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LG 34UC98 vs Dell Ultrasharp U3415W vs U3417W for 2013 Mac Pro

M

msvadi

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2010
365
69
Which of the three monitors, LG 34UC98, Dell Ultrasharp U3415W or U3417W, would you recommend for a 2013 Mac Pro?

If you used any of them, how easy are they to connect to a MP to get best possible performance?

NCIX.com is having a sale on LG that ends today, so I need to decide very fast. Unfortunately, there is no store nearby with the monitors on display, so I have no way to try them.

Thanks
 
Hi there!
I can confirm that I use a Dell U3415W with my 2013 Mac Pro. The display works perfectly via a DisplayPort to mini-displayport cable and also works via a mini-displayport to mini-displayport adapter.
It's plugged in via HDMI (or DisplayPort) to my Windows PC and it's easy to switch between the two sources.
It also works fine with my 2016 MacBook Pro with a USB type C to DisplayPort cable.
It's a fantastic screen. The U3417W seems to be a slightly newer design with a greater curvature.
I have not used the LG display but one thing you should bear in mind is whether or not it is also an IPS panel and whether or not it has the same pixel arrangement and pitch as the Dell, which is important when it comes to text rendering on Mac OS. (The Dell is very good in this regard and better, apparently, than the Samsung 34 inch display which I was also considering at the time of purchase).
 
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I use a lg 34um95 on a 2010 mp and all is fine, though bit slow waking the monitor up from sleep, quicker to flick the power switch on the back on /off
 
Mattstrete said:
Hi there!
I can confirm that I use a Dell U3415W with my 2013 Mac Pro. The display works perfectly via a DisplayPort to mini-displayport cable and also works via a mini-displayport to mini-displayport adapter.
It's plugged in via HDMI (or DisplayPort) to my Windows PC and it's easy to switch between the two sources.
It also works fine with my 2016 MacBook Pro with a USB type C to DisplayPort cable.
It's a fantastic screen. The U3417W seems to be a slightly newer design with a greater curvature.
I have not used the LG display but one thing you should bear in mind is whether or not it is also an IPS panel and whether or not it has the same pixel arrangement and pitch as the Dell, which is important when it comes to text rendering on Mac OS. (The Dell is very good in this regard and better, apparently, than the Samsung 34 inch display which I was also considering at the time of purchase).
Click to expand...

I've read that one cannot control Dell's monitor from mac's keyboard. Do you find it to be a significant issue? I know that LG provides On Screen control software for their monitors (I don't know if the software also enables keyboard controls).
 
I've just read some reviews arguing that while the two curved monitors from Dell and LG are great for video, they are not particularly good for writing, reading and coding, which are my main uses. Any opinions on that? What would be better options for writing and reading?
 
Why did they say that? I think it is great for work. 3440 wide is just shy of two 1920 monitors without any of the issues that dual monitors have. Also 1440P is plenty of vertical space. The DPI is good for crisp text. IPS has good color and off-angle viewing. The Dell comes factory calibrated and even includes a printout of the individual monitor's calibration results--not sure about the LG.

Really the only thing I don't like about my monitor is fairly severe backlight bleed evident in the corners when viewing dark content.
 
ActionableMango said:
Why did they say that? I think it is great for work.
Click to expand...

As far as I understand, their argument is that text on these two monitors would look blurry comparing to 4K monitors. Here's one of the reviews: https://9to5mac.com/2016/04/20/revi...splay-review-video-editing-widescreen-movies/

"The LG 34UC98 UltraWide display is an awesome display when used with the right applications. For using timeline-based audio and video editing applications, it truly excels and can make editing easier... But if writing and reading are your main things, I have to be honest and say that some of you will not be able to handle going back to a non-Retina display, even if it means a better experience from a real estate perspective... It’s not easy dealing with semi-blurry text once you’ve gotten used to the sharpness made possible by HiDPI modes... While having such a wide screen is a definite win for video editing workflows, as someone who writes more than he edits video, I do miss the sharp text afforded by a Retina display. This is a solid, workflow-enhancing second monitor for pro apps, but 4K is what I’d recommend for web browsing, reading, writing, etc."
 
I decided to order an LG UltraFine 5K instead. After looking at some ultra-wide monitors that my colleagues use, I decided that 4K resolution/clarity is more important for me.

I'm quite worried by the fact that "the display might not turn on until you boot into macOS" according to this article https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT207448 , but it looks like every monitor out there might have one issue or another when using with Mac Pros. For example, apparently Dell P2415Q's have issues with waking up from sleep: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/dell-p2415q-mac-pro-late-2013-questions.1945366/

I'm currently using a 2010 iMac in Target Display Mode as a monitor for my Mac Pro, and this setup also has issues with turning on before booting into OS. I keep a small 10-years old Dell monitor under my desk exactly for those situations.

It's kind of ridiculous: you purchase a $10K desktop computer, but can't find a monitor that works with it without glitches...
 
msvadi said:
It's kind of ridiculous: you purchase a $10K desktop computer, but can't find a monitor that works with it without glitches...
Click to expand...

I agree.

4K was kind of a mess back in 2013 when the nMP came out, with HDMI 2.0 and SST/MST and DP 1.1/1.2. I feel like many of these issues could probably be fixed with a firmware update, but unfortunately Apple doesn't seem to care about monitors. Some times I think they would rather everyone just have an iMac or MacBook.

FWIW, my Dell Ultrasharp U3415W works perfectly with wake/sleep in both Windows and MacOS, but obviously (A) it's not 4K or 5K, and (B) I have a 5,1.
 
I also have a 28" Samsung 4K display. It's a TN panel and even though it is able to display true hiDPI at 1920x1080 (equivalent) I prefer to use my Dell 34" IPS ultrawide display for general macOS use.
YMMV.
 
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