Asus unveils pixel-rich 4K Ultra HD desktop monitor

ASUS PQ321 True 4K UHD Monitor
ASUS brings 4K Ultra HD to the desktop

Christmas may be nearly six months away, but the folks at Asus have made our wish list easy this year with a 4K Ultra HD monitor intended for the desktops, not living rooms.

On Thursday, Asus announced the PQ321 True 4K UHD Monitor, a 31.5-inch display that brings the latest Ultra HD experience to personal computers.

With a resolution of 3840 x 2160, the PQ321 delivers four times the resolution of a Full HD display, with 140 pixels per inch packed into its true 16 x 9 aspect ratio.

In addition to DisplayPort and built-in 2W stereo speakers, the U.S. model also features dual HDMI inputs with Picture-by-Picture support, and this bad boy works equally well on the included monitor stand as it does mounted to the wall.

IGZO on board

The Asus PQ321 True 4K UHD Monitor features an active LCD display panel made from Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) instead of traditional amorphous silicon, producing the smaller pixels necessary to quadruple traditional 1920 x 1080 Full HD screens.

With support for 10-bit RGB "deep color" and wide 176-degree viewing angles on both vertical and horizontal planes, the PQ321 promises to deliver "incredibly detailed and lifelike images."

Buyers won't have to fear the arrival of their next electric bill, because this Asus monitor consumes even less energy than traditional amorphous silicon, all while retaining a relatively svelte 35mm at its thickest point.

Unfortunately, Asus is playing coy on a ship date as well as how many credit cards we'll have to thaw out to buy one, but the 32-inch Ultra HD monitor Sharp launched earlier this year carries a price tag around $5,500 (about £4,200GB, $5,754AU). Gulp!