I've read some are better than others. I'm looking for a 32", 4k, 120+hz monitor for office use just don't want to buy one that looks bad because of dpi issues.
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Can any new monitor work with the mac mini?
- Thread starter FlyingTexan
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Any 4K monitor with an HDMI input will be good to go. I like LG monitors as they strike a good balance between build quality, display quality, functionality, and price.
Are you talking about MacOS being optimized for either 220 dpi (e.g.: 5K at 27") or 110 dpi? Many people are quite happy with 4K and 27"; that's what I'm using now. I monitor shopped last year and wrote up my experience in Nov. 2024: Initial Thoughts on Dell UltraSharp U2723QE. Included are one or more links about the 4K vs. 5K at 27" issue. Some people are adamant that it makes a meaningful difference in text quality, for example, and some of us hardly notice a difference. So it's hard to give you a straight answer.
If you want a near 220 dpi display, and a 32 inch one, it's rumored ASUS is coming out with a 6K 32" display for around $1,200 in the near future (hopefully).
But whether you're looking at 27" or 32" displays, one thing I've noticed...I don't recall 5K or 6K displays offered at 120-Hz refresh rates. All I recall checking into had 60-Hz refresh rates, except maybe a Viewsonic (see below).
On the cheaper end of 5K 27" displays, ASUS has one for around $800 and Viewsonic for around $950; the ASUS has strong reviews, but it's USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode (which should work fine) and the Viewsonic is Thunderbolt 4, and per a Viewsonic page:
4K at 32" is lower dpi than 4K at 27".
If I were shopping right now, I'd be torn between a recent Dell release that's 27", 4K and 120-Hz at a great price, and that ASUS or Viewsonic (but that's a big jump in price).
If you want 32", Mac-recommended dpi (6K?) and 120-Hz refresh rate, I think something is going to have to give.
If you want a near 220 dpi display, and a 32 inch one, it's rumored ASUS is coming out with a 6K 32" display for around $1,200 in the near future (hopefully).
But whether you're looking at 27" or 32" displays, one thing I've noticed...I don't recall 5K or 6K displays offered at 120-Hz refresh rates. All I recall checking into had 60-Hz refresh rates, except maybe a Viewsonic (see below).
On the cheaper end of 5K 27" displays, ASUS has one for around $800 and Viewsonic for around $950; the ASUS has strong reviews, but it's USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode (which should work fine) and the Viewsonic is Thunderbolt 4, and per a Viewsonic page:
- 60Hz refresh rate, overclockable to 75Hz
4K at 32" is lower dpi than 4K at 27".
If I were shopping right now, I'd be torn between a recent Dell release that's 27", 4K and 120-Hz at a great price, and that ASUS or Viewsonic (but that's a big jump in price).
If you want 32", Mac-recommended dpi (6K?) and 120-Hz refresh rate, I think something is going to have to give.
Mac OS is optimised for 27” 5K or 32” 6K.
To keep the correct scaling on a 4K then you end up at 1920x1080p, ie use 4 pixels for 1 compared to 1080P screen.
I have dell 2724D and 2719D amd essentially cannot really see the difference when concentrating on what doing as opposed to looking for the difference. 2724D is 120hz and the 2719D is 60hz and 2560 x 1440 which is what the ASD at 5k defaults to as looks like.
Get my eyes testing every two years and really when doing office work don’t spot the difference.
There are multiple multi page threads about 5k 27” vs other res but
Personally will get the Asus 6k but that is more that came from dell 3008wfp and find miss the size when playing games on windows but share screen with my Mac Studio.
To keep the correct scaling on a 4K then you end up at 1920x1080p, ie use 4 pixels for 1 compared to 1080P screen.
I have dell 2724D and 2719D amd essentially cannot really see the difference when concentrating on what doing as opposed to looking for the difference. 2724D is 120hz and the 2719D is 60hz and 2560 x 1440 which is what the ASD at 5k defaults to as looks like.
Get my eyes testing every two years and really when doing office work don’t spot the difference.
There are multiple multi page threads about 5k 27” vs other res but
Personally will get the Asus 6k but that is more that came from dell 3008wfp and find miss the size when playing games on windows but share screen with my Mac Studio.
@FlyingTexan
Just to be clear, this is scaling not resolution - “Looks like 1920x1080” uses the full 4K resolution of the display to render your content. The only issue is that the UI elements (menu/dialog boxes, scroll bars) are a bit large at that scale on a 27”+ screen. “Looks like 2560x1440” gives smaller icons etc. at the expense of some near-invisible scaling artefacts - but still shows far more detail than you’d get on an actual 1440p screen. On a 32” screen you’d probably be fine using the unscaled “3840x2160” mode.
220ppi (I.e. 5k @ 27”, 6k @ 32”) is certainly optimum for Mac - but at the price, 4k is a perfectly reasonable compromise for most.