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Officially giving up on the Mac Mini 2018 + 4K monitor dream
- Thread starter Tigerman82
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Hi thirdsun
Thanks for your reply. I’m pretty unfamiliar with all the new monitor tech, and terminology. So don’t really know what resolution I would want a 34inch monitor to be, but yeah probably 4K. Sharpness is important but readability even more so. So if I wanted to go larger than 27inch, what’s the next best size up?
People seem to like 32in monitors for 4K. What I'd do is get two 4K monitors and run them at 2X scaling ('looks like 1080p mode'). Then you have two monitors that are super crisp and the UI is a good size (some may argue too big, but you have two monitors, so unlikely an issue). With this scaling, the GPU load is much less and providing you have 16GB of RAM, you will be good to go.
It doesn't work like that. Sizing, readability and sharpness are not determined by size of the display alone. You always have to consider size and pixel count, as well as scaling. So a 34" display at 4k resolution will actually render everything a bit smaller than your current 27" display at 2560x1440, which is already too small for you, which is why you resort to scaling and lose crispness. You want a combination that offers larger sizing than that. A 4K / 27" display seems like a good solution for you since it will use the recommended 2x scaling and display like a 1920x1080 resolution, but on that very fine 4k pixel grid (4k = 3840x2160 / 2 = 1920x1080) and therefore much, much sharper. It offer high pixel density which is great for readability and provides sizing that is similar to your current scaling.
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I'd say 4K at 32" scaled to 2x is too large, but if @MikeGS3 really needs that size, sure, go ahead. 4K at 27" scaled to 2x is already too large for many people and should be the sweet spot if eyesight or distance is a concern. Plus, the displays with those specs are much more affordable, which is relevant for a dual screen setup.
True. I think 2x scaling is slightly too big, but the next one too small so I just stick with it. With two monitors it's perfectly good for me.
Don't give up ! My Mac Mini 2018 core i3, 8 G RAM makes pair with Dell U2718Q 4K monitor perfectly with native resolutions. All I had to do was making scale to see everything bigger , let it look like 2560 x 1440 as picture attached here
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I just got the LG 27MU88-W 27" 16:9 4K FreeSync IPS Monitor yesterday, and is there anything I can do to have my screen at full potential 4k without having tiny ant words where I can't barely read? Current setting is same as yours scaled down to 2560 x 1440.
You are using all the pixels at a full 4k size. The only option is to zoom in on individual apps like safari, word, excel etc
So I guess I should have just buy the apple thunderbolt display with a lower resolutions. Now I don’t see the point to have a 4k display and not using it at the fullest.
The fact, if U want to see as normal as its is in 1080p monitor, U should use a 34 or 43 inch 4K monitor
On Retina MacBooks and iMacs, there is an option to change text size without changing resolution.
Is there no such setting on high DPI displays, such as 4K, 5K...etc?
The point is sharpness and you‘re using all of those 4k pixels regardless of your scaling setting. Of course you theoretically can use all those pixels without scaling, but of course that is pretty much unreadable, which should be very obvious if you just imagine having that high pixel count in a frame that used to show 2560x1440 px.
So, the point is sharpness, crispness and superior text rendering, not more screen real estate.
I know it says "Larger text" but that's just a visual cue. That control shown in the screenshot is a resolution chooser.
There are, exactly the same in fact. But again, it's just to choose a different resolution.
In Mojave if you hover over the five choices (as shown in the left window below, despite the cursor not showing) it shows a little message with the details ("Looks like X x Y")
So, it is basically resolution changer for those who simply do not know what changing resolution will do? Got it.
Essentially, yes.
That's the 'traditional' resolution selector. I believe you hold down Option to get that when clicking "Scaled". It provides more choices than the visual chooser.
It appears yours is 1440p monitor, I believe that those options are available on 4K monitors and higher.
The fact, if U want to see as normal as its is in 1080p monitor, U should use a 34 or 43 inch 4K monitor
Or a 24 inch like the dell 2415q
may be your Mac does not support HiPPI for your moni or MacOs does not recognize your moni
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Quick question: What do people use for a web cams as it seems all the monitor recommendations I see don’t feature a webcam... would like one to continue using FaceTime if I go the Mini route
My understanding is that macOS/FaceTime will work with most USB webcams. I’d probably stick to a reputable brand like Logitech or similar, but generic ones may be fine too if they support UVC.
Just another 2018 mini user here - running two screens, and I can safely say that moving up from 8GB RAM clearly improves the macOS GUI. (I added 2x16GB).
How does the P2415Q look?
I already have Ultrafine waiting for me, but was seriously considering the Dell.