We buy our own products and put them under the same testing methodology so that you can easily compare them. Unlike most websites, we do not get our products directly from the manufacturers, which means our units aren’t handpicked and actually represent what you would buy yourself. We spend a lot of time comparing the products side-by-side to validate our results and we keep them until they are discontinued so we can continually go back and make sure our reviews are always accurate.
Like TVs, 4k monitors have been quickly growing in popularity. 4k monitors are great for multitasking and deliver a more immersive gaming experience. Unfortunately, they require significantly more power to run, so until recently, 4k monitors required powerful and expensive gaming PCs. As computers have caught up and gotten more powerful, more and more people are turning to 4k monitors, especially since prices have started to decrease significantly.
We’ve tested 14 monitors with a 4k resolution, and below you’ll find our picks for the 5 best ones available for purchase in 2019.
LG 27UK650: The best 4k monitor
Type: IPS
Variable Refresh Rate: FreeSync
Size: 27”
The LG 27UK650 is the best 4k monitor that we’ve tested so far. It’s a well-balanced, versatile 27” monitor that is great for most uses. The 27UK650 delivers good overall picture quality, with wide viewing angles, great peak brightness, and excellent gradient handling.
The LG 27UK650-W is also a great monitor for gaming. It has an excellent response time with very little motion blur, and the backlight is flicker-free. Like the majority of 4k monitors, it is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which may disappoint more serious gamers, but it does support FreeSync, even on recent NVIDIA cards.
Unfortunately, although it does support HDR, there is little benefit to it, as it can’t display a wide color gamut and has limited peak brightness in HDR. Overall, though, it is a very good monitor that should please most people.
Shop Now
LG 32UD99-W: The best 32” 4k monitor
Type: IPS
Variable Refresh Rate: FreeSync
Size: 32”
If you like the LG 27UK650-W but would prefer a larger monitor with some extra features, check out the LG 32UD99-W instead. Overall, it performs very similarly to the 27UK650, with similar motion handling, low input lag, FreeSync support, and great wide viewing angles.
The LG 32UD99 is a little more feature-packed than the 27UK650. On the back of the monitor, you’ll find a USB 3.0 HUB and a USB-C port. The USB-C Port supports USB power delivery, which is great for MacBook owners as you can keep all your peripherals connected to the monitor and have a single cable running to the MacBook that functions as the display cable and charger.
Unfortunately, just like the smaller model, the 32UD99 can’t deliver a great HDR experience, and some gamers might find the 60Hz refresh rate too limiting. Overall, though, the 32UD99 is a great, feature-packed 4k monitor that should please most people.
Shop Now
Acer Predator X27: The best 4k monitor for HDR and media creation
Type: IPS
Variable Refresh Rate: G-SYNC
Size: 27”
If you are looking for the best 4k monitor for media creation, or want a better HDR experience, check out the Acer Predator X27. This 27” monitor delivers decent overall picture quality, has excellent motion handling, and has low input lag. It also supports G-SYNC, which is great for gamers with NVIDIA graphics cards.
The X27 has an outstanding wide color gamut, with nearly perfect coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space; this is great for professional photo and video editing. The X27 also has nearly perfect gradient handling, with almost no banding whatsoever.
Unfortunately, like most IPS monitors, the X27 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, despite the full array local dimming feature. Although it doesn’t come cheap and isn’t without its flaws, the X27 is an impressive 4k monitor that should please most people.
Shop Now
LG 32UD59-B: The best 4k monitor for a dark room
Type: VA
Variable Refresh Rate: FreeSync
Size: 32”
If you like gaming or watching movies on your monitor in a dark room, the LG 32UD59-B is the best 4k monitor for dark room viewing that we’ve tested so far. It delivers decent overall picture quality, with a very good native contrast ratio and decent black uniformity.
The LG 32UD59-B has very good motion handling, with a great response time, flicker-free backlight, and FreeSync support. These make it a great choice for late night Xbox One gaming. Like most 4k monitors, the 32UD59-B is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which may disappoint more serious gamers.
Overall, the LG 32UD59 is a decent monitor with very good gaming performance that should please most people. Although it doesn’t have the wide viewing angles of the other monitors on this list, it performs better in a dark room.
Shop Now
LG 43UD79: The best large 4k monitor
Type: IPS
Variable Refresh Rate: No
Size: 43”
If you want a large monitor but don’t want to buy a TV, the LG 43UD79 is the best large 4k monitor that we’ve tested so far. The 43UD79 delivers decent picture quality, and the image remains accurate when viewed at an angle. This is great if you plan on sitting up close, as the edges of the screen remain uniform.
The 43UD79 has an excellent selection of inputs, with 4 HDMI ports, 2 DisplayPort ports, and a USB-C port. Combined with the Picture-In-Picture and Picture-Beside-Picture modes, this is great for working on two devices at once or watching TV while you work.
Unfortunately, the LG 32UD79-B doesn’t look as good in a dark room. The stand has only very basic ergonomic adjustments, but it can be VESA mounted. It also has limited gaming performance, as it doesn’t support any variable refresh rate technologies and has a basic 60Hz refresh rate. Overall, it is a decent 4k monitor that is great for multitasking.
Shop Now
This guide may have been updated. To see all measurements and the current recommendations for 4k monitors, please go here.
