Screen Resolution Calculator
A screen and monitor resolution calculator in one: enter a resolution and diagonal size to see everything that follows from them — pixel density, dot pitch, the visible width and height in inches, and the total pixel count.
What screen resolution actually describes
Resolution is a count of pixels, not a measure of sharpness. 1920 × 1080 means 1920 pixels across and 1080 down, wherever those pixels land physically. How sharp it looks depends on how tightly they are packed and how far away you sit.
The common names are just labels for pixel counts: HD is 1280 × 720, Full HD 1920 × 1080, QHD 2560 × 1440, 4K UHD 3840 × 2160 and 8K UHD 7680 × 4320.
Resolution, scaling and CSS pixels
On high-density displays the operating system scales the interface so text stays readable, which means the resolution your browser reports is not the panel’s native count. A 3840 × 2160 monitor at 200 per cent scaling presents itself to CSS as 1920 × 1080 with a device pixel ratio of 2.
Worked with the values in the calculator above
PPI = √(2,560² + 1,440²) ÷ 27 in = 108.79 PPI
1 px = 1 ÷ 108.79 PPI = 0.00919 in Reference table
| Name | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 | 0.92 MP |
| Full HD | 1920 × 1080 | 16:9 | 2.07 MP |
| QHD | 2560 × 1440 | 16:9 | 3.69 MP |
| 4K UHD | 3840 × 2160 | 16:9 | 8.29 MP |
| 5K | 5120 × 2880 | 16:9 | 14.75 MP |
| 8K UHD | 7680 × 4320 | 16:9 | 33.18 MP |
| WUXGA | 1920 × 1200 | 16:10 | 2.30 MP |
| Ultrawide | 3440 × 1440 | 21:9 | 4.95 MP |
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate screen resolution?
Resolution is read from the display settings rather than calculated. What you can calculate from it is the pixel density: √(width² + height²) ÷ diagonal in inches.
Is this a monitor resolution calculator too?
Yes. Monitors, laptops, tablets and phones all work the same way: enter the resolution and the diagonal, and it returns the density, dot pitch and visible size.
What resolution is my monitor?
Check display settings in your operating system. Note that a scaled display reports a lower logical resolution to the browser than the panel physically has.
Is a higher resolution always better?
Only up to the point where you can resolve the extra pixels. At a normal desk distance, 4K on a 27-inch monitor is clearly sharper than 1080p; at 55 inches across a room the difference largely disappears.
What is the difference between resolution and pixel density?
Resolution counts the pixels. Density describes how many fit into an inch. The same resolution on a smaller panel gives a higher density and a sharper image.