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$900 27” LG Ultrafine 5K vs Apple Studio Display

Z

Zest28

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jul 11, 2022
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Seems every reviewer says the Apple Studio Display is worth it over the LG. But I am still not convinced the ASD is worth $1100 extra (the standard model is not height adjustable) for essentially the same display with upgraded speakers and better build quality.

Will i make a mistake going for the LG 5K Ultrafine instead of the ASD?
 
What currency are you talking in? There's only a $300 premium (at list price) in US dollars for the Studio Display.

I have a 27" LG 5K from the initial release batch. A lot of people consider it ugly, but mine is on a VESA mount. It's just a floating black square on my desk.

If I had to buy it over again would I pay the $300 premium? I haven't given the 27" Studio Display a try yet so I don't know, but if the sound and camera are much better, the price difference seems very reasonable to me, especially if owning the actual Apple branded product might make for a more hassle free experience.

That said, you can easily get discount pricing on the LG so the actual price difference is more like $500.

The LG 5K has always felt like it was 100% compatible, but not 100% supported. There have been all sorts of quirks requiring workaround for some 5K owners to get their displays to work with different setups. You can find their testimonies in the forums here. Granted, it'd be unrealistic to expect that the Studio Displays will be entirely headache free themselves.

My 5K panel has problems with ghosting that's doesn't bother me too much, but would drive some people bananas. Does anyone know if the ghosting issues have been resolved for good in these panels? Some 5K iMacs have been known to suffer from ghosting as well, so again, paying the Apple premium isn't a guarantee of avoiding the issues that have affected some LG 5K owners.

I'm personally hoping for the rumored 27" display with ProMotion to be released. If that comes out and it's not bonkers expensive, I'll be lining up for one early. If that takes forever to come out, I'll be considering a 27" Studio Display within the next 2 years and bump my LG 5K down to a second display.
 
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I reckon you are comparing a discounted LG 27 Inch UltraFine 5K at $900 to the Studio Display with height adjustability ($2,000). In this scenario, I would go with the LG, especially if your main priority is getting that 5K retina quality screen.

I use a LG 27" 5K at the office for work and I recently upgraded my WFH monitor to an Apple Studio Display (VESA). Obviously I prefer my Apple Studio Display over the LG but the LG's screen is still amazing. I don't like the plastic build quality but my eyes stop paying attention to it once I'm dialed in and focused on my work.

You will have to put up with a few quirks with the LG as smirking said above. For me, I've had to deal with:
  • Ghosting if I leave static content on my monitor for long periods of time
  • Although rare, it sometimes won't wake up properly and I'll need to plug the Thunderbolt cable out/in.
Just my personal opinion but if I'm saving $1,100, I'd be willing to put up with those quirks. You could also use your savings to pay for upgraded speakers or any other desk accessories.
 
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After doing some research, it appears that the LG Ultrafine has PWM and the Apple Studio Display doesn't.

So looks like I will get the $2000 Apple Studio Display with the height adjustable stand. Guess I will have to bring a big jar of vaseline and alot of lube when I go to the Apple Store this week for this painful shopping experience.

In the past you could buy 5K retina 27" iMacs for these prices.
 
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Zest28 said:
So looks like I will get the $2000 Apple Studio Display with the height adjustable stand.
Click to expand...

Have you considered getting a VESA compatible arm? You'll save a bit of coin and it's great having back the desk space that the monitor stand would have been on. It also makes it so much easier when you need to view from unexpected angles.
 
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