Monitors

How much of an improvement is the UHD vs the FHD?

17.3 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 300-nits Display with Tobii IR Eye-tracking


17.3 inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Anti-Glare 300-nits Display with Tobii IR Eye-tracking

Is the difference worth $300?

 

I would like to see them live to compare.

Some time ago I saw Lenovo 540 or something 15.6" with a 3k screen. At 100% scaling it was too small for my eyes. I'm getting too old...

4K at 17" will be a hit or miss depending on your eyesight among other things. I would like to try one myself anyways

 

Agree; you need to see them side by side to compare (spec's don't always convey what the user should be caring about...).

All else being equal and with younger eyes; the UHD screen should be sharper and less fatiguing with long sessions of use.

The FHD screen won't require scaling and with normal vision, may be the better choice, overall.

Seeing and using each system for only a few minutes is all that is needed to see if one is greatly preferred over the other... ime, all else being equal; the higher resolution screen is the one that is usually chosen.

 

For me at least, laptop screens reside in something of an uncanny valley when it comes to ultra-high resolutions. I like they way 1080p and up look on smartphones and tablets up to around the size of an iPad. With Windows-based notebooks and monitors from 13-25 inches, I hate it. I can't stand the 3K screen on my Yoga 2 Pro, but I really like my 4K 27-inch monitor. Windows DPI scaling still has a way to go, but it has been steadily improving with every major OS update. There are some legacy control panel items that still don't scale well, but major in-box applications and such are now finally working properly after the creator's update.

MacOS is a completely different story. Everything within the OS looks perfect, and the overwhelming majority of third-party applications for the Mac are optimized as well.

 

Like I mentioned, my eyesight has gotten a new twist in the last couple of years, presbyopia says the translator... Distance where my eyes can focus gets comfortably longer and longer. That 15.6" 3k and one 11.6" HD screen both had common that at 100% zoom image was so small that I needed to get closer, which in turn was between uncomfortable and impossible. Someone would just get a new pair of glasses, I got me a new laptop that's okay to use with old ones (golden point at the moment is 14" and FHD). My gaming monitor is a 32" FHD tv... One 2170p for sale, not used too much lately.

iPad's retina screen is just 2048x1536, double the 1024x768 of the 90's monitor. The whole UI is desiged for 1024 resolution and zoomed up. I'm pretty sure that if I had original iPad mini next to my mini 2, the UI would be same size everywhere. Double the resolution in that case doesn't give double the stuff on screen.

I would test the 4k monitor running at 200% zoom and also running it at 1080p resolution. Even better if there were a regular 1080p next to it as comparison. Using it at 1080p could be useful in the future with more demanding games or maybe with just windows, if it looks good enough.

 

Can't say there's anything wrong with purchasing your new computering hardware, but not changing glasses is really strange. Its usefulness is not limited to computer operation.

 

@Morpheus1 it depends on your personal preference, and eyesight. FWIW UHD screen will cost you not only more $$$, but also less battery life. On the other hand, if your eyesight is close to perfect, or you're planning a laser eye surgery in near future, I'd suggest getting as high-res device as possible.

 

Thanks