2K is a common display resolution. A screen's resolution explains how many pixels it has in width x height format (the more pixels, the sharper the image). A monitor or display is considered 2K if its width falls in the 2,000-pixels range.
The Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a group of motion picture studios that creates standards for digital cinema, defines Standard DCI 2K resolution as 2048 x 1080 pixels. But you'll rarely see this resolution when buying a PC monitor or choosing a laptop. You'll often find 2K displays with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. However, that resolution is officially considered Quad HD (QHD). As such, many monitors and gaming laptops claim their resolution as 2K/QHD.
Common Monitor Resolutions
5K | 5120 x 2880 |
4K | 3840 x 2160 (typical monitor resolution); 4096 x 2160 (official cinema resolution) |
Ultra HD (UHD) | 3840 x 2160 |
QHD aka WQHD aka 1440p | 2560 x 1440 |
2K | 2560 x 1440 (typical monitor resolution); 2048 x 1080 (official cinema resolution) |
WUXGA | 1920 x 1200 |
Full HD (FHD) aka 1080p aka HD | 1920 x 1080 |
HD aka 720p | 1280 x 720 |
This article is part of the Tom's Hardware Glossary.
Further reading: