Help w/ Ultrawide for M1 Macs: Dell U3421WE or LG34WK95U 5K2K?

[Robdmb]

All:

I am looking for a new 34" ultrawide for work/office/productivity use only (no gaming). I've been using an older Dell 34" curved ultrawide for work on a Windows setup for some time and have liked it. The resolution has been fine and I use it at the default 3440 x 1440 resolution. No issues.

Now I am looking to switch my work setup to a mac. Leaning toward a Macbook Pro 14" M1 Pro but have considered an M2 Air. I've read so much about scaling issues, etc. but am confused. Narrowed my list down to a Dell U3421WE (3440 X 1440) or a LG 34WK95U (5120 x 2160) display. I like that the Dell is curved like my current monitor and has built in hub with ethernet. The LG obviously has higher resolution.

Any advice? Will the Dell at 1440p still be blurry with text for office use or is it only when scaled that issues occur? I would be using at native resolution. I seem to have read that with the LG and the M1 Pro (versus the regular M1/M2) you can run HIDPI and it would look good scaled?

Also, any thoughts on curved versus straight monitor at 34" for office work? Thanks!

 

[10001110101]

Consider the BenQ PD3420Q and take a look here and here:

Mac external displays for designers and developers

If you’re considering an external display for your Mac, there’s a few important decisions to make. Apple doesn’t sell external displays any more, so you can’t just default to their wisdom. That’s an issue, because not all displays are well suited for Macs.

bjango.com

 

[Green242]

During the WFH I needed a lager monitor and got a 34" LG 34L850W 3440 x 1440 on sale at about 1/2 the price of the LG 34WK95U. I thought at times I should have bought the LG 34WK95U, however, at this point I am very happy with LG 34L850W at the system resolution of 3062 x 1282 HiDPI in Monterey, my old eyes that need bigger fonts

I am considering upgrading to the Studio Max to get among other things higher resolution, up to 3840, although the highest I would use would be around 3440 x 1440 which I can get with Better Display.

Hope that helps.

 

[Robdmb]

Consider the BenQ PD3420Q and take a look here and here:

Mac external displays for designers and developers

If you’re considering an external display for your Mac, there’s a few important decisions to make. Apple doesn’t sell external displays any more, so you can’t just default to their wisdom. That’s an issue, because not all displays are well suited for Macs.

bjango.com

Thanks. Any reason you recommend the BenQ over the Dell? Looks like they are both 1440p resolution.

 

[Robdmb]

During the WFH I needed a lager monitor and got a 34" LG 34L850W 3440 x 1440 on sale at about 1/2 the price of the LG 34WK95U. I thought at times I should have bought the LG 34WK95U, however, at this point I am very happy with LG 34L850W at the system resolution of 3062 x 1282 HiDPI in Monterey, my old eyes that need bigger fonts

I am considering upgrading to the Studio Max to get among other things higher resolution, up to 3840, although the highest I would use would be around 3440 x 1440 which I can get with Better Display.

Hope that helps.

Thanks. What Mac are you using with it? I didn't realize you would get HiPDI modes with a 3440x1440 monitor. How do you find the text at its native resolution? Also, how do you find the flat display? I've been using a curve at work previously and was wondering how a flat 34" ultrawide would compare.

 

[Mr47]

TBH they have both have a 109PPI (Dell and the Benq) and that is awful, at least if you are used to something higher.
The LG34 5K is SOO MUCH nicer, but i has some issues because of it's age with the Apple Silicon macs, but they might be resolved : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/m1-mbp-lg-34-inch-ultra-wide-5k2k.2267299/

Anyways a lot is personal opinions, but that is mine

 

[Green242]

Thanks. What Mac are you using with it? I didn't realize you would get HiPDI modes with a 3440x1440 monitor. How do you find the text at its native resolution? Also, how do you find the flat display? I've been using a curve at work previously and was wondering how a flat 34" ultrawide would compare.

I am using a Mac mini M1 with 16/512. I think the text is great and comparing it to a 2020 iMac it seems just slightly bolder and larger compared to the iMac with has the 5k screen. To get the higher scaled resolutions you will need to run a latter version of Monterey with either SwitchResX or BetterDisplay at least once. That will save the HiDPI settings to the System Preferences to be used when either of those apps are not running, just boots up with it built in, as if it adopted them when they were not there before.

I don't have any experience with the curved screens. As with the fonts and resolutions used, most of that is subjective, your eyes may see it differently.

 

[Random_Matt]

Cannot go back to anything below 4K to be honest.

 

[10001110101]

@Robdmb

I have used numerous monitors and monitor setups, including dual 27" QHD from NEC, and found that one widescreen worked best for me. Additionally, I felt that BenQ has offered solid support, technical specifications, and a design that blends well with my preference. Lastly, the image quality, at least subjectively, is the best I have seen although I would say Viewsonic is also at par.

As a side note, a number or arguments can be made for, or against, technical specifications. What I have found is that, for macOS, you want something in the range of either 110 PPI or 220PPI, as the article above mentions. I would say it is far too long for me to type out all the research I have done, however it has been considerable and I do not see myself changing my setup for the foreseeable future. This juxtaposed to me always searching for something a little better, that was until I read the above article and watched the YouTube video.