LG UltraFine 5K - Owners Thread

[NJRonbo]

Hello Everyone!

There are 17 pages full of posts. I wish I had the time to read them all.

Please excuse me for posting what has probably already been discussed.

I am looking at the monstrous LG monitor:

LG 49WL95C-W 49" 32:9 Curved UltraWide HDR IPS Monitor

I have the new 2019 13" MBP Pro

I am also going to be buying the upcoming 2019 16" MBP

Will these laptops work with the monitor at the intended resolution through USB-C connection?

 

[Ledgem]

Hello Everyone!

There are 17 pages full of posts. I wish I had the time to read them all.

Please excuse me for posting what has probably already been discussed.

I am looking at the monstrous LG monitor:

LG 49WL95C-W 49" 32:9 Curved UltraWide HDR IPS Monitor

Well, you didn't need to read the posts - you just needed to read the thread title to realize that this was posted in the wrong place!

Sorry, that sounds snarky - it's said in jest, but it's also true. This thread is for the LG Ultrafine 5K monitor line, which corresponds to LG's 27" Ultrafine monitors (first and second generation). You're asking about a different monitor.

I can't help you, but I did a quick Google search run on this site (Google these terms: site:macrumors.com 49WL95C-W) and found this as the top hit. There are some other posts that may also be of use to it. Good luck!

 

[NJRonbo]

Well, you didn't need to read the posts - you just needed to read the thread title to realize that this was posted in the wrong place!

Sorry, that sounds snarky - it's said in jest, but it's also true. This thread is for the LG Ultrafine 5K monitor line, which corresponds to LG's 27" Ultrafine monitors (first and second generation). You're asking about a different monitor.

I can't help you, but I did a quick Google search run on this site (Google these terms: site:macrumors.com 49WL95C-W) and found this as the top hit. There are some other posts that may also be of use to it. Good luck!

My apologies. Really, I wasn't certain so I also started a brand-new post in this forum area as well.

Yeah, been doing a lot of Google searches on this subject.

Thanks for the time you gave me in your response.

 

[Taucher669]

I got a question re Firmware updates of the 27MD5KA - does anybody here know what the latest FW Version is and how to get this from LG? LG Screenmanager tool is a pretty much useless peace of SW - almost 2 years in use and not a single FW update was offered for my Monitor.
My FW Version is: 3.04,113,5237,3.04,0.1e

I am asking this because I have a strange behavior since I connected this monitor to my new Mac Mini with Catalina. Monitor switches to dark (no backlight) randomly every 5-15 minutes for about 2 seconds. This happens more often the higher the chosen resolution. In case e.g. playing a video - screen gets dark but sound continues - which indicates that it cannot be a power problem. I have used 3 different TB3 cables including the long 2m active cable which came with the monitor. The other ones were 2 short 50cm passive TB3 cables. No difference regardles which cable. No matter which TB3 port on my Mini is chosen.
The effect does NOT OCCUR when I connect the monitor to my MBP 15 Touch Bar from late 2016.
LG Support clueless, Apple Mac support clueless.
I tried secure mode
new user account
clean install of Catalina - boot from external drive
No difference
Anyone here having an idea?
Cheers

 

[StellarVixen]

Is the Apple gonna discontinue this once the Pro Display comes out?

 

[jimthing]

I got a question re Firmware updates of the 27MD5KA - does anybody here know what the latest FW Version is and how to get this from LG? LG Screenmanager tool is a pretty much useless peace of SW - almost 2 years in use and not a single FW update was offered for my Monitor.
My FW Version is: 3.04,113,5237,3.04,0.1e

I am asking this because I have a strange behavior since I connected this monitor to my new Mac Mini with Catalina. Monitor switches to dark (no backlight) randomly every 5-15 minutes for about 2 seconds. This happens more often the higher the chosen resolution. In case e.g. playing a video - screen gets dark but sound continues - which indicates that it cannot be a power problem. I have used 3 different TB3 cables including the long 2m active cable which came with the monitor. The other ones were 2 short 50cm passive TB3 cables. No difference regardles which cable. No matter which TB3 port on my Mini is chosen.
The effect does NOT OCCUR when I connect the monitor to my MBP 15 Touch Bar from late 2016.
LG Support clueless, Apple Mac support clueless.
I tried secure mode
new user account
clean install of Catalina - boot from external drive
No difference
Anyone here having an idea?
Cheers

No idea. I have the same (Mac Mini 2018 & 15MBP2016, each with their own 5Kv1 display) setups, but both are on Mojave for the moment (I never update the latest macOS for 3-4 months, for precisely these reasons).

Suggest you revert back to Mojave, accordingly, and wait until .2 or .3.

 

[Diamond Dog]

No idea. I have the same (Mac Mini 2018 & 15MBP2016, each with their own 5Kv1 display) setups, but both are on Mojave for the moment (I never update the latest macOS for 3-4 months, for precisely these reasons).

Suggest you revert back to Mojave, accordingly, and wait until .2 or .3.

Does your Mini 2018 drive the 5K display pretty well?

 

[1369281]

I got a question re Firmware updates of the 27MD5KA - does anybody here know what the latest FW Version is and how to get this from LG? LG Screenmanager tool is a pretty much useless peace of SW - almost 2 years in use and not a single FW update was offered for my Monitor.
My FW Version is: 3.04,113,5237,3.04,0.1e

I am asking this because I have a strange behavior since I connected this monitor to my new Mac Mini with Catalina. Monitor switches to dark (no backlight) randomly every 5-15 minutes for about 2 seconds. This happens more often the higher the chosen resolution. In case e.g. playing a video - screen gets dark but sound continues - which indicates that it cannot be a power problem. I have used 3 different TB3 cables including the long 2m active cable which came with the monitor. The other ones were 2 short 50cm passive TB3 cables. No difference regardles which cable. No matter which TB3 port on my Mini is chosen.
The effect does NOT OCCUR when I connect the monitor to my MBP 15 Touch Bar from late 2016.
LG Support clueless, Apple Mac support clueless.
I tried secure mode
new user account
clean install of Catalina - boot from external drive
No difference
Anyone here having an idea?
Cheers

Try this... not sure if it’ll fix your issue, but it’s worth a shot: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MQ4H2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb‑c-cable-08-m

That’s the cable I use.

 

[Ledgem]

Is the Apple gonna discontinue this once the Pro Display comes out?

Unlikely. The monitor just recently received a refresh, which is the most likely indicator that it won't be discontinued. Second would be the fact that they occupy very different markets. The Pro Display XDR costs a whole lot more (about 4-6x more, depending on which version you go with), partly because it has features that home users (including enthusiasts) aren't likely to have any use for. The Ultrafine represents a pricey monitor but it's still a reasonable purchase for enthusiasts.

If Apple releases a cheaper Pro Display XDR then I'd worry about the Ultrafine being no longer promoted by Apple and possibly discontinued. For now, I think it's safe.

 

[satcomer]

Does your Mini 2018 drive the 5K display pretty well?

Does this answer your question?

 

[1369281]

Does this answer your question?

That’s not the UltraFine monitor.

 

[Diamond Dog]

That’s not the UltraFine monitor.

Yeah, I was a bit confused on why that video was shared. Seems to me that would run worse than the 5K UltraFine since it would have to do scaling.

 

[jimthing]

Does your Mini 2018 drive the 5K display pretty well?

Yes fine. I do have (self-installed) 64GB RAM, though I doubt that makes much difference. I also run it one step higher than direct 2:1 ratio 1440p emulation (can't remember offhand, maybe 1680 or something?).

EDIT: It's mode 4 of 5; 2880x1620 (as opposed the middle mode 3, 2:1 option; 2560x1440).

Unlikely. The monitor just recently received a refresh, which is the most likely indicator that it won't be discontinued. Second would be the fact that they occupy very different markets. The Pro Display XDR costs a whole lot more (about 4-6x more, depending on which version you go with), partly because it has features that home users (including enthusiasts) aren't likely to have any use for. The Ultrafine represents a pricey monitor but it's still a reasonable purchase for enthusiasts.

If Apple releases a cheaper Pro Display XDR then I'd worry about the Ultrafine being no longer promoted by Apple and possibly discontinued. For now, I think it's safe.

Yeah v2 of the LG 5K3K only just came out a few weeks ago now offering the full 5K over vanilla USB-C mode along with TB3 mode – for 2018 and later iPad Pro usage (took them long enough to fulfil that claimed promise from last years iPad Pro announcement –though it only does 4K on it anyway(!)– and is still the only 5K3K able to connect to it).

I highly doubt Apple will release any newer display (outside the XDR) for at least 2-4 years, when the next big tech things happen to make it worthwhile (8 or 10K, micro/mini LED, with TB4 to power it!) – and even then, I'd reckon it's safe to say it'll unfortunately be a 'super-pro' multi-thousand priced item only.

 

[Diamond Dog]

Thank you for that info, @jimthing! I think I may just end up going with one of the UltraFine 5K displays. Everything else just seems like too big of a compromise to me, either in sharpness or usable desktop space.

 

[PiratX]

So, what display from the Ultrafine you would choose? I want a display for my MBP 15 2019 (i9). I've seen many options and always read something bad about each one, so I am thinking that the Ultrafine is the ultimate solution - it's Mac compatible after all.

I am comparing those:

32” UltraFine™ UHD 4K Monitor - 32UL950-W | LG USA

Discover the 32” UltraFine™ UHD 4K Monitor that features HDR10 and AMD FreeSync™. Find reviews, specs, and more for 32UL950-W.

www.lg.com

LG 27 Inch UltraFine 5K IPS Monitor with macOS Compatibility (27MD5KL-B) | LG USA

Shop LG 27MD5KL-B on the official LG.com website for the most up to date information. Buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up.

www.lg.com

and 5k2k was on that list but removed cause of review 2.8/5, it's too bad.

Thanks

 

[1369281]

So, what display from the Ultrafine you would choose? I want a display for my MBP 15 2019 (i9). I've seen many options and always read something bad about each one, so I am thinking that the Ultrafine is the ultimate solution - it's Mac compatible after all.

I am comparing those:

32” UltraFine™ UHD 4K Monitor - 32UL950-W | LG USA

Discover the 32” UltraFine™ UHD 4K Monitor that features HDR10 and AMD FreeSync™. Find reviews, specs, and more for 32UL950-W.

www.lg.com

LG 27 Inch UltraFine 5K IPS Monitor with macOS Compatibility (27MD5KL-B) | LG USA

Shop LG 27MD5KL-B on the official LG.com website for the most up to date information. Buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up.

www.lg.com

and 5k2k was on that list but removed cause of review 2.8/5, it's too bad.

Thanks

27-inch LG UltraFine 5K is still what I would buy if I was in the market for a new monitor today.

 

[shansoft]

Accidentally scratch my monitor. Anyone know if I can polish it or using like toothpaste to remove the mark?

 

[T-Bob]

Has anyone tried new 16” on monitor? Concerned about fan noise. 13” would be quiet or barely audible when plugged in, how is 16”?

 

[hobbbz]

I need help with the new LG UltraFine 5K sold by Apple:

It came with 2 cables, 1 thunderbolt (for Mac) and 1 usb-c (for iPad). Each only works with their device, the cables can't be interchanged.

Is there for sale anywhere 1 cable that I could plug into my Mac or iPad to use either whenever I wanted?

 

[T-Bob]

I need help with the new LG UltraFine 5K sold by Apple:

It came with 2 cables, 1 thunderbolt (for Mac) and 1 usb-c (for iPad). Each only works with their device, the cables can't be interchanged.

Is there for sale anywhere 1 cable that I could plug into my Mac or iPad to use either whenever I wanted?

Is it not possible to use tb3 cable in main port and c in another? Have the older version that only does tb3. The 4k monitor does one cable for both but thats not tb3 anyway of course.

 

[hobbbz]

It is not, there is only one "in" port on the monitor, the rest are downstream shared from there like a hub.

 

[shansoft]

I need help with the new LG UltraFine 5K sold by Apple:

It came with 2 cables, 1 thunderbolt (for Mac) and 1 usb-c (for iPad). Each only works with their device, the cables can't be interchanged.

Is there for sale anywhere 1 cable that I could plug into my Mac or iPad to use either whenever I wanted?

There are cable for that, but it's really short to make it compatible with both USB-C and TB3.

Such as this one.

Plugable Thunderbolt 3 Cable 40Gbps Supports 100W (20V, 5A) Charging, 2.6ft / 80cm Thunderbolt-Certified USB C Compatible - Driverless

Thunderbolt Cables with a new, longest available, 0.8m/2.6ft passive cable, Thunderbolt brings data transfers at speeds up to 40Gbps over USB C, enabling a superset of standard USB C to truly enable one compact port that does it all – delivering the fastest, most versatile connection to any dock,...

www.amazon.com

 

[hobbbz]

There are cable for that, but it's really short to make it compatible with both USB-C and TB3.

Such as this one.

Plugable Thunderbolt 3 Cable 40Gbps Supports 100W (20V, 5A) Charging, 2.6ft / 80cm Thunderbolt-Certified USB C Compatible - Driverless

Thunderbolt Cables with a new, longest available, 0.8m/2.6ft passive cable, Thunderbolt brings data transfers at speeds up to 40Gbps over USB C, enabling a superset of standard USB C to truly enable one compact port that does it all – delivering the fastest, most versatile connection to any dock,...

www.amazon.com

31" if anyone is checking it out. Plenty to get to my MBP or iPad on my desk.

 

[1369281]

Since upgrading to macOS Catalina, I’m seeing two issues which are quite annoying with my UltraFine 5K:

1. When unplugging and replugging the USB-C cable to my 15-inch 2016 MacBook Pro, I lose network connectivity via my gigabit Ethernet adapter. I have tried multiple adapters. The issue is reliably reproducible. Sometimes it takes a long time for me to be able to use the Ethernet adapter again, even after multiple reboots. Wi-Fi works fine regardless.

2. When my laptop starts, it is always using full brightness. It doesn’t remember where I left it before.

Again, these behaviors started after upgrading to Catalina.

The monitor is great, but I really miss having a “dumb” connection from laptop to monitor.

 

[judahde]

Funny you mention that. My usb-c network dongle was slooooooow. Disconnect and use wireless.... rocket ship fast.