Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

New Apple 5k display - should I be excited?

M

mtcowdog

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 17, 2010
239
176
I use the old -- let's be real and say very, very old -- Apple Thunderbolt display both at home and at work. New macs are exciting, but the rumored 5K display is nirvana to me. Of course, I won't be able to afford it, but that's not the point here.

The best thing about the Thunderbolt display is connecting a laptop with one connection and having things like ethernet, usb (however slow), and mic/video/sound built in. For example, I do an average of 5 video conferences each week and love having some screen real estate to work with for my multitasking adventure that is work. I can use my laptop video and mic, but the Thunderbolt display is so much more functional for me. Give me 5K with elbow room, usb3, and faster thunderbolt connectivity, and I'm looking for excuses not to buy. Can my MacBook Pro15, MacBook Pro13, and MacBook -- all 2015-16 in vintage - do the job? That's another story, but important.

What do you think? Is it coming? Soon? Price expectation? If there are comparable options already -- see above for usage scenario -- what are they? I'm not seeing them. Monitors yes, but fully functional like the Thunderbolt display, no.
 
Well consider Apple's neglect of headless computers that require a display. Note the lack of development of the Mac Pro and Mini. You can get what is essentially a 5k Thunderbolt monitor right now for only 80% more than a deprecated Tbolt display; it's called an "iMac." I just don't see the demand, especially since there would be connection problems with lotsa old Macs, so I'm not holding my breath. But hey, it's Apple so ya never know.
 
I believe it could be coming. If it does, I expect it to use TB3/USB-C and Apple will release new iMacs and MacBook Pros with TB3/USB-C connectors to drive it. The iMac 5K can already drive such a display and the MacBook Pro will have a GPU option that can do so, as well. I also hope we'll see an update to the Mac Pro with TB3/USB-C that can also use it at 5K resolution.

Not sure if the display will be able to power a MacBook Pro (not sure USB-C will be able to provide enough power for an MBP that could drive it at 5K).
 
CWallace said:
Not sure if the display will be able to power a MacBook Pro (not sure USB-C will be able to provide enough power for an MBP that could drive it at 5K).
Click to expand...
That shouldn't be a problem. The official USB power delivery specification is up to 100W.

http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/

Meanwhile the largest Retina MacBook Pro power adapter is 85W.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201700

I think I am as excited to see this new display as any other product update.
 
I'm waiting for this since 2013 when I got my nMP (wow - it really is 3 years already)
When it comes out.. I'm sure it's a when, not an if - the big question is: will they allow the nMP owners to drive it via two cables, or will they make it TB 3 only..
 
An Apple display with a built-in graphics accelerator will likely be VERY expensive.

Can we say…. $1,500 …?
 
mtcowdog said:
I use the old -- let's be real and say very, very old -- Apple Thunderbolt display both at home and at work. New macs are exciting, but the rumored 5K display is nirvana to me. Of course, I won't be able to afford it, but that's not the point here.

The best thing about the Thunderbolt display is connecting a laptop with one connection and having things like ethernet, usb (however slow), and mic/video/sound built in. For example, I do an average of 5 video conferences each week and love having some screen real estate to work with for my multitasking adventure that is work. I can use my laptop video and mic, but the Thunderbolt display is so much more functional for me. Give me 5K with elbow room, usb3, and faster thunderbolt connectivity, and I'm looking for excuses not to buy. Can my MacBook Pro15, MacBook Pro13, and MacBook -- all 2015-16 in vintage - do the job? That's another story, but important.

What do you think? Is it coming? Soon? Price expectation? If there are comparable options already -- see above for usage scenario -- what are they? I'm not seeing them. Monitors yes, but fully functional like the Thunderbolt display, no.
Click to expand...

I have given up on it and bought an Asus display. Apple seems to have lost the pros and seems only to care about the masses. My current 4K monitor doesn't even work problemfree with Lightning nor with macOS Sierra. The picture is astonishing, the software and the product support from Apple isn't.

I love Apple. I hate what it has become.
 
Fishrrman said:
An Apple display with a built-in graphics accelerator will likely be VERY expensive.

Can we say…. $1,500 …?
Click to expand...

That wouldn't be too bad, would it?
I am assuming then that the eGPU will be much more powerful than a mobile dGPU.
 
I would love to see a 5k monitor from Apple, because it would make me reconsider buying an iMac, and go with rMBP+rCD instead.
 
Fishrrman said:
An Apple display with a built-in graphics accelerator will likely be VERY expensive.

Can we say…. $1,500 …?
Click to expand...
I don't think it will be that much. You can get a 5k iMac for $1,799... so after you back out all the extra parts that includes I think you will end up a lot below $1,500.
 
Fishrrman said:
An Apple display with a built-in graphics accelerator will likely be VERY expensive.

Can we say…. $1,500 …?
Click to expand...

Which is what Dell wants for one without a GPU. ;)

Though you can get an HP for a grand, so if Apple can come in at around $1100-1200 that would be a pretty good deal, IMO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Weaselboy
CWallace said:
Which is what Dell wants for one without a GPU. ;)

Though you can get an HP for a grand, so if Apple can come in at around $1100-1200 that would be a pretty good deal, IMO.
Click to expand...

Do Dell and HP have monitors with integrated GPUs?! :eek:

Edit: never mind
 
Last edited:
I'm more intrigued that it will necessitate them to more properly support higher resolution on minis. I am itching to move on from my 2012 iMac to a large 4k monitor or even TV, and get a mini. However from what I have read it is hard to get it to work well.
 
So if I have a macbook pro late 2013 will I be able to use the 5K display if it had an internal GPU??
 
iAVERY said:
yeah I was assuming I would need thunderbolt 3. They need to make it 4K so I can use it lol
Click to expand...

You'll need Thunderbolt 3 to run this unicorn 5K display simply because it needs that pipe to transfer the data needed to display so many pixels.

The eGPU rumor is more tied to ensuring everything runs smoothly after the data has been transferred, given that all MacBook Pro models come with integrated graphics aside from the highest end 15" configuration.

The only way the display could be used with older Macs would be through dual Thunderbolt 2 cables which is ungainly and inelegant --- although Apple has done that in the past with the 30" Cinema dual-link DVI display so it's not totally unprecedented, but the cleanest route would be to make the 5K display compatible with Thunderbolt 3-equipped Macs only.
 
PatriotInvasion said:
You'll need Thunderbolt 3 to run this unicorn 5K display simply because it needs that pipe to transfer the data needed to display so many pixels.

The eGPU rumor is more tied to ensuring everything runs smoothly after the data has been transferred, given that all MacBook Pro models come with integrated graphics aside from the highest end 15" configuration.

The only way the display could be used with older Macs would be through dual Thunderbolt 2 cables which is ungainly and inelegant --- although Apple has done that in the past with the 30" Cinema dual-link DVI display so it's not totally unprecedented, but the cleanest route would be to make the 5K display compatible with Thunderbolt 3-equipped Macs only.
Click to expand...

I dont wanna buy a new mac pro for 7000 $ again... :( They totally mislead us back in the day with their "Up to three 4k displays" advertisement. Of course the machine can drive those displays, but back then no one was aware that 4k is not gonna allow for 27" retina displays.. :(
 
chfilm said:
I dont wanna buy a new mac pro for 7000 $ again... :( They totally mislead us back in the day with their "Up to three 4k displays" advertisement. Of course the machine can drive those displays, but back then no one was aware that 4k is not gonna allow for 27" retina displays.. :(
Click to expand...

The current Mac Pro has six TB2 ports so it can drive three 5K displays if your willing to dedicate all six ports.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back