Display resolutions from QVGA to 16K
Display resolutions have decades of accumulated naming — VGA, XGA, HD, Full HD, QHD, UHD — and the labels do not always make the pixel counts obvious. This reference lists every common named resolution with its exact width and height, total pixel count in megapixels, and reduced aspect ratio, plus a calculator for any custom dimensions.
How it works
A resolution is just a width × height pair. Two derived values matter most. The aspect ratio is that pair reduced by its greatest common divisor (GCD): for 1920×1080 the GCD is 120, so it reduces to 16:9. The Euclidean algorithm computes the GCD by repeatedly replacing the larger number with the remainder of dividing it by the smaller, until one value reaches zero.
The total pixel count is simply width × height, usually quoted in megapixels (millions of pixels). It is a useful proxy for how much work a GPU and display pipeline must do: 4K UHD (3840×2160 ≈ 8.3 MP) is four times the load of 1080p (1920×1080 ≈ 2.1 MP), even though each dimension only doubled.
Tips and notes
- The “K” in 4K/8K refers to roughly the horizontal pixel count in thousands (3840 ≈ 4K), while older names like 1080p refer to the vertical pixel count.
- 16:9 dominates TVs and most monitors; 16:10 (1920×1200, 2560×1600) gives extra vertical space and is common on laptops; 21:9 and 32:9 are ultrawide and super-ultrawide.
- Same-name resolutions can differ: “WXGA” has historically meant both 1280×720 and 1366×768 — always verify the exact pixel dimensions.
- Higher pixel counts demand more interface bandwidth; driving 4K at high refresh rates may require DisplayPort 1.4+ or HDMI 2.1.
Practical guidance — choosing and comparing resolutions
Pixel density matters more than raw resolution
A resolution is only meaningful relative to the screen size it is spread across. A 27-inch 1440p monitor (2560×1440) and a 13-inch 1440p laptop display both have the same resolution, but the laptop packs more than twice as many pixels per inch (ppi), which means sharper text and finer detail. When comparing monitors, calculate ppi (pixels per inch = diagonal pixels ÷ diagonal inches) rather than just citing the resolution name.
Common resolution families and what they are used for
| Resolution | Pixels | Ratio | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1280×720 (HD 720p) | 0.9 MP | 16:9 | Streaming, older laptops |
| 1920×1080 (FHD 1080p) | 2.1 MP | 16:9 | Standard monitors, gaming |
| 2560×1440 (QHD 1440p) | 3.7 MP | 16:9 | Gaming monitors, high-end laptops |
| 3840×2160 (4K UHD) | 8.3 MP | 16:9 | Professional displays, large-screen TVs |
| 3440×1440 (ultrawide) | 4.9 MP | ≈21:9 | Productivity, immersive gaming |
| 5120×1440 (super-ultrawide) | 7.4 MP | 32:9 | Multi-monitor replacement |
Bandwidth requirements
Driving high-resolution displays at high refresh rates requires adequate interface bandwidth. As a rough guide: DisplayPort 1.4 handles 4K at 120 Hz or 8K at 30 Hz with DSC compression; HDMI 2.1 covers 4K at 144 Hz and 8K at 30 Hz on a single cable. Older HDMI 2.0 is limited to 4K at 60 Hz, which means a monitor advertised as “4K 144 Hz” may be unable to reach its maximum rate over HDMI 2.0 alone.
How the aspect-ratio calculator works
Enter any custom width and height in the calculator below the table and it reduces the pair to the simplest integer ratio using the Euclidean algorithm — repeatedly replacing the larger number with the remainder of dividing it by the smaller until zero is reached. The GCD is then divided into both dimensions. This is useful for non-standard resolutions from cameras, tablets, or unusual panels where the manufacturer does not state the ratio directly.