It’s strange that while 4K resolution rapidly became ubiquitous in televisions, showing up even in the cheapest Walmart TVs stacked by the door, it’s still considered a premium feature for computer monitors. Well if you’ve been looking for a 4K upgrade on the cheap, Acer has your back. Today Amazon is listing a 28-inch 4K monitor for just $199.99.
That’s $300 off Acer’s MSRP…but more accurately, $100 off Amazon’s regular price. While it’s a little smaller than some 4K monitors, this display ticks all the check marks for a seriously useful office display. In addition to the 3840×2160 resolution, it’s an IPS display, so it has better color accuracy and viewing angles than cheaper TN and VA panels. (This is the kind of screen I look for when I need to work in Photoshop.)
The Acer B287K has ports for HDMI and DisplayPort, plus a pass-through for your headphones or headset. (It technically has a pair of 2-watt speakers built in, but seriously, don’t use those.) It’s also packing a 4-port USB hub, a standard VESA mount for a monitor arm, and a pretty decent stand in the box.
With 60Hz of refresh rate it’s not a great choice for a gaming monitor, but 4K resolution is already not ideal for anything but the most powerful of gaming PCs. There’s a killer 1440p Dell that’s still on sale if you’re looking for a gaming display. But if what you want is raw, pixel-powered desktop space, this monitor will hit the spot.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.