Is a 15" Laptop with 4k display worth it for Programming?

[Brocodo]

Hi there,

I'm going to study programming for the next 4 years to get my bachelor. Therefore I need a laptop. I already have a gaming desktop so the first intent of the laptop is not for gaming, however, I would like to be able to run new games at medium to high settings.

Also, in the next 4 years virtual reality and augmented reality will be a subject in my education, and my laptop needs to be ready for developing applications/games on that level.

So I've been looking a lot at this laptop:

ASUS ROG G501VW-FI074T

15"
Intel Core i7 6700HQ
16 GB RAM
512 GB SSD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M / 4gb

The most important thing for me is that I can programming carelessly for the next 4 years on this thing. I also think the weight makes this laptop really great as it only weights 2.06 kg. I also really like the way how the laptop looks. It also has a 4k display screen.

Now my main question is: Is the 4k display on a 15" laptop worth it?
I know the GPU is not good for 4k gaming, but I do not want the 4k for the gaming aspect. I have programmed before on a 4k monitor 20+/-" and REALLY liked it, it makes programming way easier. But I don't know how this is for a 15" screen. So is programming on a 4k screen resolution 15" laptop going to make my life easier for the next 4 years when programming? I know the weight will, but I question the 4k.

Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[Brocodo]

I would go 4k. Every little bit helps when it comes to your eyes. Higher quality LCD panels make for less tired/fatigued eyes.

Do you have experience with this? 4k means that I can see more code on my screen right? The more code I can see (in detail) the better. Although I think 17" is too big to carry every day. And this model does not have a 17" version with 4k. (Or that would be too expensive for me, 17" means no UHD for me.)

 

[geofelt]

You really should go to a local store and see what a 4k screen @15" actually looks like.

 

[Brocodo]

I would go 4k. Every little bit helps when it comes to your eyes. Higher quality LCD panels make for less tired/fatigued eyes.

Do you have experience with this? 4k means that I can see more code on my screen right? The more code I can see (in detail) the better. Although I think 17" is too big to carry every day. And this model does not have a 17" version with 4k. (Or that would be too expensive for me, 17" means no UHD for me.)

My wife has a MacBook Pro with Retina display and it is 3840x2160. If you run it at native resolution with no scaling, the text is readable, but SUPER tiny. However, you can probably find a compromise with the scaling to get more on one screen, while still be big enough to read. Having the UHD/4k screen definitely expands your options.

Thanks for the fast responses
I think I will be able to scale using Sublime Text (as I always scale). So that I can scale it just to my preferences while seeing more detail because of the 4k. I have no stores nearby who display the 4k on a 15" haha

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

A good programming environment should have scalable text. I know Microsoft's Visual Studio IDE scales code just fine, but the toolbars... Not much different than web page scaling in a browser, really. I personally don't like how Windows handles 4k, but once you get used to it, it's certainly usable.

I would personally opt for the extra real estate since programming on the laptop is your priority. You'll be able to snap multiple code pages and still be able to read and work with long lines of code.

 

[Brocodo]

A good programming environment should have scalable text. I know Microsoft's Visual Studio IDE scales code just fine, but the toolbars... Not much different than web page scaling in a browser, really. I personally don't like how Windows handles 4k, but once you get used to it, it's certainly usable.

I would personally opt for the extra real estate since programming on the laptop is your priority. You'll be able to snap multiple code pages and still be able to read and work with long lines of code.

Thanks for your answer. I too think scaling text won't be a problem for Sublime Text. I don't mind the toolbars being tiny that much I suppose, it's more about the detail in text and the multuple code pages that I'm looking forward too in 4k.

I guess if nobody has clear cons of it then I'll go with the 4k.