The Most Common Screen Resolution Sizes

What are the standard screen resolutions?

These 8 cover nearly every monitor, laptop and TV on sale. The last column shows how many pixels each has next to 1080p.

Which resolution is used on which screen?

Each resolution tends to show up at certain sizes, because the pixel density then suits the usual viewing distance.

• 1366 × 768: Older and low-cost laptops, mostly 11.6 to 15.6 in (29 to 40 cm).
• 1920 × 1080: Most 21.5 and 24 inch monitors, many laptops and smaller TVs.
• 2560 × 1440: 27 inch monitors and fast gaming monitors.
• 3440 × 1440: 34 inch ultrawide monitors.
• 3840 × 2160: Most TVs from 43 in up, and sharp 27 and 32 inch monitors.
• 5120 × 2880: 27 inch screens made for photo and design work.

What is the standard monitor resolution today?

It depends on the size. 1080p is the usual choice up to 24 in (61 cm), 1440p at 27 in, and 4K at 32 in and above.

1440p has 1.8× the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 4×. More pixels need a faster graphics card for games, but cost nothing extra for office work.

Why do resolutions have names like FHD and QHD?

They are short labels for the pixel count. FHD means Full HD, 1920 × 1080, and QHD means Quad HD, 2560 × 1440, which is four times 1280 × 720.

4K UHD is 3840 × 2160, four times Full HD. Cinema 4K is a little wider, at 4096 × 2160.

How do I find my screen’s resolution?

Look at the box near the top of this page. It reads your screen’s real pixel count, and also the smaller size websites see when your computer scales the picture.

What is the difference between 1080p, 1440p and 4K?

The difference is the number of pixels. 1080p has 2.1 million, 1440p has 3.7 million, and 4K has 8.3 million.

On the same size screen, more pixels mean smaller dots and sharper text. Each step suits a different job:

• 1080p: budget monitors, small TVs and fast esports gaming.
• 1440p: 27 inch monitors and gaming at high frame rates.
• 4K: TVs, sharp 27 and 32 inch monitors, and photo or video work.

What are HD, 5K and 8K?

HD, or 720p, is 1280 × 720. It is now found mostly on small TVs and older screens.

5K is 5120 × 2880, used on some 27 inch screens for design work. 8K is 7680 × 4320, sold on some of the biggest TVs.

8K has 4× the pixels of 4K, so the gain shows most on very large screens seen up close.

What resolutions do laptops use?

Laptops have the widest spread. Low-cost models still use 1366 × 768, while most mid-range models use 1920 × 1080 or the taller 1920 × 1200.

Premium laptops go higher, at 2560 × 1600 and beyond. See how each screen size fits in a bag on our laptop dimensions pages.

What resolution do TVs use?

Most TVs from 43 in (109 cm) up are 4K. Smaller TVs, such as 24 and 32 inch models, are often 720p or 1080p.

Size matters more than resolution from a sofa. Our TV dimensions pages show the width and height of each size, from 32 inch to 100 inch.

What resolution do phones use?

Phones pack far more pixels into each inch than monitors. The iPhone 17 is 1206 × 2622 on a 6.3 inch screen, which is 458 PPI.

That is why phone resolutions do not follow the monitor names. See every model in our guide to what resolution your phone is.

Can I run a screen below its native resolution?

Yes, but it usually looks softer. The screen has to stretch each image pixel over its own pixels, and they rarely line up.

The cleanest case is 1080p on a 4K screen, because each 1080p pixel maps to exactly 2 × 2 real pixels. For everyday use, keep the native resolution and use scaling to make text bigger.

What do the p and i in 1080p and 1080i mean?

The p stands for progressive. Every line of the picture is drawn in each frame, which keeps motion clean.

The i stands for interlaced. Each frame draws only every other line, and the next frame fills in the gaps. Some TV broadcasts still use 1080i, while monitors, laptops and phones are all progressive.

How many pixels does each common resolution have?

The count grows fast as both sides get bigger. Here is how the most common sizes compare with Full HD:

• 720p: 921,600 pixels, 44% of Full HD.
• 1080p: 2,073,600 pixels.
• 1440p: 3,686,400 pixels, 1.8× of Full HD.
• 4K: 8,294,400 pixels, 4× of Full HD.
• 8K: 33,177,600 pixels, 16× of Full HD.

More pixels mean more detail, but also more work for the graphics chip in every frame.

Does a higher resolution need a better cable?

Yes, at high refresh rates. The cable carries every pixel of every frame, so 4K at 120 Hz or more needs a newer HDMI or DisplayPort version than 1080p does.

Use the cable that came in the box when you can. If the screen will not offer its top resolution or refresh rate, check that the port on your computer supports it.

Is a higher resolution always better?

Not always. A sharp picture depends on how the pixels are spread over the screen and how far away you sit.

A 4K panel on a small laptop needs heavy scaling to keep text readable, which spends battery on detail you cannot see. Our guide on resolution vs screen size shows where the extra pixels pay off, and the PPI calculator checks any screen.

What do WUXGA, WQHD and UWQHD mean?

Spec sheets use these longer names for wide and tall versions of the common sizes:

• WUXGA: 1920 × 1200, the 16:10 version of Full HD.
• WQHD: 2560 × 1440, the same as QHD or 1440p.
• WQXGA: 2560 × 1600, the 16:10 version of 1440p.
• UWQHD: 3440 × 1440, the ultrawide version, covered in is 3440 × 1440 4K?

How do I change my screen resolution?

Pick the setting marked Recommended, which is the screen’s own resolution:

1. On Windows, open Settings, then System, then Display, and choose from Display resolution.
2. On a Mac, open System Settings, then Displays, and pick a size.
3. To make text bigger, change the scale instead of lowering the resolution.