Should I Upgrade From a 1080p PC Monitor to 1440p?
We are rapidly approaching a point where 1080p PC gaming is considered “legacy” and many gamers are looking to upgrade. Most people probably think 4K is the natural next step; after all, it was the upgrade path for most TV owners. However, 4K monitors are more expensive and harder to find than 4K TVs, which is why many PC manufacturers opt for 1440p displays instead.
What is 1440p?
1440p resolution (also called 2K or QHD resolution) is 2560 x 1440 pixels, which is twice the size of 1080p displays and about half the size of 4K displays. 1440p may sound like a stopgap, but given that 1440p displays tend to be smaller than 4K monitors and you usually sit closer to the monitor than the TV , 1440p is a great resolution for PC gaming monitors with noticeably higher quality detail. 1440p monitors are also relatively cheaper and easier to find than 4K monitors.
But simply adding a 1440p monitor to your setup won’t improve graphics, and in some cases it may be better to stick with 1080p monitors depending on your specific hardware and visual preferences.
1440p monitors will affect your game performance (but that’s ok)
Upgrading from 1080p to 1440p will cause your PC performance to drop in almost every game you play. Your PC’s GPU and CPU need to work harder to render games at 1440p than at 1080p (and even more for 4K displays), and unless you have high-end components, playing at a higher resolution will impact game performance, especially FPS. . (frames per second).
For example, your PC might be powerful enough to run games at 60fps (or higher) at 1080p even with powerful effects like ray tracing turned on. But if you increase the resolution to 1440p, the frame rate may drop below 60 fps (or whatever the target frame rate is) unless you lower your graphics settings lower.
As many commenters on this Reddit thread suggest , the best way to decide if your PC can run at 1440p (and/or high refresh rates) is to compare your hardware. Check out our guide for tips on GPU testing applications .
If your hardware is already struggling to deliver high frame rates at 1080p, you may need to upgrade your GPU before buying a 1440p monitor. But if your benchmarking shows that your GPU can easily handle 1080p, then upgrading to 1440p is probably worth it. Unless you prefer a higher frame rate, that is.
Higher resolution versus higher frame rate
There is another way to update your monitor instead of a higher resolution: you can upgrade to a monitor with a higher refresh rate instead. Either option will require more hardware resources, so it begs the question of whether you prefer high frame rates or higher graphical fidelity.
Higher resolutions will obviously make games crisper and clearer, but higher frame rates often mean smoother gameplay with more fidelity and less input lag while playing. And because many monitors now support ultra-high refresh rates and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology, games can be played at consistent frame rates in excess of 60fps.
Of course, it’s also possible to have higher resolutions and frame rates if you have the right hardware. Many 1440p monitors support refresh rates of 90, 144 or even 240Hz and higher. However, a 1080p monitor with similar refresh rates is usually cheaper than 1440p models. For example, a 1440p 60Hz monitor might cost the same (or more) than a 1080p 144Hz monitor.
However, assuming cost isn’t an issue and your hardware is powerful enough, upgrading to a 1440p monitor, especially one with a high refresh rate, is a clear improvement to your PC gaming experience.