5K display for Mac Pro

[INoctilux]

Hi,

Recently Apple updated the Mac Pro's description page and notifie that the actual Mac Pro line-up can drive 3 5K displays.

Since Dell 5K has been suppressed, I am wondering where to find a good 5K display with two display port input to enjoy the full resolution at 60hz ?

Any suggestions ?

Best regards.

Ps. Sorry for my rudimentary english.

 

[mattspace]

Any suggestions ?

Your options are pretty much the Dell 5k from places that are still selling them - Dell Australia for example still lists it, but doesn't list the 8k at all. HP has / had a display based on the same panel, but it doesn't appear to be as good a display. Phillips or Panasonic had a display, presumably based on that panel, which seemed to only be on sale in Europe.

5k is pretty much an orphan resolution - I don't think you're ever going to see it take off again, and I'd be willing to bet that given Apple are planning on making a "pro" display, LG will discontinue their 5k display without ever releasing a second model. 4k & 8k is where the entire panel manufacturing infrastructure world-wide is standardising.

Realistically, 5k only exists as an answer to the problem of "how can macOS get higher resolution, when it lacks support for resolution-independent UI" it's a hardware kludge driven by software limitations.

 

[ActionableMango]

Realistically, 5k only exists as an answer to the problem of "how can macOS get higher resolution, when it lacks support for resolution-independent UI" it's a hardware kludge driven by software limitations.

I see some merit in viewing a 4K workflow pixel-perfect with room left over for video editor UI/toolbars, but I guess that's not really important or it would have caught on.

 

[INoctilux]

Thank you for your replies. The Apple's actual strategy makes me confuse : they sell a Mac Pro, presented as the top of the line computer, promote it as being able to drive 3" 5K monitors but they don't propose anyone compatible. Even when they sign a partnership with LG to propose 5K's monitors, they voluntary makes it incompatible with old devices.

Your options are pretty much the Dell 5k from places that are still selling them - Dell Australia for example still lists it, but doesn't list the 8k at all.

Unfortunately in France none of them is available. By the way, I am not sure that the Mac Pro can handle the Dell 8K.

Realistically, 5k only exists as an answer to the problem of "how can macOS get higher resolution, when it lacks support for resolution-independent UI" it's a hardware kludge driven by software limitations.

I work on an Eizo CG277 for photography and it's a great monitor for that purpose but I read a lot of books and articles on my screen and for this task the 5K resolution is a game changer.

 

[mattspace]

Unfortunately in France none of them is available. By the way, I am not sure that the Mac Pro can handle the Dell 8K.

Can you get this one from Britain (the Misko link is the one that's linked to the correct product)?:

http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/275P4VYKEB_00/brilliance-5k-lcd-monitor-with-perfectkolor

2013 Mac Pro, no you can't drive 8k. cMP, theoretically you can put in a GPU with dual DP1.4 ports to drive it.
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I see some merit in viewing a 4K workflow pixel-perfect with room left over for video editor UI/toolbars, but I guess that's not really important or it would have caught on.

Most editors would have an external 4k display to show the actual pixel-perfect footage without any UI near it, I imagine.

 

[andy89]

The HP display is fine. I use mine on a daily basis. It's got a few things going for it: for starters it seemed like it was good value for money, costing me just a few hundred more than the Apple Thunderbolt display it replaced. The matte screen suits me better too.

There are some issues though, which affect all MST 5K displays: sometimes the display won't wake from sleep. Not a huge deal for me, I often leave my Mac Pro running tasks so I disable sleep anyway. In addition I had to disable "put the display to sleep" and configure a screen saver.

 

[shaunp]

I had a couple of Dell 4K screen attached to a Mac Pro and they worked well. Does your workflow really need 5K? If so then you'll have to shop around, if not the Dell 4K screens are pretty good and colour accuracy while not as good as the likes of Eizo is good enough for most of us.

 

[INoctilux]

I had a couple of Dell 4K screen attached to a Mac Pro and they worked well. Does your workflow really need 5K? If so then you'll have to shop around, if not the Dell 4K screens are pretty good and colour accuracy while not as good as the likes of Eizo is good enough for most of us.

For photography I've already an Eizo CG277 and it's great for that. I am seeking for a 5K display to read texts and browsing the web in optimal conditions (I've tried the iMac 5K and it's really great compared to non-5K display).

 

[rkuo]

You need to find a Dell, unfortunately. Most likely used. The Dell's look exactly like the iMac screen, while the HP's have a matte finish that slightly fuzzes/sparkles the image.

There are specific overrides in macOS for the 5K monitors that macOS supports. The HP has been spotty and only the Dell's have worked consistently for me. It's not impossible that other 5K monitors could work with some fancy monitor overrides, but that is extremely painful and not even guaranteed.

 

[theluggage]

5k is pretty much an orphan resolution - I don't think you're ever going to see it take off again,

It might catch on if DisplayPort 1.3/1.4 take off so we can have SST 5k displays. Recent graphics cards have DP1.4, but it wasn't an option when the current crop of 5k displays were released (and Intel still don't support in in their iGPUs or TB3), so we have this MST/dual cable malarky. Even TB3 uses MST for 5k - it just combines 2 "virtual" DisplayPort cables into one TB3 signal to get them down the wire - and on desktop PCs, getting the output from a PCIe graphics card to the TB3 controller is an unnecessary kludge.

Possibly, by releasing the iMac 5k, Apple made the industry jump the gun a bit...

However, yeah, at 27-30" 4k + scaled display mode ("looks like 2560x1920") is perfectly good enough without the extra hassle of 5k. If you're fussy enough to want your video previewed at 1:1 you'll probably also appreciate seeing it on a separate dedicated display without distracting frames and controls and (possibly) with different brightness/contrast settings & at a sensible viewing distance.

and I'd be willing to bet that given Apple are planning on making a "pro" display, LG will discontinue their 5k display without ever releasing a second model.

Since Apple's new "Pro" range seems to be firmly aimed at the "if you need to ask the price you can't afford it" end of the market it would be unsurprising if they went straight for 8k with their "Pro" display, rather than risk cannibalising other products.

However, what the story is behind the LG 5k is, I don't know - but the limited array of ports and even their positioning is so much like the original TB display and iMac that I wonder if the innards were originally designed for an Apple-branded 5k TB display? Stick those innards in a nice iMac-style aluminium case with the panel bonded to a flat glass front and (a) bye-bye EM shielding problems and (b) bye-bye ugly "forehead" to house the camera. Just a theory...

 

[shaunp]

For photography I've already an Eizo CG277 and it's great for that. I am seeking for a 5K display to read texts and browsing the web in optimal conditions (I've tried the iMac 5K and it's really great compared to non-5K display).

If that's all you need it for go for a 4K screen. You won't notice the difference between 4K and 5K at normal viewing distances. You'd have to look with a magnifying glass to see any difference. Just order one from Amazon and if you don't like it return it. 4K is a LOT cheaper than 5K now.

 

[Scary Spice]

If that's all you need it for go for a 4K screen.

You won't notice the difference between 4K and 5K at normal viewing distances. You'd have to look with a magnifying glass to see any difference. Just order one from Amazon and if you don't like it return it. 4K is a LOT cheaper than 5K now.

I think the difference IS noticeable...

To get retina resolution, a 4k monitor needs to be 21.5" (like the 4k iMac) and the selection of 21.5" 4k monitors is slim. A moderate compromise is a 24" 4k monitor, but there are not many great models at this size either (Dell probably is the leader at this size)...

I was trying to get 2 - 27" 5k monitors for my Mac Pro, this seemed to be a problem to find a model that will work properly, then I thought 2 - 21.5" 4k monitors might work, but I can't find anything that is worth buying... Then I tried 24" and I was going to have to spend alot and not get what I want.

I think I will get a maxed out (except for Ram, I will go to OWC) 5K iMac and that should get me thru till the modular Mac Pro comes out (fingers crossed I don't jinx it).

 

[shaunp]

I think the difference IS noticeable...

To get retina resolution, a 4k monitor needs to be 21.5" (like the 4k iMac) and the selection of 21.5" 4k monitors is slim. A moderate compromise is a 24" 4k monitor, but there are not many great models at this size either (Dell probably is the leader at this size)...

I was trying to get 2 - 27" 5k monitors for my Mac Pro, this seemed to be a problem to find a model that will work properly, then I thought 2 - 21.5" 4k monitors might work, but I can't find anything that is worth buying... Then I tried 24" and I was going to have to spend alot and not get what I want.

I think I will get a maxed out (except for Ram, I will go to OWC) 5K iMac and that should get me thru till the modular Mac Pro comes out (fingers crossed I don't jinx it).

Whatever. Each to their own. My point was the 4K would probably be good enough for what he wants - I know this because I have two of them and they are very sharp. I've also looked at a 5K screen and while it's possibly a bit sharper (not sat it 4K and 5K side by side), it's not three times the price sharper. I just think a 4K screen is a more viable option, and its easy enough to just buy one and try it out as there are plenty around.

I bought 2 Dell P2715Q's when I had a Mac Pro and they worked very well - apart from the wake from sleep issue that the Mac Pro seems to have. The same monitors are fine on a PC. I used them for photo work and the accuracy is very good for the price. Not as good as an Eizo or NEC, but good enough for those of us not in advertising.

 

[Synchro3]

Yes, the difference between 1440p and 4K is much larger than between 4K and 5K.

 

[rkuo]

Yes, the difference between 1440p and 4K is much larger than between 4K and 5K.

There is a difference but it is not a big one. You have to get a bit close to the screen to see the difference between scaled 1440p HiDPI on a 4k 27" screen vs native 5k HiDPI at 27". Both are vast improvements over native 1440p. I only did a bunch of 5k screens due to some OCD'ness on my part.

 

[INoctilux]

Thank you for the replies.

Rumors persistently refer to the release of an Apple high-definition display (5K or 8K) with integrated GPU. In regard of actual Apple strategy do you think that our Mac Pros will be compatible or do you thing that Apple will "sacrifice" the compatibility with the actual modele to promote the new Mac Pro ?

I am sure that the actual Mac Pro have plenty power to be used professionally for the next years (in Photography) but I am not sure that Apple will support it.

Do you thing that it is wise to sell the actual Mac Pro and get an iMac 5K 2017 (and keeping the Eizo) ?