MacBook Pro 13 inch external displays

[leanda]

Hi

I'm contemplating a move from my creaking 2013 27" iMac to the Macbook Pro 13". For the last 20 years of Mac use I've always had a Mac desktop as my main workhorse but recently I've felt the need have some freedom and be untethered from the desk. I'm a designer/developer and trying to keep the development environment in sync on two Macs (iMac and vintage 2012 MBP) is a nightmare. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2.3GHz i5 processor, 16GB ram and 1TB of storage.

First question, I'm tempted by the LG Ultrafine 5K, would this MBP config power a 5k monitor without problems? Would it power two of these displays if I wanted to add a second down the line?

Are there any other displays I should consider?

And a side question, is there any extra bits and pieces I should consider picking up to make this transition from a desktop easier? I have a lot of USB peripherals, speakers, printers, external drives, etc. Not sure how I'm going to connect all this stuff whilst still making it easy to quickly pick up the MBP and go!

Thanks

 

[Glmnet1]

First question, I'm tempted by the LG Ultrafine 5K, would this MBP config power a 5k monitor without problems?

It should, it's officially supported by Apple for this model.

Would it power two of these displays if I wanted to add a second down the line?

No, only 1 5k display at a time. 2 4k is fine though.

Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colours and:

• One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colours
• Up to two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colours
• Up to two displays with 3840-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colours

Are there any other displays I should consider?

Take a look at the LG 27UK850-W or even the LG 27UK650-W if you don't mind not having usb-c. They are a lot cheaper than the ultrafine and are quite decent. I'm waiting for mine to arrive!

The ultrafine does have a few advantages (5k!) and they might be worth it to you though.

And a side question, is there any extra bits and pieces I should consider picking up to make this transition from a desktop easier? I have a lot of USB peripherals, speakers, printers, external drives, etc. Not sure how I'm going to connect all this stuff whilst still making it easy to quickly pick up the MBP and go!

Most usb-c monitors except for the ultrafine act as a hub by having USB A ports in the back that pass through your USB C port to your laptop. If you're going for the ultrafine then you could look at USB C hubs. If you need an eGPU there are some enclosures that have additional ports too.

 

[mctrials23]

I'm pretty sure you can only run a single 5K from the 13" as the GPU simply can't handle any more. Should be fine with 1 5K though.

 

[leanda]

It should, it's officially supported by Apple for this model.

No, only 1 5k display at a time. 2 4k is fine though.

Thanks, I somehow missed that on the tech specs page. So the big question I'm now left with is, one 5k or two 4k? I wonder if I could tell any noticeable difference between 4k and 5k.

The ultrafine is appealing because it can charge the MBP, not too bothered about true tone display as I'd switch that off for design work.

 

[Glmnet1]

Thanks, I somehow missed that on the tech specs page. So the big question I'm now left with is, one 5k or two 4k? I wonder if I could tell any noticeable difference between 4k and 5k.

The ultrafine is appealing because it can charge the MBP, not too bothered about true tone display as I'd switch that off for design work.

It depends on your usage and eyesight. I can see the difference when looking at both side by side but it's minimal and for me is not worth the extra money. I don't think I'll notice it without a 5k next to it.

A lot of the usb-c monitors can charge the MBP too. The lg 27UK850 mentioned above delivers 60W of power over the same cable, just as much as the charger included with the 13". It's less than what the 15" might require though which is where the ultrafine is better but for the 13" it doesn't matter.