Bringing the “Wow” of 4K Display to Desktop Computing

4K display technology is nearly indescribable. But I’ll try.

With 8.3 million pixels on the screen—four times more than mainstream Full HD 1080p displays—every  video of your kids playing football, every holiday photograph, and every heart-pounding move you make in a game is brought to life. And desktops powered by the latest Intel® processors provide an optimal combination of screen size and close distance interaction to unleash the true magic of the technology.

• When you create, edit, or view photography using a desktop with a 4K display, the gap between real and digital narrows—colors pop, lines are super smooth, and every detail is crisp.
• The little dimples on the football as it spirals through the air, the glistening beads of water dripping from the leaves during a morning hike—4K delights with the sharpest video ever, whether you’re a professional or a master of the home studio.
• The newest generation of games on the desktop are mind-blowing packages of creative wizardry, original storytelling, compelling characters, and huge-budget production quality. Now quadruple that.
• With sharper text and graphics, 4K helps reduce eye strain, rendering sharp and crisp text that makes reading, writing, and working more pleasant on many desktop apps, including the Web.

Intel has been working with key collaborators, including Samsung, to bring 4K technology to mainstream desktop computing. A new white paper, Stunning 4K Display Technology: A Must Have for Desktop Computing, tells the story of this initiative, with details, insights, a view of what’s to come, and an interview—excerpted below—with Platform Innovation Manager Roland Wooster, Desktop Client Platforms, CCG, who has been a driving force in this area.

Why are you focusing on desktop computers?

TV manufacturers have been delivering 4K for a few years now, and there’s already been a lot of progress made in the displays of smaller devices like smartphones and tablets. But there was a big gap where the real enthusiast users really need it—on desktop computers. People who are serious gamers or content creators—those who produce and edit photos and videos—want to work and play on more powerful systems with larger displays, which logically means a desktop computer. Plus, we know that the distance between the user and a 24” 4K display is the ultimate sweet spot for the optimum immersive experience. This is exactly where we need to be right now.

Beyond the screen, what’s required for a true 4K experience?

Processor speed is certainly key. For the best experience with photo editing, you need Intel® Core™ i5 at the very least, and for video editing and gaming you absolutely need to be running Intel® Core™ i7 along with a discrete video card. And of course, to get the most out of 4K displays, you need software that supports the technology. We also worked with a number of software developers, like Microsoft, Adobe, and DivX, to help prepare the applications that will deliver 4K content on these new systems. Having those applications ready when the monitor prices drop is key to making sure that mainstream users will be able to enjoy it.

Read the entire interview and learn more about 4K technology: Stunning 4K Display Technology: A Must Have for Desktop Computing. And join the conversation using #IntelDesktop.

This is the fourth installment of the Desktop World Tech Innovation Series.

To view more posts within the series, click here: Desktop World Series