Here's from the OP's original post. "I will use this PC just for trading and watching movies." You want to be pragmatic and treat the trading like a business, or monkey around in "middle grade" as you call it? It ain't outdated technology. The fact that he/she wants to watch movies on his/her trading machine tells me he/she is not serious about trading for a living. Again, the question stands...Who the fack needs a 4K monitor for trading. What the fack you looking at in trading that needs resolution so tight you need to see every fucking pixel, and would have to spend a thousand dollars per monitor on it? Monitors have no bearing on the PC's video drawing speed of the programs running on your PC. You know this, yes? Monitors can take whatever your PC can toss at it in trading. Yes, even the "out-dated technology".
Oh, and one other thing, lylec... Really? It worked last year, 5, 10, 20 years ago. Why does it not work now? Just a spoiled brat that can't work with second-hand tools? Don't have the best, biggest brightest and shiniest new toys to play with, so one can't be productive? Wah wah wah. Me me me! It's all about ME! I want I want I want! I want the newest toys! WAH! If I can't have it, nothing will work forever it's all broken forever wahhhhhhh! All you bitches need to STFU and learn how to be frugal, and stop wasting money on shit you don't really need.
You are probably right on all of this, and I also think 4K is definitely waste of money. Now I already bought 2K monitor. I think that for 27" it is good to have 2K monitor if you are all day on your PC. But this is just my opinion, I really never have tried 27" in Full HD, I just know that now I have 17,3" and 22" Full HD monitor and it is a big difference. And 2K is much more chipper then 4K.
FYI 1080p will be gone in a couple years, 4k will become the TV standard. 40" 4k monitors are around $500 currently, I remember when 1080P 24" was same price. Walk into any professional trading firm, only the (advance) trainee's have 2 monitors. The pros are running 4 to 6 monitors. I can show you what goes on 6 monitors but you would not understand. BTW who wants to watch a movie on a 24-27" monitor anyway when you can have a 40" monitor?
I know what goes on with "The Pros". I work with people who use 6-12 monitors. And those same pros DO NOT watch movies on their trading machines. They use them for one thing and one thing only...TRADING. Be frugal, or waste your money.
A workstation and monitor(s) are tools of the trade, eventually you'll need to right tool for the job. Like any craftsman, shouldn't scrimp to much on your tools.
Yes, but there is such a thing as spending too much, or having too complex a tool for the job or something like that? Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I cannot see the value in spending 3x as much money for a tool to get the job done. And the tool will last for years, unless trading software becomes all 3dFX and things that gamers need for hundreds of FPS for charts that blink 2d raster graphics at you once per second.
What works for you may not work for another, each to their own. I find it relative and equipment is cheap. I give my 3 year old a dollar every week. And said you can do anything you like with 1 dollar, save it or spend it. After 10 weeks, i would change his 10 1 dollar bills into a 10 dollar bill. After 10 months it's changed to $100 bill and i would match it. And told him that's a big boy's dollar bill and he keeps in metal safety box that he purchased on his own. He's now 7...
I would look at the warranty service arrangements. If you need service, do they offer phone support? Do you have to mail-in the unit, or carry-in the unit to a nearby store, or will they come to your site? It's these service arrangements that can be a major differentiator. Most everything else (type of equipment, specs) is a commodity.
don't be restricted by your tools. Buy something slightly over your head, you'll learn it fast enough. It's not rocket science.