Finding a monitor for the Mini is an exercise in frustration!

[M1gelo]

I currently have 2x LG 27GL850 displays and would highly recommend them.

Most recent three others were the:
Asus PB278 - buggy firmware, sometimes hard locked up when waking up the display and had to be unplugged from power before it would respond.
Dell U2518D - strange issue with tearing in moving imagery - almost like V-Sync is permanently off.
LG 29UC88 - backlight uniformity issues that got worse over time, curved display just annoyed me, 21:9 aspect was more difficult to manage and sometimes caused applications to render incorrectly.

I also have two LG 27UL850 displays and I would like them both to show a resolution of 3008 x 1692 but I can't get it to work. One is connected via USB-C, the other one via HDMI. Only the one via USB-C can be set at 3008 x 1692, the one via HDMI can't. Options I can select are 4K, 2560 x 1440 or lower. I can set them both to 4K which works fine but then text is too small for me.
Which resolution are you using?

 

[joecatz1]

This, and all the other "what display should I buy" threads make me wonder, what was it like when Apple did have quasi-consumer priced displays? I was a Mac user at the time, but didn't really read forums like this - did most people just end up getting the Apple display, or is it just the advent of 4K, HiDPI, and a great deal of size variations that makes it such a daunting thing for people now? Or was it always like this for a lot of people?

It definitely wasn’t like this before. I think the biggest challenge is figuring out differences in specs/needs/connection, etc. one thing Apple has always done better than any other company IMO, is focus on easily understanding differences between levels of products and properly Branding.
Just go pull up LG monitors and try and decipher between UL and Uk versions and 18 different numbers after them that basically just determine type of stand and inputs or outputs

 

[maflynn]

LG makes panels for other makers, so stick with them. I have a LG ultrawide and I love it. I think people can certanly over-analyze (I know I had prior to my purchase).

For me I'd look at your budget, then figure out what your resolution you want. For me, I chose not to get a 4k and the size of the monitor that I was looking at wouldn't benefit and i'd have to scale the resolution. So knowing my budget, knowing I wanted an ultra-wide that isn't 4k slimmed down the offerings.

 

[1madman1]

I also have two LG 27UL850 displays and I would like them both to show a resolution of 3008 x 1692 but I can't get it to work. One is connected via USB-C, the other one via HDMI. Only the one via USB-C can be set at 3008 x 1692, the one via HDMI can't. Options I can select are 4K, 2560 x 1440 or lower. I can set them both to 4K which works fine but then text is too small for me.
Which resolution are you using?

2560x1440, which is native. Setting it higher is just downscaling.

 

[4sallypat]

Got a new M1ni recently and I agree that it's confusing, especially because you can't see the different options and resolutions with your own eyes.

I'm looking at either 27" or 32".

The LG 27" Ultrafine 5K display seems great, but then I saw that it's more expensive than the M1ni itself... So yeah, that's not really an option for me.

I'm not obsessed by the whole "Retina" thing, but I want a bigger display than the 24" 1080p monitor I have with good colour accuracy and clarity of text. I'm no gamer so don't really care about stuff like 144hz and FreeSync.

I saw some people recommending going with 32" QHD. It's all confusing to me...

Running 2 displays on the M1 Mini and started to delve into 4K displays for the first time.

I just picked up the 4K open box budget monitor from Best Buy for $245:

Samsung - UJ59 Series U32J590UQN 32" LED 4K UHD FreeSync​

The good point is that when the background is bright / white it looks great.
However, in night mode when the background is black, the Samsung black is not as good as my 8 year old Apple Thunderbolt 27" which is my primary display.

I can't get the black to show real black or even close to the Apple's display.

Don't know if I should look into calibrating the black or return it.... 😟

 

[Cassandle]

It definitely wasn’t like this before. I think the biggest challenge is figuring out differences in specs/needs/connection, etc. one thing Apple has always done better than any other company IMO, is focus on easily understanding differences between levels of products and properly Branding.
Just go pull up LG monitors and try and decipher between UL and Uk versions and 18 different numbers after them that basically just determine type of stand and inputs or outputs

This sums up my feelings well. I'm finding it really hard to research because the names and variations are (deliberately?) confusing.

Also not being able to see the products doesn't help, but that's 2020 for you.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

I use a Dell U2717 and have been happy with it.

 

[eba]

I have an Asus MX34VQ curved monitor, connected via HDMI, 3440x1440 at 100Hz. Works and looks great.

 

[Stephen.R]

I think the biggest challenge is figuring out differences in specs/needs/connection, etc.

Connections can be a contentious thing. Especially when manufacturers (including Apple) insist on suggesting HDMI as a viable connection type for a computer display.

So long as it has DisplayPort (or Mini DisplayPort), or USB-C, you'll be fine, you might just need a different cable for it.

one thing Apple has always done better than any other company IMO, is focus on easily understanding differences between levels of products and properly Branding.
Just go pull up LG monitors and try and decipher between UL and Uk versions and 18 different numbers after them that basically just determine type of stand and inputs or outputs

Yep, "PC" (and their accessory) manufacturers are pretty bad for this across the board, IMO. I'm 95% convinced it's just a marketing tactic: flood the market with 5 or 10 similar models, that are essentially the same core unit (in this case, display panel) with slight tweaks to certain aspects (case type, bezel size, stand, connections, stupid lighting, etc) and your potential customer thinks they're making the best choice for themselves, because they have a choice to make.

The alternative is to offer 1 or 2 options with clear distinction, and risk that some customers will compare your two options with a competitor's options.

It also doesn't help that the vast majority of customers for the non-Apple-specific displays, are using Windows, and the "better than average" displays (not pro level, but better than the bargain basement trash) are often targeted at a market with very skewed priorities, compared to what I imagine most people care about when choosing a display: gamers.

 

[warp9]

I recently spent an unreasonable amount of time looking at monitors for myself and for friends. I have an IT background so I can decipher all the specs but it's still a lot of work.


- Dell U-series are for color sensitive workloads and are built to last. I've requisitioned at least 50 of these over the last 10 years and had exactly 1 failure. All the rest are going strong with 10,000+ hours on them.

- Dell S-series are office/gaming monitors. Parts are generally substandard to the U-series and are not good for design work if that's your intention (you never specified your use). Advantage: price.

- Asus Proart line (like the PA248QV you mentioned) are also for graphic work. I have one myself and find it quite nice. The 75Hz refresh rate is easy on the eyes, along with the blue-filter setting and the lack of PWM. Asus has a 32-inch 4k model coming out "soon" but it will most likely cost $2000+.

- BenQ PD-series are also great. The PD3200U and PD2700U are both good. I recommended 3 of these monitors recently and the owners are very pleased with them.

- Ultrawide monitors are just two regular monitors put together but at a cost twice that of two regular monitors. The one (and only one) exception to this is the LG 34WK95U-W. It's classified as a 5K2K monitor, as in, it's a 4k monitor but with extra pixels added, as opposed to a 4k monitor with pixels chopped off the top/bottom.

- LG makes the panels in a lot of good monitors like the Dell U-series so the 4k and 5k models for sale on the Apple site are the "it-just-works" choice.

- Everything else is mostly trash in my opinion. Asus Tuf gaming, Acer, Gigabyte, etc. You might find a diamond in the rough but unlikely.


Shopping by price is what makes monitor buying so hard, otherwise you would've just bought the Apple XDR and been done with it (the perfect choice btw). Monitor reviews are not very helpful because they're usually made by someone with a review unit for a week. You have no idea if it's going to fail in a month or have some other weird thing. Amazon reviews can help but really-- you get what you pay for with monitors. You won't find a lousy $2000 monitor and you won't find a good $200 monitor.

Decide on a size, decide on a resolution, and spend the most your budget will allow. Monitors are supposed to last at least 10 years, often 20 years. Even the Apple XDR amortizes to $300/year for the 20 year expected lifespan and I guarantee you would be thrilled with it, even at that price.

 

[Boomhowler]

... Monitors are supposed to last at least 10 years, often 20 years. Even the Apple XDR amortizes to $300/year for the 20 year expected lifespan and I guarantee you would be thrilled with it, even at that price.

I would not want to use a monitor that's 10 years old now for work. What is that, a 1440p at best? The first retina MBP came ... 2012? A 20 year old display would just not cut it, at all.

That said, I would definitely expect such an expensive monitor to last (i.e. not break) 10 years with reasonable maintenance. But it would really feel old at the end of that period.

 

[Stephen.R]

I would not want to use a monitor that's 10 years old now for work. What is that, a 1440p at best? The first retina MBP came ... 2012? A 20 year old display would just not cut it, at all.

That said, I would definitely expect such an expensive monitor to last (i.e. not break) 10 years with reasonable maintenance. But it would really feel old at the end of that period.

I wouldn't either, but plenty of people on this very forum are buying 2560x1440 displays brand new today. That's the thing about screen resolution: apart from jumps large enough to increase the PPI by around ~100 points, increases in resolution don't really help much, for most people.

The 5K LG display Apple sells now, gives exactly the same screen real estate as the 27" 2560x1440 Cinema Display launched almost exactly 10 years ago, and pretty close to the same screen real estate as the 30" 2560x1600 Cinema Display launched 16 years ago.

Yes there are other improvements of course, and I think they're more relevant reasons to not use an older display for purposes where they're going to have a negative effect: colour accuracy, backlight, power consumption, built in hubs, etc. But "only 1440p" resolution isn't a valid reason for a lot of people, because a good chunk of displays sold new in 2020 are "only 1440p". Heck, there are 27", 1920x1080 displays for sale in 2020, from "major" display brands.

 

[4sallypat]

.....
The 5K LG display Apple sells now, gives exactly the same screen real estate as the 27" 2560x1440 Cinema Display launched almost exactly 10 years ago, and pretty close to the same screen real estate as the 30" 2560x1600 Cinema Display launched 16 years ago.

Yes there are other improvements of course, and I think they're more relevant reasons to not use an older display for purposes where they're going to have a negative effect: colour accuracy, backlight, power consumption, built in hubs, etc. But "only 1440p" resolution isn't a valid reason for a lot of people, because a good chunk of displays sold new in 2020 are "only 1440p". Heck, there are 27", 1920x1080 displays for sale in 2020, from "major" display brands.

Well then I don't feel so bad, I am using a 8+ year old Apple Thunderbolt display since it first came out in 2011 - I have many at home and work because I prefer the "native" connection (until USB-C/TB3) came out.

At 2560x1440 it's my favorite monitor even if the original price when it first came out costed over $1000. Now I can pick up used ones for about $200 should it break....

Even now, I use it on my latest M1 Mini along with a "cheapo" 4K Samsung I picked up during Cyber Monday...

 

[Stephen.R]

Well then I don't feel so bad, I am using a 8+ year old Apple Thunderbolt display since it first came out in 2011

My parents still use my ~2003 20” Cinema Display without issues.

 

[Cassandle]

I recently spent an unreasonable amount of time looking at monitors for myself and for friends. I have an IT background so I can decipher all the specs but it's still a lot of work.


- Dell U-series are for color sensitive workloads and are built to last. I've requisitioned at least 50 of these over the last 10 years and had exactly 1 failure. All the rest are going strong with 10,000+ hours on them.

- Dell S-series are office/gaming monitors. Parts are generally substandard to the U-series and are not good for design work if that's your intention (you never specified your use). Advantage: price.

- Asus Proart line (like the PA248QV you mentioned) are also for graphic work. I have one myself and find it quite nice. The 75Hz refresh rate is easy on the eyes, along with the blue-filter setting and the lack of PWM. Asus has a 32-inch 4k model coming out "soon" but it will most likely cost $2000+.

- BenQ PD-series are also great. The PD3200U and PD2700U are both good. I recommended 3 of these monitors recently and the owners are very pleased with them.

- Ultrawide monitors are just two regular monitors put together but at a cost twice that of two regular monitors. The one (and only one) exception to this is the LG 34WK95U-W. It's classified as a 5K2K monitor, as in, it's a 4k monitor but with extra pixels added, as opposed to a 4k monitor with pixels chopped off the top/bottom.

- LG makes the panels in a lot of good monitors like the Dell U-series so the 4k and 5k models for sale on the Apple site are the "it-just-works" choice.

- Everything else is mostly trash in my opinion. Asus Tuf gaming, Acer, Gigabyte, etc. You might find a diamond in the rough but unlikely.


Shopping by price is what makes monitor buying so hard, otherwise you would've just bought the Apple XDR and been done with it (the perfect choice btw). Monitor reviews are not very helpful because they're usually made by someone with a review unit for a week. You have no idea if it's going to fail in a month or have some other weird thing. Amazon reviews can help but really-- you get what you pay for with monitors. You won't find a lousy $2000 monitor and you won't find a good $200 monitor.

Decide on a size, decide on a resolution, and spend the most your budget will allow. Monitors are supposed to last at least 10 years, often 20 years. Even the Apple XDR amortizes to $300/year for the 20 year expected lifespan and I guarantee you would be thrilled with it, even at that price.

You mention the Dell U series and S series: do you have any experience or feedback on the P series? These tend to work out cheaper than the U series, so presumably there's some compromises being made...

 

[Beerstalker]

I run three P2719H monitors at work, and two in my home office. I have been very happy with them. They have a good selection of inputs and features.

For my work 1080p resolution is just fine, no reason to pay a lot more money for 1440p etc.

 

[warp9]

You mention the Dell U series and S series: do you have any experience or feedback on the P series? These tend to work out cheaper than the U series, so presumably there's some compromises being made...

The P series is essentially the U-series chassis with the panel swapped out. It's mostly the same monitor, with the same warranty, but without the high color fidelity panel.

 

[eba]

- Ultrawide monitors are just two regular monitors put together but at a cost twice that of two regular monitors. The one (and only one) exception to this is the LG 34WK95U-W. It's classified as a 5K2K monitor, as in, it's a 4k monitor but with extra pixels added, as opposed to a 4k monitor with pixels chopped off the top/bottom.

Good advice overall...except for this one. More accurate to say ultrawide monitors are like two regular monitors put together but without two bezels blocking the center of the screen.

Ultrawides definitely aren't for everyone -- the lack of height can be limiting for many folks -- but they absolutely offer some advantages over dual monitors. Far more immersive for gaming, for example. Or movies. And, for me anyway, even basic work tasks are easier not having to navigate between separate screens.

Having used a 3440x1440 screen for a couple of years now, I'll never go back.

 

[pldelisle]

Ultrawides definitely aren't for everyone -- the lack of height can be limiting for many folks

Ahah as a programmer I really don't see myself using an Ultrawide. I put my monitors in portrait mode ahah !

 

[Cassandle]

The P series is essentially the U-series chassis with the panel swapped out. It's mostly the same monitor, with the same warranty, but without the high color fidelity panel.

Sorry, this is probably a silly question, but what do you mean when you say it's the same monitor but with a different panel?

 

[leeuk321]

I have my Mini hooked up to a Dell P2415Q 24" 4K monitor, and it's superb. One downside though is that the brightness etc has to be manually adjusted on the monitor itself, since it doesn't have a USB-C / Thunderbolt interface (DisplayPort, MiniDP and HDMI 2.0 only).

Ideally, I was looking for a 21-22" size 4K monitor (and preferably full-fat 4096 x 2304 resolution), but the options were extremely limited; if my memory serves me correctly, the only option was the LG 22MD4KA-B 21.5" 4K monitor, which is now discontinued.

Seems like the 4K monitor market is shifting more and more towards bigger and bigger screens. So if you're after a big monitor, at least count yourself lucky that you have more options than zero.

 

[Stephen.R]

One downside though is that the brightness etc has to be manually adjusted on the monitor itself, since it doesn't have a USB-C / Thunderbolt interface (DisplayPort, MiniDP and HDMI 2.0 only).

You want Monitor Control. Works a treat (I use it with 2x P2415Q's on a 2018 Mini).

if my memory serves me correctly, the only option was the LG 22MD4KA-B 21.5" 4K monitor, which is now discontinued.

Yep, and the only thing reliably available that's close to a decent PPI in 4K, is the replacement, LG's 24" 4K. Dell seem to have discontinued the P2415Q now.

 

[monokakata]

OP, if you're worried about calibration, simply buy something from Datacolor and do it yourself. I'm sure there are other vendors but I've used Datacolor for years with complete satisfaction. Their stuff is easy to use, though not inexpensive.

 

[Cassandle]

I have my Mini hooked up to a Dell P2415Q 24" 4K monitor, and it's superb. One downside though is that the brightness etc has to be manually adjusted on the monitor itself, since it doesn't have a USB-C / Thunderbolt interface (DisplayPort, MiniDP and HDMI 2.0 only).

Ideally, I was looking for a 21-22" size 4K monitor (and preferably full-fat 4096 x 2304 resolution), but the options were extremely limited; if my memory serves me correctly, the only option was the LG 22MD4KA-B 21.5" 4K monitor, which is now discontinued.

Seems like the 4K monitor market is shifting more and more towards bigger and bigger screens. So if you're after a big monitor, at least count yourself lucky that you have more options than zero.

Just looked at this and was astonished at how old (in tech terms) the Dell monitor is. And it shows how little has changed (except the narrower bezels).

And the fact that there's no updated version of this in a 4K resolution is surprising.

 

[Cassandle]

Ahah as a programmer I really don't see myself using an Ultrawide. I put my monitors in portrait mode ahah !

Not a programmer, but work with documents and spreadsheets daily. I can see the appeal of an UltraWide, but I'd much rather just have the two monitors. But that's probably because I'm used to working that way.