supports 10-bit color.
If you want to use it for other purpose like gaming, the Dynamic Action Sync will assist it with reduced input lag. Also, the Black Stabilizer improves the dark or black scenes in the monitor. The Crosshair option lets you be in the game and at the same time you can change picture, audio and Screen Split settings.
The view angle of 178º/178º in horizontal and vertical direction, makes it best if you are inviting a friend to watch movies or play games. Ports include: 2 HDMI, D-Sub and Headphone out. There are 8 picture modes vivid, HDR effect, Cinema, etc. The aesthetics is good and you can also adjust the monitor for preferable position.
Splitting screen option is an advantage in case you want to watch movies and check mail at the same time. A 16:9 aspect ratio and 32” wide screen is quite good for watching movies. The On Screen Controls are easy to adjust and the monitor comes with wall mount options. The screen has 1% Hase and with an Anti-Glare Layer.
The performance is very good for movies, average for gaming without features like FreeSync and G-Sync. It works well for regular use writing surfing, reading, writing in Word or emailing. The cost and performance make it one of the best budget-friendly 1080p monitor for movies.
GIGABYTE M27Q 27″ 170Hz 1440P
Features:
- Brightness: 350 cd/m2
- Contrast: 1000:1
- Response time: 0.5ms
- Refresh rate: 170Hz
- Color saturation: 92% DCI-P3 / 140% sRGB
- Display color: 8 bits
Product differentiator
The Gigabyte M27Q 27” is known as a 1440p gaming monitor. However, it works quite well for multimedia purpose as well. The cost is budget-friendly which makes it even a better choice.
Performance
If you are a hardcore gamer who is also a movie-freak, the Gigabyte 27” 1440p monitor is best for you. Comparing 1080p vs 1440p for movies, the 1440p can deliver crispier and vibrant images with clarity. It has extremely low input lag, higher response time along with FreeSync and G-Sync which makes it the best 1440p gaming monitor.
The monitor has built-in KVM with which you can control two devices with one set of mouse and keyboard. This gives you more desk space. The color gamut is very broad which represents color with precision. You can also use it for photo editing. The view angle is broad so you can share the screen with another person.
The Counter, Crosshair, Alignment and Aim Stabilizer options enhances gaming experience. With OSD Sidekick, you can adjust display settings with mouse and keyboard. The sRGB color space gives coverage of the Adobe color space.
The monitor doesn’t have any bleed. The Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes are useful. Also, the gradient handling is outstanding and support for HDR 10.
ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27″ WQHD (2560 x 1440) Monitor
Features:
- Brightness: 350cd/m2
- Asus Smart Contrast ratio: 100000000:1
- Display color: 16.7M
- Response time: 5ms
- Refresh rate: 75Hz
- Color space (sRGB): 100%
Product differentiator:
The 27” IPS 1440p monitor is budget friendly. With 1440p, you can easily use this for programming or coding due to the large screen real estate.
Performance:
The ASUS ProArt PA278QV monitor has slim bezels. You can adjust the monitor at a comfortable angle. It can swivel within -90°/90° and tilt within -35°/5°. You can pivot it at 90°/-90°. The view angle of 178°/178° allows you to see the monitor from any angle. The color gamut is broader, so the display of colors is pleasant.
Connections include MiniDisplayPort, DisplayPort, HDMI, dual link DVI-D, audio in, earphone port, USB 3.0, etc. along with coding, it is best for creative professionals as well. So, you can use it for photo and video editing. The color accuracy and coverage are excellent. Features like ProArt palette, black-level, brightness control will help you to adjust the best color.
It is also Calman Verified which makes the monitor even more reliable. The out of the box color details are outstanding for any content creator to reveal just as they want. It also has QuickFit Virtual Scale. With this, you can adjust the file you are editing at their actual size like A4, B5, Alignment Grid, etc. ASUS ensures you don’t suffer from eye pain or fatigue after using the monitor for long hours.
It hhas Ultra-Low Blue light technology that protects the eyes from blue-light emitters. Like other monitors, it has Flicker-free technology which will help you from long hour of programming or editing tasks. Along with these, the monitor performs well in gradient handling making it the best 1440p monitor for photo & video editing.
The 1440p is ideal for coding or editing due to the resolution. It has more pixel count that can provide a sharper image. The color spectrum, coverage and reproduction is impressive and much needed because photo or video editing are color sensitive.
1080p vs 1440p: which is best for what?
How big is the difference between 1080p and 1440p? if the 1440p monitor is larger and has higher refresh rates, the difference is visible to anybody.
Everyday use
If you are going to use the monitor for everyday use, is there a noticeable difference between 1080p and 1440p? when you use the monitor for casual video watching, using Youtube or Facebook and research for your studies, a decent 1080p monitor will meet all your requirements.
Which means, you don’t need extra clarity and sharpness for regular use. So, a 1080p monitor is best for everyday use. However, the only reason to shift your preference towards a 1440p monitor is if you want larger display images or bigger screen real estate. There are several benefits of having a larger screen real estate increases productivity of office work.
Gaming
What is better for gaming 1080p or 1440p? In most cases, you will find people or gamers incline towards a 1440p monitor. Well, this isn’t always correct. We can’t directly say the 1440p is better because it has higher resolution and will give you better visual pleasure.
This is because several games can run on 1080p monitors easily given that it has higher refresh rate. 1080p works just fine for gaming and if you are using a 1440p monitor, make sure the GPU can work with 1440p all the time. Otherwise, you will eventually get back on 1080p.
Several tests show that, a larger screen real estate of 1440p helps gamers win when compared to lower ones of 1080p. Escape from Tarkov, 1080p vs 1440p, which is better? If you upgrade from 24” 1080p to 27” 1440p, you can easily tell the difference.
Movies
Usually movies are watched over large TV screens. However, those who like multitasking also likes to watch movies on monitors. The benefits of watching movies on monitors is, as you watch from closer distance, the details of cinema scenes will be more vivid and seem realistic.
Although 4k resolution is the best and most widely used to watch movies, the 1080p and 1440p monitors are also excellent choice. Color, contrast ratio, and brightness are some of the important factors to take into consideration while choosing a monitor.
Comparing 1080p vs 1440p, movies will be more detailed and crispier in 1440p than 1080p. however 1080p is also quite decent and some people can’t tell the difference so in that case a 1080p will work just fine.
Coding or Programming
While coding, the screen real estate is very important. The more screen space you can view at once, the higher your productivity will be. Comparing 1080p vs 1440p for programming, the 1440p will give you larger space than 1080p.
A thinner bezel or bezel less design is preferable. It should also have standard and up-to-date features so that the monitor can be used for other tasks as well.
Parting words
Why should you choose 1080p over 1440p? The 1080p costs less than the 1440p because they require lower computing power as well as space. If you don’t want to scrutinize, the 1080p will work just fine for most use cases given that you go for higher refresh rates.
Comparing the 1080p vs 1440p pixel density, for a 27” monitor, the 1080p has 88PPI and the 1440p has 108 PPI. This matters a lot if you think visual in games or movies is important to use. A 1080p monitor with good refresh rate is suitable for most cases. However, a 1440p large screen monitor with higher refresh rate is the best choice.
For gaming, response time, FPS and other gaming features like FreeSync and G-Sync will make the scene free from screen tearing or ghosting. A 27” monitor will work fine in most cases: office work, editing, coding. However if you have compact spaces, 24” monitors will also be an excellent choice.
FAQ
This FAQ section is a parting gift from us. let’s discuss some of your problems and their solution throughout this Q&A scenario.
What is screen real estate?
A screen real estate is the amount of screen on the PC or mobile. If you have large estate, it will increase your productivity, you can do more in a short time because you can now view more information within the screen. It will also help you to scroll less through websites and pages which is specifically needed if you are a researcher or do lots of work through your PC.
What are the best GPU for 1440p gaming monitors?
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 is one of the best 1440p graphics card that you can have. It is quite affordable, it has a core clock of 1.5GHz, memory of 8GB GDDR6 and memory clock of 14Gbps.
Is 240hz 1080p better than 144hz 1440p?
The difference between 144Hz and 240Hz isn’t much. The 1440p 144Hz will give much clearer, sharper image with excellent fluidity needed for games. It is best for most users and competitive games.
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