MiroFoto

Please advise. I would like to buy a decent 27” computer monitor4K. Does not have to be wireless remote (I can buy the adapter later $70). I would like to calibrate the colors, but not for printing , will do only jpegs with Elements 15. Just want a sharp one w good colors= 4K for viewing .
I have now the old laptop with 1336x768 resolution. Will this one work with 4K? …(do not mean at 4k capacity ).
I was told that 1920 x computers will have a compatible graphic cards. BUT I hope I do not need a 4k screen laptop ….correct?
So, the monitor first: B&H has LG 27 UD58-B for $330 & LG 27 MU 58P-B for $435 …also Del P2715Q for $580 I do not understand the differences ...but I will not use it for games, hardly for movies.
Can someone give me a hint? Sure I want to spend minimum $...I still need to buy a laptop
Thank you Miro

Johanna Loc: Albuquerque, NM

I just don't think a 4K monitor for the old lap top is worth it, period! Now if you are planning on a new high end laptop or a desk top where you can add a "good" graphics card, then by al means invest in a good 4K monitor. I have a Asus PB278Q monitor on this desk top. I really enjoy the quality of presentation.

BebuLamar

If the monitor has the same connection as the laptop then it would work but I am quite sure it won't be in 4K. The laptop with a 1336x760 screen possibly support 1920x1080 mode but I am quite sure it won't support 4K mode.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

First, a modern 4K monitor probably isn’t the answer as an external monitor for your old laptop for a number of reasons. First, unless the laptop is fairly new, the video output is likely the older VGA D connector, and all the 4K monitors you mention have HDMI and display port inputs. There are VGA to HDMI adapters (not expensive), but secondly, the monitors you mention support 16:9 aspect ratio with resolutions of 1280x720, 1920x1080 & 3840x2160 (4K), none of which match the output resolution of your laptop - it may or may not sync, but the specs from LG don’t mention anything except the resolutions above. You might give Dell or LG support a call and ask if they can support the resolution of your laptop. I’ll research a bit further...

MiroFoto

Thank you all for a quick response . Please do not waste more time on my old laptop. It was a side question....would it work, say for a month on a new monitor? It has the HDMI port....but ..let's forget it.

My important question was : which new monitor you feel would be enough for my watching & do I need a 4k lap top. -->$2500 ?
Thank you Miro

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Let me answer your second question first. To obtain the advantage of a 4K monitor, you need a video interface, whether it’s in a laptop or a desktop that can output 4K (3840x2160) video. Also, while 4K video is impressive IF you have 4K content to watch, it can be frustrating for editing because the text can be very small. Some applications are designed for larger text while in 4K, but not a huge percentage since it’s a relatively new standard. Either way, you certainly don’t need to spend $2500 to get a computer that will output 4K video - just a video card that will support 4K. As to which monitor to buy, let’s let someone more informed on the current offerings comment. I’ve typically bought Dells, but it’s been awhile since I’ve been shopping for one.

MiroFoto

TriX thank you . I did research a bit on monitors ..Dell $400 (480) will do it . Asus has the output 2560x1440 and LG have brightness 250 vs Dell 350 . Do not see the difference , but it may be . I will not play with video . Thanks
Now I will start with video card . It will be a chore to find info about inside lap or desk. But desk is not much cheaper ...so laptop.
Miro

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If you go for a laptop, make sure it has a seperate video card with its own VRAM (memory) rather than one with video integrated in the CPU.

Largobob

As others have commented, I am not sure whether your current computer can drive a 4K monitor to desired resolution.

There are a variety of manufacturers, models and vendors out there from which to choose. Read the reviews before buying.

I will say that I bought the Dell P2715Q display from B&H when it was on sale around Thanksgiving. It works fine (3840x2160) with my MacBook Pro laptop. Great resolution, color, and overall performance. I did purchase an additional cable....Thunderbolt 3 to Mini DisplayPort. It was totally, 'Plug and Play.'

Differences among/between monitors? If you are not into 'gaming', you don't need the fastest refresh rates...you want IPS switching, good contrast ratio, internal speakers or not, etc. Here are the spec for the Dell monitor for comparison.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=dell%20p2715q%2027%22%20ultra%20hd%204k%20monitor&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ps

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Which laptop are you using?

Pegasus Loc: Texas Gulf Coast

First of all, you do not want a "4K monitor." You will be much better served and for less money with a 4K TV. I had a 50 inch Seiki 4K TV on my desk for the last 4 years, connected to my now-5 year old laptop with an HDMI. It worked great; love having that "wall of data" as I refer to it.

At the end of last year, I replaced the 50inch Seiki with a 49 inch Samsung Q6 TV. An amazing device; it draws less than half the power of the Seiki and it's physically smaller because it has no bezel to speak of and it's very thin. The picture is also far superior to the Seiki.

Before getting this TV, I checked for 4k monitors at the usual websites and nothing even came close to 4k TVs.

The beauty of 4k is the resolution, and you are wasting it if you use a small screen. I am writing this using my 49 inch Samsung Q6, parked 2 feet in front of my nose. At 4K resolution, you simply do not see the individual pixels. It makes for a dramatic effect.

I can work on spreadsheets showing hundreds of columns and rows. I usually have about 20 windows opened at any one time.

Monitors are way too small to take advantage of 4K; 27 inch? Are you kidding me?

I leave it up to you and others to figure out if your laptop can drive a 4K screen, but don't waste the 4K resolution on a small screen.

ETA: I forgot to mention that working on pictures with a 49inch 4K screen is a lot of fun. I still can't see the full picture at 100%, that will be for an 8K screen.

brettmilden

I have a Dell laptop with 4k touch screen I believe XPS 15" you can buy for about $1600 (Best buy had on sale last week down from $1900) and a Dell monitor 27" IPS 4k factory color calibrated as I recall for $450 that works good for me. SO for $2500 or less you should have a great solution!

Largobob

Wow. I guess everything IS bigger in Texas. You had a 50" 4K TV on your desk? How f'in big is your desk? I have a 27" on my computer desk and have to roll the chair back sometimes. Is your eyesight that bad?

Largobob

Sounds like a plan to me....

Pegasus Loc: Texas Gulf Coast

I'm guessing my explanation didn't come across as expected. I use a 49inch 4K TV on my desk, but I do not increase the font size on anything, in fact I use a very small font. In Windows, it's a setting that you select when you resize your screens. So, I have a very big screen with a LOT of data on it. As I explained, I can have an Excel spreadsheet showing 100+ columns and 100+ rows, all on the screen.

I'm a software guy and I can have 3 putty sessions with 150 lines each and 132 chars wide side by side by side on the screen.

I don't have big text, I have LOTS of text.