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Best Monitor for New Mini
- Thread starter goldbuffalo
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I recently hooked up a ViewSonic VP2768-4K to my new mini. I was drawn to the color accuracy, factory calibration, and higher contrast ratio. The image via HDMI seems excellent so far, without any rigorous analysis yet. However, Viewsonic is lying about the spec's. There is a product page stating that the DisplayPort is version 1.2a (why not 1.4 for a brand new model?). The user guide shipped with the monitor on CD states DP 1.2. The actual units OSD shows DP 1.1! That's the relatively archaic 2007 standard.
Tech support thus far has insisted that it's DP 1.2, showing a screen shot of the same user guide. I sent them some photos of my screen so well see what they say.
Thus far I'm satisfied with sticking with HDMI, which is shown as 2.0 on the OSD. However, if ViewSonic is willing to falsify specs, what else might they be lying about?
Tech support thus far has insisted that it's DP 1.2, showing a screen shot of the same user guide. I sent them some photos of my screen so well see what they say.
Thus far I'm satisfied with sticking with HDMI, which is shown as 2.0 on the OSD. However, if ViewSonic is willing to falsify specs, what else might they be lying about?
FYI my LG monitor booted up with default DP 1.1. I had to go into OSD Advanced menu to enable DP 1.2. Maybe same for Viewsonic?
Thanks for the idea. This Viewsonic does not have an advanced menu.
Viewsonic tech support has been ace (not). After I asked if they would be releasing a Mac/OSX firmware update tool, the reply was there were no updates needed for Mac. The next day, the same guy sent me the Windows update tool!
If I were to give him the benefit of the doubt, I guess one could use a Windows machine to update the monitor, but I don't have one handy.
Has anyone looked at ultrawide monitors? I currently have a Dell S2719DM which is a 2560x1440 IPS panel, and I like it. Before this I had a 2010 iMac with the same resolution. I am kind of liking the idea of a 34" ultrawide and am wondering if anyone has any experiences driving one with the mini.
There are at least a few people running ultrawide monitors with the mini. I know that @inmnbob is one. He has had a number of mini issues, but as far as I know not with his monitor, which is a Samsung. You might send him a personal message, or look up his posts to see where he has talked about the monitor specifically.
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This is worth flagging. It isn't just your LG. My Asus PA32UC defaults to DisplayPort 1.2, but also offers 1.1.
I like my LG 34UM88C ultra wide. 3440x1440 at 1:1 scaling at a good price works well for me.
My Dell P2415Q's defaulted to DP1.2, but also apparently offer 1.1. From the documentation about it, my understanding is that DP isn't particularly good at automatic backwards compatibility? (The Dell docs specifically said setting it in 1.1 mode was required for older video cards/computers that don't support DP1.2, suggesting it's not able to just adapt on-the-fly like other transmission standards do?)
Yes I'm quoting myself.
Got this today and am very happy with it so far. haven't had any issues with blb (there is some, but slight and essentially unnoticeable) or screen tearing like others have reported. I can't imagine a sub-$300 looking better than this one. It was calibrated extremely well out of the box and I barely had to do any tinkering. Just gorgeous. Really pops and text is sharp. The antiglare coating isn't nearly as aggressively oppressive as I've seen on other displays. 4 extra USB 3.0 ports is a nice touch. The stand is also top-notch, though I've currently got it mounted for a little extra flexibility.
All in all, a really fantastic productivity monitor. Happy I went with 25" for the extra PPI over 27". Probably not the best for gaming, but if that's what you're looking for I imagine an IPS panel like this is going to be disqualified from the get-go anyway.
oldtime, thanks for the report. My Mac use is limited to email, web, word docs, sometime Netflix, etc. Nothing fancy. From your experience, does the Dell U2518 fit the bill for me?
Also, how are you cabling monitor to Mini. Are you running native (not sure that's the right term), or using different "sizes" per the Mac monitor menu (hope that makes sense). And, what calibration is needed?
Finally, Newegg has monitor for $305. Did you find better? Thanks!
It should be fantastic for those uses. I run it natively at 2560x1440 via the included hdmi cable and have no issue with the size of the fonts/ui elements. Very crisp and clear compared to the VS239 I was using previously. Feels like the sweet spot for 1440p w/ regard to screen real estate + PPI.
In terms of calibration, I kept it at Standard and turned down the brightness to a comfortable level. Played around a bit, but other than dropping G and B down 1% and 2% respectively, left it alone. You could not touch anything out of the box and be more than happy with it, really.
As long as you don't do any gaming, it's a pretty tough monitor to beat at this price point -- although I did get it on sale for $240 locally. Still worth it at $300 I think, but there are others in that price range worth consideration depending on your needs. If you're not using a monitor mount, you'll also really appreciate the included stand.
Last thing, a monitor that essentially has a built in USB 3.0 hub is pretty handy given the MM only has 2 such ports.
neat. please report back when you get itif there's any left...
Hi! I have received my Lg ultrafine 4k today and really can not say it is refurbished. Looks like brand new to me. Original box, sealed monitor, accessories, even "Energy star" sticker on a screen. The panel is great, no dead pixels or other problems. I am very happy with my purchase
Thanks a lot again for the link!
I wanted to get a new one through distribution because i was afraid of not having warranty, which wont be possible and now they're all out of stock there.Hi! I have received my Lg ultrafine 4k today and really can not say it is refurbished. Looks like brand new to me. Original box, sealed monitor, accessories, even "Energy star" sticker on a screen. The panel is great, no dead pixels or other problems. I am very happy with my purchase
Thanks a lot again for the link!
Oh well, glad to heard it at least worked out for you!
I was reading the specs of the following 4K monitor, and was impressed to say the least: Asus Designo MX27UC
It is a mid-budget screen (around $500.00 to $600.00), but includes so many features that I am seriously buying one to use with a 2018 Mac Mini I plan to buy in 2019. Will be using it for amateur (I am not a pro) photo editing. The specs are similar to a Viewsonic screen, but more expensive by nearly 3x.
I read the reviews in here (see #4):
https://gadgetdecision.com/best-monitor-mac-mini/#DellS2718D
But the responses at Amazon are quite positive after over 2,000. Is any of you using this screen with the Mac Mini?
It is a mid-budget screen (around $500.00 to $600.00), but includes so many features that I am seriously buying one to use with a 2018 Mac Mini I plan to buy in 2019. Will be using it for amateur (I am not a pro) photo editing. The specs are similar to a Viewsonic screen, but more expensive by nearly 3x.
I read the reviews in here (see #4):
https://gadgetdecision.com/best-monitor-mac-mini/#DellS2718D
But the responses at Amazon are quite positive after over 2,000. Is any of you using this screen with the Mac Mini?
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I have had the same dilemma for a while now. So I got a 27" and a 32" 4K monitor and compared. The 27" with MacOS's native at 1920x1080 definitely feels closer to retina quality.
The 32" looks way too big with MacOS's native at 1920x1080, but when I changed the resolution to 2560x1440 things looked so much better. What I like about the 32" is the amount of room I have! I can open multiple application on screen and not have to deal with switching between them.
Actually, the LG monitor I got (32UD99) has Picture By Picture functionality; I can use two different displays in one. I can make the Mac mini think that it is connected to two different displays and run them at different resolutions to suit my needs.
Something which surprised me was that with High Sierra, 2560x1440 looked jagged and horrible, but with Mojave, it looks very smooth. Also, I sit about 22" away from my desk. I did get a monitor arm to give me better flexibility.
The 32" looks way too big with MacOS's native at 1920x1080, but when I changed the resolution to 2560x1440 things looked so much better. What I like about the 32" is the amount of room I have! I can open multiple application on screen and not have to deal with switching between them.
Actually, the LG monitor I got (32UD99) has Picture By Picture functionality; I can use two different displays in one. I can make the Mac mini think that it is connected to two different displays and run them at different resolutions to suit my needs.
Something which surprised me was that with High Sierra, 2560x1440 looked jagged and horrible, but with Mojave, it looks very smooth. Also, I sit about 22" away from my desk. I did get a monitor arm to give me better flexibility.
You know, you could use two 27“ 4k displays to have the best of both worlds: Crispness, high pixel density and screen real estate.
That is a cool idea! However, I think I would stick to the 32" for now because I would want to use it for stuff like videos and pictures. I had a multi-monitor setup before and I found that I usually stuck to the primary monitor. Also, I work with a lot of code, and I found it easier to work with on the 32" @ 2560x1440. I was able to reduce the font size on the 27" @ 1920x1080, but it still didn't look as good.
An update on my ViewSonic VP2768-4K. Tech support asked me to hook it up via DisplayPort thinking it might work at 4K even though the OSD says DP 1.1 (on or off). I bought a 4k@60Hz-rated USB C to DP cable. I get no signal at the monitor when switching to the DP input via the OSD, whether the DP 1.1 option is turned on or off.
So I'd say this monitor it not compatible with Mac via DP. HDMI seems to work well, however I'm disturbed that Viewsonic would ship out a monitor (and this is a brand new model to the market for late 2018) showing DP 1.1 only!
Tech support also asked me to update the firmware using a Windows machine if the DP @ 4k didn't work. They didn't seem to have any confidence as to what the result would be. I haven't tried that (it's not a convenient notion for me), and I may not bother before just returning the monitor.
So I'd say this monitor it not compatible with Mac via DP. HDMI seems to work well, however I'm disturbed that Viewsonic would ship out a monitor (and this is a brand new model to the market for late 2018) showing DP 1.1 only!
Tech support also asked me to update the firmware using a Windows machine if the DP @ 4k didn't work. They didn't seem to have any confidence as to what the result would be. I haven't tried that (it's not a convenient notion for me), and I may not bother before just returning the monitor.
Earlier in this thread there were arguments that 4K is not optimal in 27” monitors — ?
probably depends on who you ask?
If you're not willing to run scaled resolution, then 4k in 27" might be too big.
I on the other hand, want 4K in 22".
Yep, I still think that 27“ displays need 5k resolution while 4k feels at home on 22-24“. However unless you’re willing to spend a fortune on LG‘s Ultrafine displays or settle for low PPI displays, this is the reality: 4k at 27“.
Again, distance is a factor to consider. Personally, while I haven’t decided on a model yet, I came to the conclusion that 4k at 27“ will probably work for me since I sit rather far away from the monitor an dmight benefit from the slightly too large 2x scaling.
