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Understand 1440p and how it compares to other common PC display resolutions.
1440p is also called QHD (quad high definition) or WQHD (wide quad high definition) and is a display resolution that measures 2560 x 1440 pixels. This resolution is also commonly referred to as 2K (opens in new tab).
Resolution explains how many pixels a display has in width x height format; the more pixels a display has, the sharper its image quality should be. QHD resolution gets its name for offering four times the definition of standard HD, aka 720p (opens in new tab)(1280 x 720 resolution).
QHD screens are noticeably sharper than Full HD (FHD) aka 1080p (opens in new tab)resolution (1920 x 1080) models, which are much more common and also cheaper than QHD displays. This higher resolution also makes going to screens larger than 27 inches without seeing individual pixels more feasible when shopping for a PC monitor (opens in new tab). However, with laptops (opens in new tab), a QHD screen will eat up more battery than a FHD display.
What About WQHD?
You may also see QHD resolution referred to as WQHD, which stands for wide quad high definition. These two acronyms represent the same resolution; WQHD is a marketing technique to emphasize the wide-screen format of the resolution.
However, vendors will also label ultra-wide monitors as WQHD even though they don't have 2560 horizontal pixels. This is because they still have 1440 vertical pixels but have more horizontal pixels for a wider aspect ratio than 2560 x 1440's 16:9 aspect ratio.
Common Display Resolutions
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| 5K | 5120 x 2880 |
| 4K | 3840 x 2160 (typical monitor resolution); 4096 x 2160 (official cinema resolution) |
| Ultra HD (UHD) | 3840 x 2160 |
| QHD aka WQHD aka 1440p | 2560 x 1440 |
| 2K | 2560 x 1440 (typical monitor resolution); 2048 x 1080 (official cinema resolution) |
| WUXGA | 1920 x 1200 |
| Full HD (FHD) aka 1080p aka HD | 1920 x 1080 |
| HD aka 720p | 1280 x 720 |
This article is part of the Tom's Hardware Glossary (opens in new tab).
Further reading:
- How to Choose a PC Monitor (opens in new tab)
- Best Gaming Monitors (opens in new tab)
- Best 4K Gaming Monitors (opens in new tab)
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Scharon Harding has a special affinity for gaming peripherals (especially monitors), laptops and virtual reality. Previously, she covered business technology, including hardware, software, cyber security, cloud and other IT happenings, at Channelnomics, with bylines at CRN UK.
2 CommentsComment from the forums
sonarctica Shame they got the term wrong. 2k is 2048x1080, not 1440p which is 2560 wide aka 2.5k. And majority of the market is misinformed that way as usual.
USAFRet sonarctica said:
Shame they got the term wrong. 2k is 2048x1080, not 1440p which is 2560 wide aka 2.5k. And majority of the market is misinformed that way as usual.3 years later....
Please don't dredge up ancient threads.