using a *24-inch* 2560x1440 monitor with 2012 Mac Mini

[liketotallyrandom]

I'm wondering if a 24-inch monitor with native resolution of 2560x1440 is going to work OK with my 2012 Mac Mini. I'm mainly concerned about the scale of GUI elements. Will the OS and application interfaces be too small to see comfortably? I know the 2012 Mini will drive that resolution through Display Port, but I'm wondering how things will scale (or not). I'm running macOS High Sierra, if that makes any difference. I don't want to get a 27-inch monitor, because I'm mainly interested in increasing the DPI of my monitor (currently using a 22-inch monitor with 90 DPI, and 24-inch at 2560x1440 would get me to 123 DPI). Just trying to keep using my 2012 Mini for another two or three years. I'm good with RAM and SSD, and the quad-core i7 is still fast enough for my needs. A slightly better display is all I'm missing. I would still use my current monitor, in a dual-monitor setup (HDMI for the old monitor, and Display Port for the new one).

Thanks. I just don't know much about how macOS does scaling, since I've never needed to know about it before.

 

[ght56]

If your viewing distance is closer, it will look pretty good when native. It's a bit on the small side for further viewing distances, but closer you get reasonably good looking text and it will be a vastly visible upgrade over 1080P. I often use a 25-inch QHD in native and I am happy with it. Side-by-side with a 1080P display will make the 1080P one look really, really bad FYI.

 

[Fishrrman]

How's your eyesight?

Speaking ONLY for myself, I wouldn't want 1440p on anything SMALLER THAN a 32" display.
But I'm over 70 and my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

 

[gnasher729]

I'm wondering if a 24-inch monitor with native resolution of 2560x1440 is going to work OK with my 2012 Mac Mini. I'm mainly concerned about the scale of GUI elements. Will the OS and application interfaces be too small to see comfortably? I know the 2012 Mini will drive that resolution through Display Port, but I'm wondering how things will scale (or not). I'm running macOS High Sierra, if that makes any difference. I don't want to get a 27-inch monitor, because I'm mainly interested in increasing the DPI of my monitor (currently using a 22-inch monitor with 90 DPI, and 24-inch at 2560x1440 would get me to 123 DPI). Just trying to keep using my 2012 Mini for another two or three years. I'm good with RAM and SSD, and the quad-core i7 is still fast enough for my needs. A slightly better display is all I'm missing. I would still use my current monitor, in a dual-monitor setup (HDMI for the old monitor, and Display Port for the new one).

Thanks. I just don't know much about how macOS does scaling, since I've never needed to know about it before.

Compared to a 1920x1080 monitor, you'll have one third more pixels vertically and horizontally. About the same pixel size as a 19 inch 1920x1080 monitor, so you should be just fine if you were fine with the smaller monitor if your eyesight is good. 60 years or more, or bad eyesight, you should go with 27 inch.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

How's your eyesight?

Speaking ONLY for myself, I wouldn't want 1440p on anything SMALLER THAN a 32" display.
But I'm over 70 and my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

This is the correct answer.

My eyes are old and tired as well.

I think 1080p is fine for monitors from 24-27" and 1440p more appropriate for 27-32".

I will point out that I happily used a Dell 2405 monitor (24" 1080p monitor) for thirteen years. My visual acuity did not improve over that time period and when that monitor died I ended up buying two monitors.

I have an LG 27" 4K@60Hz UHD monitor that displays the UI at 1080p (HiDPI or "Retina" mode). For mundane productivity tasks I prefer this monitor.

I also have a Dell 32" 1440p@165Hz gaming monitor that displays at its native resolution that I use exclusively for playing games.

My guess is that I could only work on a 24" 1440p monitor for a short period before my eyes got tired from the strain. For gaming this might not be a problem although I'm not sure what benefit I'd get running 1440p at 24" when I could run at 1080p at the same size and enjoy far better framerates. When I'm gaming I'm usually too focused on the game itself than analyzing pixel size anyhow.

Besides, we're talking about a nine-year-old entry-level computer with less graphics capability than something that rolled off a manufacturing line in the past few years.

 

[liketotallyrandom]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I think I've decided to get a 25" unit, based on my viewing distance and eyesight. I held up my 2012 Macbook Air (133 ppi 11.6 inch screen) to my current monitor (91 ppi 22 inch screen), and tried to sort of interpolate what ppi would work, and I think the 117 ppi of a 25 inch monitor will be nominal. I'll update this thread next month sometime.

 

[liketotallyrandom]

Update: I got a 25" Dell U2520D UltraSharp, and have been using it for about four weeks. After carefully adjusting the viewing distance, and changing a few interface settings in macOS and a few apps, it is pretty much exactly what I wanted. I do use reading glasses, but I was already using them most of the time anyway. I am still able to use the new monitor without glasses for short periods of time.

Resolution and screen space are much better! I think the color is much better than my old Asus monitor from 2008, too.

Interface elements are definitely on the small side, but I'm used to using my 11.6" Macbook Air, and so the apparent size of things is similar between the two, with my typical viewing distances.

I'm glad I went with 25" instead of 24", and that was thanks to the advice of everyone on the forum to err on the bigger side. So, thanks for the advice, everyone. I think 25 inches ended up being a good spot between 24 and 27, at least for me.

I went with the Dell unit, because it has lots of input options, along with daisy-chaining capability. With the USB-C inputs/outputs, I feel I will probably keep using it when I eventually get an ARM-based Mac Mini in the future (probably in about two years).

 

[Amethyst1]

wondering if a 24-inch monitor with native resolution of 2560x1440 is going to work OK with my 2012 Mac Mini.

I'm using a 24" 4K monitor scaled to "Looks like 2560x1440" and love it. I have good eyesight and value high ppi and lots of screen estate. 25" with that resolution is a good choice.