GROUP TEST

Get more from your Mac by investing in a decent display. They’re more affordable than you might think

We put six 4K displays to the test

Not so long ago, 4K monitors were expensive, fancy beasts that were the preserve of wellheeled, creative professionals. But now it’s possible to get one for around £500 – and sometimes for significantly under that figure, too. Despite falling prices, the pixel count of a 4K display remains impressive at four times the resolution of Full HD.

We’ve gathered six 4K displays that fit in the ‘around £500 or under’ price bracket and put them through their paces.

While these are budget displays – relatively speaking, considering their resolution – it’s important to choose one that suits what you do: gaming, graphics, general office stuff, video or something else. It’s also important to consider image quality, as you’ll obviously be staring much longer at your screen than at any other bit of tech gear that you own.

Ergonomics are also important, from the initial setup to how easy it is to adjust the display settings on an ongoing basis with the on-screen display (OSD) controls. Of course, these factors are relatively subjective, but they certainly shouldn’t be ignored.

Not Retina-class

Despite their huge pixel count, none of these displays are what we’d call ‘Retina class’; outside of specific Apple display terminology, this is a subjective term that means ‘pixels too small to make out at a normal viewing distance’.

Before you dismiss them for not being good enough for your requirements, remember that you’ll view these displays from a good way further back than your iphone, so you’ll find that even the 137ppi count on the 32-inch displays feels crisp.

While screen technology and pricing is improving all the time, monitor product names never get any better. In this test we’ve looked at the catchily-named Acer RT280K, AOC U3277FWQ, Benq LCD BL2711U, Iiyama Prolite X3272UHS, LG 27UK850-W, and the Philips 328P6V, but for the sake of brevity in the tests, we’ll try to stick to calling them by just their manufacturers’ names.

One day, all displays and TV sets will have far more interesting and memorable model names. Until then, on with the testing…

Despite falling prices, the pixel count of a 4K display remains impressive at four times Full HD