Our top 4K laptop picks with the sharpest and most colorful screens
Here at Smashgadget we are avid gamers. With a near 30 years of combined gaming experience, we know whats what in the gaming space. This industry never stops progressing and today we want to focus on the world of the 4k laptop.
Introduction to 4K Laptops
4K laptops are increasingly popular among power users who demand high-quality visuals, whether it’s for gaming, video editing, or graphic design. These laptops offer a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is four times the resolution of a standard 1080p display.
The benefits of 4K laptops are numerous. First and foremost, they provide an immersive visual experience that makes images and videos pop. Additionally, they offer greater detail and clarity, which is especially important for gaming and tasks like photo editing and video production. 4K laptops also have a wider color gamut, which means that they can display a wider range of colors than standard laptops.
The stunning beauty of the best 4K laptops is enough to leave you breathless. Although 1080p screens are capable of displaying movies and TV shows, 4K panels with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 are noticeably brighter and more colorful. Furthermore, as an increasing number of games now support this resolution, the best gaming laptops are designed to offer an exceptional experience.
A vast array of options for the best 4K laptops is available, with these ultra-sharp displays featured on the finest laptops including 2-in-1s and workstations. In addition, the best 4K laptops can function as video editing and photo editing laptops. Nonetheless, it should be noted that 4K laptops often have subpar battery life, necessitating some compromises. To learn more, please refer to our recent article Why do Gaming Laptops have Terrible Battery Life?
The Data
| Facts and Statistics about 4K Laptops | |
| 1. Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels, four times that of a standard 1080p laptop. |
| 2. Introduction | The first 4K laptop was introduced in 2014 by Toshiba. |
| 3. Ideal Use Cases | Graphic design, photography, and video editing. |
| 4. Cost | More expensive than standard laptops due to hardware requirements. |
| 5. Market Growth | Expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% during 2021-2026. |
| 6. Popular Models | Dell XPS 15, HP Spectre x360, and MacBook Pro. |
| 7. Battery Consumption | More power consumption than standard laptops. |
| 8. Entertainment Use | Ideal for watching 4K content and playing 4K games. |
| 9. Adoption Rate in the US | 9% of laptop users own a 4K laptop, while 64% own a 1080p laptop. |
| 10. Benefits | Increased productivity, better image quality, and immersive experience. |
How we rate them
You can trust Smashgadget. Our expert reviewers spend many hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose whats best for you. Our methodology for determining the best 4K laptops entailed measuring panel brightness in nits and sRGB coverage percentage, among many other technical and experience factors.
To quantify the best performing 4K laptops, several criteria factors should were considered.
- Display quality: The brightness, color accuracy, and contrast ratio of the laptop’s 4K display are essential factors to consider.
- Graphics performance: 4K displays require a powerful graphics card to deliver a smooth and immersive visual experience. A laptop with a dedicated graphics card and high-performance processor is likely to perform better.
- Storage: High-resolution video files and images take up a lot of storage space. The best performing 4K laptops should have ample storage, preferably with fast read and write speeds.
- Battery life: 4K displays are power-hungry and consume more energy, which may lead to a shorter battery life. The best performing 4K laptops should have a long-lasting battery to avoid interruptions during use.
- Price: 4K laptops are generally more expensive than their lower resolution counterparts. The best performing 4K laptops should strike a balance between performance and cost, providing value for money.
Our Top Picks
1. Dell XPS 9510 Laptop 15.6″ 4K Touch | Core i7
PROS
DDR4 Memory clocked at a whopping 3200MHz
Eight cores on the the Core i7-11800H processor allows for exceptional multitasking
15.6″ OLED Touch Screen with 4K (3456×2160) resolution for stunningly clear visuals and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card with 4GB of Dedicated Graphics Ram great for gaming
CONS
A Bit Pricey (But worth it)
2. Razer Blade 15 Intel Core i9 15.6” 4K UHD
PROS
Incredible gameplay – Blew our minds
12th Gen Intel Core i9 14-Core CPU
4K UHD 144Hz Display
Next-Gen Vapor Chamber Cooling – Very important Read: 5 Tips To Keep Your Gaming Laptop Cool
CONS
Cost Prohibitive – Its the most expensive on our list, but this laptop will not need to be upgraded for many years, effectively making it a bargain in our opinion
3. ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 4K UHD Touch Display
PROS
NanoEdge Touch Display – very cool concept
ScreenPad Plus: additional 14 inch 4K matte touchscreen on bottom section of the laptop
Fast storage and memory featuring 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD with 16GB DDR4 RAM
Detachable palm rest and ASUS active stylus pen included.
CONS
Mouse pad off center – takes getting used to
4. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14″ 4K UHD Touchscreen Laptop
PROS
Great price point
11th Generation Intel EVO Core i7-1195G7 Processor 2.90GHz up to 5.00GHz
14.0″ 4K UHD IPS Touchscreen (3840×2160) Display, Intel Iris Xe Graphics
CONS
May need some more RAM added to run intense graphics smoothly. Easily remedied
5. HP Envy 17t-cr0000 17.3″ 4K Ultra HD
PROS
Sleek design
Great Price Point
Includes Dockztorm USB Hub(Special Edition Portable Dockztorm Data Hub;Super Speedy Data Syn Rate upto 5Gbps)
CONS
Needs ventilation during intense gaming (Common with most laptops) see 6 Gaming Laptops That Produce Less Heat
Hopefully this helps you guys pick the right 4k laptop for all your gaming and other needs. Any of the ones we picked are honestly great and I’m sure you will enjoy. The vivid and bright colors and high contrast ratios of 4k laptops cant be beat.
Thanks for checking them out!
-Smashgadget Team
