Best Monitor for New Mini

[emigrant]

Also, the 2415 (unless it's been updated) does not have HDMI 2.0 so you can only get 4K30Hz from the HDMI cable.

"Dell P2415Q and P2715Q flat panel displays purchased after February 2016 have HDMI 2.0 capability but HDMI 1.4 is enabled by default".

HDMI 2.0 Capability Not Enabled by Default
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) version 2.0 provides the user with 4k x 2k resolution capability @60hz for Dell P2415Q and P2715Q flat panel displays. This HDMI 2.0 capability is only available on P2415Q and P2715Q displays sold after February 2016, however HDMI 2.0 is not enabled from the factory.

Dell P2415Q and P2715Q flat panel displays purchased before March 2016, only support HDMI 1.4 and provide 4k x 2k (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution @ 30 Hz using the HDMI cable connection. 4k x 2k @60Hz is available via DisplayPort connection on these displays.

https://www.dell.com/support/articl...ith-hdmi-20-that-support-4k-x-2k-60hz?lang=en


edit:
more info... https://translate.google.com/transl...70.blog.jp/archives/52122614.html&prev=search

 

[Stephen.R]

Nice find. Weird that the spec pages still mention the original limits.

 

[MacWorld78]

Any of the latest Eizo Monitor is simply an awesome product. Mine is CG2730 not 4k but 2k

 

[inmnbob]

The new LG 34” wide screen 5k Thunderbolt Display is shipping today from B&H. That is the other one I was considering g along with the Samsung 4K. I am also wondering what Apple is planning for their own monitor. Did you see the imagine of s monitor in the unboxing of then Mac Mini quick guide?

LG 34WK95U 34" 21:9 UltraWide 5K Nano IPS Monitor

 

[F-Train]

Any of the latest Eizo Monitor is simply an awesome product. Mine is CG2730 not 4k but 2k

Have you looked at RAW photos or at 4K (3840x2160) video on that monitor? If so, any comments that you could pass on?

I'm a hardcore Eizo fan, but I have a hard time justifying the cost for this particular computer. You're tempting me to at least consider it.

 

[MacWorld78]

Have you looked at RAW photos or at 4K (3840x2160) video on that monitor? If so, any comments that you could pass on?

I'm a hardcore Eizo fan, but I have a hard time justifying the cost for this particular computer. You're tempting me to at least consider it.

Believe me, I really want 4k monitor but I just couldn't afford it that's why I go for CG2730 (27" inches) that's just me.
I can only talk about my CG2730 (27" inches) monitor, the Raw file looks really amazing & beautiful color rendering.

Maybe you can look up a various review on the youtube.

 

[Spectrum]

Any reports on how 2560x1440 looks like on a 4K 27 inch monitor? (Via retina scaling)

EDIT. Actually, I am now looking st this 5K model https://www.scan.co.uk/products/27-...4ms-440cd-m2-80m1-displayportx2-hdmix3-silver
Assuming input works ok...

 

[Spankey]

Pretty good review Linus.

 

[jimthing]

Pretty good review Linus.

It's not a 5K display, but as he says, rather a 4K plus a third 4K extra.

Not bad for what's available today if you want ultrawide, but I'd still get 1 or 2 LG 5K Ultrafine's any day.

 

[Spankey]

It's not a 5K display, but as he says, rather a 4K plus a third 4K extra.

Not bad for what's available today if you want ultrawide, but I'd still get 1 or 2 LG 5K Ultrafine's any day.

Not with Thinderbolt ports only.

 

[oldtime]

Anyone have recommendations for budget 25 to 27 inch monitors to target for Black Friday (something that will likely be available for under 200 bucks)? Looking to upgrade from a very mediocre 23.6 inch Asus.

 

[SpacemanSpiffed]

Anyone have recommendations for budget 25 to 27 inch monitors to target for Black Friday (something that will likely be available for under 200 bucks)? Looking to upgrade from a very mediocre 23.6 inch Asus.

A few questions: what resolution would you prefer to have? What will it plug into? Do you want speakers built in?

 

[oldtime]

A few questions: what resolution would you prefer to have? What will it plug into? Do you want speakers built in?

Resolution isn’t so important as I’ll mostly be developing and occasionally consuming media. Just want something larger with sharper text that’s hopefully reliable enough to last half a decade without issue. Everything I have looked at in my price range above 24 inches seems to be riddled with QC issues so I’m hoping to snag something better when prices drop at the end of the month.

Will be connected to the i5 mini at all times. Don’t need speakers since I’ll be plugging my headphones directly into the MM.

 

[dlemmon]

I only need one monitor.

any suggestions ?

I bought a 32" 4k LG monitor at costco for 349$. I'm waiting for my mac mini to see how it looks.

 

[Boil]

I'm still a little surprised that Apple didn't announce a monitor line along with the Mini. Maybe whenever they get around to the new Pro and/or the rumored modular Mac?

I’d love to get a 5K display but knowing Apple will be bringing one back (my guess is with an updated Mac Pro next year some time) I’m going to wait. Probably will have a much nicer design than the LG.

So, possible new Apple TB3 Display...!?!

The Mac mini is 7.7" across, so that looks to be a 27" monitor; so probably a 5K, since that is what Apple has in the 27" 5K iMacs & the 27" 5K LG UltraFine monitors...

I would also venture to guess that the iMacs will get a redesign to match, as it seems all & any Apple product with a display is getting the uniform bezels / rounded corners look...

 

[SpacemanSpiffed]

Resolution isn’t so important as I’ll mostly be developing and occasionally consuming media. Just want something larger with sharper text that’s hopefully reliable enough to last half a decade without issue. Everything I have looked at in my price range above 24 inches seems to be riddled with QC issues so I’m hoping to snag something better when prices drop at the end of the month.

Will be connected to the i5 mini at all times. Don’t need speakers since I’ll be plugging my headphones directly into the MM.

(Just a warning.. I have or had a LOT of monitors.. my wife likes to poke fun at me about that)

What might want to do to go into full "hunting mode" is pick a few 'favorites' and set price alerts on newegg and amazon, and check reddit r/buildapacsales daily - that's a subreddit devoted to posting great PC component deals. Also sign up for newegg daily deals or e-blast emails.

Pretty much no matter what, you want to look at IPS panel monitors. A good (but not complete) list can be found here: IPS Monitor List: AHVA, PLS and IPS LCD Panels

Hmm.. I've been very happy with my Dell P2415Q 24-Inch 4K monitor - very good panel, great color and retina class pixels, but the lowest it's gotten was $300. (once it was down to $280).

I've also got an AOC Q2577PWQ, 25-Inch 1440p which believe it or not, I've traveled with - I put the monitor in half the styrofoam shell it came in into one half of my big suitcase. I am very happy with it as it's an 25" IPS panel with 2560x1440 res. It has been on sale @ amazon for under $250 3 times in the last 2 years ($231 back on Jan 15 - camelcamelcamel is your friend for price research).

A friend of mine got a AOC U2879VF 28" 4K 3840x2160 UHD gaming monitor, which is $267 right now, and it's been very good for gaming, and very good for a non-IPS panel

On the small side, I've got a bunch of Asus VC239H monitors for my playtest machines. They're IPS panels and only $132, but only 1920x1080

I'll say that you get used to having 2560 or higher resolution monitors over 1080p really quickly and it's hard to go back.

Most of the other monitors I've had of late are bigger than what you want (including 2 different 43-inch 4K monitors, a 34" curved, a 31" and 2x 30" Dells) and those are the only ones I can speak of personally.

Given that good monitor choices in your target size really start expanding around $300, I'd pick several and watch for crazy holiday sales.

 

[petsounds]

If I buy a wide gamut display, will the Mini support that out of the box with the integrated graphics? I have a Mini on the way, but now I'm starting to be worried that I made the wrong choice since I do a decent amount of design work (Affinity Photo, Sketch, etc.); that 630 card sounds pretty bad.

 

[oldtime]

(Just a warning.. I have or had a LOT of monitors.. my wife likes to poke fun at me about that)

What might want to do to go into full "hunting mode" is pick a few 'favorites' and set price alerts on newegg and amazon, and check reddit r/buildapacsales daily - that's a subreddit devoted to posting great PC component deals. Also sign up for newegg daily deals or e-blast emails.

Pretty much no matter what, you want to look at IPS panel monitors. A good (but not complete) list can be found here: IPS Monitor List: AHVA, PLS and IPS LCD Panels

Hmm.. I've been very happy with my Dell P2415Q 24-Inch 4K monitor - very good panel, great color and retina class pixels, but the lowest it's gotten was $300. (once it was down to $280).

I've also got an AOC Q2577PWQ, 25-Inch 1440p which believe it or not, I've traveled with - I put the monitor in half the styrofoam shell it came in into one half of my big suitcase. I am very happy with it as it's an 25" IPS panel with 2560x1440 res. It has been on sale @ amazon for under $250 3 times in the last 2 years ($231 back on Jan 15 - camelcamelcamel is your friend for price research).

A friend of mine got a AOC U2879VF 28" 4K 3840x2160 UHD gaming monitor, which is $267 right now, and it's been very good for gaming, and very good for a non-IPS panel

On the small side, I've got a bunch of Asus VC239H monitors for my playtest machines. They're IPS panels and only $132, but only 1920x1080

I'll say that you get used to having 2560 or higher resolution monitors over 1080p really quickly and it's hard to go back.

Most of the other monitors I've had of late are bigger than what you want (including 2 different 43-inch 4K monitors, a 34" curved, a 31" and 2x 30" Dells) and those are the only ones I can speak of personally.

Given that good monitor choices in your target size really start expanding around $300, I'd pick several and watch for crazy holiday sales.

Thanks for the advice. Would you say it’s even worth getting a 27+ inch monitor that isn’t 4K or 2K?

 

[iriejedi]

I have the 4K curved Samsung cj791 34” thunderbolt 3 monitor that just arrived. $879 with 2 tb ports,

@inmnbob

Please msg me your experience - I'm very interested in this monitor. Would prefer a single screen for a nicer look. This and the new Mac Mini seems like a really nice pairing.

 

[SpacemanSpiffed]

Thanks for the advice. Would you say it’s even worth getting a 27+ inch monitor that isn’t 4K or 2K?

In my opinion/experience, once you get past 24", if you only have 1920 horizontal (or smaller), the pixels are getting too big to add any benefit and just seem 'lo-res' ish.

I'm a software developer, and the PPI of the 27" or 30" 2560 x 1440/1600 monitors are about right for 100% / No scaling. A 27" 2560x1440 screen gives me 78% more desktop pixels than a 1920x1080 panel, which comes in super handy for all the windows and programs I'll have running when working. For 4K work, I use this ViewSonic VX4380-4K 43" IPS 4K Monitor which actually replaced this Dell P4317Q 43" monitor on my desk because despite it being 4K, the HDMI inputs were only HDMI 1.4 (Seriously?) and thus only 30hz. That size may seem huge, but the PPI is about the same as the 30" 2560x1600 mointors that were my mainstay for a decade, and is great for developer work.

Now, for hi-res video and photos, a 4K 24-27" monitor can be a better option, especially if the color calibration is excellent, like my 24" Dell P2415Q. Absolutely beautiful for images like that.

My wife has a curved widescreen 34" Dell UltraSharp U3415W on her desk, and it makes a great replacement for a traditional dual monitor setup. She frequently uses the Aero Snap feature in Windows to have to two full size document windows open side by side and it goes great with her workflow. The curvature may not seem like a lot at first glace, but it really makes a difference and makes using it more pleasant.

If gaming is your thing, you will want a really beefy videocard to game at 4K native res, and since this is the Mac Mini thread, that ain't happening, whereas a 2560x monitor will get you much better frame rates (like 2x+) vs a 4K, which is a good compromise.

As you can see, I'm not big on 1080p panels if I can have better, and that's partly because of the amount of vertical space. Every bloody website these days (and half the programs out there) seem designed for a mobile phone and/or embrace the *****y modern design principals of putting as little info as possible on screen with the least amount of visual contrast and distinguishing cues. Anyway, that means lots of vertical scrolling in a world where PC monitors are going more horizontal... *sigh*


Ok, that's my brain dump.

 

[InquiringMac]

What would be your recommendations on the 5K (60 Hz, uncompressed), HDR-capable 32" - 42" monitors (IPS, probably...), please? Any challenges working with the HDR content on MM 2018 platform you could please comment on?

 

[gugy]

In my opinion/experience, once you get past 24", if you only have 1920 horizontal (or smaller), the pixels are getting too big to add any benefit and just seem 'lo-res' ish.

I'm a software developer, and the PPI of the 27" or 30" 2560 x 1440/1600 monitors are about right for 100% / No scaling. A 27" 2560x1440 screen gives me 78% more desktop pixels than a 1920x1080 panel, which comes in super handy for all the windows and programs I'll have running when working. For 4K work, I use this ViewSonic VX4380-4K 43" IPS 4K Monitor which actually replaced this Dell P4317Q 43" monitor on my desk because despite it being 4K, the HDMI inputs were only HDMI 1.4 (Seriously?) and thus only 30hz. That size may seem huge, but the PPI is about the same as the 30" 2560x1600 mointors that were my mainstay for a decade, and is great for developer work.

Now, for hi-res video and photos, a 4K 24-27" monitor can be a better option, especially if the color calibration is excellent, like my 24" Dell P2415Q. Absolutely beautiful for images like that.

My wife has a curved widescreen 34" Dell UltraSharp U3415W on her desk, and it makes a great replacement for a traditional dual monitor setup. She frequently uses the Aero Snap feature in Windows to have to two full size document windows open side by side and it goes great with her workflow. The curvature may not seem like a lot at first glace, but it really makes a difference and makes using it more pleasant.

If gaming is your thing, you will want a really beefy videocard to game at 4K native res, and since this is the Mac Mini thread, that ain't happening, whereas a 2560x monitor will get you much better frame rates (like 2x+) vs a 4K, which is a good compromise.

As you can see, I'm not big on 1080p panels if I can have better, and that's partly because of the amount of vertical space. Every bloody website these days (and half the programs out there) seem designed for a mobile phone and/or embrace the *****y modern design principals of putting as little info as possible on screen with the least amount of visual contrast and distinguishing cues. Anyway, that means lots of vertical scrolling in a world where PC monitors are going more horizontal... *sigh*


Ok, that's my brain dump.

Thanks for your detailed info.
I am buying a Mac Mini for my son in middle school and he wants a monitor that IMO is not good.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-op...ync-monitor-black-red/5901703.p?skuId=5901703

His thing is about the cool looking design of the above monitor. He will use for web surfing, Youtube, gaming and occasional homework. lol
I am just not a fan of the low res 1920x1080. I'm looking for higher res but at the same time keeping under budget ($300). Thanks for any input.

 

[SpacemanSpiffed]

Thanks for your detailed info.
I am buying a Mac Mini for my son in middle school and he wants a monitor that IMO is not good.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-op...ync-monitor-black-red/5901703.p?skuId=5901703

His thing is about the cool looking design of the above monitor. He will use for web surfing, Youtube, gaming and occasional homework. lol
I am just not a fan of the low res 1920x1080. I'm looking for higher res but at the same time keeping under budget ($300). Thanks for any input.

Sounds like he's all about getting a "gaming monitor" Honestly, the Freesync/higher frame rates won't help him with the Mini's UHD 630 GPU. It'll be ok on low-mid detail, but won't be going over 60hz. What's your desires/feeling on having him on a mac versus a windows PC?

As I said, I lean towards 2560x1440 monitor. And there should be some good sub-$300 options with holiday sales coming up. Now the monitor your son wants, other than being only 1080p looks to be a good monitor for the price. Pretty sure it's a TN panel, but one of the better ones out there given the color gamut and stated viewing angle (though it may only be horizontal angle).

 

[gugy]

Sounds like he's all about getting a "gaming monitor" Honestly, the Freesync/higher frame rates won't help him with the Mini's UHD 630 GPU. It'll be ok on low-mid detail, but won't be going over 60hz. What's your desires/feeling on having him on a mac versus a windows PC?

As I said, I lean towards 2560x1440 monitor. And there should be some good sub-$300 options with holiday sales coming up. Now the monitor your son wants, other than being only 1080p looks to be a good monitor for the price. Pretty sure it's a TN panel, but one of the better ones out there given the color gamut and stated viewing angle (though it may only be horizontal angle).

Well he wants for gaming but I want to at least have something that is good quality and higher res. I’m looking for Black Friday deals.
I’m getting him a Mac Mini because I can’t stand Windows and rather keep my whole household in the Apple ecosystem. The Mini has the cheapest entry point and he rather have a larger screen than a laptop. iMac would be an option but I rather get him a Mini.
Thanks

 

[namethisfile]

You can go budget and get the Apple 4K 21.5" LG monitor for only $700....

Are there any other tech features that this one doesn't have that the 5K one has besides higher res and being bigger?