LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

[ZiBart]

Would sleep issues on the LG 6K be a deal killer? If that was the only problem then maybe not. If I win the panel lottery and get minimal vignetting, decent black and white uniformity, no stuck sub-pixels, and minimal backlight bleed, I'd likely keep it even if I have to force always-on for the M4 Mac mini. OTOH, if I get significant backlight bleed and bad screen uniformity, it will be going back regardless.

Since my current monitor is an LG made IPS Black panel as well (HP 732pk), 4k though. And my second one to date. I did find that the ips glow/bleed, uniformity, was much better vs previous standard IPS monitors. Vignetting is still there if close enough to monitor but minimal and not even close to the vignetting that VA panels have from my experience. Hopefully no issues for you.

 

[EugW]

Since my current monitor is an LG made IPS Black panel as well (HP 732pk), 4k though. And my second one to date. I did find that the ips glow/bleed, uniformity, was much better vs previous standard IPS monitors. Vignetting is still there if close enough to monitor but minimal and not even close to the vignetting that VA panels have from my experience. Hopefully no issues for you.

The Asus ProArt 32" I got had terrible backlight bleed. Like one of the worst I'd seen, even compared to super budget monitors. Also, it was only 4K, and I found the mediocre text quality just too annoying.

I am currently using a Huawei 3840x2560 3:2 28" monitor and it has very little backlight bleed. There is significant vignetting, and its matte coating amplifies that, but I've learned to accept it because the monitor was so much cheaper than the others I had considered, and the 164 ppi provides for much better (but not perfect) text. Plus the monitor is way prettier than the ProArts. I just don't understand why Asus continues to make them so ugly. While it's true most people forget about the look in actual usage after a while, even if the Asus and LG were exactly the same in terms of specs and reliability, I'd still consider spending hundreds more for the LG just for the aesthetics.

BTW, in the past I did not get an LG 5K or an Apple Studio Display in part because of the cost but mostly because I just find them too narrow. I wanted something wider, but I didn't want to spend the coin on the ugly Dell 6K which had a bunch of compatibility problems at the time too, and of course I wasn't going to spend the money on a Pro Display XDR. I looked into getting a used Pro Display XDR, but those were exceedingly rare, and reasonably priced ones were even more rare.

The LG 6K and Asus 6K scratch that itch for a wider screen, even though I don't need more height.

 

[ZiBart]

The Asus ProArt 32" I got had terrible backlight bleed. Like one of the worst I'd seen, even compared to super budget monitors. Also, it was only 4K, and I found the mediocre text quality just too annoying.

I am currently using a Huawei 3840x2560 3:2 28" monitor and it has very little backlight bleed. There is significant vignetting, and its matte coating amplifies that, but I've learned to accept it because the monitor was so much cheaper than the others I had considered, and the 164 ppi provides for much better (but not perfect) text. Plus the monitor is way prettier than the ProArts. I just don't understand why Asus continues to make them so ugly. While it's true most people forget about the look in actual usage after a while, even if the Asus and LG were exactly the same in terms of specs and reliability, I'd still consider spending hundreds more for the LG just for the aesthetics.

BTW, in the past I did not get an LG 5K or an Apple Studio Display in part because of the cost but mostly because I just find them too narrow. I wanted something wider, but I didn't want to spend the coin on the ugly Dell 6K which had a bunch of compatibility problems at the time too, and of course I wasn't going to spend the money on a Pro Display XDR. I looked into getting a used Pro Display XDR, but those were exceedingly rare, and reasonably priced ones were even more rare.

The LG 6K and Asus 6K scratch that itch for a wider screen, even though I don't need more height.

The 6k ProArt? Is that one an IPS black panel too? I looked at specs when it got released and wasnt sure. The typical contrast is listed as 1500:1. Whereas i thought typical contrast on the IPS black panels are 2000:1. I believe Dell introduced 3000:1 typical exclusively on their new 25 UltraSharps IPS black. But if its IPS black indeed, then im wrong to assume the panel lottery issues are resolved. That giant forehead on the Dell 6k along with the protruding webcam, is an acquired taste and the price of them is just awful.

 

[EugW]

The 6k ProArt? Is that one an IPS black panel too? I looked at specs when it got released and wasnt sure. The typical contrast is listed as 1500:1. Whereas i thought typical contrast on the IPS black panels are 2000:1. I believe Dell introduced 3000:1 typical exclusively on their new 25 UltraSharps IPS black. But if its IPS black indeed, then im wrong to assume the panel lottery issues are resolved. That giant forehead on the Dell 6k along with the protruding webcam, is an acquired taste and the price of them is just awful.

The Asus ProArt I had gotten with the terrible backlight bleed was a 4K, not the 6K.

The Asus 6K does not use an LG panel but it is indeed IPS, with better black levels than typical IPS. Contrast is 1500:1 claimed but actually is 1600:1 measured. The LG is claimed to be 2000:1 (typ) but I'm not sure that number is directly comparable, since they also list a 1400:1 (min) contrast spec on their website.

EDIT:

For example, here is the Dell 6K monitor. Like the LG, it claims 2000:1 contrast, but Tom's measurement is 1500:1. It has the same resolution and pixel density as the LG 6K, and it also uses an LG panel. I wonder if it is the exact same panel in fact.

Dell UltraSharp U3224KB 32-inch 6K Monitor Review: 21 Megapixels Of Flexible Productivity

Dell’s UltraSharp U3224KB is a 6K (6144x3456, 21.23MP) IPS 32-inch monitor with wide gamut color, HDR 600, KVM functions and a built-in webcam with microphone.

www.tomshardware.com

Thus I would not be surprised if the real world static contrast of the LG is actually about the same or even a bit lower than the Asus (which uses an AUO panel).

 

[Brandhaus]

Sales estimates in 2023/2024 are that the iMac still vastly outsells the Mac mini. However, the Mac laptops in turn outsell the iMac 20 fold. That tells you just how low the sales for the Mac mini are. The iMac apparently outsells the Mac mini and Mac Studio combined, despite the fact that the iMac has a built-in screen, while both the Mac mini and Mac Studio allow the use of any screen you want.

Interesting. I wonder what age group is iMac. I'm guessing older people, though I could be wrong, since Mac's are scary to alot of them. Could be average college kids, or even entire course computers, I know in school they obviously had to purchase a bulk of them for the students.

 

[EugW]

Interesting. I wonder what age group is iMac. I'm guessing older people, though I could be wrong, since Mac's are scary to alot of them. Could be average college kids, or even entire course computers, I know in school they obviously had to purchase a bulk of them for the students.

I don't know, but from what I've seen anecdotally, the iMac targets all ages. I see young kids, young adults, families with teen kids, middle aged people, and seniors with them. eg. I see millennials buy them for their families and for their elderly parents. A big draw seems to be that they look great, with multiple colour options, and they are extremely simple to use with no mess of cables. This is why you see them in so many backgrounds of YouTubers' videos. That said, far higher numbers of people buy MacBooks.

Those of us buying these standalone expensive Retina monitors like the 27" 5K and 32" 6K LG UltraFine models are a small minority overall, and I betcha most of those don't even own Mac minis or Mac Studios, but actually own MacBook Pros.

 

[ZiBart]

 

[bigglow]

I do hope Dell will introduce their "normal" 6K display early next year too. Under "normal" I mean that new 6K panel plus everything else available in the actual U3225QE - design, KVM, controls, etc, and without that ugly top border and a redundant web camera.

How do Dell U3225QE users like their 32" 4K display with the latest firmware while using macOS Tahoe?