Max settings are so arbitrary and different game to game that it doesn't have much to do with best settings for the game, just maximum. Some games are outright garbage at Max settings no matter what hardware you have. I don't find it a gauge of anything and if anything it gets in the way of my enjoyment.

better looking settings - maximum eye candy 

4K with the highest settings I can run. 👍

4k 144Hz makes EVERYTHING look better. Even games that are 10+ years old look good at 4K, where they are honestly difficult to play at lesser resolutions. 4k is VERY demanding though, I frequently see dips in the 60-70 FPS range with most settings maxed out with a 3090 while playing newer games. Even with a 3090, 4K is still very demanding.

If you have the graphics card to do it in high FPS, 1440p is the way to go. Framerate is important for me and right now I can’t push good frames at 2k so I prefer to stay at 1080 and max settings.

darthmathis
If you have the graphics card to do it in high FPS, 1440p is the way to go. Framerate is important for me and right now I can’t push good frames at 2k so I prefer to stay at 1080 and max settings.

Same for me with fps. I currently have 1080p 240hz monitor and have been playing older games recently, getting over 200fps is so smooth. I really want to try 1440p on an ultrawide. Considering the resolution bump and screen size it might be a revelation to me. 
 
For single player games I usually try for the highest settings while being able to get above 100fps, haven't really messed with resolution.

I would go with the better settings.

I would say higher resolution but I'm in the elite camp of people that can't see a difference between 1440p and 4k, at least as far as I sit from my monitor (27" 16:9). When I absolutely need more frames (read: Cyberpunk 2077) dropping down to 1080p is my first move, Anti-aliasing makes up enough of the difference that I don't really notice if there's a lot of movement on screen.

It depends, more than I'd like to admit, on your card. Even in singleplayer, 144FPS vs 60 makes a colossal difference, and knocking down resolution to smooth the curve out will likely be more than worth it. Max vs. almost max settings tend to be pretty similar unless you're running a 3090 and can get comparable FPS either way.

I have a Odyssey G9 5120 X 1440 240hz. Can't push it to it's potential but would love to see it at max everything

More PPI Baby!
 
Unless Ray Tracing.

GoUsgxUc5d
For me I prefer the highest resolution first, but it needs to be 60 fps at the least.

I try to aim for 60 @ highest resolution as well but I barely get 40 sometimes in newer titles.

Depends on the game and what settings you are talking about. You can get higher resolutions with minimal settings and high settings with lower resolution, and depending on how things are implemented either can be good or bad.
Better idea is to keep one step behind the currently fashionable monitor resolutions. Don't go over 1440p unless you have a 3090 or 6900xt. Better wait till we have a geenration where 8k is genuinely playable before adapting 4k.

Middle res with max graphics. Doubt I'll move to 4k from 1440 any time soon.

_2100_
What's your preference, higher resolution or max out settings?
 
Have a 34" ultrawide and am debating if going down from 3440x1440 to 2560x1080 to max settings for a few titles is the right move.  All single player, so FPS isn't a huge factor.
 
Which is better for the single player eye candy experience?

Resolution, Texture Quality, Shadow Quality and Lighting quality are the most important to me.  Anything that smears the view with blur, grain or weird tint can go burn in the fires of hell that forged it.