ASUS’ PQ321 Packs a 4K Resolution into a 31.5-inch Frame (Updated)

Like it or not, the 4K resvolution is coming, and manufacturers worldwide are prepared to greet it. Up to this point, the number of 4K models available for purchase have been few, but things appear to be ramping-up, with ASUS being the latest to join in on the fun. Its just-announced PQ321 monitor comes in at 31.5-inches and sports a 3840×2160 resolution. Pricing? That should come later today.

At 3840×2160, the PQ321 streams 8,294,400 pixels to your eyeballs – that’s 2.25x more than a 2560×1440 display, and 4x that of a 1080p one. While most of today’s mainstream and above graphics cards can render most games in great detail at 1080p, to power the same games at native 4K resolution will require some serious horsepower. Much like how those with multiple monitors feel inclined to opt for SLI, the same will occur here.

With its resolution and physical size, the PQ321 is spec’d at 140 PPI. That’s paltry when compared to tablets (or Apple’s “Retina” displays) that implement high resolutions, but it’s quite good for a desktop monitor. Like some other high-PPI monitors, ASUS has adopted IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) for the active layer of the LCD panel. Its brightness rating is 350cd/m2, and gray-to-gray, 8ms.

I’m still not quite sold on 4K monitors on account of finding a 3×1 monitor setup more efficient for work and better for gaming than a single display, but there’s no denying just how crisp a monitor like this would look. Unfortunately, most OSes are not currently perfectly designed around such resolutions, so there will definitely be some “gotchas”, but the same can be said about multi-monitor in general as well.

As of the time of writing, ASUS hasn’t mentioned when its PQ321 will hit the market.

Update: The PQ321 carries a suggested retail price of $3,799 USD.