27" monitors for eye care

[patent10021]

I'm in the market for a 27" monitor to take it easy on my vestibular system. Enough coding on a 15" MBP.

My MBP has Thunderbolt and HDMI. If I buy a newer LG/BenQ etc do I need an adapter or do they come with one? Can I connect via Thunderbolt with some monitors? DisplayPort? A USB-C monitor can connect to my 2014" MBP via Thunderbolt right?

Naturally for eye care I want 120Hz and blue light reduction. I know macOS has Night Shift and there is Flux app but if I'm paying money I might as well choose one that comes with blue light reduction.

Any other advice? Not brand advice but spec advice. I don't care about gaming. Just need it for coding, some light design work, office work etc.

I'm thinking about this one.

ASUS Gaming Monitor, 27-inch FHD 1080p, VG278QR-J, 0.5ms, 165Hz, Slim Bezel, G-SYNC, Compatible FreeSync, HDMI DP, DVI, Height Adjustment, Vertical and Horizontal Rotation, 3 Year Warranty

Up and down angle adjustment (tilt): 33° up to 5° down Left and right angle adjustment (swivel): Left + 90° - Right - 90° Vertical rotation (pivot): Left + 90° to right-90° Height adjustment: 0mm - 130mm Compatible VESA Standards: 3.9 x 3.9 inches (100 x 100 mm) Stereo Speaker (2W+2W) Video Input...

www.amazon.co.jp

Thanks

 

[Amethyst1]

My MBP has Thunderbolt and HDMI. If I buy a newer LG/BenQ etc do I need an adapter or do they come with one?

You can connect either a DisplayPort or HDMI monitor directly. If you want "4K" resolution (see below on why you might) you have to use DisplayPort because only that gives you 60 Hz at that resolution. HDMI on your MBP is limited to 30 Hz and you definitely don't want that. Monitors mostly come with DisplayPort and HDMI cables so you should be covered.

A USB-C monitor can connect to my 2014" MBP via Thunderbolt right?

No. Thunderbolt and USB-C are very different, even though Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C do use the same connector.

If a monitor requires video via USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode, you have to use something like a Wacom Link Plus to connect it to your MBP. If a monitor requires video via Thunderbolt 3, you can connect it using Apple's adapter - but I'd recommend staying away from Thunderbolt or USB-C monitors and sticking to DisplayPort (forget HDMI as well due to the 30 Hz limitation) to keep things simple.

Just need it for coding, some light design work, office work etc.

In that case, you probably want the fonts to look good - (nearly) as good as on your MBP's internal screen. Then you need a "4K" (or even higher-resolution) monitor to take advantage of macOS' vastly better font rendering in HiDPI modes. Font rendering is awful on macOS when using e.g. a 1920×1080 or 2560×1440 monitor, unfortunately.

I'm thinking about this one.

Please don't. That's a TN panel, the absolute worst you can get. And its resolution is awfully low, which is very bad for the reasons outlined above. In other words, that monitor is not good at all for your use case(s).

Naturally for eye care I want 120Hz

I don't get why that is relevant for eye care. LCDs don't flicker at all at 60 Hz. Your MBP's LCD is running at 60 Hz and that's fine isn't it?

My advice would be to get a flicker-free (i.e. no PWM - that's much more relevant for eyecare than 120 Hz!) 27" "4K" IPS monitor with blue-light reduction. That's what I'm using and I have no complaints.

 

[patent10021]

If there are flicker-free 60Hz monitors that's fine with me.

Some 27" 4K flicker-free monitors with DisplayPort don't have blue light reduction. Since I can use Flux or macOS Night Shift does that even matter?

When talking about eye fatigue, what about matte vs glossy and LED vs LCD?

My MBP doesn't have DisplayPort. Only HDMI and Thunderbolt. Apple says "If you're using a DisplayPort cable with your display, use a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter or cable." But my MBP doesn't have USB-C either. I was reading that Thunderbolt can support the DisplayPort monitors. Not sure if that includes Thunderbolt on 2014 MBPs. Also how do I know if the graphics card in my MBP can drive 4k 60hz?

I was also reading that if I want to use my monitor vertically in portrait orientation for coding, it says to make sure that your monitor is VESA compatible. In addition, make sure that the hardware the monitor rests on a.k.a. the stand, supports a vertical tilt.

Btw, when I use an external monitor with DisplayPort, will my MBP still output audio via MBP speakers? Like if I'm watching a Youtube or Netflix video I don't need external speakers right?


Interesting. Looks like my Mid 2014 MBP can do 4K/60Hz via DisplayPort -> Thunderbolt 2.

Opinion: MacBook Pro owners, it's time to consider a 4K display - 9to5Mac

If you own a MacBook Pro with Retina Display and desire extra screen real estate, then a 4K monitor can...

9to5mac.com

Not every MacBook Pro is capable of driving a 4K display using SST. According to Apple, here are the Macs that can successfully drive a Single-Stream Transport 4K display at 60Hz:

• MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
• MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)

And this

Macbook Pro (Late-2014) - Thunderbolt 2 -… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

If the display has Mini DisplayPort or DisplayPort, connect it to a Thunderbolt port with a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort (or DisplayPort) cable. This will support 4K 60 Hz.

 

[Amethyst1]

Since I can use Flux or macOS Night Shift does that even matter?

I don't use any blue-light reduction so can't comment on these.

When talking about eye fatigue, what about matte vs glossy and LED vs LCD?

IMO matte is better for eye fatigue since it avoids reflections. All LCDs use a LED backlight these days; make sure you get one that doesn't use low-frequency PWM to regulate brightness because that can cause visible flickering of the backlight if the PWM frequency is too low. That's what flicker-free is about: not using PWM at all, or using it at a frequency so high that no flickering is noticeable.

My MBP doesn't have DisplayPort.

A Thunderbolt port can act as a DisplayPort output; Thunderbolt 1 and 2 even use the same connector as Mini DisplayPort so you can just plug in any DisplayPort monitor. The Thunderbolt port then switches into "DisplayPort pass-through mode".

Also how do I know if the graphics card in my MBP can drive 4k 60hz?

Any 15" MBP that is of the "Late 2013" or newer generation and has (at least) Thunderbolt 2 can do "4K" at 60 Hz - but only via DisplayPort. It doesn't matter if you have the integrated Intel graphics or the dedicated NVIDIA one.

I was also reading that if I want to use my monitor vertically in portrait orientation for coding, it says to make sure that your monitor is VESA compatible. In addition, make sure that the hardware the monitor rests on a.k.a. the stand, supports a vertical tilt.

Well, you need to be able to physically rotate your monitor, so its stand needs to support that. If you want to use e.g. a third-party monitor arm rather than the stand the monitor comes with, the monitor needs to be VESA-compatible so it can be mounted on the arm.

Btw, when I use an external monitor with DisplayPort, will my MBP still output audio via MBP speakers? L

Yes, but you might have to re-select your MBP's speakers as the output device in System Preferences > Sound.

 

[Marty_Macfly]

IMO matte is better for eye fatigue since it avoids reflections. All LCDs use a LED backlight these days; make sure you get one that doesn't use low-frequency PWM to regulate brightness because that can cause visible flickering of the backlight if the PWM frequency is too low. That's what flicker-free is about: not using PWM at all, or using it at a frequency so high that no flickering is noticeable.

Good feedback!

Glare / Reflections:
That’s the issue with my external monitor, everything else is great.
It is a pain, as I need to shut the curtains, to stop the sunlight glare off the screen etc.


Question:
Using an anti glare Filter - Do you loose out on picture quality somehow?
Or is it a win/win to stick onto the glossy monitor screen, for normal office work?


Hope you can advise
Martin

 

[patent10021]

Yeah great info in this thread. Thanks guys. Eye health is brutally important. More specifically vestibular health as the inner ear is integrated and can cause some serious issues.

I'm close to getting a monitor and look forward to be able to stand/sit like four feet away from my display with a wireless keyboard and not wreck my eyes.

Speaking of work health, I've been standing and stretching at my desk for the past couple of years and can never go back to sitting. Too brutal. You need good shoes though. Highly recommend it.

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Hiya Patent,


I noticed this link. Hope its of help!

https://www.reddit.com/r/macbookair/comments/ngbh1p

Regards
Martin

 

[California]

Yeah great info in this thread. Thanks guys. Eye health is brutally important. More specifically vestibular health as the inner ear is integrated and can cause some serious issues.

I'm close to getting a monitor and look forward to be able to stand/sit like four feet away from my display with a wireless keyboard and not wreck my eyes.

Speaking of work health, I've been standing and stretching at my desk for the past couple of years and can never go back to sitting. Too brutal. You need good shoes though. Highly recommend it.

You've tried FLUX, correct? It has saved my eyes and since I used my first 24" ACD years ago. It's a free download. I have it on all of my computers.

TRY IT BEFORE YOU BUY NEW HARDWARE