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levmc

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 18, 2019
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Even if it's not as large as 27 inch, it would be nice if there was one that matches the sharpness of iMac (218 ppi).

Or is monitors of that sharpness not a thing in the Windows world?
 
A 24” 4K comes close and looks sharp to me. But it’s also somewhat small.
Everything larger at 4 k is noticeably less sharp if you get close.
 
It's because Apple overshot. You really don't need Apple's DPI in a desktop viewing situation, it was chosen because it's an integer scale factor from non-Retina and that makes conversion easy.

Windows had scaling issues initially, but that's nearly all fixed in Windows 10. I'm using 24 inch QHD monitors on Windows (124 dpi), which is "retina" at 28 inches. I paid less than $100 each refurbished. A 4K 24 inch is 19 inches, and Apple's displays are "retina" at 16 inches. A normal viewing distance is around 24 inches.
 
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What would be such a monitor?
Apple
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Even if it's not as large as 27 inch, it would be nice if there was one that matches the sharpness of iMac (218 ppi).

Or is monitors of that sharpness not a thing in the Windows world?
A 4K monitor at any size under 35" will be effectively "retina" sharpness from normal viewing distances.
 
What is normal viewing distance?
It may not be normal for me because of my poor eyesight.
I feel comfortable at about a foot length.
Also I used to have a 4k laptop with about 280 ppi and it was sharper than MBP Retina in my normal viewing distance.
 
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A 24“ 4K is sharp viewed from a normal distance. A 27” is not. It’s ok though, and I think it’s totally fine. I just got that ultra wide LG with 5K-ish resolution For work and it’s glorious.
i can’t live with low dpi screens for work anymore. I want my code etc to be crisp and sharp.
 
i can’t live with low dpi screens for work anymore. I want my code etc to be crisp and sharp.

That's the only reason I'm using LG 5K with my X1E, even though that monitor is made just for macs.
It's worth every penny!
 
A 24“ 4K is sharp viewed from a normal distance. A 27” is not. It’s ok though, and I think it’s totally fine. I just got that ultra wide LG with 5K-ish resolution For work and it’s glorious.
i can’t live with low dpi screens for work anymore. I want my code etc to be crisp and sharp.

Are you using it with a Mac computer or Windows?
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That's the only reason I'm using LG 5K with my X1E, even though that monitor is made just for macs.
It's worth every penny!
Doesn't it max out at 4k though since x1e isn't a Mac? Is that ThinkPad X1 Extreme?
 
At home I use the Surface Studio 2 which is 4500x3000 and at the office the Philips ultra wide 49". Both are overkill.
In my experience weakening eyesight demands lower not higher res monitors.
 
Doesn't it max out at 4k though since x1e isn't a Mac? Is that ThinkPad X1 Extreme?

Any PC laptop that has direct tb3 connected to gpu will work and display 5K resolution. So I do get 5K resolution without any tinkering.
 
Is that only possible with PC laptops or with PC desktops as well?
 
My HP Spectre x360 has a 13.3” 4K AMOLED Display at 331 PPI and it’s glorious. I can hold it 10” from my face and it’s still retina.
 
I read that it maxes out at 4k when used with Windows.

It depends on your computer. The current version is compatible with both USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) and Thunderbolt 3. If your PC has a TB3 port capable of delivering 2 DisplayPort 1.2 or a single DisplayPort 1.4 signal, you can get 5K through Windows. Otherwise it displays in 4K. I am able to get 5K through my HP EliteBook 840 G5, but only through a Thunderbolt Dock (not through my notebook’s TB3 port directly. It could be a firmware issue (it’s a work notebook and I can’t update the old firmware).
 


Both 218 DPI (5120x2880 @ 27") and have a normal full-size DisplayPort connector.

A lot of units have quality control issues though.
 
A 24“ 4K is sharp viewed from a normal distance. A 27” is not. It’s ok though, and I think it’s totally fine. I just got that ultra wide LG with 5K-ish resolution For work and it’s glorious.
i can’t live with low dpi screens for work anymore. I want my code etc to be crisp and sharp.

Reading this I was hoping to get a 24'' 4k but when I checked the ppi, it is not too different from 27''.

4k 27: 163 ppi
4k 24: 183 ppi.
There's only 20 ppi difference.
5k 27 is 218 ppi, so it still 35 ppi less sharp compared to 27 inch iMac.
 
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