All technology progresses in measured steps, for processors the measure is speed in Gigahertz, for displays the measure is resolution in pixels per inch. Pushing this boundary to new limits is the brand new 4k monitor by ASUS, the Ultra High-Def PQ321.

As the first consumer oriented 4k monitor the PQ321 brings the new standard 3480×2160 resolution to the desktop. The 31.5-inch PQ321 is no one trick pony mind you, with 10-bit color depth and gaming friendly refresh rates (8ms gtg) this is a monitor that will shine whether it be producing high resolution art work or gaming with unbelievably sharp graphics.

The 16:9 ratio wide screen panel includes the now infamous IGZO technology, a new material that allows for smaller and faster circuits. The UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 provides 160 ppi across the 31.5 inch display, all squeezed into the svelte 35mm thick profile.

Sound will be provided by a par of 2 watt speakers while the monitors stand allows for tilt, swivel and height adjustments. Connecting the display to your rig will be via DisplayPort or HDMI, dual HDMI with picture-in-picture will be available on the US model.

As with all leading edge technology professions will be the initial early adopters for these new monster monitors, although what extreme gaming rig would be complete without a 4k monitor? There are still some issues for early adopters though, while Windows is capable of running a 4k desktop it hasn’t been optimized for the resolution yet and may not look as good as expected. Applications and games are also in the same boat but this situation will change over time.

ASUS announced at the Computex show last week that the PQ321 would be launching in US this month with a price tag of $4000. ASUS may have grabbed the jump on the big names in the monitor market, fearing to go where no other manufacturer will tread, and setting the standard for must have gadgets amongst we the tech obsessed.

Reference: ASUS
Reference: TomsHardware