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Display Scaling Calculator

Preview how big text and windows look on your monitor. Pick its resolution and screen size to see our scaling recommendation.

Display settings

Resolution presets

TechCompare recommendation:

200% Scaling (200% exact)

Preview settings

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Recommended monitors

Based on the specs you entered, here are the monitors TechCompare recommends.

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How to use this tool

  1. Choose your monitor's resolution

    Select a resolution preset or enter the native Width and Height in pixels. Use 2560 × 1440 for a standard 1440p monitor or 3840 × 2160 for a 4K monitor. Ultrawides need their actual pixel dimensions.

  2. Enter the viewable screen size

    Enter the diagonal in inches, such as 27 for a 27-inch (68.6 cm) monitor or 32 for a 32-inch (81.3 cm) monitor. Use the viewable panel diagonal rather than the outside dimensions. Select Portrait orientation if the display is rotated.

  3. Pick the screen type

    Leave Screen type on Desktop monitor for a screen on a desk, or choose Laptop for a built-in display. A laptop usually sits closer to your eyes, so the same panel gets a lower recommendation. TechCompare multiplies the desk target by 0.84 for a laptop.

  4. Read TechCompare's recommendation

    The recommendation card shows our nearest common scaling setting and the exact physical size target. We use a 27-inch (68.6 cm) 1080p monitor at 100% as our reference. Your preferred setting can be larger or smaller.

  5. Compare scaling in the preview

    Leave Preview scaling on Recommended to follow the suggestion, or select another percentage. Choose Windows 11 or Ubuntu GNOME and an example window layout. A manual choice changes the preview while the recommendation stays visible. The tool doesn't change your computer's settings.

About this tool

The Display Scaling Calculator helps you choose a starting interface size from your monitor's resolution and diagonal.

A high-resolution panel can fit plenty of content at 100%, but its text and controls may be physically small. Increasing scaling gives those elements more pixels and more physical space. This tool puts our recommendation next to a proportional desktop preview so you can see the balance between larger controls and available workspace.

TechCompare's target is based on a 27-inch (68.6 cm) 1080p display at 100%. It's a preference, not a reading test or an operating system default. Use the automatic recommendation as a starting point, then compare common percentages in the preview. You can switch between Windows 11 and Ubuntu GNOME or choose a different example window.

How our recommendation is calculated

Pixel density is sqrt(width² + height²) divided by the diagonal in inches. We divide that PPI by the full-precision density of our reference monitor, about 81.58915444749253 PPI, and multiply by 100.

A 27-inch (68.6 cm) 4K monitor has twice the reference density, giving exactly 200%. We also show the nearest common preset so the result is easy to try.

Bigger controls or more workspace

At 150%, a 3840 × 2160 display has a modeled 2560 × 1440 logical desktop. At 200%, it's 1920 × 1080.

The higher setting makes text and controls larger, while the lower one leaves room for more app content. Scaling doesn't change the physical PPI.

The preview models this geometry using illustrative apps, rather than reproducing every app's rendering. Microsoft's DPI guide explains the logical-unit conversion used by Windows.

Display scaling scenarios

Common monitor and laptop setups with our recommendation, a prefilled preview, and advice on choosing a comfortable scale.

27-inch 1440p monitor
125% recommended · Recommended 125% scaling for comfortable text on a 27-inch 1440p screen, with a 2048 × 1152 logical desktop.
View details
27-inch 4K monitor
200% recommended · Recommended 200% scaling that keeps text and controls the same physical size as on a 27-inch 1080p screen.
View details
32-inch 4K monitor
175% recommended · Recommended 175% scaling for readable text and a 2194 × 1234 logical desktop on a 32-inch 4K screen.
View details

Guides that use this tool

Longer walkthroughs that put this tool next to the others a reader needs.

Desk setup for remote workers: how much screen fits on your desk
Remote Worker
View details
Display scaling for students on a budget: more workspace from a 1080p laptop
Student on a Budget
View details

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as Windows' recommended scaling?
No. TechCompare uses its own preferred physical interface size, based on a 27-inch (68.6 cm) 1080p monitor at 100%. We calculate its full pixel density and match other displays to that reference. This tool doesn't detect the setting Windows marks as Recommended. Comfort, eyesight, viewing distance, and your apps can make a different percentage suit you better.
Why does a 27-inch 1440p monitor show 125% recommended and 133.33% exact?
The exact target comes from the monitor's pixel density divided by our reference density. For a 27-inch (68.6 cm) 1440p monitor, that gives 133.33%. The tool chooses the closest common preset, which is 125%. If two presets are equally close, it chooses the lower one. The exact value is a size target, so you can still prefer 150% or your own custom setting.
Should a laptop use a different scaling than a desktop monitor?
Often, yes. Choose Laptop under Screen type and the recommendation accounts for the closer seat. A 2021 Journal of Vision study of online experiment participants found people sat closer to a laptop screen than to an external screen, on average. TechCompare multiplies the desk target by 0.84 for a laptop. For a 14-inch (35.6 cm) 2880 × 1800 panel, that moves the nearest setting from 300% to 250%. That ratio comes from averages in one study, so your own seat can differ. The 14-inch laptop page shows the distances behind it. The Windows and Ubuntu percent options are modeled here, not macOS.
Does scaling change my monitor's resolution or PPI?
Scaling changes how many panel pixels a logical interface unit occupies. It doesn't change the panel's physical pixel density. A 3840 × 2160 display at 200% has a modeled 1920 × 1080 logical desktop while still using the 4K panel. Keep the display at its native resolution when comparing scaling. Microsoft explains resolution and scaling settings.
How do I change display scaling in Windows 11?
Open Settings > System > Display, select the monitor you want to change, then choose a percentage under Scale in the Scale & layout section. Try your preferred setting in a few everyday apps. This preview is a planning aid and won't apply anything to Windows. See Microsoft's display settings guide for the current steps.
Does Ubuntu GNOME support every percentage in the preview?
The dropdown models interface sizes from 100% to 500%. It doesn't check which settings your Ubuntu version, desktop session, or graphics setup offers. The Ubuntu top panel and Dock use illustrative dimensions. Choose the scale that's actually available in your display settings, then use the preview to understand the size and workspace tradeoff.
Is the desktop preview life-size or pixel-perfect?
No. It shrinks to fit the page while preserving panel proportions and modeled interface sizes. Example windows, icons, and fonts are illustrations. The Windows taskbar uses a 48-unit reference measured on one desktop, while the Ubuntu panel and Dock use sizing assumptions. Compare relative layout space here, then judge actual text and app rendering on your own monitor.

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