LG Ultrafine 4K/5K or Alternative?

[waring192]

Hey everyone,

So I have decided to ditch my 2017 5K iMac. Bit of a waste of money really as it never got much use as I used my old 2013 Base Retina Macbook 13". I didn't even bother upgrading the RAM from the 8GB it came with as I intended to upgrade at a later date.

The iMac spec was pretty good really:

• 2017 iMac 27" 5K
• 4.2 GHz i7 (up to 4.5 GHz)
• 8GB RAM (was going to upgrade to 16GB or 32GB via the DIY option to save costs)
• 512GB SSD
• AMD Radeon Pro 580

So I also ditched the 2013 Base Retina Macbook 13" as I needed something quicker if I wasn't going to use the iMac so I picked up a refurbished 2017 MacBook Pro with the following spec:

• 2017 MacBook Pro 15"
• 2.9 GHz i7 (up to 3.9 GHz)
• 16GB Ram
• 512GB SSD
• AMD Radeon Pro 630

So its not quite a nimble as the iMac but not that far off it, plus its portable which is probably why I mostly used the old 2013 MacBook Pro.

So I purchased a few needed items such the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to USB 3.1 and an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Lightning (not really needed but was on eBay very cheap so its used for charging my iPhone X. In the end I purchased a Hyper Drive USB C Adapter from Amazon so I now have the following:

• HDMI
• 2 x USB 3.1
• 2 X USB-C
  
• SD and micro-SD

This pretty much meant I did not need to have to carry the Thunderbolt 3 to USB 3.1 dongle as the Hyper Drive has a nice flush fit when attaching to the MacBook Pro and also comes in a nice little case.

So my big question is...I need an external monitor (I think I wandered slightly during my post!). Straight away two monitors jump at me:

• LG 27" UltraFine 5K
• LG 21.5" UltraFine 4K

Only problem is that they seem to have been around for quite sometime. Are they due to be upgraded etc soon or is Apple going to bring out there own version of monitor like the Thunderbolt display? If I was to go down the LG route I would most likely go for either one LG 27" UltraFine 5K or two LG 21.5" UltraFine 4K monitors. Neither of them I can find in the UK second hand so running dual LG 27" UltraFine 5K monitors is going to push the budget to high as they retail from Apple at £1,179.00 for the the 5K and £629.00 for the 4K.

So if the above are not suitable, can anyone recommend a monitor what is as good as the UltraFine displays but at a slightly lower price?

Many thanks!

 

[robvas]

I really like the 4K. Being able to charge is a big plus over other 4K monitors.

 

[waring192]

I really like the 4K. Being able to charge is a big plus over other 4K monitors.

Cheers for input. I might consider in getting two of the LG UltraFine 4K monitors. I think second hand would be best option due to the costs.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

You'll need a real thunderbolt dock like this one. The USB-C ones are not real thunderbolt adapters and are very limited.

http://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-3-dock/thunderbolt-station-3-plus/

 

[waring192]

You'll need a real thunderbolt dock like this one. The USB-C ones are not real thunderbolt adapters and are very limited.

http://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-3-dock/thunderbolt-station-3-plus/

Thanks for the info. I take it that's if I went down the none LG UltraFine route?

 

[deeddawg]

I really like the 4K. Being able to charge is a big plus over other 4K monitors.

True, though in my situation as I think about my home office setup I'd be using a dock anyway, so the monitor providing charging seems less relevant. How do you handle the myriad other things you plug into at your desk?

 

[cwosigns]

I love my LG Ultrafine 4K monitor. I wish the ambient light sensor worked with my MacBook Pro in clamshell mode. But outside of that, I don't have any regrets.

 

[robvas]

True, though in my situation as I think about my home office setup I'd be using a dock anyway, so the monitor providing charging seems less relevant. How do you handle the myriad other things you plug into at your desk?

I plug my Lightning cable into my monitor. If I use an external drive I just plug them in using a USB-C adapter. Other than that I don't really plug much in. I have a USB 3.0 hub that I use if I am plugging in more than one USB device, that doesn't happen often though.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

Thanks for the info. I take it that's if I went down the none LG UltraFine route?

You use the dock when you are at your monitor with all the ports. Those other items you got are for when you are on the go. Don't use them to dock with the monitor.