M1 Mac Mini - seems LG27MD5KL 27 Inch Ultrafine 5k is the best monitor to get under the XDR, unless there's a new option...gonna pull the trigger soon.
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Best 27" monitor and hub for the new m1?
- Thread starter richard371
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Thank you so much everyone for having taken the time to share your reviews of monitors!
If anyone has time to answer, as a monitor noob, there is something I can't really figure out in my searches: I would like to know if there are monitors that also act as docking stations, with data transfer and charging for several devices?
I currently have a MBP 15" with 4 USB-C ports and will soon receive a MBP M1 with only 2 USB-C ports. I'm an iOS developer and have an iPad and an iPhone plugged in permanently when I am developing, they are both charging and transferring data (building via Wifi is too slow). The MBP is also always charging at the same time, so basically I have to plug and unplug 3 cables every time I want to move with my MBP, and it would be 4 if I had a monitor. With the new MBP M1, I will probably use a monitor at my desk.
What I have a hard time figuring out is: is there a monitor that would allow me to plug a single cable into the MBP and get the same 4 connections, with data transferring AND charging for all 3 devices?
Concretely, here is my dream setup:
1. When I get to my desk, I plug a single USB-C cable into the MBP M1, that is connected to the monitor. The MBP can either be closed or open, I do not know yet how I will prefer to use it.
2. The MBP sends video data (and maybe audio but not mandatory) to the monitor but also gets charged (that part is normal, if I understand well I just have to look for "PD" USB-C)
3. In addition, the iPad and iPhone are connected to the monitor via two USB-C or A cables. They transfer data to the MBP but they are also charging at all time.
4. Ideally, but not mandatory, the iPhone and iPad can keep charging even if the MBP is not plugged into the monitor.
Is this setup feasible with just a monitor? Or is a docking station mandatory?
Are there specific "terms" should I google when I search for this kind of connectivity?
Thank you all!
If anyone has time to answer, as a monitor noob, there is something I can't really figure out in my searches: I would like to know if there are monitors that also act as docking stations, with data transfer and charging for several devices?
I currently have a MBP 15" with 4 USB-C ports and will soon receive a MBP M1 with only 2 USB-C ports. I'm an iOS developer and have an iPad and an iPhone plugged in permanently when I am developing, they are both charging and transferring data (building via Wifi is too slow). The MBP is also always charging at the same time, so basically I have to plug and unplug 3 cables every time I want to move with my MBP, and it would be 4 if I had a monitor. With the new MBP M1, I will probably use a monitor at my desk.
What I have a hard time figuring out is: is there a monitor that would allow me to plug a single cable into the MBP and get the same 4 connections, with data transferring AND charging for all 3 devices?
Concretely, here is my dream setup:
1. When I get to my desk, I plug a single USB-C cable into the MBP M1, that is connected to the monitor. The MBP can either be closed or open, I do not know yet how I will prefer to use it.
2. The MBP sends video data (and maybe audio but not mandatory) to the monitor but also gets charged (that part is normal, if I understand well I just have to look for "PD" USB-C)
3. In addition, the iPad and iPhone are connected to the monitor via two USB-C or A cables. They transfer data to the MBP but they are also charging at all time.
4. Ideally, but not mandatory, the iPhone and iPad can keep charging even if the MBP is not plugged into the monitor.
Is this setup feasible with just a monitor? Or is a docking station mandatory?
Are there specific "terms" should I google when I search for this kind of connectivity?
Thank you all!
Brilliant, thanks. Does any monitor that has USB ports will be able to both transfer data AND charge devices, and as many at the same time as there are ports? Or is it a specific type of ports that the LG Ultrafine, among others, has?
I had the feeling that it was not that straightforward and that some ports cannot charge, or charge slower, that's why I was not sure.
I had the feeling that it was not that straightforward and that some ports cannot charge, or charge slower, that's why I was not sure.
Hi.
I have been trying to extend my MBP M1 display onto my Imac 2019 5K using Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) cable without any luck.
I can see that my MBP gets powered from the Imac but I can't extend the screen onto the Imac.
I also do not get the arrangement tap in screen settings.
Seems that it's connected but just not for screen sharing...
Can anyone tell what I'm doing wrong or if smth else is wrong with this setup?
Thanks 🙏 😊
I have been trying to extend my MBP M1 display onto my Imac 2019 5K using Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) cable without any luck.
I can see that my MBP gets powered from the Imac but I can't extend the screen onto the Imac.
I also do not get the arrangement tap in screen settings.
Seems that it's connected but just not for screen sharing...
Can anyone tell what I'm doing wrong or if smth else is wrong with this setup?
Thanks 🙏 😊
I think you’re supposed to be able to use theports for both charging and data. For example you should be able to plug a hard-drive in - so that’s data transfer. So my expectation is that it would work. I guess others will have to confrirm 100% as I don’t have an LG Ultrafine as of yet. I couldn’t see any difference between any of the usb-c ports but they are slower than the thunderbolt ones of course. USB 3 speed should be all you need though for iOS devices.
iMacs since around 2014 have not supported Target Display Mode, so you will not be able to use your iMac to extend the display of your MBP.
Your best option might be Luna Display by Astropad which has a Mac to Mac mode - but don’t expect it to be as good as a wired connection as it’s over wifi and won’t be retina resolution.
Luna Display's Modes - Astropad
shop.astropad.com
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I have an LG Ultrafine 27" 5k and love it. It's gorgeous, identical to my recently-retired iMac 5k, and acts as a hub for my keyboard and mouse, easily letting me switch back and forth between my personal M1 Mini and my work MacBook Pro by swapping a single cable.
Thanks!
I've done quite a lot more research since and have received the MBP 13, so I have 14 days to find a great monitor or return the MBP and keep my older 15" with many USB-C ports and standing on a stand.
Unfortunately, it looks like whatever the budget, no monitor really ticks all the boxes!
Must-have for accompanying a MBP M1, in my opinion:
1. USB-C connection with charging, minimum 50W charging (for MBP 13").
2. 4K or 5K, minimum 27" (might even consider 24" I think, if it has the rest of needs)
3. Some USB ports with a good charging speed so that it can be used to charge the iPad Pro for instance. LG UltraFine seems to have 7.5W. That might be fine, but the next point rules it out:
4. The monitor should keep charging the devices (iPad Pro and/or iPhone), even when the MBP is not plugged into the monitor.
5. Have speakers (sufficiently good for watching some videos on YouTube, or watching the news)
6. macOS support so that you can change the brightness and the speaker volume from the TouchBar/function keys. If needed to install a software to do that, that might be ok, but annoying
Ideal:
- Webcam and microphone (but that's not mandatory, that requirement seems to eliminate too many monitors)
I had not looked into monitors in years and thought the tech would be great by now, so I am surprised that this doesn't seem to exist in 2021.
Can anyone that has done the same research or has the same computer confirm that this is asking for too much, no brand provides all those features, no matter the price?
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Just an update, I've just realized that the MacBook Pro itself only charges devices at 5W (EDIT: actually more like 12.5W, 5W was because the battery level was above 80%), so I'm stupid not to be happy with 7.5W, it has worked great for me until now.
I've ordered a LG UltraFine 5K (LG27MD5KL, not the older LG27MD5KA, be careful). I've chosen this one because it seems to be a good quality, 5K, 27 inches, has speakers but also a (good enough) webcam and microphone which is rare, ports that charge devices at 7.5W, macOS support, and it charges the MBP at high speed. No other monitors do these things, not even the XDR: you need external speakers and webcam (but the screen and image quality is in another league altogether).
It looks like one of the only issues is that it will probably not keep charging devices when the MBP is not connected, so if this becomes the main overnight charger for the iPad for instance, will have to make sure that the MBP is plugged in in the evening.
I am also not sure auto-brightness works when the MBP is open, happy to report on this when I receive it, if anyone wants.
Thank you all!
I've ordered a LG UltraFine 5K (LG27MD5KL, not the older LG27MD5KA, be careful). I've chosen this one because it seems to be a good quality, 5K, 27 inches, has speakers but also a (good enough) webcam and microphone which is rare, ports that charge devices at 7.5W, macOS support, and it charges the MBP at high speed. No other monitors do these things, not even the XDR: you need external speakers and webcam (but the screen and image quality is in another league altogether).
It looks like one of the only issues is that it will probably not keep charging devices when the MBP is not connected, so if this becomes the main overnight charger for the iPad for instance, will have to make sure that the MBP is plugged in in the evening.
I am also not sure auto-brightness works when the MBP is open, happy to report on this when I receive it, if anyone wants.
Thank you all!
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I’m looking at this model over a 34” curved monitor. Can I ask if you have used this with picture by picture mode (particularly with the same M1 MacBook)? I will be using Davinci Resolve which does not have floating windows but will split up interface elements across multiple monitors. Also any feedback on colour accuracy? Greatly appreciate any feedback.
I'm considering 27" Dell U2720Q and I was wondering if 3008x1692 looks like resolution is still usable/readable in this size monitor? Or does it even offer this high for this model or is 2560x1440 highest besides native and does it matter which input you use?
I currently have 25" 2560x1440 monitor running at native resolution with my M1 Mini and font size is fine for me and if I calculated right 27" running 3008x1692 looks like would result about 9% smaller fonts. Hard to say for sure but I guess I could live with that since I have monitor just couple feet away from my eyes.
Also is there any way to get P3 95% color gamut out of this in real life? Anyone here actually measured that with their color meter at home?
I currently have 25" 2560x1440 monitor running at native resolution with my M1 Mini and font size is fine for me and if I calculated right 27" running 3008x1692 looks like would result about 9% smaller fonts. Hard to say for sure but I guess I could live with that since I have monitor just couple feet away from my eyes.
Also is there any way to get P3 95% color gamut out of this in real life? Anyone here actually measured that with their color meter at home?
My reply is most likely not very helpful, since your post was way back in December 2020. However, FWIW, I am assuming that you are talking about Apple's LED Cinema 27" display. I have one of those and currently have it connected to my MacBook Air M1 without any issues. The adapter I'm using is a Alogic UCMDP-ADP. It states it is designed in Australia, which I was quite surprised about, although of course Made in PRC.
So, unfortunately, my reply is most likely too late, although someone else may have provided a solution to your problem later on in this thread, I haven't read it all.
So, just to clarify, with an M1 MacBook Air, no problems at all. However, with an iMac M1, it still works but after power up, need to unplug and plug it back in for it to display correct resolution on LED Cinema Display.
Here's a reliable source in Oz if anyone's interested:
I only added the above as I couldn't see it on Amazon. Usually, there's far more choice in the US than Australia.
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Sorry to bring up the past, but I need clarification on what is being said here.
First, it's not for me, I have a Pro Display XDR love it. Worth the money to me, it's helped with eye strain even, my contacts (for going out, not at the computer) strength dropped a couple of levels, going to retina from LED Cinema. And I wanted the UI elements to be the familiar physical dimensions (because I develop software, graphics, and UI's from time to time).
My friend's old Mac Pro is dying, I told him to get a mac mini m1 for now. He has a 27" monitor, can't fit bigger, doesn't want to go smaller, it's 1080p. I'd tell him to go to the LG 5K, but it's not readily available. I guess he could stay with his current one (I guess it has HDMI, need to check, it's about 11 years old) for a while, but at first blush it seems like a 4K 27" would give him the same size features, but double the resolution for text sharpness.
Am I wrong about that? Will the Mac not differentiate between doubling the resolution of the test, but at same size, while keeping the UI graphics the same size? I know it will do the right thing with the Apple 6K at 32", the LG ultrafine 5K at 27", and the LG ultrafine 4K at 24". But dvdrl's comments seem to indicate I can't expect a 27" 4K to effectively be just a larger version of the LG 4K 24". Or does the "ultrafine" 4K interact with the Mac differently than another LG 4K? (Or, is the problem that I'm reading a one-year-old message and maybe Mac OS deals with 4K better now?)
(Actually, the one I was considering was LG 27UN850-W Ultrafine UHD, which is also "ultrafine"...)
Going from a
Going from 27" 1080p to 27" 4k will be fine. Using the default resolution, the UI will be the same, but sharper. I believe the post you quoted is referring to going from 27" 1440p to 27"4k, which will not scale the same way as 1080p to 4k.
Only had my 25" Dell monitor for 9 months but am now thinking of moving up ate 34". I don't game on my MacBook but just love the look of this. Any thoughts? Anyone else moved to a 34"? Thanks. Saw this on a YouTube video. This is the Amazon link. Do you guys think this is a decent monitor?
MSI Optix MAG342CQR 34 Inch UWQHD Curved Gaming Monitor - 1500R 3440 x 1440 VA Panel, 144 Hz / 1 ms, Adaptive Sync, HDR Ready, Mystic Light, 4-Way Adjutable Stand - DP 1.4, HDMI 2.0
MSI Optix MAG342CQR Curved Gaming Monitor: See Beyond the Game Equipped with an immersive, curved 34" UWQHD (3440x1440) VA panel (1500R) with 144 Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, the Optix MAG342CQR Curved Gaming Monitor provides a competitive edge over most opponents. The Optix MAG342CQR f...
www.amazon.co.uk
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It’s only 110 ppi, so you won’t get the HiDPI (Retina) modes with their vastly better text rendering. I consider non-HiDPI text rendering to be pretty awful on macOS so I wouldn’t go with that one. On the other hand, if you don’t mind non-HiDPI text rendering you may be fine with it.
The LG 34WK95 and the MSI PS341WU are the only 34” ultrawides with a sufficiently high resolution and pixel density for macOS’ HiDPI modes and their vastly better font rendering.
I bought the LG 32UN880-B 31.5p IPS UHD 4K and am very pleased with it.
On amazon it is sold voor €720. I bought it for €420. It was returned to amazon, the package was damaged and supposedly there was damage on the mount, back and bezel.. i did not find any, lucky me. Now waiting for my M1 Max Pro 16" MF...
On amazon it is sold voor €720. I bought it for €420. It was returned to amazon, the package was damaged and supposedly there was damage on the mount, back and bezel.. i did not find any, lucky me. Now waiting for my M1 Max Pro 16" MF...
I have a naive question about connecting the monitor to the mac mini M1. The mini has USB-C and HDMI connections, so does the monitor (LGF 27BL85U-W). My friend might want to connect to his TV at times, so I'll reserve the HDMI for that, and use USB-C.
I'm confounded a little by USB-C cable descriptions, I want to make sure I have the right cable before the hardware shows up Friday. I ordered a 2m USB-C cable from Apple, along with TB-3 to TB-2 and TB-2 to Firewire, the cables showed up today. When looking at the USB-C cables, a lot of them said "charging cable", and I wondered if it meant "a complete USB-C cable that is capable of charging" (maybe meaning adequate current-carrying capability, assuming some such cables might not have suitable wire gauge). I assume I don't need a full Thunderbolt cable.
The cable I ordered noted it was suitable for charging, syncing, and data, on the Apple site. Though the package itself calls it a "USB-C Charge Cable (2m)", and doesn't claim to be more than that. Is this suitable for video? For my Mac Pro and XDR, I used the supplied cable, so don't have experience buying them.
I'm confounded a little by USB-C cable descriptions, I want to make sure I have the right cable before the hardware shows up Friday. I ordered a 2m USB-C cable from Apple, along with TB-3 to TB-2 and TB-2 to Firewire, the cables showed up today. When looking at the USB-C cables, a lot of them said "charging cable", and I wondered if it meant "a complete USB-C cable that is capable of charging" (maybe meaning adequate current-carrying capability, assuming some such cables might not have suitable wire gauge). I assume I don't need a full Thunderbolt cable.
The cable I ordered noted it was suitable for charging, syncing, and data, on the Apple site. Though the package itself calls it a "USB-C Charge Cable (2m)", and doesn't claim to be more than that. Is this suitable for video? For my Mac Pro and XDR, I used the supplied cable, so don't have experience buying them.