Display For New M1 Mini

[August West]

Yesterday I ordered a new M1 mini 512/16 to replace my late 2012 mini. I've been using a 24" Apple Cinema Display that I purchased in 2009. So I figure I might as well update the display to go with the new mini.

A 27" will work well for me. But in looking around I'm a little confused. There are posts and articles that say you should stay with a PPI of around 220 or 110 so you can use the native resolution. Since I'm not spending the $$$ for the 5k LG Retina that leaves me looking at a 27" QHD 2560 x 1440 display which has around 109 PPI so that should be perfect displayed at the native resolution.

But in looking at a lot of the posts here I also see most people seem to have 4k displays and love them. A 27" 4k 3840 x 2160 has a PPI of around 163 so it would need to be scaled for it to be readable, at least for me. But the articles say scaling in MacOS can cause blurry text and jagged lines.

I was looking at something like a Dell P2721Q for the 4k or LG 27GL850-B/Dell S2721DGF for the QHD. My uses aren't real demanding. Just normal home web browsing, email, YouTube & general home apps. Some light photo editing but no video at this time. And no gaming.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Should I go with a UHD or 4k?

 

[Sodner]

This uncertainty on a good monitor choice for a mini has kept me from purchasing an M1 mini so far. I'll be interested to hear what you go with as well as others opinions on this scaling "issue".

 

[itsphilgeorge]

LG 27GL850 is an amazing monitor and a good balance of price to performance. I have used them with the M1 and they work well.

UHD and 4K are mostly the same things, but I assume you mean QHD. If you want to avoid the scaling issues, some elect to get the WQHD style that runs at 3440x1440 or 3840 x 1600, I previously had one of these displays and enjoyed it, but the higher resolution displays on the smaller monitors, such as the LG 27" produce a crisper image.

If you can, get a Thunderbolt monitor as the benefit of a single cable for power and image is worthwhile. Hope that helps.

 

[Ploid]

LG 27GL850 is an amazing monitor and a good balance of price to performance. I have used them with the M1 and they work well.

UHD and 4K are mostly the same things, but I assume you mean QHD. If you want to avoid the scaling issues, some elect to get the WQHD style that runs at 3440x1440 or 3840 x 1600, I previously had one of these displays and enjoyed it, but the higher resolution displays on the smaller monitors, such as the LG 27" produce a crisper image.

If you can, get a Thunderbolt monitor as the benefit of a single cable for power and image is worthwhile. Hope that helps.

I'm having a flickering issue on my LG 27GL850 when I set the refresh rate to 144 Hertz. I'm using a MacBook Pro 16-inch with M1 Max. 144 Hertz works fine on my 2018 Intel MacBook Pro. Do you still have the monitor and do you have any issues with it?

 

[Tagbert]

Yesterday I ordered a new M1 mini 512/16 to replace my late 2012 mini. I've been using a 24" Apple Cinema Display that I purchased in 2009. So I figure I might as well update the display to go with the new mini.

A 27" will work well for me. But in looking around I'm a little confused. There are posts and articles that say you should stay with a PPI of around 220 or 110 so you can use the native resolution. Since I'm not spending the $$$ for the 5k LG Retina that leaves me looking at a 27" QHD 2560 x 1440 display which has around 109 PPI so that should be perfect displayed at the native resolution.

But in looking at a lot of the posts here I also see most people seem to have 4k displays and love them. A 27" 4k 3840 x 2160 has a PPI of around 163 so it would need to be scaled for it to be readable, at least for me. But the articles say scaling in MacOS can cause blurry text and jagged lines.

I was looking at something like a Dell P2721Q for the 4k or LG 27GL850-B/Dell S2721DGF for the QHD. My uses aren't real demanding. Just normal home web browsing, email, YouTube & general home apps. Some light photo editing but no video at this time. And no gaming.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Should I go with a UHD or 4k?

I run an LG 27” 4K monitor at “looks like” 2560 x 1440. Yes, it is scaled but for most purposes there is little downside. I’m sure if I had a 27” 5K display next to it running 2560 x 1440, the 4K might look a little softer on very small text but otherwise, it works quite well. There are no problems with blurry text and jagged lines.

I would love a proper 5K screen but the price is still too high and the 4K works well enough for my needs.

At work, we have some Samsung widescreen displays that I think are 5120 × 1440. They do have a large surface area but the text is noticeably softer than a 4K or true 5K screen.

 

[pshufd]

My M1 mini 16/512 is hooked up to two Dell Ultrasharp 4k 27 inch monitors and there are scaling difference between the monitor on the USB-C port and the HDMI port. The USB-C port offers up to 3,008 x 1,692 while the HDMI port offers up to QHD. They will both work at native resolution.

I've used the M1 mini with a 2k 25 inch Ultrasharp and it was fine at native resolution. I have a Mac Studio hooked up to the same monitor for testing and it is fine at that resolution.

I prefer the Dell Ultrasharp line to their consumer lines (p***, s***).

I also have a 5k iMac next to the mini monitors and, of course, it looks great.

 

[staypuftforums]

Upgrade once every 10 years? I respect that.

Though I would have waited for the M2 if you keep your hardware that long. If for no other reason than the 2 extra years (likely) of OS support. It should be here this coming month.

As far as the monitor, why not go with the LG 4K 24” monitor, seeing as you are coming from a 24” Cinema Display? No scaling issues, as you simply run it pixel doubled in 1080p mode. Will look the same as your Cinema Display, but twice as crisp.

 

[theorist9]

I have a 4k 27" (3840 x 2160), which I run at exact 2:1 scaling to get maximum sharpness (as sharp as running it native, since the scaling is exact) (that's Apple's default for this monitor). It does give a larger UI than some like, but since my programs don't take up much UI space, that's not an issue for me. I have it side-by-side with a 5k 27" (iMac), which is certainly better—but the 4k 27" is decent. I'm certain it would be sharper than a QHD (2560 x 1440).

Another option is getting a used 27" LG 5k UltraFine. I've seen them listed locally on Craig's List for $500-$600. They do have QC issues, so you'd want to check it carefully.

 

[pshufd]

Upgrade once every 10 years? I respect that.

Though I would have waited for the M2 if you keep your hardware that long. If for no other reason than the 2 extra years (likely) of OS support. It should be here this coming month.

As far as the monitor, why not go with the LG 4K 24” monitor, seeing as you are coming from a 24” Cinema Display? No scaling issues, as you simply run it pixel doubled in 1080p mode. Will look the same as your Cinema Display, but twice as crisp.

I have a computer from 1977 that is on my desk and I still use it.

I don't need OEM operating system support to keep something running.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Really, it depends on what works for you. Personally, I find 4k or 1080p is fine for around a 21” display, but on a 27” I want 5k - or 2560x1440. Doing 4k or 1080 on a 27”, just results in everything being too big.

Give it a try though, what doesn’t work for me may be fine for you.

 

[Gudi]

I've been using a 24" Apple Cinema Display that I purchased in 2009. So I figure I might as well update the display to go with the new mini. Since I'm not spending the $$$ for the 5k LG Retina that leaves me looking at a 27" QHD 2560 x 1440 display which has around 109 PPI so that should be perfect displayed at the native resolution.

QHD is to the pixel the exact same resolution of the non-retina 27" iMac from Late 2009. You should not buy a 109ppi display in 2022. Ideally you would want twice as many pixel per inch, but definitely way more pixel per inch.