Budget monitors for MacBook Air?

[bakuda26]

I have a 16" MacBook Pro (2018) which runs Catalina for my work - I'm on this every weekday from 8 am to 5 pm after which I fully switch to my MacBook Air (2020) running Big Sur for personal projects, etc. I'm looking for a display that would run smooth with both of my MacBooks. My budget is $350-ish but I can go higher if the monitor is a great promise for ~5 years. Most of my use is browsing, coding, reading and a little bit of watching videos. Sharp and crisp visual quality is important, especially coming from a long time of viewing only retina screens. I would prefer 27 inch but I might consider 24 inch options too! Please let me know your suggestions and what worked for you.

Extra info, please feel free to skip this before replying:
I started off with trying HP M27ha FHD monitor and quickly realized that FHD on a 27 inch screen is just not for me. I then got a 24 inch FHD by Sceptre and its display quality was worse than the FHD 27 inch I had before it. Are Sceptre monitors really good? - after using the monitor for just a couple hours, I could not believe how it got the reviews it did.
Anyhow, I next got another 24 inch FHD, this time by HP but it had similarly bad quality of display as the Sceptre - at this point I realized I really prefer the real estate of a 27 inch and my choice of quality has to be better than FHD.
Next, I got a Dell 27 inch QHD - it did not deliver the promised 2560x1440 resolution with the HDMI cable that came in the box. So I got a DisplayPort to USB-c cable and it does give QHD resolution now but at the full resolution, the font is too tiny and it is straining on the eyes to read. MacBooks unfortunately do not have an option to scale the view or change font size while keeping the resolution - I tried a few softwares and the apple-suggested way to make this work but nothing was even remotely perfect. This Dell QHD monitor btw works perfectly on a windows computer giving the best resolution and desired viewing scale. I'm now worried that this might be a pain point with any QHD or UHD monitor I get. Do you all live with tiny fonts or bad resolution? Is there no way out of this problem? I'm feeling pretty lost at this point and I'm desperate for help and suggestions on what would be a good monitor compatible with my MacBooks.

 

[ipsedixit]

How about this one? I bought this one for my girlfriend for her M1 Mackbook Air and it works like a charm.

Lenovo Q24h-10 23.8-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) USB-C LCD Monitor, LED Backlit, AMD FreeSync, 75Hz, 4ms, 99% sRGB, Speakers, Low Blue Light

Designed to dazzle in your home office and for your entertainment needs, the Lenovo Q24h-10 23.8-inch monitor is powered to perform. This QHD monitor blends style and performance to offer an unmatched user experience, whether you work from home, are a college student, or just want a stunning high...

www.amazon.com

I also have this LG 5K Ultrafine Display that I no longer use and would be interested in selling. Just let me know.

LG UltraFine 5K Display - Apple

Apple Store Search Results

www.apple.com

 

[teohyc]

If you run 2560 x 1440 without scaling on a 27-inch monitor, all the UI element should be quite big.

25-27 inch displays work well with 1440P resolution.

 

[bakuda26]

If you run 2560 x 1440 without scaling on a 27-inch monitor, all the UI element should be quite big.

25-27 inch displays work well with 1440P resolution.

Well, the font is tiny enough that it doesn't stay sharp and I can see the pixels when I try to read any text.

 

[teohyc]

Well, the font is tiny enough that it doesn't stay sharp and I can see the pixels when I try to read any text.

That's really strange.

1440P resolution on a 27-inch monitor should have reasonable large fonts. But yes there will be pixelation with this resolution and display size combo.

If you really want big and sharp fonts, then you have to go with 24-inch 4K displays (used at 1080P scaling, 32-inch 4K displays (used at 1440 scaling).

I wanted to recommend LG 5K display but it will just mean there's no pixelation but the fonts will still be small.

 

[deksawyer]

I use a Lenovo Q27h-10 QHD with my M1 air and it suits me fine. Text isn't too small, icons and folders aren't too big.

The offset stand design means the Air sits under it out the way quite nicely.

However, if I were you, I'd be spending a little more on that new Huawei Mateview monitor.

 

[bakuda26]

I use a Lenovo Q27h-10 QHD with my M1 air and it suits me fine. Text isn't too small, icons and folders aren't too big.

The offset stand design means the Air sits under it out the way quite nicely.

However, if I were you, I'd be spending a little more on that new Huawei Mateview monitor.

Yeah, I had the Q27h in mind earlier but it is not available in the US with reasonable delivery time. I cannot find if Huawei Mateview is available in the US either. I'm thinking of getting the Lenovo Q24 instead.

 

[bakuda26]

That's really strange.

1440P resolution on a 27-inch monitor should have reasonable large fonts. But yes there will be pixelation with this resolution and display size combo.

If you really want big and sharp fonts, then you have to go with 24-inch 4K displays (used at 1080P scaling, 32-inch 4K displays (used at 1440 scaling).

I wanted to recommend LG 5K display but it will just mean there's no pixelation but the fonts will still be small.

Those are useful suggestions, thanks!
Honestly, I do not so much mind the tiny font as much as I dislike the lack of sharpness. Maybe it is my eyesight but I can literally count the 9 pixels in a full-stop at the QHD resolution on the Dell S2721D.

 

[macsound1]

If you're willing to look around a bit and are ok with a display that's not 4k, look at the Apple thunderbolt display.
I've consistently found them on craigslist being sold as offices aren't returning to work or upgrade.
I've always loved how they're actually an apple display and am not bothered about the resolution.

 

[kyjaotkb]

I have a LG 27UL550 IPS 4K monitor. It's not a perfectresolution for the size and I run everything at 150%. I kind of regret not having gone for a LG 24" 4K (@200%) or even a 21.5" 4K (but that only seems to exist in Intel iMacs).

The 27UL600 (which goes up to 144Hz) is currently available in your price range.

If money was no object and if I knew a doctor, I'd have tried to source this nice 3:2 4.2k x 2.8k beast.

 

[bakuda26]

I have a LG 27UL550 IPS 4K monitor. It's not a perfectresolution for the size and I run everything at 150%. I kind of regret not having gone for a LG 24" 4K (@200%) or even a 21.5" 4K (but that only seems to exist in Intel iMacs).

The 27UL600 (which goes up to 144Hz) is currently available in your price range.

If money was no object and if I knew a doctor, I'd have tried to source this nice 3:2 4.2k x 2.8k beast.

How do you set it to run at 150%? I cannot find any scaling option in my MacBook Pro/Air except for the scaled resolution which makes the contents somewhat pixelated.

 

[jdb8167]

How do you set it to run at 150%? I cannot find any scaling option in my MacBook Pro/Air except for the scaled resolution which makes the contents somewhat pixelated.

You need a HiDPI display. Sometimes you can get more scaled resolutions by option clicking the scaled button.

I personally use an LG 24” 4K display. It has reasonably high resolution at about 183 DPI. About $300 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPNKFK0/

 

[bakuda26]

You need a HiDPI display. Sometimes you can get more scaled resolutions by option clicking the scaled button.

I personally use an LG 24” 4K display. It has reasonably high resolution at about 183 DPI. About $300 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPNKFK0/

Thanks a lot for your suggestion, I bought this one and it is WOW!
Although I wish LG or Amazon had this one in 27 inch since I think I miss the real estate. That being said, the visual quality is so awesome! Thanks again.