Personally (and this is just my opinion), I prefer multiple 27” (or whatever size you choose) monitors over one large monitor. The reason for me is simple. Assuming you place the monitor on a standard desk top, I find it tiring to my neck constantly looking up to use the upper part of a large screen - I prefer my display centers to be at eye level and relatively close. In fact, I actually use 3 monitors arranged horizontally (two driven from my video card and one from the MB onboard graphics). I typically have PS in the middle for critical editing, one for the various tools menus and one for DPP to sort through exposures and export into PS. All this fits nicely on a standard desk with the side monitors angled in maybe 15 degrees. Although I calibrate all, only the one used for editing needs to be higher quality. Just some alternate ideas.

Now, as desert gecko has said, it is not hard to assemble a desktop from parts, and you can build a high performance editing platform for maybe $1300 plus the cost of the monitor. You need an I7 CPU, 16-32 GB DRAM, a decent video card with 2GB (min) VRAM, a decent MB, an SSD for OS and Apps, a Larger SATA for photos, 64 bit OS, power supply, case, keyboard and mouse, and maybe a DVD (BluRay/MDisk preferred) drive. You can assemble it in an hour or two, and add a few more to install the OS and aps. You can save $, learn a fair amount in the process, and have some fun and a sense of accomplishment.

As usual TriX posts excellent information.

The arrangement on my desk is similar to his. I also use three monitors with my laptop. On my left, the laptop panel is open and useable. It's a 17inch HD display and the laptop is at an angle about 45 degrees.

In front of me is my 49 inch 4K Samsung Q6 and it's on a very low stand. I sit in a rather tall chair, because I am quite tall.

On my right, I have another monitor, a 24 inch 2K display and it also angles in at about 45 degrees.

The way I work is that I have email open on the right at all times, I do most of my work on the Samsung Q6 in front of me and I don't have to crank my neck to see the top of the screen. I have a couple of status windows on the laptop panel on my left.

This all fits very nicely on a standard desk. I do just about everything on the computer.

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.

While you may enjoy your tv it is far from ideal for a number of reasons. a 50 inch screen needs to be 4-5 feet away from you for ideal viewing gives you about the same angle of view (and thus visual resolution) as a 32 inch monitor at 2 feet or a 27 inch monitor at 18". Those numbers are for 4K - for 1080p you can go to 2/3 of those distances.
In addition - a tv is a lousy monitor compared to quality dedicated monitors. Color gamut is very limited as it only has to do TV (8 bit) and not HQ color (12 or 14 bit)

Your post shows that you do not understand a word of what I was saying and I guess that's my fault for not explaining it properly.

When I am doing computer work on my Samsung Q6, I usually focus on the window that is in focus. That window is only a small part of the 4K display. I have many other windows opened on this screen and I can see them just by looking at them and can continue typing in the window in focus.

Using a 4K monitor is very much like having 4 HD monitors in front of you in two rows. Just think of it that way. But instead of have 4 connectors, 4 power supplies, 4 stands, 4 bexels, etc. you only have one and it's seamless.

If I want to watch a movie or a TV program, I switch to that input and push away from my desk to enjoy the whole view.