Geek tangent: Seiki 4k monitor

I just picked up a Seiki 4k ultra hd monitor from TigerDirect for $325 delivered.  This is the same thing on Amazon, now listed as discontinued but still for sale for a few bucks more than I paid.  Of course all that means is that the next generation is coming out soon at a higher price.

These 4 k monitors have a native resolution of 3840x2160.  A year ago people were blogging that they paid over $1000 for this monitor and it was the cheapest thing on the market back then.  These monitors max out at 30 Hz but that has little impact for any kind of static text or pictures.  It becomes a bit noticeable for high res video but by high res I mean bluray or better.  I watched "Gravity" with Sandra and George in DVD resolution and it handled it perfectly.  After all, it is a TV first and a computer monitor second.

The reason for getting this was to increase screen real estate without losing resolution.  The limited refresh rate makes it of limited use to gamers.  But for having a gaggle of windows open without having to tab between them, there's no beating it.

You do need a graphics adapter capable of 4k.  I did my homework and the minimum card was the Geforce 750GT, about $119 today.  When I plugged it in using the included HDMI cable from Seiki, it "just worked".  This thing is amazing.  You can now buy 60 4k 40" monitors for $800 but for me the extra money is wasted.  In fact, I plan to get another of this same monitor and a 2nd graphics card to drive it.

Bottom line, if in the market for a really cool computer upgrade item, consider the huge 39" seiki 4k and a Geforce 750GT combo.  It is the best single computer upgrade that I have ever had and I have been a computer engineer for about 30 years now.  I think it is also one of the best hardware values I have gotten given how new 4k still is in the industry.