Buy Apple Pro Display XDR now for the new MacBook Pro M1 Max?

[ascender]

To be honest at this point, I’d probably wait for a larger iMac Pro and see what max resolution it reaches, along with having 120 hz, before buying this XDR screen.

That's pretty much where my thinking is-at now. If they announce a larger iMac with the chipset from the MBP, I'll get one of those with reasonable specs and that will be my main machine for many years to come.

If only they did an Ultrawide option though!

 

[AeroUK]

I am in exactly the same position. I tried the LG5k and it’s good but the one I have has some bugs occasionally and was $1500. Other displays just don’t look as nice. Spending $6000 on the pro display seems crazy but then again if it lasts me ten years I think it would be worth it. I would only be annoyed if Apple release a 32” iMac which is half the price and with even better specs. I am thinking of getting the display and figuring out a way to pay for it because I want to have a smooth workflow and not wait for the next best thing….

 

[Amethyst1]

I am in exactly the same position. I tried the LG5k and it’s good but the one I have has some bugs occasionally and was $1500.

I got a used Dell UP2715K (same panel as the LG) for like $500. Works great and no bugs that I can think of. Might be worth looking into as an alternative.

 

[Rupp]

Good Day,

I am currently setting up my MBP 16, Maxed out chip and RAM, 4TBSSD. My circa 2013 Mac Pro is on its last legs and requires rebooting at least once every 48 hours with some crash or other running Big Sur.

I have been running a pair of NEC Spectraview monitors with calibration (PA301SW and PA 271W) which are also on their last legs. My reason for needing a well calibrated monitor is photography with printing. Are the XDR owners posting here using the XDRs primarily for video, photography, all, and/or other?

Did anyone consider the BenQ high end?

Thanks.

 

[Jaro65]

I am in exactly the same position. I tried the LG5k and it’s good but the one I have has some bugs occasionally and was $1500. Other displays just don’t look as nice. Spending $6000 on the pro display seems crazy but then again if it lasts me ten years I think it would be worth it. I would only be annoyed if Apple release a 32” iMac which is half the price and with even better specs. I am thinking of getting the display and figuring out a way to pay for it because I want to have a smooth workflow and not wait for the next best thing….

I was in the same situation as you a few months ago. Still running Apple's 27" Cinema Display (ACD) monitor which served me well for 10+ years. I considered the LG5k as I had a really hard time justifying the XDR monitor's cost. In the end, I just swallowed the bullet and bought an XDR. It is a marvelous display and I don't regret spending the money. I do expect it to last though as long as the ACD. I still actually use the ACD together with XDR, both hooked to a 2018 MBP 15 and BlackMagic Pro eGPU. I'm curious about the new iMac (hopefully early 2022), which would then replace the MBP and ACD.

 

[DesertNomad]

I just bought a second XDR to use on my wife's 14". I'd like to replace the 27" Thunderbolt on my 16"+XDR and may do so next year if Apple doesn't come up with a new 27" Retina display. The XDR is indeed very expensive but I still have a 30" Cinema Display on a test machine so if the XDR lasts 10 years, it will have been well worth it.

Back when Cinema Displays first came out (and indeed with 21" Radius PrecisionView displays), I used to spend $2500-$4000 on a good display, so 20 years later $6K is not so crazy for something this good.

 

[Grolubao]

I’m looking for a monitor that can charge my Mb pro 14 and has 5k. Seems the lg is discontinued, is there any other solution other than the xdr?

 

[rb24]

I’m looking for a monitor that can charge my Mb pro 14 and has 5k. Seems the lg is discontinued, is there any other solution other than the xdr?

dunno but you could maybe pass the signal via a powered hub and thereby keep your options open?

 

[AeroUK]

I just bought a second XDR to use on my wife's 14". I'd like to replace the 27" Thunderbolt on my 16"+XDR and may do so next year if Apple doesn't come up with a new 27" Retina display. The XDR is indeed very expensive but I still have a 30" Cinema Display on a test machine so if the XDR lasts 10 years, it will have been well worth it.

Back when Cinema Displays first came out (and indeed with 21" Radius PrecisionView displays), I used to spend $2500-$4000 on a good display, so 20 years later $6K is not so crazy for something this good.

I agree. It should last ten years and even if there’s a 32” iMac it will be expensive and probably won’t completely blow the XDR away. I’m going to get one and enjoy it. I will probably upgrade the MBP in 5 years time and I will have 10 years of solid computing. Can’t wait!

 

[rb24]

A pro-iMac has gotta have promotion. At which point the XDR needs 120Hz, announced together with the Mac Pro. They'll find a fix for the bandwidth problem.

 

[haaland]

Aaaargh! Really can‘t decide whether to pull the trigger for 2 XDRs. I have this Imac 5K i9 2019 with a LG 5K at my office now and I have the 2019 16’’ MBP as my laptop that I drag around. I’m planning to skip the 2 different machines and just have the new 16’’ M1 as my only computer with a couple of good monitors.

Does anyone have the new 16’’ MBP M1 Max with 2 XDRs and can tell wether it’s silent or not? I really hate fan noise…

Since I’m on the computer for at least 8 hours a day and really can’t stand fan noise and poor build quality I‘m leaning towards the XDR with the stand. The stand makes sense since it’s so heavy and will make no movement, unlike the 5K.

My only reservation is that the price on the XDR is so high that I would hate to buy it now if it will be replaced soon. I need the pixel density, the brightness and the contrast - I don’t work with video or images so Pro Motion and 120mhz will be cool but not necessary.

What do you think - buy 2 XDRs now or buy another LG 5K now and wait for the new XDRs that would probably come later this year?

 

[Grolubao]

Aaaargh! Really can‘t decide whether to pull the trigger for 2 XDRs. I have this Imac 5K i9 2019 with a LG 5K at my office now and I have the 2019 16’’ MBP as my laptop that I drag around. I’m planning to skip the 2 different machines and just have the new 16’’ M1 as my only computer with a couple of good monitors.

Does anyone have the new 16’’ MBP M1 Max with 2 XDRs and can tell wether it’s silent or not? I really hate fan noise…

Since I’m on the computer for at least 8 hours a day and really can’t stand fan noise and poor build quality I‘m leaning towards the XDR with the stand. The stand makes sense since it’s so heavy and will make no movement, unlike the 5K.

My only reservation is that the price on the XDR is so high that I would hate to buy it now if it will be replaced soon. I need the pixel density, the brightness and the contrast - I don’t work with video or images so Pro Motion and 120mhz will be cool but not necessary.

What do you think - buy 2 XDRs now or buy another LG 5K now and wait for the new XDRs that would probably come later this year?

Personally I would wait. 2 XDRs is a huge investment

 

[JonoNZ]

I just purchased one XDR display (and stand) and absolutely love it — paired with a 14” M1 Max MBP. In my opinion the Pro Display is quite a bit superior to the 14/16” MBP display — I prefer the cooler white balance of it as well, the MBP looks has a bit of yellow tint (no True Tone on) when compared with the XDR.

Apple might release a mid range display next year, who knows, but I would not count on 120Hz or any revisions to the high end XDR.

 

[haaland]

I don't think that's entirely true. My M1 MacBook Air supports my 100Hz Asus ultrawide at up to the montior's maximum 100Hz.

Is that a 6K display? In the MBPs specifications it says 6K up to 60Hz, not mentioning other regular displays.

 

[rb24]

Aaaargh! Really can‘t decide whether to pull the trigger for 2 XDRs. I have this Imac 5K i9 2019 with a LG 5K at my office now and I have the 2019 16’’ MBP as my laptop that I drag around. I’m planning to skip the 2 different machines and just have the new 16’’ M1 as my only computer with a couple of good monitors.

Does anyone have the new 16’’ MBP M1 Max with 2 XDRs and can tell wether it’s silent or not? I really hate fan noise…

Since I’m on the computer for at least 8 hours a day and really can’t stand fan noise and poor build quality I‘m leaning towards the XDR with the stand. The stand makes sense since it’s so heavy and will make no movement, unlike the 5K.

My only reservation is that the price on the XDR is so high that I would hate to buy it now if it will be replaced soon. I need the pixel density, the brightness and the contrast - I don’t work with video or images so Pro Motion and 120mhz will be cool but not necessary.

What do you think - buy 2 XDRs now or buy another LG 5K now and wait for the new XDRs that would probably come later this year?

Based on what others have said I'd go with a progressive strategy.

1) Get the M1 MBP, transfer files from existing machine, plug in LG 5k and enjoy for a few days. You'll get a sense also of the benefits of HDR and 120Hz not to mention a way more powerful (and totally silent) computer.

2) Then if desperate for second big display you'll maybe get ONE XDR pro.

3) Then, each time there'd a major screen upgrade available you'll replace your oldest screen.

 

[haaland]

That’s a good strategy, but I’m leaning towards going for 2 XDRs now. I want two displays that are identical and since it’s for work the tax system here in Norway makes it ok to change them after 3 years. Since it’s my own company I can actually have my money back if I can resell them at half the price excl VAT in 3 years time. I have more or less zero net spend on my Macs, iPads and iPhones the last 10 years because of this.

 

[rb24]

That’s a good strategy, but I’m leaning towards going for 2 XDRs now. I want two displays that are identical and since it’s for work the tax system here in Norway makes it ok to change them after 3 years. Since it’s my own company I can actually have my money back if I can resell them at half the price excl VAT in 3 years time. I have more or less zero net spend on my Macs, iPads and iPhones the last 10 years because of this.

I love how situation-specific these things can be. Watch out for global component shortages and the USD.NOK currency pair in the Omicron surge!

 

[xraydoc]

Is that a 6K display? In the MBPs specifications it says 6K up to 60Hz, not mentioning other regular displays.

No. 3840x1440.

 

[Man on the moon]

Recently purchased a Pro Display XDR /Stand and have the M1 Pro MBP connected to it.

Beautiful monitor and no issues.

 

[Hjupter Cerrud]

Exactly!

Here is the technical specifications from Apple for the new MacBook Pro M1 Pro/Max in which the supported refresh rates are mentioned:
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP858?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Greetings,
Christoph

This is a bit confusing can anyone confirm this? I mean I thought the m1 pro/max could handle an external monitor with more than 60hz.

On the other side I'm very tempted to get the Pro Display XDR to use it with my m1 max MacBook Pro and if this information is correct I guess should go ahead and pull the trigger.

 

[gugy]

I would wait if you can. I was considering an XDR but at $7k (Nano/stand) I rather wait and see what Apple will release when they update the Mac Pro sometime next year. I would hate to pay top dollar and in less than a year have a new monitor.
But, I am really hoping for a cheaper display option. I would love to pay no more than $2.5k for a lower spec Apple display.

 

[Hjupter Cerrud]

I would wait if you can. I was considering an XDR but at $7k (Nano/stand) I rather wait and see what Apple will release when they update the Mac Pro sometime next year. I would hate to pay top dollar and in less than a year have a new monitor.
But, I am really hoping for a cheaper display option. I would love to pay no more than $2.5k for a lower spec Apple display.

I don't mind paying $5-6k for it I don't need Nano or the stand but I would definitely regret buying it if there is a new one coming soon, in the other hand I really need a second display soon.

 

[Scottyk9]

It is very possible that I am only justifying my recent purchase of the 32 XDR display, but what made up my mind was:

- Apple is very sporadic with display updates. If you look a their standalone displays there have been very few over the last 15 years (23 and 30 Cinema Display, then the 27 thunderbolt, then... nothing for a long time [unless you count their partnership with LG], then the 32). Maybe they will change the frequency of updates, but I wouldn't bet on it.

- The iMac seems to be much more of a priority for Apple, and their 'larger' iMac has reportedly been delayed. I would imagine they would put much more time / effort into this update than a display

- Supply constraints may slow down updates, even if they are planning a more ambitious update cycle

- Finally, I am still using my 30 Cinema Display, 15 years later (although as a secondary display). After using the XDR display for a week or so, I can't imagine wanting for anything more / better for a very long time. Maybe your use case may differ, but I can't imagine how they would update this display that would have a meaningful 'upgrade' that I would want to wait for (aside from a lower price, but Apple typically doesn't do that).

 

[gugy]

I don't mind paying $5-6k for it I don't need Nano or the stand but I would definitely regret buying it if there is a new one coming soon, in the other hand I really need a second display soon.

I get it. I am hanging to my two old 30" ACDs to dear life. I love them but I see my MBP Max screen and it's a huge difference. I would love a new display but third-party options so far don't appease me too much. The only one looks decent is the Huawei Mateview.

 

[Hjupter Cerrud]

It is very possible that I am only justifying my recent purchase of the 32 XDR display, but what made up my mind was:

- Apple is very sporadic with display updates. If you look a their standalone displays there have been very few over the last 15 years (23 and 30 Cinema Display, then the 27 thunderbolt, then... nothing for a long time [unless you count their partnership with LG], then the 32). Maybe they will change the frequency of updates, but I wouldn't bet on it.

- The iMac seems to be much more of a priority for Apple, and their 'larger' iMac has reportedly been delayed. I would imagine they would put much more time / effort into this update than a display

- Supply constraints may slow down updates, even if they are planning a more ambitious update cycle

- Finally, I am still using my 30 Cinema Display, 15 years later (although as a secondary display). After using the XDR display for a week or so, I can't imagine wanting for anything more / better for a very long time. Maybe your use case may differ, but I can't imagine how they would update this display that would have a meaningful 'upgrade' that I would want to wait for (aside from a lower price, but Apple typically doesn't do that).

I think you just justified my purchase as well lol