Monitor options

[Wingsley]

A couple of months ago, I bought a factory-refurbished M1 Mac Mini from Apple direct. Since that time, I franken-patched the Mac Mini to a very old Acer LCD display. For the most part, this works, but I want to move on to a higher-quality modern display. I may also buy a 14-inch MacBook Pro in the future for portability and power; I would then use the Mac Mini as a secondary workhorse.

The purpose of this thread is to review what options are available to me for monitors. If I buy a monitor, it will serve my "new" Mac Mini as long as it is the only "new" machine. If I eventually buy a MacBook Pro, I will probably switch cables and use the monitor for either the Mac Mini or the MacBook Pro, depending on which one I need to use at the time.

I have there requirements and use-case scenarios for the monitor:

I want at least a 27-inch display
I want it to be 5K resolution
I want it have the ability to pivot 90º for use in either "landscape" or "portrait" orientation; "portrait" will be useful for word processing and desktop publishing applications, while "landscape" will be useful for occasional video editing, photo editing, watching video presentations, spreadsheet work and financial app work.
Excellent color accuracy
VESA-mountable
Legibility for reviewing typography and text
Ability to charge laptop, plus offer at least USB-A hub for plugging in items like my USB scanner and other peripherals.

I know, off the top of my head, that two expensive monitors on the short list of those products on the market that meet my criteria would be Apple's recent Studio Display and LG's UltraFine 5K. I'm wondering what other displays are also on the market that may be less expensive.

Note that I did not ask for a webcam or built-in speakers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[hobowankenobi]

The only thing that jumps out at me is the 5K requirement.

Gotta ask...have you used a 4K or higher monitor? Many folks find everything way too small for daily use. If you need/want it for video/photo work, I would suggest that whatever you get looks good (crisp text) at something around 2k too. As an example, most of the video editing stations I am around (both Mac Pros and M1 minis) have decent 27" 4K monitors, but rarely get used at 4K.

You might also consider a USB C capable model...as you can get everything (USB, video, audio) over a single cable on an M1.

 

[Wingsley]

Will keep 4K in mind. I heard some Mac users have trouble with 4K.

 

[MacGizmo]

Avoid the Apple Studio Display, for numerous reasons not the least of which is you would have to get the VESA Mount version in order to pivot the display 90-degrees – we won't go into all the issues people are having or the ridiculously high price.

If 5K is a must, then your options are a lot more limited than 4K. But that's not necessarily bad. 5K resolution on a 27" display is virtually unusable for most people. The interface is just too small, so you end up reducing the resolution to 4K or less anyway. Again, that's not necessarily bad as you still get the much crisper text on a Retina display. The problem is there are virtually no Retina quality displays available at any size.

I prefer the full 5K resolution on a larger than 27" display, so I got the LG 5K/2K 34" Ultrawide Display. I get 5120x2160 pixel resolution at a pretty decent dpi – it's not retina, but it's close. The brightness is pretty good as well. The display pivots, tilts and is height adjustable. It has plenty of connection ports (HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C) plus a few extra USB A ports. This may be more money than you wish to spend, but it's a great display for me as a graphic designer.

Dell UltraSharp models are also excellent (you must get UltraSharp models though).

 

[chikorita157]

Your only real options are the Apple Studio Display and Ultrafine 5K. While both are good options, they are the only options for 5K. I tried 4K, but 1440p scaling look bad compared to 5K. Also, 1080p 2x scaling loses too much screen real estate. Also, using 1440p scaling can impact graphical performance as it renders that scaling in 5K and downscales it while causing graphical issues. 4K at 27” does not provide enough DPI at 163 DPI as macOS prefers 109 DPI and 218 DPI.

There used to be more third party 5K options in the past as Dell and HP used to make 5K displays, but they weren’t cheap and never caught on, They were discontinued, and even if they were on the market, they were more expensive than the Apple Studio Display and LG Ultrafine 5K.

This article explains why the downsides of 4K options. They are designed more for Windows systems, which can do non-integer scaling, but of course the developer needs to add high-dpi support, which is why scaling is pretty bad on Windows since it’s up to the developer compared on macOS, the developer doesn’t need to do anything to support high DPI.

Mac external displays for designers and developers, part 2

Since writing about Mac external displays in 2016, not much has changed. LG, Dell, Samsung, and other display makers have either never catered for the specs many Mac designers and developers want, or they’ve reluctantly produced products that have been short-lived or compromised.

bjango.com

Once you go 218 DPI, anything below that will look bad, even 4K 27” displays.

 

[Wingsley]

Avoid the Apple Studio Display, for numerous reasons not the least of which is you would have to get the VESA Mount version in order to pivot the display 90-degrees – we won't go into all the issues people are having or the ridiculously high price.

If 5K is a must, then your options are a lot more limited than 4K. But that's not necessarily bad. 5K resolution on a 27" display is virtually unusable for most people. The interface is just too small, so you end up reducing the resolution to 4K or less anyway. Again, that's not necessarily bad as you still get the much crisper text on a Retina display. The problem is there are virtually no Retina quality displays available at any size.

I prefer the full 5K resolution on a larger than 27" display, so I got the LG 5K/2K 34" Ultrawide Display. I get 5120x2160 pixel resolution at a pretty decent dpi – it's not retina, but it's close. The brightness is pretty good as well. The display pivots, tilts and is height adjustable. It has plenty of connection ports (HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C) plus a few extra USB A ports. This may be more money than you wish to spend, but it's a great display for me as a graphic designer.

Dell UltraSharp models are also excellent (you must get UltraSharp models though).

Did you say the 5K2K display pivots, so you can use it in "portrait" orientation?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

To pair with Mac Studio Ultra, I chose Dell Ultrasharp 40 Curved WUHD U4021QW

It is a 5K2K ultra-wide and I love it.

Relative to OPs list:
I want at least a 27-inch display.
It is like TWO 27-inch iMac screens side-by-side (in one frame). In fact, you can hook up ANOTHER computer to additional inputs on it and split the screen so that each has a 27" iMac-like screen to itself. This is great for me as I needed a bootcamp-like option, so I can give a PC half the screen when I need to do something in Windows. When needed, that's macOS and Windows side by side at the same time.

I want it to be 5K resolution
It is 5K/2K. I don't see any of the "issues" people sling around to try to convince everyone else that only the Apple monitor choices work well. Picture looks as great as the iMac screen it replaced... EXCEPT now I have much more screen width to use for Windows/Apps.

I want it have the ability to pivot 90º for use in either "landscape" or "portrait" orientation; "portrait" will be useful for word processing and desktop publishing applications, while "landscape" will be useful for occasional video editing, photo editing, watching video presentations, spreadsheet work and financial app work.
The manual says it can do this but I haven't tried it myself. The default stand is not tall enough to accommodate a rotation, so you would need to use a VESA mount with enough vertical to make that work. That would yield a screen about 38" high with this monitor. WOW!

Excellent color accuracy
This is eye of the beholder but I have zero complaints. It is 100% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3. There are tons of reviews online that dig into specs, so you might want to do your research and/or go check one out in person somewhere. Anyone who's seen images on it are impressed. I do a lot of graphics work and I have no concerns with this topic myself.

VESA-mountable
Definitely, 100mm X 100mm.

Legibility for reviewing typography and text
Because Apple people can be so Apple-centric, I was a little worried about this one based on the overwhelming volume of everyone believing that only Apple and only 2XXdpi works well. However, text looks at least as sharp on this as it ever looked on the iMac it replaced. Again, eye of the beholder, so go see one yourself and see what you think.

Ability to charge laptop, plus offer at least USB-A hub for plugging in items like my USB scanner and other peripherals.
Thunderbolt 3 jack is 90W. It has a KVM-like HUB of jacks on the back and 2 more easily accessible at the bottom edge of the monitor. A picture is worth a thousand words here...

I have found the variety of ports much more useful than I expected... much better to have the variety for real life needs than only 3 of a single type (and thus needing dongles/adapters). In a 2-computer arrangement like mine, one keyboard and mouse can be used with BOTH computers- even at the same time in split-screen mode.

I basically have no complaints with this one. Ultra Wide is terrific. I would never go back to something less than ultra wide now. I can't believe how much more productive it is to have the added RE vs. the 27" iMac screen this replaced. For my needs this is a perfect pairing with my Mac Studio.

 

[Wingsley]

To pair with Mac Studio Ultra, I chose Dell Ultrasharp 40 Curved WUHD U4021QW

It is a 5K2K ultra-wide and I love it.

Relative to OPs list:
I want at least a 27-inch display.
It is like TWO 27-inch iMac screens side-by-side (in one frame). In fact, you can hook up ANOTHER computer to additional inputs on it and split the screen so that each has a 27" iMac-like screen to itself. This is great for me as I needed a bootcamp-like option, so I can give a PC half the screen when I need to do something in Windows. When needed, that's macOS and Windows side by side at the same time.

I want it to be 5K resolution
It is 5K/2K. I don't see any of the "issues" people sling around to try to convince everyone else that only the Apple monitor choices work well. Picture looks as great as the iMac screen it replaced... EXCEPT now I have much more screen width to use for Windows/Apps.

I want it have the ability to pivot 90º for use in either "landscape" or "portrait" orientation; "portrait" will be useful for word processing and desktop publishing applications, while "landscape" will be useful for occasional video editing, photo editing, watching video presentations, spreadsheet work and financial app work.
The manual says it can do this but I haven't tried it myself. The default stand is not tall enough to accommodate a rotation, so you would need to use a VESA mount with enough vertical to make that work. That would yield a screen about 38" high with this monitor. WOW!

Excellent color accuracy
This is eye of the beholder but I have zero complaints. It is 100% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3. There are tons of reviews online that dig into specs, so you might want to do your research and/or go check one out in person somewhere. Anyone who's seen images on it are impressed. I do a lot of graphics work and I have no concerns with this topic myself.

VESA-mountable
Definitely, 100mm X 100mm.

Legibility for reviewing typography and text
Because Apple people can be so Apple-centric, I was a little worried about this one based on the overwhelming volume of everyone believing that only Apple and only 2XXdpi works well. However, text looks at least as sharp on this as it ever looked on the iMac it replaced. Again, eye of the beholder, so go see one yourself and see what you think.

Ability to charge laptop, plus offer at least USB-A hub for plugging in items like my USB scanner and other peripherals.
Thunderbolt 3 jack is 90W. It has a KVM-like HUB of jacks on the back and 2 more easily accessible at the bottom edge of the monitor. A picture is worth a thousand words here...

View attachment 2074874

I have found the variety of ports much more useful than I expected... much better to have the variety for real life needs than only 3 of a single type (and thus needing dongles/adapters). In a 2-computer arrangement like mine, one keyboard and mouse can be used with BOTH computers- even at the same time in split-screen mode.

I basically have no complaints with this one. Ultra Wide is terrific. I would never go back to something less than ultra wide now. I can't believe how much more productive it is to have the added RE vs. the 27" iMac screen this replaced. For my needs this is a perfect pairing with my Mac Studio.

Pretty pricey, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[HDFan]

Avoid the Apple Studio Display, for numerous reasons not the least of which is you would have to get the VESA Mount version in order to pivot the display 90-degrees – we won't go into all the issues people are having or the ridiculously high price.

What issues? I'm quite happy with my Studio display. Price is reasonable compared to the LG alternative which doesn't have the same build quality.

 

[MacGizmo]

What issues? I'm quite happy with my Studio display. Price is reasonable compared to the LG alternative which doesn't have the same build quality.

You can do a search here for the Studio Display and see dozens of issues people are having (sound, bad video, etc.).

The base price is more than almost any other 5K monitor available – most of which are larger. You have to spend $400 to make it height adjustable. You can't actually use the full 5k resolution because the screen isn't large enough to allow for a usable UI size. It actually has software requirements, which means even if you have none of the issues people are having, eventually it may not work with your computer (who knows, but that's the likely scenario).

As far as build quality, while I agree that Apple generally makes solid products, I also must admit that I've never had any problems with Dell or LG displays, MS keyboards and mice, or any other third-party product made to work for the Mac.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Pretty pricey, but thanks for the suggestion.

If interested, keep checking roughy weekly for about 6-8 weeks. Price is fluid.

If willing to refurb, check that store regularly too. Unlike Apple refurbs with up to 15% discounts, I’ve seen more than 25% for this one in that store. Since many stores carry this, check their “open box” options too. About $200 less than Dell's price on Amazon right now for "Pre-Owned - Very Good" and "Like New." $1550-$1650 in popular online brands refurb/open box offers as I write this. Some lessor name online retailers are pitching "new" at similar pricing (with claims it is in stock).

At about normal Dell store pricing, it’s about the same as ASD with the adapter needed to do some of what you want. Unlike ASD, it delivers much more screen RE and that KVM port hub with more commonly-used ports instead of just one port (as a set of only three).

You didn’t overly emphasize price in the original list. If price is very important, 4K monitors are available in abundance for much lower prices and no, that won’t automatically yield huge compromises in user experience (implying only Apples monitors are suitable). Temporarily hook any Mac to a 4K TV to see this with any doubters own eyes. For 4K AND low price, take a look at LG 34WN80C-B UltraWide Monitor 34”, about $518 on Amazon right now with 4.5 stars and $456 in the "pre-owned like new" offers. I don't know if that one offers everything you want but you can dig into online info to see how close it gets. You did spec 5K which cuts the range of choices to about 8-10 monitors.

Lastly, a good monitor should be usable for about 10+ years, or about 3+ rounds of Mac upgrade purchases. When macOS makes my much more expensive Mac Studio Ultra obsolete, I expect this monitor to jump right on to the next Mac… and prob the one beyond it. So, like buying speakers too- which also have very long useful lives- paying up for a great monitor offers a long term use benefit… unlike- say- the fantastic monitor in the iMac I replaced which basically gets thrown out in spite of still being perfectly capable… because the iMac guts are made obsolete by macOS deprecation... and no simple way to keep using it as a stand-alone monitor.

Not saying this is THE ONE best choice for you, but it does tick all of the boxes requested and I can vouch for how nicely it works with Mac vs. all of the disinformation(?) that flies around seemingly to try to position 2 choices from Apple as the ONLY possible choices. There are good choices for accessory products not branded Apple. Prior to ASD, Apple basically endorsed the LG version themselves by featuring it in the store. That one is still a great option too.

An Apple fan might burn through the cumulative cost of 4-6 or more iPhones before a good monitor or good speakers conk. My suggestion is to budget accordingly on useful tech products with long-term-use legs. There’s great value in tech that can still deliver a decade from now... when the $1200-$1500 or more iPhone still 2 or 3 generations away is already long-since retired.

 

[Basic75]

It is 5K/2K. I don't see any of the "issues" people sling around to try to convince everyone else that only the Apple monitor choices work well. Picture looks as great as the iMac screen it replaced... EXCEPT now I have much more screen width to use for Windows/Apps.

If you are using it at native resolution @1x then everything will be smaller than nominal. No problem if you have good eyesight or sit really close. Or are you using a different resolution?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I do have good eyes but I sit at a "normal?" distance from the screen: about 25" away.

Once you go this way, you discover optimization options. There are many threads about this. All generally point to using SwitchResX to optimize resolution. Since other threads talk to this point in great detail, I'll simply say that it seems optimal is to use SwitchResX to render macOS at 7680 X 3240 to then generally display as 3840 x 1620 hiDPI for most purposes. IMO, day to day, general use seems ideal set to that.

However, it is a simple menu selection to go full 5120x2160 which does make UI elements small (roughly half size, but still readable/usable to my eyes). For video and audio editing work, that mode works really well. Sometimes, I simply want more room on screen for working needs and just use it that way as much as I like. Basically, I add to the horizontal & vertical RE when it suits me and then cut it down to still much more horizontal RE than the iMac this replaced when I return to my typical hiDPI norm of 3840x1620.

Example: in 5120 mode, I can get 4 full-width browser windows of this website on screen with room for the far right macOS icons to be accessible too. In 3840, I can get 3 browser windows side by side with a little room to spare. On the old iMac and on ASD if I had gone that way, it would be 2 browser windows. While having 4 complete browser windows open and side-by-side may not be on anyone's big need list, one or two for research is pretty common for me, along with a Pages or Keynote window for whatever I'm doing with the research and maybe email or Messages. Back on the old iMac (and if ASD), I'd be using two+ mission control screens with lots of shifting between them. Now most of what I do can be on a single screen at the same time. I could never go back to 16X10 or so screens now unless it was perhaps 2 of them side-by-side. The extra screen RE really ups the productivity much more so than even I expected.

 

[tstafford]

OP: For what you are looking for, I think the Apple Studio Display will work very nicely. As others have said you will need the VESA version (rotation requirement) and some USB-A to USB-C adapters (~$7 on AMZN).

I have two of them. They are obviously expensive but the quality is high and the compatibility with Mac/OS is seamless. For my purposes (light office work, web, streaming, e-mail, etc.) I think they will last for years. I find that I upgrade my desktop computer and monitor far less frequently than my laptop or phone and therefore I can justify the "investment".

I searched other options including ordering and returning an LG UHD 27" to Amazon and nothing quite hit the mark. I even tried an XDR for a while to see if a single 32" would work for me (two ASD is far better for my needs - and cheaper). The ASD has a set of features and specs that is just different (weird maybe?). But for me it was the right set. To a lot of folks the ASD is just overpriced and in someways underpowered (no HDR, not mini-LED, etc.).

My two complaints - wish they were promotion and there should be a "cheaper" version w/o the webcam and speakers for folks who want multiple monitor set-up. But these are not deal killers for me.

They are a luxury purchase. But frankly everything Apple is as well. If the price doesn't bother you, I doubt the ASD will disappoint.