Best Monitor for New Mini

[toke lahti]

Although done adapters would mention 5Gbps on the description, not sure why.
Any manufacture of such cable/adapter could cheap out since it’s a monitor cable and use the correct connections on each ending of the cable but then cheap out on the controller?

I didn't find 5GBps in that page https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J6DT070/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

When usb-c-port is used in ALT mode as a dp port, there's no regular usb data on that port. It works just like dp port.
And I'd guess there's no controllers in the cable.

But if there's some "converter" cable like DisplayLink, which uses regulat usb-connection and converts the signal with soft/hardware to display signal, then it's a whole different case. And those are slow.

 

[nampramos]

Now I got a converter from USB-C to DisplayPort. But even the cables I was looking at, some mentioned the 5Gbps, other didn’t mentioned anything. Some mentioned up to 4K/60Hz but made no mention of bits, other mentioned only 24bit.

 

[InquiringMac]

I tried playing back a 60+Mbps Dunkirk HDR10 UHD Blu-ray rips through Plex and it looked great as far as I can tell, but the CPU was working at 70+%. Maybe it's converting H265 to H264. I tried IINA as well and it used hardware decoding but the picture quality wasn't as good. I think it comes down to the software software.

Thank you very kindly, @jxfo ! It is a very good test, and your results tell me I need to order i7-based MM 2018 for sure. Any chance you could please try VLC as well? I do not expect here much difference from IINA, but who knows... A big question remains: would eGPU help in the matter?

 

[meddow]

Does anyone know if this monitor would be ok


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-U28E590D-28-Inch-LCD-Monitor/dp/B00WUACE4S

Thanks

 

[kaibob]

B&H now has the LG 24-inch, 4K monitor (24UD58-B) on sale for $239.99 and Newegg has the Dell 24-inch, 4K monitor (P2415Q) on sale for $299.99. The Dell has the edge on features--more adjustable, a bit brighter, USB ports--but the LG monitors seems well-regarded and saves some money. Free shipping for both. Got to make a decision.

 

[Stephen.R]

Does anyone know if this monitor would be ok

The specs on that page are all over the place. It says 4K (3840x2160) but then the spec table says 1600p AND 2045 x 1080 AND 3840x2160. It also says it's connected via SATA. Which is like asking for the magnetic qualities of a ham sandwich.

Personally I'd find 4K @ 28" way too low PPI - I'm using 4K@24" and have it scaled to get a reasonable UI scale, at 28" I think even with scaling you'll end up with giant UI elements.
[doublepost=1543154552][/doublepost]

Got to make a decision.

I just bought one of the Dells (using with a MBP until Mini arrives). I'm pretty happy with it. I'm planning to buy a second one soon.

 

[meddow]

The specs on that page are all over the place. It says 4K (3840x2160) but then the spec table says 1600p AND 2045 x 1080 AND 3840x2160. It also says it's connected via SATA. Which is like asking for the magnetic qualities of a ham sandwich.

Personally I'd find 4K @ 28" way too low PPI - I'm using 4K@24" and have it scaled to get a reasonable UI scale, at 28" I think even with scaling you'll end up with giant UI elements.
[doublepost=1543154552][/doublepost]
I just bought one of the Dells (using with a MBP until Mini arrives). I'm pretty happy with it. I'm planning to buy a second one soon.

Thanks for the reply, one more thing I am trying to reproduce an 2009 iMac 27 inch screen as I have used it for a decade. Any idea of that monitor could?

Thanks again

 

[thirdsun]

Thanks for the reply, one more thing I am trying to reproduce an 2009 iMac 27 inch screen as I have used it for a decade. Any idea of that monitor could?

Thanks again

Then get a 27” display with an IPS panel and a resolution of 2560x1440. Dell’s U2719DC is one example that comes to mind, but displays with those specs are actually available everywhere.

 

[takiv]

We ended up trying 2 different monitors on our MM i7. The first was an LG 34" UltraWide 34UC80B from Amazon. I really liked it, but the curved screen gave SWMBO some dizziness & headaches. So back to Amazon it went. We then ordered from BestBuy's Black Friday Sale a HP Pavilion 32Q for $230. Got it yesterday and we are VERY impressed with it. For the sale price it is a STEAL in my opinion!! It may be a VA panel instead of IPS, but needed zero adjustment out of the box and looks fantastic!

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pav...ack-with-silver-stand/5759502.p?skuId=5759502

I bought the same monitor this weekend. Ive been very happy with it so far. Prior set up was a 1080p 23" and a Vizio 1080 smart TV. Im happy with text, colors and the price. I had been using a 50" Samsung 4K tv but it really wasnt the best setup productivity wise. I have a 90" desk so I could always add another if needed.

 

[jrholt]

Personally, I'm getting really tired of buying monitors to try out with my new Mac Mini (I purchased the LG 27UK850-W and two (2) LG Ultrafine 4Ks). Between the two, I decided the dual LG Ultrafine 4K setup was better.

But today Woot has the Ultrafine 5K on sale for $629.99, so I've now purchased it too. Refurbished. 90-day LG warranty.

https://computers.woot.com/offers/lg-27-5k-ultra-fine-led-monitor-black-18?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_pc_4_1

 

[KennethS]

Personally, I'm getting really tired of buying monitors to try out with my new Mac Mini (I purchased the LG 27UK850-W and two (2) LG Ultrafine 4Ks). Between the two, I decided the dual LG Ultrafine 4K setup was better.

But today Woot has the Ultrafine 5K on sale for $629.99, so I've now purchased it too. Refurbished. 90-day LG warranty.

https://computers.woot.com/offers/lg-27-5k-ultra-fine-led-monitor-black-18?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_pc_4_1

That looks like an extremely good deal on the 5K LG. That would have been my number 1 choice, but prices in the UK are far higher and I have never seen one so reasonably priced. I "settled' on the LG 27UK850-W. I'm very satisfied with it. I bought a Razer Core X and am waiting on delivery of the graphics card to get my eGPU setup.

 

[jrholt]

I "settled' on the LG 27UK850-W.

It's a very good monitor. I forgot to mention that I've also had this Mac mini hooked up to a Dell P2715Q and I thought the LG 27UK850 was much superior in terms of brightness / color.

 

[Stephen.R]

Personally, I'm getting really tired of buying monitors to try out with my new Mac Mini

There is a solution to that, you know..

 

[Jrys]

That looks like an extremely good deal on the 5K LG. That would have been my number 1 choice, but prices in the UK are far higher and I have never seen one so reasonably priced. I "settled' on the LG 27UK850-W. I'm very satisfied with it. I bought a Razer Core X and am waiting on delivery of the graphics card to get my eGPU setup.

Did you consider the LG 32UD99?

 

[KennethS]

Did you consider the LG 32UD99?

I would have preferred to go to 32” and that would certainly have been on my short list, but the price seemed a step too far (coming from an ancient 27” iMac on my desk that this setup replaced, I felt comfortable staying with 27” for now).

 

[zandorf]

For now, I am using my late-2012 iMac in Target Display Mode as my 2018 MacMini monitor. A bit finicky to get setup, but works like a charm. I have the old iMac screen-share back to the MM as one of my desktops - makes migration between systems a snap!

 

[Easttime]

OK, now i’m thoroughly confused. I was about to order a 2018 mini, but having read this and other monitor threads for 3 hours, I have no idea what monitors to buy. I currently have two low res monitors on my 2014 mini running Mojave, 27” main and 24” side. I do ordinary MS Office, email, Internet, light graphics. My plan was an i5/16 RAM, integrated graphics. To summarize, if I’ve got this right: 24” for 4K, if want larger go 5K. But then get into scaling issues. 32” sounds appealing, but scaling might limit space utility. And then there could be issues with stuttering and pink clouds. Looking forward to more posts from folks who have real world experience with specific monitors.

Maybe I should give up and go back to an iMac.

 

[macdos]

OK, now i’m thoroughly confused. I was about to order a 2018 mini, but having read this and other monitor threads for 3 hours, I have no idea what monitors to buy. I currently have two low res monitors on my 2014 mini running Mojave, 27” main and 24” side. I do ordinary MS Office, email, Internet, light graphics. My plan was an i5/16 RAM, integrated graphics. To summarize, if I’ve got this right: 24” for 4K, if want larger go 5K. But then get into scaling issues. 32” sounds appealing, but scaling might limit space utility. And then there could be issues with stuttering and pink clouds. Looking forward to more posts from folks who have real world experience with specific monitors.

Displays:
U28E590:
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Color (ARGB2101010)
Display Serial Number: HTPJC00498
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Connection Type: DisplayPort
U28E590:
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Color (ARGB2101010)
Display Serial Number: HTPJ503320
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Connection Type: DisplayPort

Works like a charm. Don't make it more difficult than it is. You can just go with a cheap Samsung 4K for $300. You will not notice any real difference from other monitors, unless you have really specific professional needs (like Prophoto/Adobe RGB color space).

Of course you don't scale. There is absolutely no point in scaling a 4K 28" screen, as it already is ”retina” (i.e., you can't distinguish pixels). Still, people do scale to reduce 4K to 2K, for whatever reason. I guess they like to scroll and zoom, and are comfortable with that tiny screen estate. I am not.

Yeah, UI elements become smaller. But the way Apple goes about this is plain wrong. They need to implement custom sizes for UI elements (menus, default text etc.) in preferences, and make these settings global through relevant APIs. What they are saying is in essence that you should stick with your phone size screen no matter what. As expected from a phone company.

 

[KennethS]

Of course you don't scale. There is absolutely no point in scaling a 4K 28" screen, as it already is ”retina” (i.e., you can't distinguish pixels). Still, people do scale to reduce 4K to 2K, for whatever reason. I guess they like to scroll and zoom, and are comfortable with that tiny screen estate. I am not.

Apologies if this is an amateurish question. I have a Mac mini connected via TB3/USB C to an LG 27UK850. In Displays under System Settings I am using the Resolution showing as "Default for Display" which seems to give me a UI of looks like 1920 x 1080:

Displays:
LG HDR 4K:
Resolution: 3840x2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Connection Type: DisplayPort

I can select the 3840x2160 option but that is listed under the "Scaled" selection. Are you suggesting the preferred method is for me to stick with the listed Default for Display setting? That is what I have been using, but only because my eyesight at my age is not fantastic and when I select other resolutions the menus start getting difficult to read due to their small size.

TIA

 

[macdos]

Apologies if this is an amateurish question. I have a Mac mini connected via TB3/USB C to an LG 27UK850. In Displays under System Settings I am using the Resolution showing as "Default for Display" which seems to give me a UI of looks like 1920 x 1080:

Displays:
LG HDR 4K:
Resolution: 3840x2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Connection Type: DisplayPort

I can select the 3840x2160 option but that is listed under the "Scaled" selection. Are you suggesting the preferred method is for me to stick with the listed Default for Display setting? That is what I have been using, but only because my eyesight at my age is not fantastic and when I select other resolutions the menus start getting difficult to read due to their small size.

TIA

You are using a quarter of your screen estate. It is not the ”default” for a 4K screen. The default is always full resolution, no matter what Apple calls it.

I realize that many (most) will feel that text and UI elements are too small, and that is why I say Apple needs to address this with proper settings for UI elements (you can increase Finder text, but not menus). What are they going to do when 8K becomes feasible?

You do get used to it, though. And start to appreciate the luxury of having much more space to play with.

 

[Easttime]

My current 2.5K (WQHD 2560x1440) monitor is 109 dpi. The text size is small but I can live with it. If I go to a 4K 32” 3840x2160 monitor at 140 dpi, the text will be 25% smaller, right?

 

[KennethS]

Thanks, macdos, that is very helpful. I totally agree that the extra space is great, and I do wish Apple would allow the size of the UI elements to be adjusted when using the 4K resolution! I will give this a go for a while and see if I am able to adjust...

 

[Coyote2006]

I currently have an older AOC monitor 1920x1080. I like the font size but need some more space but the font size should stay the same. Something like 2560x1440 UI size but in "4K" resolution. How do I find a monitor that delivers this in default mode? Any ideas/suggestions?

Or this just the 5K from LG?

 

[thirdsun]

To summarize, if I’ve got this right: 24” for 4K, if want larger go 5K. But then get into scaling issues.

Almost right. There is no scaling issue with 5K at 27". See: You preferably want 2x scaling since it is the sharpest looking scaling option in macOS and it doesn't stress your GPU. In terms of sizing of the UI elements 2x scaling will look "right" on 22-24" for 4k or 27" for 5K. The problem is that there aren't any real 5K options unless you're ready to spend on the expensive LG's Ultrafine 5K.

Maybe I should give up and go back to an iMac.

In my opinion it is indeed the best display you could get if you want both retina-level crispness and generous screen real estate.

Of course if you don't value high DPI / retina screens none of this matters - in that case you could just get one of the countless 2560x1440 displays at 27".

 

[kaibob]

I purchased a 24-inch, 4K Dell monitor (P2415Q) and thought I would post my results. By way of background, my previous monitor was a low-end Dell 23-inch monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

I connected the new monitor to my Mac mini (I5/256/16) with an inexpensive HDMI cable. I reset the monitor to HDMI 2 and adjusted the brightness down but otherwise left everything at the default settings. I left the mini's display setting at "Default for Display" and the mini's System Report shows:

Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz

I tested the monitor with text documents, internet, and YouTube videos. Everything was sharp and clear--way better than with my old monitor. Display speed was quite good, although I do notice a very tiny difference between this monitor and the old one. The size of UI elements and text is exactly what I would want it to be.

Perhaps my only quibble is that the desktop appears a bit uneven when the background is a solid color and no apps are displayed.

Anyways, I couldn't be happier.