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Best Monitor for New Mini

goldbuffalo said:
I only need one monitor.

any suggestions ?
Click to expand...

I'm looking very, very closely at the LG 32UD59-B for $396. Yes, it's VA but I use my monitor at at angle absolutely zero percent of the time so that feature is not really an issue. I'd probably prefer the more expensive LG 32UD99-W but at over double the price I'm just not seeing the premium there.

So to spec out my entire system I'm looking at $1300 for a 6 core i5 w/ 16GB, $400 for the 4k monitor and less than $50 for an Apple wired keyboard. I'm very old school about that one-I have no desire to ever change batteries in a mouse or keyboard. Ever. I sit at a desk I'm not pacing around when I'm on my computer so mobility is not an issue there.
 
gugy said:
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
Click to expand...

I totally get the desire to only have one OS in the house :D (I've got a 15-year old son myself who loves to game, so I like to think I can relate).

So the way I see it is that the Mini will be ok for casual gaming, but he's not going to be playing the latest 1st person shooter at ultra gfx settings on it. And that's ok. Given that, there's no need for the gamer features on the monitor - FreeSync/144hz, etc. The Mini just isn't going to be gaming at over 60hz (unless you are going to get an eGPU, but he wanted that I'd make him save up for it :D )

I'm going to drop back to my argument that more pixels/desktop space will make the whole thing more usable, and would task your son with the job of watching all the sales channels for an IPS monitor in the 25 to 31-inch size range that offers 2560x1440 or higher, that's on sale at your price point and with a good reputation/color reproduction, etc.

One other feature to decide on is built-in-speakers, or if you are going to have separate speakers.
 
weaztek said:
I'm looking very, very closely at the LG 32UD59-B for $396. Yes, it's VA but I use my monitor at at angle absolutely zero percent of the time so that feature is not really an issue. I'd probably prefer the more expensive LG 32UD99-W but at over double the price I'm just not seeing the premium there.

So to spec out my entire system I'm looking at $1300 for a 6 core i5 w/ 16GB, $400 for the 4k monitor and less than $50 for an Apple wired keyboard. I'm very old school about that one-I have no desire to ever change batteries in a mouse or keyboard. Ever. I sit at a desk I'm not pacing around when I'm on my computer so mobility is not an issue there.
Click to expand...
The current Apple kb & trkpad have integrated batteries, so need charging only once every few months via a Lightning connection. Or you can just leave the cable connected giving you a constant full charge.
[doublepost=1541638035][/doublepost]
SpacemanSpiffed said:
I totally get the desire to only have one OS in the house :D (I've got a 15-year old son myself who loves to game, so I like to think I can relate).

So the way I see it is that the Mini will be ok for casual gaming, but he's not going to be playing the latest 1st person shooter at ultra gfx settings on it. And that's ok. Given that, there's no need for the gamer features on the monitor - FreeSync/144hz, etc. The Mini just isn't going to be gaming at over 60hz (unless you are going to get an eGPU, but he wanted that I'd make him save up for it :D )

I'm going to drop back to my argument that more pixels/desktop space will make the whole thing more usable, and would task your son with the job of watching all the sales channels for an IPS monitor in the 25 to 31-inch size range that offers 2560x1440 or higher, that's on sale at your price point and with a good reputation/color reproduction, etc.

One other feature to decide on is built-in-speakers, or if you are going to have separate speakers.
Click to expand...
Second hand 27" Apple Cinema/Thunderbolt Display, sounds the ideal choice. They sell on Ebay for around your budget, and have integrated speakers, and excellent panels (I know, as I have a Cinema version myself on a 2012 Mini ;-).
 
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oldtime said:
Thanks for the advice. Would you say it’s even worth getting a 27+ inch monitor that isn’t 4K or 2K?
Click to expand...

gugy said:
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.
Click to expand...

[/Yoda Voice:ON]
Begun the holiday sales have. Yes, hrrmmm.
[/Yoda Voice:OFF]

Acer CB271HU 27” IPS 2560x1440 4ms, 10 bit Color, 100% sRGB, DVI/HDMI/DP, w/ Speakers -- $219.99 with promo code EMCEEPW25 (newegg.com)
 
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Will use LG27UD88 (4K Monitor with USB-C Power Delivery) to power both my Mac Mini and occasionally Thinkpad work laptop.
 
SpacemanSpiffed said:
I totally get the desire to only have one OS in the house :D (I've got a 15-year old son myself who loves to game, so I like to think I can relate).

So the way I see it is that the Mini will be ok for casual gaming, but he's not going to be playing the latest 1st person shooter at ultra gfx settings on it. And that's ok. Given that, there's no need for the gamer features on the monitor - FreeSync/144hz, etc. The Mini just isn't going to be gaming at over 60hz (unless you are going to get an eGPU, but he wanted that I'd make him save up for it :D )

I'm going to drop back to my argument that more pixels/desktop space will make the whole thing more usable, and would task your son with the job of watching all the sales channels for an IPS monitor in the 25 to 31-inch size range that offers 2560x1440 or higher, that's on sale at your price point and with a good reputation/color reproduction, etc.

One other feature to decide on is built-in-speakers, or if you are going to have separate speakers.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah I’m not worried about the gaming part of the equation. I’ll look into a higher res monitor, in the long run will be better for overall experience.
 
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LG 27UD88-W seems to be an intersting monitor for the mac mini. can anyone recommend it?

It has no Thunderbold 3 connector but HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C. Would connecting be done with HDMI or Thunderbolt 3 with an adaptor for USB-C?
 

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kaibob said:
This is the one I'm going to buy. Right now B&H and Newegg sell it for $336. I'll wait a month or so to see if I can get a better deal.
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I've got one sitting in a transit warehouse somewhere, should arrive tomorrow. If it's as good as people say, I'll order a second one soon.

Compared to local prices (here) you're getting it for a steal, good sir (or ma'am. never can tell with usernames).
 
Stephen.R said:
I've got one sitting in a transit warehouse somewhere, should arrive tomorrow. If it's as good as people say, I'll order a second one soon.

Compared to local prices (here) you're getting it for a steal, good sir (or ma'am. never can tell with usernames).
Click to expand...

Please let us know how you like your new Dell P2415Q. It seems to be a popular choice.
 
kaibob said:
Please let us know how you like your new Dell P2415Q. It seems to be a popular choice.
Click to expand...
Shall do.

It'll be paired with this (machine I'm typing on) 2018 MBP15 for now, because the Mini isn't available to order here yet, no matter how much I keep asking them.

ShutUpAndTakeMyMoney.jpg
 
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I love my dual Dell P2715Q displays. Highly recommended along with the HUANUO Dual Monitor Mount.
 
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What would be a good monitor for the Mac Mini if my criteria are as follows
  • 24-25" display size
  • non-4K or above (do not need the high-res)
  • good height adjustment
  • thin bezels
  • if possible, matching color scheme to the space grey Mac Mini
  • budget: up to 400 dollars
  • mixed use: mostly word processing, browsing and light photo editing
  • IPS (as often used in darkness)
I'm currently considering Dell U2518D (1440p) but stumbled upon a thread were it had blurry text when connected to a Retina Macbook Pro.
 
Tigerman82 said:
it had blurry text when connected to a Retina Macbook Pro
Click to expand...
I think this could be some combination of two issues:
  1. Mojave disables anti-aliasing for external displays, apparently.
  2. The MBP screen is higher PPI, so the text is crisper/smoother, which makes the external display appear blurry in comparison.
The first issue you can 'fix' (or at least fiddle with) using a couple of techniques (e.g. see http://osxdaily.com/2018/09/26/fix-blurry-thin-fonts-text-macos-mojave/)

The second issue wouldn't be a problem really, if it's not being used next to a high PPI screen.
 
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Stephen.R said:
I think this could be some combination of two issues:
  1. Mojave disables anti-aliasing for external displays, apparently.
  2. The MBP screen is higher PPI, so the text is crisper/smoother, which makes the external display appear blurry in comparison.
The first issue you can 'fix' (or at least fiddle with) using a couple of techniques (e.g. see http://osxdaily.com/2018/09/26/fix-blurry-thin-fonts-text-macos-mojave/)

The second issue wouldn't be a problem really, if it's not being used next to a high PPI screen.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to see there is a fix. However, I hadn't realized that Mojave was optimized for Retina displays. Does that mean that even though Apple offers those text smoothing options, Mojave is best-experienced with a 4K or above screen? My reasoning for a screen like Dell U2518D was that a 25 inch screen wouldn't bee too big for me and the 1440p would be better than 1080p but would stress the Mac Mini less than a 4K display.

As I'm probably going to keep the Mini for the next 6-10 years, should I get something like the Dell U2718Q or the HP Z27 (which are nice-looking 27" 4K displays with height adjustments) if Apple keeps optimizing OS X for higher-res displays. There are some 24-25" 4K options as well but it would seem for 4K I should get a 27-incher even though I might not need that size a display.
 
Tigerman82 said:
What would be a good monitor for the Mac Mini if my criteria are as follows
  • 24-25" display size
  • non-4K or above (do not need the high-res)
  • good height adjustment
  • thin bezels
  • if possible, matching color scheme to the space grey Mac Mini
  • budget: up to 400 dollars
  • mixed use: mostly word processing, browsing and light photo editing
  • IPS (as often used in darkness)
I'm currently considering Dell U2518D (1440p) but stumbled upon a thread were it had blurry text when connected to a Retina Macbook Pro.
Click to expand...
I use two Dell U2415. External monitors need this bug fix (enables RGB mode under OS X / macOS):
https://www.mathewinkson.com/2013/03/force-rgb-mode-in-mac-os-x-to-fix-the-picture-quality-of-an-external-monitor

In 2015 I read a lot of reviews on tftcentral.co.uk and found the best monitor for software development, image editing, video and other applications.

I use the following settings for each U2415 (settings via the On-Screen-Display):

Brightness / Contrast:
Brightness: 50 %
Contrast: 60 %

Input Source:
DP (Display Port)

Color:
1. Input Color Format: RGB
2. Gamma: PC (if you use OS X / macOS 10.6.x or newer)
3. Preset Modes: Standard

Display:
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Sharpness: 60
Response Time: Normal
DP 1.2: Enable

Others:
DDC/CI: Enable
LED Conditioning: Disable


All other settings have nothing to do with the display quality.
 
Tigerman82 said:
There are some 24-25" 4K options as well but it would seem for 4K I should get a 27-incher even though I might not need that size a display.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of this will depend on how you want to use it. I've literally (in the last 10 minutes) plugged a Dell P2415Q into my 2018 MBP15". I was running the builtin display at the highest "scaled" resolution (1920x1200) and it was a good mix of screen real estate and crispness, to my eye. (The 'native' scaled resolution - 2x - would be 1440x900).

So for this new Dell, the 'native' scaled resolution (2x) would be 1920x1080. That's too low for me - everything seems way too big. I've gone two 'levels' up, to 2560x1440 and it looks fine to me. But this is a 24" screen. The larger the physical size, the more you need to scale things to get them at the right size (unless you happen to like your UI elements the size of your cutlery)
[doublepost=1541765617][/doublepost]So to follow up on the above (not strictly Mac mini related)

The P2415Q supports 4K@60hz, and the 2018 MBP15 will clearly output that, but it seems the Akitio Thunder Dock (TB1, via an Apple TB3->TB2 adapter) does not allow 4K@60hz.

It works fine via the OWC TB3 to Dual DP adapter though. Possibly it's an issue with the TB3->TB2 adapter (which Im pretty sure Apple say can't be used to run a MiniDP monitor as-is, right?).

Otherwise, it seems fine. Just need to find a way to cover up that 'Dell' logo on the bottom bezel now.. :D
 
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Coyote2006 said:
LG 27UD88-W seems to be an intersting monitor for the mac mini. can anyone recommend it?

It has no Thunderbold 3 connector but HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C. Would connecting be done with HDMI or Thunderbolt 3 with an adaptor for USB-C?
Click to expand...

Review on macrumors about this monitor is here. It has a Thunderbolt 3 port too:
https://www.macrumors.com/review/lg-27ud88-display/

I'm happy with this monitor so far (got one at $500, much cheaper than the LG 5K)
 
Thanks Stephen.R for the report. You note that "everything seems way too big" at 1920x1080 but, in my case, that's a good thing. The P2415Q seems a good choice for me. :)
 
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Sorry - I should clarify - everything seemed too big at the 'native' 2x scale with is "looks like 1920x1080". "Looks like 2560x1440" is what I have it set to, and it's fine for me.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the display, and I'd definitely recommend it, almost regardless of how scaled you want to use it. I can't comment on how well it will work with the Mini yet, because as we know it forces the discrete GPU to be active on MBP's (and I can't even order a Mini yet in Thailand)
 
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