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How does a 4K monitor run on a 15" MBP with discrete graphics?

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whitedragon101

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 11, 2008
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I am thinking of getting a 4K monitor and running the 1440p HiDPI mode (so I can read the text).

Does anyone run this setup? How, does the 15" MBP dGPU model cope with the scaling. Does it still run smooth? Does it eat a lot of GPU resources to run in scaled resolution mode?
 
I had my rMBP 13" connected to my Asus PB287Q at 4k@60hz scaled to 1080p a while ago.
Scrolling and UI animations were smooth 95% of the time. I'd imagine your dGPU will have no trouble running it smoothly. Just make sure you run it over DP 1.2 for 60hz.
 
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whitedragon101 said:
I am thinking of getting a 4K monitor and running the 1440p HiDPI mode (so I can read the text).

Does anyone run this setup? How, does the 15" MBP dGPU model cope with the scaling. Does it still run smooth? Does it eat a lot of GPU resources to run in scaled resolution mode?
Click to expand...

Why will you be better able to read the text when it is smaller across the board?
I use a Dell P2415Q with my rMBP/750M. The default resolution is 1080, calling it to 1296 or 1440 shrinks everything, detracts from the crispness of full pixel doubling, and potential impacts performance (although I wouldn't know).
 
FuNGi said:
Why will you be better able to read the text when it is smaller across the board?
I use a Dell P2415Q with my rMBP/750M. The default resolution is 1080, calling it to 1296 or 1440 shrinks everything, detracts from the crispness of full pixel doubling, and potential impacts performance (although I wouldn't know).
Click to expand...

1440p is the sweet spot for a 27" monitor. Lots of real estate and text is still a reasonable size. That is why apple use 1440p for their current 27" display and pixel doubled 1440p in their 27" 5K display. 1080p would not really be enough real estate for me. It would be less space than I get on my 17" 1920x1200 MBP screen.

I have seen apples high Dpi mode in action on notebooks and setting a non integer multiplier still produces very crisp results. e.g running virtual 1080p instead of pixel doubled 900p. I have also seen images (literally pictures of the screen) of text on a normal 1440p monitor vs a 4K running 1440p HiDPI mode and the 4K has much sharper text.

The performance part is a concern as a higher non integer multiplier may require more GPU power to process. Not sure though what real world effect it would have. Hence trying to find out from someone who owns one.
 
whitedragon101 said:
1440p is the sweet spot for a 27" monitor. Lots of real estate and text is still a reasonable size. That is why apple use 1440p for their current 27" display and pixel doubled 1440p in their 27" 5K display. 1080p would not really be enough real estate for me. It would be less space than I get on my 17" 1920x1200 MBP screen.

I have seen apples high Dpi mode in action on notebooks and setting a non integer multiplier still produces very crisp results. e.g running virtual 1080p instead of pixel doubled 900p. I have also seen images (literally pictures of the screen) of text on a normal 1440p monitor vs a 4K running 1440p HiDPI mode and the 4K has much sharper text.

The performance part is a concern as a higher non integer multiplier may require more GPU power to process. Not sure though what real world effect it would have. Hence trying to find out from someone who owns one.
Click to expand...

Yeah fine. But you said you do it "so you can read the text". That I don't get. Smaller text is never easier to read.
I purchased this 24" 4K monitor so I would have the highest dpi available. I'm not going to then shrink everything and impair that. Instead I just make use of separate spaces for larger workflows.
 
FuNGi said:
Yeah fine. But you said you do it "so you can read the text". That I don't get. Smaller text is never easier to read.
I purchased this 24" 4K monitor so I would have the highest dpi available. I'm not going to then shrink everything and impair that. Instead I just make use of separate spaces for larger workflows.
Click to expand...

Oh I get it. I meant HiDPI as opposed to running it at native 4K
 
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