If you're a creative professional looking for the best 4K monitor money can buy in 2020, then you've come to the right place. While many people may be perfectly happy with their old 1080p screen, there are actually lots of reasons why you'd want to upgrade to a 4K monitor, and on this page we'll list the top choices for a range of budgets.

So, why go 4K? Well, 4K (also known as Ultra HD), is an increasingly popular resolution (3840 x 2160), and games, movies and even YouTube support the resolution. So, the best 4K monitors allow you to consume Ultra HD media, but they also allow you to create ultra HD. If you're a video editor who has been asked to create a 4K video for a client, for example, then you'll need a 4K monitor to view your work in its native resolution.

Meanwhile, while most digital cameras shoot in resolutions far higher than 3840 x 2160, having a 4K monitor means photographers can see their photos in far higher quality than standard 1080p screens. In fact, 4K is four times the resolution of standard 1920 x 1080 full HD displays (check out our feature about screen resolution if you want to know more). Those extra pixels are particularly appealing for creatives who want the best colour accuracy and detail from their displays.

In our guide to the best 4K monitors, we've included a mix of affordable and high end 4K screens, so no matter what your budget is, you'll find a display that's right for you. Also, if price is a major consideration, we've looked at the best cheap 4K monitor deals elsewhere. Want more flexibility with your displays? Don't miss our guide to the best monitor arms too.

The best 4K monitors right now

If you remove price from the equation, the best 4K monitor is the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X, thanks to its outstanding colour accuracy and built-in hardware calibration tool. However, our top recommendation is the Dell UltraSharp U3219Q, which is an excellent 4K monitor – and a little easier on your wallet.

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01. Dell Ultrasharp U3219Q Pro features for under a grand put this 4K monitor top of our list Screen size: 32-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel tech: IPS | Inputs: 1x HDMI, 1x Displayport | USB: 4 x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type C £845.36 View at BT Shop £1,054.22 View at Amazon Thin 6mm bezel Great colour accuracy... ... but not quite 100% AdobeRGB Only two display inputs

Dell has a long history of offering high quality displays, and each year its newest models raise the bar for image quality and features. The Dell UltraSharp U3219Q is the latest flagship 4K 32-inch screen – and we love it. It offers full sRGB coverage, with 95% DCI-P3 and great colour uniformity, making it a great choice for pro designers and creatives.

Best of all, it isn’t quite the wallet buster that some high-end screens are. Although it lacks the built-in colour calibrator you get with some screens – like the eye-wateringly expensive Eizo ColorEdge CG319X below – the U3219Q's overall build is extremely high quality, with a modern design, matt IPS panel finish, 6mm thin bezels and USB-C. If you need pro features, superb colour accuracy and don't have a spare four grand, this is the best 4K monitor you can buy right now.

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The Eizo ColorEdge CG319X is undoubtedly the connoisseur’s choice in high-quality displays. Eizo displays are a very familiar sight in professional video and photography studios – and this 31-inch 4K monitor, with a 10-bit display and 24-bit colour look-up table, represents a big upgrade over its predecessor. The CG319X also boasts one feature that sets it apart from all competing high-end 4K screens.

Unlike other 4K monitors, the CG318-4K has a 4096 x 2160 resolution. This reflects the different, slightly taller 4K standard used in digital video production, compared with the 3840 x 2160 resolution used in most computer displays. All of this monitor's features come together to produce a jaw-dropping image, making your creative work shine.

Oh, and there's a built-in calibration tool to constantly keep your colours as accurate as possible, which pops across the screen every time it's powered on, along with a bundled monitor hood. If money is no object, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X is the best 4K monitor you can buy right now

(Image credit: LG)

Many 4K monitors can be expensive. However, this LG offers gorgeous 4K resolution, excellent colour accuracy and VESA DisplayHDR 400 support for a mid-range price. It also supports 99% of the sRGB colour space alongside the HDR, making it a brilliant monitor for photographers and video editors.

There's USB-C support to boot, while if you're a gamer you won't be disappointed by the capabilities here, with dedicated modes for that.

There are, of course, cheaper 27-inch monitors around and we've covered many on this page that are more expensive and intended for high-end professional users. But if your budget is more prosumer rather than professional video editor, you'll find this LG has a huge amount to offer.

(Image credit: Samsung)

04. Samsung UH750 UHD 4K QLED Quantum Dot quality from Samsung Screen size: 28-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 | Response time: 1ms | Viewing angle: 170 degrees £445.78 View at Amazon Dual HDMI with DisplayPort 1.2 Quantum dot display tech Picture-in-picture Fast response time No USB-C No speakers Not as adjustable as other options

This isn't quite as compelling as the above options because while it's a very bright, high-quality monitor using Samsung's QLED tech, it isn't designed for colour-accurate work unlike some of the other options here.

That said, this is a superb 4K all-rounder, with stunning, vivid colours that will please photo editors and a super-fast 1ms response time meaning it's very capable for gaming too (with AMD FreeSync and a dedicated game mode). Picture-in-picture is a welcome bonus, too, meaning you can keep an eye on a second source easily.

With DisplayPort 1.2 support and dual HDMI, the only real shame is that it doesn't have support for USB-C now that many of us are using laptops with these ports.

05. Phillips Brilliance 272P7VPTKEB This 4K monitor has great image quality at a very attractive price point Screen size: 27-inch | Resolution: 4096 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 2 x DisplayPort, 1x Mini-DP, 1 x HDMI, 1x VGA | USB: 3 x USB 3.0 No price information Check Amazon Superb value Excellent image Boring design Fiddly OSD controls

Compared with some of the pricey high-end colour accurate screens, the Phillips Brilliance 272P7VPTKEB (catchy name, we know) is an excellent alternative, as it’s great value for money and can serve up an excellent image. It’s a 27-inch IPS panel with measured 99% sRGB and 73% AdobeRGB coverage, a thin-bezel design and a few extras such as a pop-up webcam that works when the built-in USB hub is connected.

It’s not really aimed at graphic designers – the colour presets are given terms like 'office' and 'movie' rather than 'sRGB' and 'DCI-P3' and the fiddly underside buttons make it tricky to flick through on-screen menu options. And although the image quality isn’t as high-end as it gets, with a Delta-E under 2, rather than under 1, and a 270-nit measured brightness, this screen still looks very impressive and won’t disappoint.

BenQ already has a strong portfolio of gaming and general-purpose 4K displays of different sizes, all featuring the company’s trademark 'puck' – a wired remote control that sits in the base and makes it much easier to flip through colour settings and presets, compared to constant fiddling with on-screen controls. The SW271 is a 27-inch IPS 4K display with a 10-bit HDR panel and a 14-bit LUT, aimed squarely at photography and graphic design use.

The headline features for graphics work are 99% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB coverage and a whole range of colour settings to choose, including a gamma range from 1.6 to 2.6, numerous calibration modes and excellent brightness and contrast levels that really offer up a sumptuous picture.

Thin surrounding bezels, a flexible stand that tilts, rotates and swivels, and a reasonably generous set of display inputs with picture-in-picture modes rounds off this premium offering from BenQ.

07. Lenovo ThinkVision P32u Full Adobe RGB coverage makes this Lenovo worth a look Screen size: 32-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x Thunderbolt 3 | USB: 4 x USB 3.0, 1 x Thunderbolt 3 £989.99 View at Lenovo UK £1,019.98 View at Laptops Direct £1,037.17 View at Amazon Full AdobeRGB coverage Thunderbolt 3 Another pricey designer display

Whenever Lenovo launches a Think-branded product, you can expect high quality, which is exactly what you get from its designer-focused ThinkVision display. An excellent design, plenty of ports and great picture quality make the premium Lenovo ThinkVision P32U worth its high asking price.

100% AdobeRGB coverage is enough to compete with top-end screens, and it has Thunderbolt 3, which lets you connect and charge laptops from a single port. This professional-grade 4K monitor isn't cheap, but it certainly is impressive.

The BenQ PD3200U's screen size and resolution make it a great choice for designers and creators. It isn't the cheapest model in our guide (for that, scroll down to the Iiyama at number 07) but it's a more affordable option for pro creatives than the other options so far.

So what's so good about it? Well, the screen is a hefty 32-inches, which makes working with 4K images and videos much more comfortable. 3D designers will be grateful for the inclusion of a CAD/CAM mode, and everyone else will appreciate the factory-calibrated colour accuracy and Rec. 709 adherence.

The Philips Brilliance BDM4065UC is an incredible display – but do you really want a 40-inch panel? Based on VA-IPS panel technology, it offers extremely good contrast, with 300 cd/m2 brightness. Its menu is controlled with a small joystick at the back and it also offers a four-way picture-in-picture (PIP) mode, allowing you to allocate a quarter of the screen to each video input.

On such a large 4K screen, each connected device will have its own 1920 x 1080 screen area – perfect for seeing your designs in Illustrator CC or working on your 3D art on one machine while looking up reference images on another device on the same screen, for example.

Like this? Check out the LG 42-incher below.

10. Viewsonic VP2785-4K This 4K monitor has a bright picture and great contrast Screen size: 27-inch | Resolution: 4096 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1x Mini-DP, 2 x HDMI | USB: 3 x USB 3.0, 1x USB-C £789.78 View at Amazon £851.99 View at Ebuyer 8 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Excellent picture quality Lightweight build Fiddly to put together Bulky external power brick

Viewsonic has a few colour accurate displays on the market, and the VP2785-4K is the most high-end model in its catalogue, a 27-inch 4K IPS screen, sporting 100% srGB and quoted 99% AdobeRGB coverage. It’s a bit fiddly to put together, requiring a screwdriver to attach the panel to the stand, but the overall design is extremely svelte, with a thin and light build, near edge-to-edge screen, and only a small bezel at the bottom that accommodates touch-sensitive controls.

With a 14-bit LUT, 700:1 contrast ratio and 375-nit brightness, the picture quality of the VP2785-4K won’t disappoint, although it doesn’t quite deliver the same eye-popping colours of the most high-end 4K displays money can buy.

11. Asus ProArt PA32UC-K One of the best 4K screens on the market Screen size: 32-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 4 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x Thunderbolt 3 | USB: 2 x USB 3.0 Type A, 1x USB 3.0 Type C £1,799 View at Amazon Full AdobeRGB coverage Loads of display inputs Thunderbolt 3 Pricey

Asus has updated its flagship ProArt 4K display, the ProArt PA32UC-K, with a more premium appearance, 10-bit colour, a whole new set of inputs (including Thunderbolt 3), much higher 1000-nit brightness and even better accuracy, now using a 14-bit look-up table (LUT). Hardware support for colour calibrators is now included out of the box and accuracy can hit 100% sRGB, 99.5% Adobe RGB, 95% DCI-P3 and 85% Rec.20. All very impressive, but it comes at a high price.

That said, with a feature list and image quality that now puts it up there with the most high-end screens The PA32UC-4K is more competitively priced than first appears.

12. Iiyama B2888UHSU One of the best cheap 4K monitors you can buy Screen size: 28-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: TN | Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x Mini DisplayPort, 1 x VGA, 1 x DVI | USB: 4 x USB 3.0 £329.23 View at Amazon £379 View at Amazon 151 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Very affordable 4K display Picture-in-picture mode Narrow viewing angles with TN panel Not all video inputs are capable of 4K at 60Hz

Iiyama's 28-inch B2888UHSU is a lot more reasonably priced than many of the options we've presented in this buying guide. It uses a TN panel with a 1ms response time, and although the viewing angles aren't quite as wide as you'll find with an IPS display, there are plenty of small extras that make the B2888UHSU a really good buy.

It has plenty of inputs, too, plus a fully adjustable stand, and a picture-in-picture mode, so you can use two devices simultaneously with this monitor.

(Image credit: LG)

13. LG 43UD79-B Wow, it's massive - a 42-inch 4K monster Screen size: 42-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 4 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x Mini DisplayPort, | USB: USB-C £579.21 View at Ebuyer £899 View at Amazon 221 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Massive display USB-C Split screen features Slower response time than many Large footprint

This LG 43UD79-B monitor is bigger than many TVs, but if you've a large space and want to work with a whole lot of screen real estate then this could be the display for you. It's actually rather silly to say you'd just have one thing on this screen - in fact, it's very likely you'd use the included software to have a split-screen to view multiple apps.

There's plenty of HDMI inputs as well so you could easily have two computers hooked up to the single display. And USB-C plays into this.

The best 4K monitors: What to look for

While 4K monitors are still more expensive than 1080p ones, they have actually come down in price a lot in recent years, so you can now go 4K without spending a fortune. Of course, there are still some expensive 4K screens out there as well, which not only feature high resolutions, but are also professionally calibrated for the best possible colour accuracy.

Whether you’re looking for the best curved or ultra-wide 4K monitor, a 4K display for design, image editing or even gaming, we've got you covered. Need more help choosing the best 4K monitor? Jump to the what to considering when buying a 4K monitor section.

If you're going to be embarking on any kind of colour work with your new display then you'll be looking for precise colour accuracy. Most entry-level 4K monitors still do a fairly decent job, but designers will want to look for a monitor that offers full coverage of the AdobeRGB or DCI-P3 colour space (you'll want to invest in the best monitor calibrator as well, by the way).

Investing in a colour-accurate display – and it is an investment – will bag you an excellent screen for black levels and brightness that'll be brilliant whether you're working on images or video.

Size is obviously an issue. 27-inches is now very common but the 32-inch size is seen more often than it was a year ago. If you want something more affordable then take a look at the Philips Brilliance 272P7VPTKEB, which offers great value and image quality as well. If you're looking for a display specifically for image editing then check out our roundup of the best monitors for photo editing too.

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