display resolution UHD & QHD for mac mini 2018

[polax75]

Hi folks.
I am lost with the best resolution monitor for mac mini 2018 (i7)
apple says it is
Mac mini (2018) supports one HDMI display with a resolution of 4096 x 2160 at 60Hz, plus one of the following configurations:
One 5K display with a resolution of 5120 x 2880 at 60Hz

according to them the best display is 4096 x 2160 and 5120 x 2880 . which I believe with a native display no scaling or change are made. (If I check on the LG apple display who says 4k. the exact is resolution is 3840 x 2160 pixels. which means it scalls down everything?

Anyone has experiences with monitor of the following resolution with mac mini 2018 (i7)
what about UHD : 3840 x 2160 pixels
what about QHD : 2560 × 1440 pixels (1440p)

what is the best resolution to avoid scalling issues : avoid issues of text scaling, lag (the graphic card is bad on mac mini),

cheers
polax

 

[Fishrrman]

Get either a 24" or a 27" display that is 4k.
or
Get a 27" or a 32" display that is 1440p (QHD).

These will run properly without scaling. 4k will be "looks like" 1080p in HiDPI mode.
1440p is native resolution, but (to my eyes) still looks good anyway.

A good list to check:
IPS Monitor List: Best AHVA, PLS & IPS LCD Displays

 

[polax75]

does 25" that display QHD works too?

 

[joevt]

Mac mini 2018:
HDMI 2.0: 3840 x 2160 Hz and 4096 x 2160 60Hz
Thunderbolt: two displays each up to 4096 x 2304 60 Hz (includes 1440p) or one display 5120 x 2880 60 Hz display (uses two DisplayPort signals over Thunderbolt).

5120 x 1440 display won't work at that resolution because macOS Intel graphics driver doesn't support single DisplayPort connection displays that are wider than 4096.

 

[polax75]

HDMI doesn t included 1440p ? only thunderbold?
what does it mean includes 1440p? it means that it can display at 1440p without scalling/or without heaving job for the graphic card ? I have seen a lot people of a lag? but can t really points out when it does happens.....
I want to buy this 25'' display with QHD resolution. and i just want to make sure i won t get any scales issues or lag...

 

[joevt]

HDMI doesn t included 1440p ? only thunderbold?

I was showing maximum resolutions at 60Hz. Since 1440p is less than 4K, then it should also work at 60Hz.

what does it mean includes 1440p?

4K is greater than 1440p so 1440p is allowed.

it means that it can display at 1440p without scalling/or without heaving job for the graphic card ?

It can do 1440p with or without scaling. I don't think scaling is a big problem for performance but I do not know for sure. I have never seen a benchmark comparing performance of 1440p not scaled vs 1440p scaled to 4K by GPU before.

I have seen a lot people of a lag? but can t really points out when it does happens.....

I agree - I don't know what they are complaining about.

I want to buy this 25'' display with QHD resolution. and i just want to make sure i won t get any scales issues or lag...

I don't think you'll have a problem with any display 4K or QHD.

 

[gilby101]

If you want to avoid scaling (I do, but many don't worry) and want text to look the 'right' size, it best to start with getting the right pixel per inch. For Apple, that is vertically ~110 ppi or ~220 ppi (retina/HiDPI). This why Apple use a 5K screen for 27" size.

A 4K 27" screen (e.g. 3840x2160) doesn't look quite right - either not prefect scaling or wrong size text. 4K is better (with Apple) for a slightly smaller screen.

If you want a large wide screen then going up to 34" (but non-Retina), 3440x1440 pixels is the 'right' size.

Have a read of this https://bjango.com/articles/macexternaldisplays/

 

[polax75]

Many thanks for your link
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BUT take the apple LG 4K 23,7 inch (3840-by-2160 resolution, the 23.7-inch).
the ppi would be 185.9 PPI

doesn t match your recommandation that is vertically ~110 ppi or ~220 ppi (retina/HiDPI).

LG UltraFine 4K Display - Apple

Apple Store Search Results

www.apple.com

 

[gilby101]

BUT take the apple LG 4K 23,7 inch (3840-by-2160 resolution, the 23.7-inch).
the ppi would be 185.9 PPI

I agree, it seems strange that Apple is selling that LG monitor. Certainly a break from the 110 or 220 ppi we see with all other Apple or Apple sold devices in the last 10 years.

Maybe Apple considers that it is good enough to use at scaled resolutions.

 

[Boyd01]

Still a long way from pulling the trigger, but am considering display options *if* I decide to get a new Mini. Currently using an ancient Apple 23" Aluminum Cinema Display at 1920x1200 pixels, and am happy with the size of text on this screen. The specs for this display indicate a dot pitch of .258mm. Was looking at WQHD 2560x1440 screens, and saw several 32" and 31.5" models with a dot pitch around .27mm to .28mm.

I don't have any Macs with "retina" screens and don't really understand all the implications of using these newer, larger screens. But I'm assuming that if I connect one of these 32" WQHD monitors to a new Mini, I can get text that is slightly larger than I have with my old 1920x1200 Cinema Display. Not interested in multiple monitors or text that is super-smoothed, I just want one big desktop with plenty of room and standard text that's similar in size to my old screen (larger is fine too). If I actually get a new Mini, it would be the top-spec i7 model with 64gb RAM.

Have also considered getting an iMac, since I don't already have a decent screen. But I'm wondering if the Mini with a 32" WQHD screen would actually give me more of what I want? It looks like the Mini might be a bit cheaper, but the iMac would have a dedicated graphics card.

 

[D.T.]

I run 2 Dell U2518D displays, they're QHD/2560×1440 and they look terrific, running them at native resolution. Since these are 25" displays, the PPI gets enough of an increase that's it's pretty noticeable over a 1920x1080 of the same size, or a QHD at 27". I find these size and resolution a pretty outstanding mix of: screen real estate, pixel density, price, as well as, being a good match for the Mini in terms of graphic processing (i.e., everything is perky).

I use this machine for general / personal computing, development/design, running VMs / containers.

Oh, FWIW, I'm running both of them off the TB3/USB-C ports via USB-C_to_mDP adapters, and the mDP_to_DP cables supplied from Dell.
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Oh yeah, I'd also say, that I prefer having two displays vs. one larger one, I kind of like splitting things up across physical monitors, and for some tasks, I like being to go full screen (a VM, remote session, etc.), while having another display still fully available. I also being able to position them independently, I keep them turned slightly in so I'm looking at them more straight on (if that makes sense [?]).

Hahaha, and this might sound silly, but I also like being able to see between them, vs. being behind a wall-o-display.

 

[polax75]

hi there
I have the same same dilemna here.
imac or mac mini.

what is your thoughts?

mine:
options between mac mini i7 with 32 go RAM (or 64 go ram)
or imac 4k 21,5inch i7 with 32 go RAM.
or even the option of imac 27' i5 with 32 go ram.

the only thing that makes me hesitating is the graphic card.
mac mini INTEL UHD and the imac radeon pro 555x with 2Go or (the 27'imac) radeon 575 with 4go.

It is hard to mesure the difference between those two graphic card option. I believe all of them are not great. but don t really see if it is worth to go on imac just radeon 2go/4go

let me know what u think.
my use would be video editing, photoshop, visual stuff. my budget is tight so MAC pro is not thinkable.
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I run 2 Dell U2518D displays, they're QHD/2560×1440 and they look terrific, running them at native resolution. Since these are 25" displays, the PPI gets enough of an increase that's it's pretty noticeable over a 1920x1080 of the same size, or a QHD at 27". I find these size and resolution a pretty outstanding mix of: screen real estate, pixel density, price, as well as, being a good match for the Mini in terms of graphic processing (i.e., everything is perky).

I use this machine for general / personal computing, development/design, running VMs / containers.

Oh, FWIW, I'm running both of them off the TB3/USB-C ports via USB-C_to_mDP adapters, and the mDP_to_DP cables supplied from Dell.
[automerge]1588609469[/automerge]
Oh yeah, I'd also say, that I prefer having two displays vs. one larger one, I kind of like splitting things up across physical monitors, and for some tasks, I like being to go full screen (a VM, remote session, etc.), while having another display still fully available. I also being able to position them independently, I keep them turned slightly in so I'm looking at them more straight on (if that makes sense [?]).

Hahaha, and this might sound silly, but I also like being able to see between them, vs. being behind a wall-o-display.

have you experience any lag? Does the graphic card need to process any type of process to display? if you use native resolution it wouldn't. I guess....
with yours screens, do need to apply any scale on the text ?
I am considering the same QHD 25' but with benQ.
[automerge]1588613973[/automerge]

I run 2 Dell U2518D displays, they're QHD/2560×1440 and they look terrific, running them at native resolution. Since these are 25" displays, the PPI gets enough of an increase that's it's pretty noticeable over a 1920x1080 of the same size, or a QHD at 27". I find these size and resolution a pretty outstanding mix of: screen real estate, pixel density, price, as well as, being a good match for the Mini in terms of graphic processing (i.e., everything is perky).

I use this machine for general / personal computing, development/design, running VMs / containers.

Oh, FWIW, I'm running both of them off the TB3/USB-C ports via USB-C_to_mDP adapters, and the mDP_to_DP cables supplied from Dell.
[automerge]1588609469[/automerge]
Oh yeah, I'd also say, that I prefer having two displays vs. one larger one, I kind of like splitting things up across physical monitors, and for some tasks, I like being to go full screen (a VM, remote session, etc.), while having another display still fully available. I also being able to position them independently, I keep them turned slightly in so I'm looking at them more straight on (if that makes sense [?]).

Hahaha, and this might sound silly, but I also like being able to see between them, vs. being behind a wall-o-display.

have you experience any lag? Does the graphic card need to process any type of process to display? if you use native resolution it wouldn't. I guess....
with yours screens, do need to apply any scale on the text ?
I am considering the same QHD 25' but with benQ.

I run 2 Dell U2518D displays, they're QHD/2560×1440 and they look terrific, running them at native resolution. Since these are 25" displays, the PPI gets enough of an increase that's it's pretty noticeable over a 1920x1080 of the same size, or a QHD at 27". I find these size and resolution a pretty outstanding mix of: screen real estate, pixel density, price, as well as, being a good match for the Mini in terms of graphic processing (i.e., everything is perky).

I use this machine for general / personal computing, development/design, running VMs / containers.

Oh, FWIW, I'm running both of them off the TB3/USB-C ports via USB-C_to_mDP adapters, and the mDP_to_DP cables supplied from Dell.
[automerge]1588609469[/automerge]
Oh yeah, I'd also say, that I prefer having two displays vs. one larger one, I kind of like splitting things up across physical monitors, and for some tasks, I like being to go full screen (a VM, remote session, etc.), while having another display still fully available. I also being able to position them independently, I keep them turned slightly in so I'm looking at them more straight on (if that makes sense [?]).

Hahaha, and this might sound silly, but I also like being able to see between them, vs. being behind a wall-o-display.

Is minidisplay or HDMI cable the best to connect mac mini/screen?

 

[Boyd01]

I have not dug into it very deeply yet, but a 3.2ghz i7 Mini with 2tb ssd and 64gb RAM is about $2900 USD. I was surprised to see that B&H charges the same price as Apple for this, but they have it available to ship immediately. Apple was estimating shipping in just a few days however. Yeah, I know about saving money with my own RAM, but I'd prefer to have everything come directly from Apple, in case of future problems.

The 21.5 inch iMac is too small for me. I priced out a 27" iMac that was same as the Mini (I think) and it was $3600. With a monitor, keyboard and mouse, the Mini would be about the same price. iMac would have better graphics, Mini would have a bigger screen. Of course, I could add an eGPU to the Mini later if needed, but I am not impressed by all the problems I read about.

Oh, I also have a Sony 21" 1080p studio monitor that I use as an external video device in Final Cut Pro, connected to my 2012 quad mini via a thunderbolt BlackMagic interface. I think this could be driven directly from either a new Mini or iMac without the Blackmagic box.

But I'm not in a hurry to spend that much money on anything right now, and my old computers still have a bit more life in them. We shall see.

 

[gilby101]

my use would be video editing, photoshop, visual stuff.

So you will benefit from something with a discrete graphics card. And you will benefit from more graphics RAM as well as raw speed if you do much video and/or complex photoshop work.

 

[D.T.]

have you experience any lag? Does the graphic card need to process any type of process to display? if you use native resolution it wouldn't. I guess....
with yours screens, do need to apply any scale on the text ?
I am considering the same QHD 25' but with benQ.

Is minidisplay or HDMI cable the best to connect mac mini/screen?

No, my UI is - to use some MacRumors parlance - really snappy Well, the native UI, running Win10 in Coherence, the Windows windows are a little laggier, like 1-10 where native is a 10, it's like a 7-7.5, however, in non-Coherence modes, i.e., Windowed or Full Screen, it's just about as quick as MacOS.

Really all things UI, moving windows, scrolling, scaling, videos, various OS features like Mission Control, are all running without lag. Again, that's one reason I chose the QHD displays vs. 4K, I'll only move to the latter when I either add an eGPU (and that necessitates Apple getting that to a plug-and-forget level of execution), and or move to a different machine (if a new Mini came out with notably improved GPU power, I'd get one).

Well, with a single display, HDMI seemed fine, but with two displays, there was a little lag waking up the displays (and the monitors HAD to be manually set for the input port). With both running off mDP, everything works as expected. I also noted a slight color/contrast difference between the two when one was HDMI and one was mDP, sure that could be adjusted out, not sure of one was more accurate vs. the other.

 

[D.T.]

@polax75 BTW, the Dell U2518D has been replaced, the new model, is a U2520D, and it appears to have direct USB-C connectivity. I'm a big fan of Dell displays, they're generally excellent, from color accuracy, to design (the new display has the same stand design on mine and they are terrific), but additionally, Dell has a 3 year warranty on their "pro" series displays, including things like bad pixels, and their support channel is top notch.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I have a 27" 4K monitor and the text looks fantastic. The text is crisp and sharp.

 

[MaskedCarrot]

I just ordered the Dell U2520D Monitor today. Won't be here until the end of May though. They must be selling a ton of them if they are that back ordered.

Computer Accessories and Peripherals

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www.dell.com

 

[Falcon80]

Anyone used a Dell P2421D with the Mac mini?

 

[polax75]

I finaly bought a QHD 25 inche (benq) for my mac mini. plugged with hdmi. the text looks preety small. I have a good sight. and need to scale it......1080p looks better. so 25 inches qhd without scalling it is not the best. but the images looks good without scalling. a movie 2k without scalling looks very sharp and good. with the scalling the image looks ok. I don t know what it is the best option for 25 Inches. maybe the scalling is needed anyway !
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what do you think? what is the best resolution for a 25 monitor? 4k?

 

[gilby101]

To avoid scaling and yet have text looking the 'right' size with macOS, you need a screen with around 220 ppi (retina) or 110 ppi (non-retina). QHD unscaled (1440 vertical pixels) looks 'right' when it is 27" - this is about 110 ppi.

As you have discovered, with a 25" unscaled 1440p looks a bit small because the ppi is more like. And scaling with your screen looks blurry. If it were me, I would use it unscaled and accept the smallish text.

For 25", the ideal vertical pixels is around either 1330 or 2660. I don't think you will find any of these. So for macOS, 25" is not a nice size - you will always need some scaling (and blurring) to get text the 'right' size.

But, in practice a '4K' screen smaller than 27" can be scaled to get text looking the 'right' size without adding much blur.

ppi = pixels per inch. retina = scaled by a factor of exactly 2.

 

[MaskedCarrot]

I just got my "UltraSharp 25 USB-C Monitor: U2520D" today, and my gosh the display is incredible!

I like it at the QHD res. I wear reading glasses when I read to my daughter, and I don't have to use them with this monitor at all. I am not running scaled. I like it at its native resolution.

Great monitor for $380. It's still on sale right now.

Although I am still trying to decide if I am going to keep the Mac Mini, or return it and get an Alienware PC. Haven't decided yet.

 

[polax75]

Hey! One question ?! I have the same resolution (qhd) display /25inch and Mac mini 2020. Could you tell me something . Beside a problem I have with a green line visible on the right of my screeen. I just realized I have a black framing. See the pics. I mean the image stopped before the edge of my screen. I don t understand why . My screen is pd2500q with bord less . How does it do with your 25 inch screen ? Do u black framing too?

 

[MaskedCarrot]

@polax75

I don't have the black framing in mine. It's goes edge to edge. Maybe you need a monitor driver for your monitor? When you go into settings, and Monitor, does it show your monitor name on the left?

I unfortunately have to exchange my monitor though. The one I got last week, the right half of the screen has a cooler color temp than the left side. So on white screens you can really see it, but doing normal things you don't see it. Seems like most of the websites I goto though are white backgrounds, and once you see the color temp difference, you can't unsee it.

I get a replacement on Wednesday, hopefully I won't have any issues with the replacement.

 

[polax75]

@polax75

I don't have the black framing in mine. It's goes edge to edge. Maybe you need a monitor driver for your monitor? When you go into settings, and Monitor, does it show your monitor name on the left?

I unfortunately have to exchange my monitor though. The one I got last week, the right half of the screen has a cooler color temp than the left side. So on white screens you can really see it, but doing normal things you don't see it. Seems like most of the websites I goto though are white backgrounds, and once you see the color temp difference, you can't unsee it.

I get a replacement on Wednesday, hopefully I won't have any issues with the replacement.

Which screen/monitor do u have ?