Display option for mac Mini please

[SamJames170]

I know this must have been asked a thousand times but cant initially find a clear answer.

I am looking to get a mac mini to take over from my 27" imac what would be a good display to pair with it, I need to be on a budget but that doesn't mean a cheap brand just a good reliable moniter for now not top end.

Many Thanks

Sam

 

[picpicmac]

but cant initially find a clear answer.

Because there is none.

I've spent the last four months going through numerous threads here, some with hundreds of posts...or maybe even a thousand... only to conclude that there is no answer.

Go read the threads on 5k monitors for Macs, the very long thread on flickering, and so on.

Apple's answer to your question: buy the Apple Studio Display.

Your wallet may not agree.

 

[tstafford]

Because there is none.

I've spent the last four months going through numerous threads here, some with hundreds of posts...or maybe even a thousand... only to conclude that there is no answer.

Go read the threads on 5k monitors for Macs, the very long thread on flickering, and so on.

Apple's answer to your question: buy the Apple Studio Display.

Your wallet may not agree.

Unfortunately this is pretty much right. You have the 5K options (ASD, LG, Samsung)

Or settle for 4K which coming off the iMac might well disappoint.

 

[PaulD-UK]

Or do a DIY conversion of your iMac and continue to enjoy its excellent 5K screen. 😋

 

[SamJames170]

"You have the 5K options (ASD, LG, Samsung)" so there is monitors available to work with the mini so why is there none, this sort of answers yes and no to my question, sorry any more info?

 

[salamanderjuice]

"You have the 5K options (ASD, LG, Samsung)" so there is monitors available to work with the mini so why is there none, this sort of answers yes and no to my question, sorry any more info?

Is your budget $1000+? The 5k Apple Studio Display, LG and Samsung offerings all start north of there.

The more affordable options are 4k or 1440p ($200+). So not a perfect 5k iMac replacement. The cheapest way to get a 5k display is to build one from an old 5k iMac but that obviously isn't for everyone and still costs a few hundred.

 

[drrich2]

I am looking to get a mac mini to take over from my 27" imac what would be a good display to pair with it, I need to be on a budget but that doesn't mean a cheap brand just a good reliable moniter for now not top end.

There's no one answer, but there are many options and a lot depends on you. Let's cover some details that may add nuance:

1.) What Mac Mini is this, and what are you doing with it? The issue of suboptimal size and resolution and how the Mac scales may put a little burden on your graphics processing system, but I question whether it's likely to make a notable impact.

2.) How much of a stickler are you for text sharpness? Are you a nitpicker with an eye for fine detail, or an average Joe? Is the difference between 4K and 5K likely to be a deal breaker?

3.) Do you operate in a high glare environment where matte finish is desired, or are you one of the glossy mainstream?

4.) Is 27" fine, or do you want a 32"?

5.) Is this monitor doing to be used for anything else, like hooking to a gaming console or PC, such that refresh rates higher than 60-Hz (e.g.: 120+) are desired?

6.) Does it matter whether it has built-in speakers or webcam and how good they are?

7.) Does it need to offer USB-C (or Thunderbolt) connectivity and hub function?

8.) How much money are you willing to spend?

Without the details, we're kind of shooting in the dark.

This YouTuber has a video advocating for a nice Philips up around $800 or so?

But if your needs are more basic, this (also a Philips) 27" 4K monitor with USB-C connectivity and hub function is on sale around $300 or so. I picked one up in 2021, and while it's not my main monitor since I'm on a 2017 27" iMac, it seems fine when I use notebook computers with it.

PHILIPS Brilliance 279P1 27" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD IPS (3840x2160), 122% sRGB, Speakers, USB-C Docking, Power-Saving PowerSensor, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 279P1 27" FRAMELESS MONITOR. MASTER EVERY TASKThis Philips Brilliance USB-C monitor replace cable clutter. View UltraClear 4K UHD and re-charge a laptop, all at the same time with a single USB-C cable. SmartErgo base, Flicker-free and LowBlue mode make work easy-on-the eyes.ULT...

www.amazon.com

 

[drrich2]

I don't know why the first 2 YouTube videos show as unavailable; they're by Hunter King, and the titles are:

Why I RETURNED my 4k Monitor // MacOS Scaling Explained!​

Link it if works.

Why I RETURNED my 4K Monitor Pt. 2! // Answering Your Questions!​

Link if it works.

 

[tstafford]

"You have the 5K options (ASD, LG, Samsung)" so there is monitors available to work with the mini so why is there none, this sort of answers yes and no to my question, sorry any more info?

Because of your requirement to be on a budget. The 5K options are all premium priced.

 

[SamJames170]

There's no one answer, but there are many options and a lot depends on you. Let's cover some details that may add nuance:

1.) What Mac Mini is this, and what are you doing with it? The issue of suboptimal size and resolution and how the Mac scales may put a little burden on your graphics processing system, but I question whether it's likely to make a notable impact.

2.) How much of a stickler are you for text sharpness? Are you a nitpicker with an eye for fine detail, or an average Joe? Is the difference between 4K and 5K likely to be a deal breaker?

3.) Do you operate in a high glare environment where matte finish is desired, or are you one of the glossy mainstream?

4.) Is 27" fine, or do you want a 32"?

5.) Is this monitor doing to be used for anything else, like hooking to a gaming console or PC, such that refresh rates higher than 60-Hz (e.g.: 120+) are desired?

6.) Does it matter whether it has built-in speakers or webcam and how good they are?

7.) Does it need to offer USB-C (or Thunderbolt) connectivity and hub function?

8.) How much money are you willing to spend?

Without the details, we're kind of shooting in the dark.

This YouTuber has a video advocating for a nice Philips up around $800 or so?

But if your needs are more basic, this (also a Philips) 27" 4K monitor with USB-C connectivity and hub function is on sale around $300 or so. I picked one up in 2021, and while it's not my main monitor since I'm on a 2017 27" iMac, it seems fine when I use notebook computers with it.

PHILIPS Brilliance 279P1 27" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD IPS (3840x2160), 122% sRGB, Speakers, USB-C Docking, Power-Saving PowerSensor, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement

PHILIPS BRILLIANCE 279P1 27" FRAMELESS MONITOR. MASTER EVERY TASKThis Philips Brilliance USB-C monitor replace cable clutter. View UltraClear 4K UHD and re-charge a laptop, all at the same time with a single USB-C cable. SmartErgo base, Flicker-free and LowBlue mode make work easy-on-the eyes.ULT...

www.amazon.com

Thanks Drrich2 the pressure in my chest is subsiding a bit heres the full story.
I am on late 2015 imac which is fine as I am going, I got hit badly with lost clients after covid one big one and small ones so quite big losses here and with 2 children just after the expense Christmas I have been sweating.

I am picking up new clients fairly well so repairing the damage but built up more debt than I would like in the dip. A client I worked with well for 10 years has moved to a new brand some time ago but called and wants me to work with him at the new place where they are on most recent macs and therefore software versions (sketchup vray adobe) which I cant line up with on my late 2015imac. Plus I have all my client work and software all working well on the imac I dont want to go through an upgrade of that machine in any way to keep that in tact (did this before dont ask).

Anyway the client I know well and told him where I was and he is happy to throw money my way to cover some of the setup (software and something for the mac ) but dont want to let him feel he has to pay for a mac I should be able to cover myself so trying to meet half way but I am broke. So.... looks like the Mini will give me the power I need and the newer OS therefore compatibility with recent softwares to set up.

So moniter.... I can go cheap for now to get the system going and cover his work then upgrade later in a year or 6 months once money is rolling a bit, I am not fussy with detail most of my work is in 3D display and graphics which I just need to see are fairly correct but things like text clarity aren't a problem its lots of retail display stuff the value I bring is more in inventiveness and solutions, with end clients branding all over it.

The client wants me to crack on asap so not ideal I have to quickly get some kit in!
Seems like basic spec mini with 16GB ram Is good and can expand on more ram and extra drive to go over the 250GB storage later, but moniter so so easy, which I am finding out more so via this post

Thanks for your help all !

Sorry to ramble

Sam

 

[tstafford]

Seems like basic spec mini with 16GB ram Is good and can expand on more ram and extra drive to go over the 250GB storage later, but moniter so so easy, which I am finding out more so via this post

Thanks for your help all !

Sorry to ramble

Sam

Ram cannot be expanded on any current Mac. What you buy at purchase is all it will ever have.

 

[mectojic]

I've honestly been wondering the same thing. Even in 2024, if you don't want to pay for a Studio Display, I think Apple's older 27-inch Cinema/Thunderbolt displays are good. Or even the 30-inch aluminium cinema display, if you don't like glossy displays.

 

[YoitsTmac]

Cmon guys, really? OP is saying he wants a cheap monitor that does the monitor things reliably. I don’t know why we’re going so hard on this 5k or bust. I have two 4K monitors at work and two at home with my Mac, with resolution scaling, and I’m not screaming in agony. I’m even doing researching, photo, video and graphic design. Is native nicer? Yes, is scaled okay? Absolutely.

OP: great monitor for $250 on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dv4sOdp

RTings reviews are great outside of gaming which isn’t applicable. https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/s2721qs


I generally prefer LG colors but it’s a little more, but can even connect via USB C: https://a.co/d/hIMgyl8

I couldn’t find a review of it but I’ve been buying the predecessors of these when they were relevant. Here’s a review I found which gave it an 8.9: https://createdtech.com/lg-27un850-monitor-review

 

[Rychiar]

The apple studio display is by far the best. That’s my current setup. It was down to 1299 a lot last year. The Samsung 5k s9 display was down to $850 at one point over chrismtas. I have one of those at my office and its not as seamless as the apple display but still a good monitor and the matte display is helpful under bright office lights. It’s currently on sale but nowhere near as well as it was then.

 

[drrich2]

So moniter.... I can go cheap for now to get the system going and cover his work then upgrade later in a year or 6 months once money is rolling a bit, I am not fussy with detail most of my work is in 3D display and graphics which I just need to see are fairly correct but things like text clarity aren't a problem its lots of retail display stuff the value I bring is more in inventiveness and solutions, with end clients branding all over it.

Sounds to me like you don't need a 5K monitor. If I interpret correctly, even color accuracy out of the box doesn't have to be excellent, though you want things to look good. That roughly $300 Philips monitor I bought and linked you to would probably do fine, but it's one of many. Dell monitors have a good rep., too. I doubt you'll need to upgrade to something else in a year either; the Mac Mini and monitor ought to be pretty powerful.

As another poster noted, the RAM you get at purchase is all you'll ever have, and that's also true of internal SSD storage. At least with SSD storage, you can add an external drive, whether USB-C or Thunderbolt.

Oh, I'm not up on the latest on this, but I recall in the past the read/write speed on some Apple silicon Macs were substantially slower on the lowest capacity SSD models. If I were you, I'd check into how 256 gig, 512 gig and 1 Terabyte internal SSD speeds compare. It may not be a deal breaker for you, but worth knowing.

And I'm assuming you're looking at an Apple silicon Mac Mini; at this point, Intel-based Minis don't seem compelling to me.

 

[picpicmac]

but I recall in the past the read/write speed on some Apple silicon Macs were substantially slower on the lowest capacity SSD models.

But unlikely to be of any significance for most users.

I've been shopping... shopping... shopping for monitors that will work for me, but never give a second thought to the internal SSD speed, because I can never think of a case where it will matter to me. And I suspect that will be true of the OP too.

That the RAM cannot be later upgraded, though, may be an issue for the OP. But it looks like he has already figured out he needs to buy a Mini with a RAM spec bump, so in that he will hopefully be fine.

 

[meson]

Sam, it sounds like any decent 27” or 32” 4k monitor will serve you well in the near term. I’ve been very satisfied with the LG 32UL500. There’s a 27” version as well that features an IPS panel rather than the VA panel of the 32” version. They are priced very much at the entry level of 4k displays.

As mentioned on the new Macs we no longer get to upgrade ram or storage. Naturally storage can be augmented with external drives, but ram not so much. I guess the good news is that the storage in these machines is incredibly fast, so even if you end up slightly under-equipped with ram, your machine won’t grind to a halt. I’ve watched my wife abuse her 8/256 M1 Air with her photography workload and it handles the load surprisingly well for being ram starved during her batch edits. Like the entry level display, lower end minis are inexpensive enough that you can get what you need to get by and upgrade when work stabilizes.

Sorry to hear about your recent struggles, and wish you all the best in the new year!

 

[Nihilvor]

Sounds to me like you don't need a 5K monitor. If I interpret correctly, even color accuracy out of the box doesn't have to be excellent, though you want things to look good.

Exactly, the poster was looking for a good, affordable display, and people start complaining how they have trouble with 5k displays and to give up. Most people don't need 5k displays, and those who do will be very careful as concerns what they buy.

There are plenty of displays that work really well with the new minis. I did my research for mine a couple of years ago, but really, unless it's on the list as a monitor brands/models that has problems, you can purchase a monitor that meets your needs.

 

[nathansz]

I love my LG 32UN650-W. have had a for about a year and a half and absolutely no complaints.

It has an excellent IPS panel and fantastic colour

32" 4k and often on sale for around $400

 

[SamJames170]

Thanks everyone really appreciate this, yes saw I cant upgrade over 16GB mini once I have bought it. One last thing which port is used to connect then moniter and should I buy a better cable than the one that comes with it, I will go for Dell or LG. Thanks again !

Sam

 

[SamJames170]

Cmon guys, really? OP is saying he wants a cheap monitor that does the monitor things reliably. I don’t know why we’re going so hard on this 5k or bust. I have two 4K monitors at work and two at home with my Mac, with resolution scaling, and I’m not screaming in agony. I’m even doing researching, photo, video and graphic design. Is native nicer? Yes, is scaled okay? Absolutely.

OP: great monitor for $250 on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dv4sOdp

RTings reviews are great outside of gaming which isn’t applicable. https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/s2721qs


I generally prefer LG colors but it’s a little more, but can even connect via USB C: https://a.co/d/hIMgyl8

I couldn’t find a review of it but I’ve been buying the predecessors of these when they were relevant. Here’s a review I found which gave it an 8.9: https://createdtech.com/lg-27un850-monitor-review

Thanks Yoits you rule

 

[meson]

Thanks everyone really appreciate this, yes saw I cant upgrade over 16GB mini once I have bought it. One last thing which port is used to connect then moniter and should I buy a better cable than the one that comes with it, I will go for Dell or LG. Thanks again !

Sam

You can use HDMI or usb c/thunderbolt to display port.

HDMI works fine, but I use DisplayPort and have it connected to a Monoprice thunderbolt hub (also worked fine when I was a using a usb c display dongle that had dvi, vga, hdmi, and DisplayPort.

With DisplayPort, you get access to the scaled 3008x1692 resolution, which is very nice on a 32" display if you find 3840x2160 too small and 2560x1440 too large.

With HDMI, Apple does not enable brightness and volume controls over HDMI, so I couldn't control my brightness and volume using the keyboard, even with the MonitorControl app. With DisplayPort, I can control the brightness and volume using the keyboard with the app.

LG and Dell provide reliable cables. I use the ones provided by LG, but if you don't wish to use a dongle or hub and choose the DisplayPort connection, you will need a usb c to DisplayPort cable. Stick with a brand you trust or one that gets lots of solid reviews from Mac users and you will be fine.

Enjoy the new stuff, and I hope it pays for itself quickly!

 

[drrich2]

One last thing which port is used to connect then moniter and should I buy a better cable than the one that comes with it, I will go for Dell or LG.

Depends on which monitor you get, and what you want to do. Options are likely:

HDMI
Display Port
USB-C
Thunderbolt

A USB-C or Thunderbolt monitor have offer functionality as a hub.

With HDMI in particular, but also display port, pay attention to which version. I used to think most any newer computer would have the newest, or nearly newest, version of HDMI, but I learned that is not the case, and if you want to drive a high resolution at a high refresh rate on a big monitor, then the computer and the cable and the monitor all have to support an advanced enough level to do that.

 

[SamJames170]

Cmon guys, really? OP is saying he wants a cheap monitor that does the monitor things reliably. I don’t know why we’re going so hard on this 5k or bust. I have two 4K monitors at work and two at home with my Mac, with resolution scaling, and I’m not screaming in agony. I’m even doing researching, photo, video and graphic design. Is native nicer? Yes, is scaled okay? Absolutely.

OP: great monitor for $250 on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dv4sOdp

RTings reviews are great outside of gaming which isn’t applicable. https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/s2721qs


I generally prefer LG colors but it’s a little more, but can even connect via USB C: https://a.co/d/hIMgyl8

I couldn’t find a review of it but I’ve been buying the predecessors of these when they were relevant. Here’s a review I found which gave it an 8.9: https://createdtech.com/lg-27un850-monitor-review

will one of these do me?

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/lg-27ul550pw.aek-4k-ultra-hd-27-ips-lcd-monitor-white-10256836.html

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/lg-ultragear-27ul500pw-4k-ultra-hd-27%E2%80%9D-ips-lcd-monitor-white-10204176.html

 

[meson]

Either of those will serve you well. The primary difference being that one has a height adjustable stand, I believe.

Mine came without height adjustment. The height was fine to me, but with people coming and going during office hours, I put mine on a vesa arm after about 6 months. If you are meeting with clients in your space, this will be a consideration at some point. Both models have vesa mounts.