current 4/5k Options on the nMP

[chfilm]

Hi,

Since I got a new retina macbook, my eyes don't want to look at the Apple Thunderbolt Display anymore. I want retina on the Mac Pro as well!

What are the options? Currently I have two 27" TB Displays that need to be replaced. I thought about two DELL UP 2715K, but obviously regarding to another thread here, the mac pro lacks power to really drive both of them properly.

Does anyone have a 27" 4k Display in action, using it at the scaled setting that offers the screen estate of 2560x1440, but not the "true" retina ok a 5k 27" display?
How does that look for you? Is it still a worthy upgrade? If I use the scaled settings on my macbook I have to say it still looks pretty amazing compared to what I'm currently looking at on the TB Displays.

Obviously the best choice would be if Apple finally released an upgraded mac pro with TB3. I'm pretty sure it will come later this year, but what if not..? And even if.. another year with these displays is gonna be pretty awful Are there any other options that I'm not aware of?

Oh and I should add- I'd really love a glossy display.

 

[michaelz]

LG 27UD88

 

[Macinsquatch]

I have the nMP driving three Dell P2715Q displays at 4K. No problems.

 

[Ph.D.]

Perhaps wait for the new LG 32UD99?

 

[chfilm]

Do

I have the nMP driving three Dell P2715Q displays at 4K. No problems.

at what scaled resolution do you use them? 1440p or 1080p?
[doublepost=1483524312][/doublepost]and does anyone use the dell 2715k?
In the other thread they said it's not working properly, but on the Apple website it's claimed as compatible.

 

[michaelz]

the dell monitor doesn't have usb-c port.

 

[chfilm]

the dell monitor doesn't have usb-c port.

...neither does the Mac Pro have one... so?

 

[michaelz]

...neither does the Mac Pro have one... so?

True. But it is a must to have for op's new MacBook. Or any future laptops.

 

[chfilm]

True. But it is a must to have for op's new MacBook. Or any future laptops.

I dont care about my macbook, just my MAC PRO. Though I have to say it bothers me to think of maybe buying a new new mac pro later this year when there will be one and then that machine will only have USBC ports.

Probably right now is just a really bad time to buy a 5k display for a mac pro, because inevitably there's gonna be a usbc trashcan compatible with that new breed of displays like the LG one...

But my only real question here is: Is the Mac Pro up to serve 2x DELL UP 2715K at 5k, or will a 27" 4k Display at 1440p scaled still look considerably better than the ATD?

 

[Ph.D.]

But my only real question here is: Is the Mac Pro up to serve 2x DELL UP 2715K at 5k, or will a 27" 4k Display at 1440p scaled still look considerably better than the ATD?

Look here for some information about the Dell 5k, including possible problems:

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/servicetag/UP2715K/research

 

[michaelz]

Just get two LG 5K monitor from Apple store, it's the best 5k monitor and lowest price too. Only thing I don't like is it doesn't have a physical button. I don't see why Mac Pro can't drive two 5K monitor with dual d700.

 

[Ph.D.]

Just get two LG 5K monitor from Apple store, ...

Dude, those won't work at 5k on the nMP, and they won't even work in 4k (scaled) as a primary monitor.

 

[chfilm]

Is there no one on this forum with one of the two setups? Either the two dell 4Ks or the 5Ks able to answer my question?

 

[sirisy]

Is there no one on this forum with one of the two setups? Either the two dell 4Ks or the 5Ks able to answer my question?

sorry for my bad english... im brazilian

so, I use 2 up2715k with no "big" problems on a mac pro basic (d400) with macos 10.12.2 ...

one of the monitors I connected on ports 1 and 2 and the other on 6 and 5. My port 4 is with an apple thunderbolt display and the 3 with an 500gb ssd raid 0 + a external disk (5tb) connected in chain

I do not use anything heavy in graphic terms. My mac pro is used for day to day tasks (email, writing texts, spreadsheets, surfing the internet) and as a home movie server
[doublepost=1483637944][/doublepost]Complementing the previous post.... the only 2 small problems I have are:

1) rarely one of the monitors does not wake up. It is then necessary to unplug the power cord and reconnect it to the wall outlet.

2) up2715k is slow to wake up (this is a "problem" of the monitor pointed out by Dell). So if you need the boot screen or a "faster" monitor in this respect, I recommend keeping a Thunderbolt Display

 

[chfilm]

sorry for my bad english... im brazilian

so, I use 2 up2715k with no "big" problems on a mac pro basic (d400) with macos 10.12.2 ...

one of the monitors I connected on ports 1 and 2 and the other on 6 and 5. My port 4 is with an apple thunderbolt display and the 3 with an 500gb ssd raid 0 + a external disk (5tb) connected in chain

I do not use anything heavy in graphic terms. My mac pro is used for day to day tasks (email, writing texts, spreadsheets, surfing the internet) and as a home movie server
[doublepost=1483637944][/doublepost]Complementing the previous post.... the only 2 small problems I have are:

1) rarely one of the monitors does not wake up. It is then necessary to unplug the power cord and reconnect it to the wall outlet.

2) up2715k is slow to wake up (this is a "problem" of the monitor pointed out by Dell). So if you need the boot screen or a "faster" monitor in this respect, I recommend keeping a Thunderbolt Display

Thanks so far - Well actually my TB Display never shows me the bootscreen either. It only wakes up when the desktop appears. EVERY SINGLE TIME. has driven me crazy quite often in the past, because sometimes both of them just stay black alltogether.
Is the interface lag free? Like does everything still move smoothly?

 

[kohlson]

I have a Dell 2715Q, and run it mostly at 1440p. It looks awesome. I connect two different MBP-15s to it. A late 2013 with GPU, which is no problem. An early 2014 with integrated GPU. That one struggles, which I believe is due to the scaling. The early 2014 is a work laptop, and so mostly slides, which doesn't really tax it. But resizing PPT - noticeable, but acceptable. You wouldn't want it any slower... FCPX and Audition on the 2013 model, and it works without lag.

 

[ixxx69]

Hi,

Since I got a new retina macbook, my eyes don't want to look at the Apple Thunderbolt Display anymore. I want retina on the Mac Pro as well!

What are the options? Currently I have two 27" TB Displays that need to be replaced. I thought about two DELL UP 2715K, but obviously regarding to another thread here, the mac pro lacks power to really drive both of them properly.

Does anyone have a 27" 4k Display in action, using it at the scaled setting that offers the screen estate of 2560x1440, but not the "true" retina ok a 5k 27" display?
How does that look for you? Is it still a worthy upgrade? If I use the scaled settings on my macbook I have to say it still looks pretty amazing compared to what I'm currently looking at on the TB Displays.

Obviously the best choice would be if Apple finally released an upgraded mac pro with TB3. I'm pretty sure it will come later this year, but what if not..? And even if.. another year with these displays is gonna be pretty awful Are there any other options that I'm not aware of?

Oh and I should add- I'd really love a glossy display.

I have two Dell P2715Q's on a nMP/D300. Simply awesome.

I mostly run at scaled 1080p because scaled 1440p is a little small for comfort for my eyes, and 1080p almost feels laser sharp (I can't wait for 8K!), but the scaled 1440p is still way better than a native 1440p display (IMHO). Now if you set it next to a 5K display, it would probably be noticeable if you looked closely.

I know people tend to be skeptical or think HiDPI displays are overhyped, but everyone I personally know who experiences them have trouble ever going back (just like with your MBP).

A note about TB3/DisplayPort over USB Type C - you should have no trouble hooking up your MBP or next Mac Pro (if they ever release a new one). The TB3 port outputs to DP with an adapter/replacement cable... you can already buy them on Amazon, etc.

 

[chfilm]

I have two Dell P2715Q's on a nMP/D300. Simply awesome.

I mostly run at scaled 1080p because scaled 1440p is a little small for comfort for my eyes, and 1080p almost feels laser sharp (I can't wait for 8K!), but the scaled 1440p is still way better than a native 1440p display (IMHO). Now if you set it next to a 5K display, it would probably be noticeable if you looked closely.

I know people tend to be skeptical or think HiDPI displays are overhyped, but everyone I personally know who experiences them have trouble ever going back (just like with your MBP).

A note about TB3/DisplayPort over USB Type C - you should have no trouble hooking up your MBP or next Mac Pro (if they ever release a new one). The TB3 port outputs to DP with an adapter/replacement cable... you can already buy them on Amazon, etc.

Thanks, that's the kind of feedback I was waiting for.
Do you have a retina macbook too? Is the 1440p comparable to the scaled mode that makes everything a little bit larger or tinier than the optimal retina resolution?
I can simply not see any noticable difference in the quality compared to the native retina mode, I have to say.
If the 1440p mode on the 2715Q is similiar, I wouldnt hesitate getting it. Only downer is the matte display :/
That again pushes me towards the 2715K. I already saw that there's TB3-Dual DP Adapters, meaning that I could potentially keep using them with a future mac pro as well, wich is good to know.

and how about Sleep/wake issues?
I never put my mac pro into sleep mode, only on/off. but sometimes I want my screens to shut off, cause they're in the living room and I use the computer just to play music some times when I have guests. How is this handled with these screens? Just by disabling sleep mode and manually powering them on and off?

I'm so mad that this situation is so complicated with the nMP. Apple really lured us in back in the day with their 3x4k Promise, and nobody truly understood that it didnt mean proper retina support on 27" displays... everyone was thinking that there would be a 27" Apple Retina display sooner or later at the time, but only then did we understand the limitations of TB2 and that it would actually need TB3 for a seamless solution like there's now with the new macbook pro.

Kinda torn between buying something now that seems to have a lot of issues, or wait till october when there's presumably a new mac pro. I simply CAN NOT imagine that apple won't offer an update to the trashcan with TB3. It wouldnt make any sense.

 

[ixxx69]

Thanks, that's the kind of feedback I was waiting for.
Do you have a retina macbook too? Is the 1440p comparable to the scaled mode that makes everything a little bit larger or tinier than the optimal retina resolution?
I can simply not see any noticable difference in the quality compared to the native retina mode, I have to say.
If the 1440p mode on the 2715Q is similiar, I wouldnt hesitate getting it. Only downer is the matte display :/
That again pushes me towards the 2715K. I already saw that there's TB3-Dual DP Adapters, meaning that I could potentially keep using them with a future mac pro as well, wich is good to know.

and how about Sleep/wake issues?
I never put my mac pro into sleep mode, only on/off. but sometimes I want my screens to shut off, cause they're in the living room and I use the computer just to play music some times when I have guests. How is this handled with these screens? Just by disabling sleep mode and manually powering them on and off?

I'm so mad that this situation is so complicated with the nMP. Apple really lured us in back in the day with their 3x4k Promise, and nobody truly understood that it didnt mean proper retina support on 27" displays... everyone was thinking that there would be a 27" Apple Retina display sooner or later at the time, but only then did we understand the limitations of TB2 and that it would actually need TB3 for a seamless solution like there's now with the new macbook pro.

Kinda torn between buying something now that seems to have a lot of issues, or wait till october when there's presumably a new mac pro. I simply CAN NOT imagine that apple won't offer an update to the trashcan with TB3. It wouldnt make any sense.

I have a rMB, and yes, it's very similar, but keep in mind that while the MB/MBP don't have 4K, their DPI is higher on the small screens - ~220dpi - while a 4K 27" is 163dpi. That's still much higher than a SD 1440p display at ~108dpi (and yes, 163dpi maybe doesn't sound like that much more than 108dpi, but it's night and day in reality). But 220dpi is much higher than 163dpi. Most people sit further from a big screen then their laptop screen, so it's not as big a deal as that sounds. It's subjective, but I don't think you'd be disappointed in the 4K.

Rare that someone prefers glossy displays, but IMO (and most reviews would agree) the matte on these is relatively subtle... this is not the "matte" of a decade ago. It's more like looking at paper than looking at paper behind glass. But YMMV.

Regarding the sleep/wake issues, if you're referring to reports of the displays not waking up from sleep, that issue has been resolved with the latest P2715Q revisions. Unfortunately I have the first release that has that issue, but the newest revisions don't.

I don't understand why your so mad at Apple. Retina is a marketing term for HiDPI displays and essentially means whatever Apple wants it to mean. Apple 4K displays wouldn't look any better than Dell's. Apple never promised "retina" displays for the MP, and 5K display technology and the GPUs to drive them are still bleeding edge a few years later. There aren't any "issues", so not sure what you're referring to. I would bet that new displays will start to incorporate Type-C connections, including power feeds to laptops, etc., but that's always the case with the progress of new technology... older stuff becomes outdated. If you want 4K now, go for it. If you want to wait for the latest technology, wait.

Good luck!

 

[chfilm]

I have a rMB, and yes, it's very similar, but keep in mind that while the MB/MBP don't have 4K, their DPI is higher on the small screens - ~220dpi - while a 4K 27" is 163dpi. That's still much higher than a SD 1440p display at ~108dpi (and yes, 163dpi maybe doesn't sound like that much more than 108dpi, but it's night and day in reality). But 220dpi is much higher than 163dpi. Most people sit further from a big screen then their laptop screen, so it's not as big a deal as that sounds. It's subjective, but I don't think you'd be disappointed in the 4K.

Rare that someone prefers glossy displays, but IMO (and most reviews would agree) the matte on these is relatively subtle... this is not the "matte" of a decade ago. It's more like looking at paper than looking at paper behind glass. But YMMV.

Regarding the sleep/wake issues, if you're referring to reports of the displays not waking up from sleep, that issue has been resolved with the latest P2715Q revisions. Unfortunately I have the first release that has that issue, but the newest revisions don't.

I don't understand why your so mad at Apple. Retina is a marketing term for HiDPI displays and essentially means whatever Apple wants it to mean. Apple 4K displays wouldn't look any better than Dell's. Apple never promised "retina" displays for the MP, and 5K display technology and the GPUs to drive them are still bleeding edge a few years later. There aren't any "issues", so not sure what you're referring to. I would bet that new displays will start to incorporate Type-C connections, including power feeds to laptops, etc., but that's always the case with the progress of new technology... older stuff becomes outdated. If you want 4K now, go for it. If you want to wait for the latest technology, wait.

Good luck!

Thanks for the detailed response! I'll try to catch a look at the 4k Display in some store.

Regarding my madness at apple: I think at the time when the nMP came out, almost no one realized that we actually would need a 5k display to achieve what we had gotten used to with our retina displays.
Everyone thought that they would come up with a scaling option for the graphics inside of OSX to just run the display at 4k but not have TINY fonts and icons.
Well played apple... from todays perspective of course I understand (almost) every move they made, except ditching the TB Display. They shouldve made that LG 5k display in a thin imac style casing and be done with it. That way, when the new mac pro comes out with USB C, everyone would be happy.