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LG 31MU97 4k Display

Apple updated their Using 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs with your Mac page on Friday:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202856

True 4K at 60Hz is now official (although we already knew). :D

They're no longer listing specific monitors for SST displays, however it's telling that the only Macs listed as supporting true 4K are the nMP and the retina iMac. No mention of MacBooks. The list of Macs that support UHD is longer, though.

That might explain why some people are having issues with the LG when attached to their laptops.
 
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9to5: "OS-X 10.10.03 brings enhanced 4K support" (& 5k).

AJClayton said:
They're no longer listing specific monitors for SST displays, however it's telling that the only Macs listed as supporting true 4K are the nMP and the retina iMac. No mention of MacBooks. The list of Macs that support UHD is longer, though.
Click to expand...

Article (also mentions the MacBook):
http://9to5mac.com/2015/04/12/os-x-...12-inch-macbook-adds-5k-dell-for-mac-proimac/

"Apple has expanded support for 4K displays in its recent OS X 10.10.3 release - and officially confirmed specifics for using 4K displays with its new 12-inch MacBook."

"SST displays running at a resolution of 4096×2160 are only supported at 60Hz on the Mac Pro (Late 2013) and iMac (Retina 5k and 27-inch, Late 2014)."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202856
However, it is noticeable that Apple seem to have dropped any specific mention of the LG-31MU97 monitor - under the revised page section (replaced with "most" such displays). Which is odd, since there are so few true 4k(4096x216) alternatives out there.
 
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theSeb said:
Where did you get the LG from, AJClayton?
Click to expand...

Hi theSeb. You're just down the road from me! :) I bought it from Overclockers in the end. They're usually the most expensive for the LG but have an offer this week £150 off their usual price. It sounds better than it is as other places are usually cheaper, but with the discount this takes the price right down to the lowest I've seen it.

Yes, it's still more than the IPS UHD screens out there at 27" or 32" but so far I'm very pleased with my purchase. :D
 
AJClayton said:
Hi theSeb. You're just down the road from me! :) I bought it from Overclockers in the end. They're usually the most expensive for the LG but have an offer this week £150 off their usual price. It sounds better than it is as other places are usually cheaper, but with the discount this takes the price right down to the lowest I've seen it.

Yes, it's still more than the IPS UHD screens out there at 27" or 32" but so far I'm very pleased with my purchase. :D
Click to expand...

Indeed mate :D

Thanks for the info. I have been tracking the price on the OC site and noticed it's relatively lower recently. I am tempted by the LG, but I am still confused whether to choose this, the Dell 5K, or 2 x Dell p2715. First world problems, right?
 
theSeb said:
Indeed mate :D

Thanks for the info. I have been tracking the price on the OC site and noticed it's relatively lower recently. I am tempted by the LG, but I am still confused whether to choose this, the Dell 5K, or 2 x Dell p2715. First world problems, right?
Click to expand...


Interesting choices. Besides the obvious cost difference, the other consideration that's probably obvious is your workflow and working on multiple screens vs a single display. Then the not so obvious consideration is the performance. I've found some RAW editing apps choke refreshing a 4K display. You might want to investigate the apps you would be using and how optimized they are for refreshing 8 (single UHD), 16 (dual UHD) or 14 (5K) mega pixels 60 times a second. It might have nothing to do with your GPUs too... Just poor software. In my situation, there was an enormous difference between Aperture and Lightroom at 4K, I reckon 5K might have rendered LR unusable. And running scaled resolutions doubles the number of pixels being rendered in the frame buffer which may compound any performance issues.
 
VirtualRain said:
Interesting choices. Besides the obvious cost difference, the other consideration that's probably obvious is your workflow and working on multiple screens vs a single display. Then the not so obvious consideration is the performance. I've found some RAW editing apps choke refreshing a 4K display. You might want to investigate the apps you would be using and how optimized they are for refreshing 8 (single UHD), 16 (dual UHD) or 14 (5K) mega pixels 60 times a second. It might have nothing to do with your GPUs too... Just poor software. In my situation, there was an enormous difference between Aperture and Lightroom at 4K, I reckon 5K might have rendered LR unusable. And running scaled resolutions doubles the number of pixels being rendered in the frame buffer which may compound any performance issues.
Click to expand...

My main workflow is looking at many financial graphs the whole day, which refresh every second. This is running through a browser. I also do some coding and occasional Excel, Powerpoint and Word. I am basically after maximum workspace. I enjoy having at least 2 monitors. More would be better and I am planning on keeping the 24 ACD". I don't think I can fit 3 monitors, unless I find a new place for the printer, or use a monitor arm of some kind.

I occasionally mess around with FCP X and make videos for fun. I don't do anything photo related, apart from organising them in Aperture. I probably have edited about 20 photos in my entire life, apart from the obvious resizing etc.

Costs

2 x Dell P2715K £584 x 2 = £1168
1 x DELL UP2715K £1440
1 X LG 31MU97 £900 on special, normally £1050

If I am spending around £1000, then I don't mind pushing up to £1500 if it makes sense. The biggest issue is that I prefer each monitor with its own spaces. This kills the ability to span the browser in multiple displays, so the main monitor has to have the biggest viewing area possible. I then want other displays to show supporting info, like the economic calendar and other news sites. It's a similar use to coding actually. Xcode in the main monitor and then reference documentation and snipper manager in the other window.
 
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theSeb said:
Indeed mate :D

Thanks for the info. I have been tracking the price on the OC site and noticed it's relatively lower recently. I am tempted by the LG, but I am still confused whether to choose this, the Dell 5K, or 2 x Dell p2715. First world problems, right?
Click to expand...

You're checking out the same monitors that I was looking at. I've also read your follow up post to @VirtualRain's comment and how you intend to use the displays is the crucial factor, of course.

For me, coming from a 30" ACD, the physical height of my new display was important to me. Although I was seriously considering 2 Dell's, I know the reduced physical height would've got on my nerves. The LG is the only 4K or UHD monitor on my shortlist that's the same vertical height as the ACD. Not the only reason, but it was one of the deciding factors.

I hear what you're saying about using dual displays and that could be something which is more important to you than it was to me and push you down that route. I had a 20" Dell as my secondary display with the ACD and originally had it hooked up with the LG but there were times when I'd notice a lag when switching spaces on the LG or showing the desktop (as all the windows slid off the screen). Disconnect the Dell (which didn't have multiple desktops - just a single desktop) and the problem went away.

My ACD is sitting under the desk but I may have a go with that and see if the same thing happens.

As I understand it, the nMP uses a single GPU for powering connected monitors, the other GPU is there for computational purposes only, for software that supports it. I may be wrong about that, and no doubt someone will correct me if I am.

That brings me on to VirtualRain's point about the amount of data being shunted about He's spot on there. I wonder how a nMP (even one with D700's) will cope with the 5K Dell. It'll work in theory as Apple are now officially supporting it, however my experience of hooking up another non 4K display with one 4K display showed possible issues so I'm not sure about a single 5K or multiple 4K displays running at once because of all those pixels.

No doubt others who have gone down this route can comment with more certainty.

Good luck with your deliberations. I finally pulled the trigger partly because I knew if I waited much longer I may as well not bother at all and wait until I eventually upgrade my nMP at which point we'll be using 6K or 8K displays. :rolleyes:
 
rdav said:
Now that Apple has officially dropped support for the LG-31MU97 monitor, it may be time to consider other options. Such as the recently announced HP DreamColour Z32X. Unfortunately, still not a true 4k monitor though.

IPS-based 31.5" display UHD(3840x2160) HDMI-2.
http://techreport.com/news/28103/hp-jumbo-4k-monitor-delivers-dreamy-10-bit-color
Click to expand...

Dropped support? No offence, but I don't think you're right about that. All they've done is to make the page more generic:

With OS X Yosemite v10.10.3, most single-stream 4K (4096x2160) displays are supported at 60Hz operation on the following Mac computers:
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
Click to expand...

In other words, Apple have improved things so that they don't have to provide a long list of supported displays. (They only have to for the old MST displays.)
 
AJClayton said:
The fact that I'm sitting a good distance away from this screen typing this and not squinting at my old display fighting off a headache makes me very happy.

Hope that explains things. :)
Click to expand...

I think this is probably my driving thought on these screens.

It is OK to get up and walk about for a while to stretch the legs but I do not find the break helps my eyes to recover the clarity they have before I start on an image (editing).


I hope to use VR's knowledge on scaling as and when I change; working on photographs.

You and he seem to have this area of expertise sewn up; but I will not badger either of you until the time is right - so relax. ;)

Regards

Sharkey
 
LG 31MU97 4K Display

Hey Everyone! I have a Macbook Pro 15inch with dedicated graphics from late 2013. I still am stuck at 50hz. Is anyone else experiencing this?
 
Hey Everyone,

I have a 2012 15" rMBP (with the discrete graphics), and I bought an LG 31MU97 from Frys today (Price matched with Amazon at $1154.29).

They only had one New one in box, so I bought another at Amazon. I'm aiming to run two of these off the 2012 rMBP. Planning on a 2015 rMBP, hopefully there is a new one this year, that can run 2 x 4K displays at 60Hz.

I'm currently running it at exactly 3072 x 1620 which is exactly the same aspect ratio as 4096x2160. It's running at 50Hz, perfectly, which I can't say is much different from running at 60Hz.

I'm not gaming, and the extra screen real estate is absolutely amazing.

I'm really hoping that the 2nd 31MU97 will run at the same res and 50Hz, off the 2nd Thunderbolt port. Will have to wait and see though.

:)
 
NeXT MacRumors said:
Hey Everyone! I have a Macbook Pro 15inch with dedicated graphics from late 2013. I still am stuck at 50hz. Is anyone else experiencing this?
Click to expand...

According to the updated page about 4K screens on the Apple web site, true 4K at 60Hz is only supported on the new Mac Pro and the retina iMac. According to the same page, your machine supports UHD at 60Hz:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202856
 
I just bought this monitor and a new MacBook Pro 13". Does anyone know if it can run this monitor at 60hz and if not what will it be able to do?

Also what cable would I need to connect the two? Sorry I'm new at this and looked around but couldn't find a good answer before I ordered the cable.

Thanks.
 
Slappi said:
I just bought this monitor and a new MacBook Pro 13". Does anyone know if it can run this monitor at 60hz and if not what will it be able to do?

Also what cable would I need to connect the two? Sorry I'm new at this and looked around but couldn't find a good answer before I ordered the cable.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Mine came with a miniDP to DP cable. Which is what you need.

what kinda rMBP did you buy? Is it the 2015 model with force touch? I know that 3840*2160 is supported at 60Hz, but I'm not so sure about 4096x2160.

You could try a custom resolution using SwitchResX, I'm running mine at 3072x1620 at 50Hz, but mine is an old junky 15" 2012 rMBP
 
spentan said:
Mine came with a miniDP to DP cable. Which is what you need.

what kinda rMBP did you buy? Is it the 2015 model with force touch? I know that 3840*2160 is supported at 60Hz, but I'm not so sure about 4096x2160.

You could try a custom resolution using SwitchResX, I'm running mine at 3072x1620 at 50Hz, but mine is an old junky 15" 2012 rMBP
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply... It is the new 2015 one.

Yah I noticed the monitor also has a miniDP port and a DP port. Nice.
 
Slappi said:
I just bought this monitor and a new MacBook Pro 13". Does anyone know if it can run this monitor at 60hz and if not what will it be able to do?

Also what cable would I need to connect the two? Sorry I'm new at this and looked around but couldn't find a good answer before I ordered the cable.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

According to the updated page about 4K screens on the Apple web site, true 4K at 60Hz is only supported on the new Mac Pro and the retina iMac. According to the same page, your machine supports UHD at 60Hz:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202856

I have this strange feeling of deja vu...
 
I'm wondering if you could use the PBP feature and have two outputs, both running at 2048x1080 at 60Hz,

If you have one monitor, and 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports, that should work.
 
I feel I've posted a bit too much to this thread lately and people will be getting sick of hearing from me, so I'll keep this brief!

I promised to report back on my first few days with the LG monitor.

I unboxed it last Friday evening and although I used it a little over the weekend, it wasn't until Monday that I started using it for long periods. I've now completed 3 solid days of use and am into my fourth.

I'm pleased to report that the display is working fine at 60Hz on my nMP. OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 certainly seems to provide stable drivers and the problems that others have experienced have, thankfully, not happened to me. (I await darkenergymedia's return with interest to see how he's doing!)

I was previously using a 30 inch Apple Cinema Display and while that screen was great, it's not until you start using a HiDPI screen like the LG in a scaled resolution that you start to appreciate the clarity. I do lots of design and coding and this is much better for my eyes, no doubt. I'm running in 2560 x 1350 scaled, but if your eyes are a little better than mine then probably 3008 x 1586 would be better and closer in relative size to old 100ppi 30" screens.

The other important factor for many of us is colour reproduction and the LG doesn't disappoint. I'm running in sRGB but will also use Adobe RGB when I'm doing print work. The depth of colour is really noticeable when compared to my old ACD.

Only problem I've noticed (and it's a tiny one) is that if I turn the monitor off (e.g. when I go off for lunch) then when I come back and turn it on, although OS X is in the correct scaled mode, application windows have either moved or resized slightly as if the display is momentarily in a different resolution before it switches to the right scaled one. That'll be down to OS X, of course, nothing to do with the LG and it's not a big problem.

I said I'd keep this brief, so I'll stop there. No complaints. It's all good. :)
 
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