Which is the preferred option for an external screen for this laptop, 1440p or 4k? I've read conflicting reports about scaling and sharpness on 4k screens which has had me looking at 1440p options. I'm used to a 5k iMac running at 2880p so razor-sharp image quality. And input will be appreciated. Thanks.
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MacBook Pro 13" 2020 - external monitor
- Thread starter dazzer21-2
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I think it’s going to be very subjective to the person and device in question.
I really like my 24” 4K screens but there aren’t many of them in the market. also keep in mind that non even scaling of hi dpi screens (ie so it isn’t “looks like 1920x1080”) is more demanding on the gpu - the 13” models have only intel graphics iirc?
You can do scaled UI on a igpu but you may need to adjust some things eg I found turning off UI transparency makes it a lot smoother with a scaled UI on the 2018 mini’s igpu.
I really like my 24” 4K screens but there aren’t many of them in the market. also keep in mind that non even scaling of hi dpi screens (ie so it isn’t “looks like 1920x1080”) is more demanding on the gpu - the 13” models have only intel graphics iirc?
You can do scaled UI on a igpu but you may need to adjust some things eg I found turning off UI transparency makes it a lot smoother with a scaled UI on the 2018 mini’s igpu.
I have a 2020 MBP (4TB) and use it with a 32" 4K monitor (HP Z32) and a 27" 2K monitor. Although the MPB has sometimes serious problems (Thunderbolt ports not working as intended and sometimes not able to drive the 4K display at 60Hz - don't know why) I am really happy with the 4K display.
For me 32" is ideal because even at the native resolution the UI is still readable (although a bit tiny) and you get a lot of working space. Using scaled resolutions is also fine and definitely easier on the eyes - but I could imagine that if you really push the machine, scaled resolution will definitely drop the perfomance.
Jochheim
For me 32" is ideal because even at the native resolution the UI is still readable (although a bit tiny) and you get a lot of working space. Using scaled resolutions is also fine and definitely easier on the eyes - but I could imagine that if you really push the machine, scaled resolution will definitely drop the perfomance.
Jochheim
It's definitely subjective and it is also highly-dependent on the size of your display (e.g., a small Quad HD display can have a higher pixel density than a very large 4K display).
My best friend will say that anything less than 4K in macOS is worthless, especially since the anti-aliasing disabling (which you can partly re-enable, on a side note). He would call you crazy for considering anything less than 4K in 2020.
But I'm a huge QHD fan and absolutely love it on 24-25 inch screen sizes at shorter viewing distances in its native resolution...in that 24-25 inch size, you get a very respectable pixel density of around 120 PPI (which is better than a 40-inch 4K display). With QHD in the unscaled, native resolution, you get nicely sized icons/text without having to place a heavy load on the GPU (and I find that this, with laptops, benefits CPU performance.) There are a lot of options available for very reasonable prices, including models with high refresh rates, excellent color coverage, high-brightness, and HDR capability. Overall, I feel like QHD offers a nice sweet spot, and is a good choice for many professional as well as personal/entertainment applications.
But some others will say font size is too small on 24-25 inch QHD.
As we are in a COVID world and browsing in a store is no longer easy, you might want to consider selecting a QHD and 4K display you like and buying both (purchasing from somewhere with free returns, of course) and send the one back that you like less? This way you can see first hand how fonts look on each, what 4K scaling settings you like and how the system handles it, and how the system behaves from a performance standpoint with each.
My best friend will say that anything less than 4K in macOS is worthless, especially since the anti-aliasing disabling (which you can partly re-enable, on a side note). He would call you crazy for considering anything less than 4K in 2020.
But I'm a huge QHD fan and absolutely love it on 24-25 inch screen sizes at shorter viewing distances in its native resolution...in that 24-25 inch size, you get a very respectable pixel density of around 120 PPI (which is better than a 40-inch 4K display). With QHD in the unscaled, native resolution, you get nicely sized icons/text without having to place a heavy load on the GPU (and I find that this, with laptops, benefits CPU performance.) There are a lot of options available for very reasonable prices, including models with high refresh rates, excellent color coverage, high-brightness, and HDR capability. Overall, I feel like QHD offers a nice sweet spot, and is a good choice for many professional as well as personal/entertainment applications.
But some others will say font size is too small on 24-25 inch QHD.
As we are in a COVID world and browsing in a store is no longer easy, you might want to consider selecting a QHD and 4K display you like and buying both (purchasing from somewhere with free returns, of course) and send the one back that you like less? This way you can see first hand how fonts look on each, what 4K scaling settings you like and how the system handles it, and how the system behaves from a performance standpoint with each.
I use a 32" 4K with my 2020 13" and eGPU. I typically use "looks like 2560x1440".
After many years of 27" iMac ownership, I would find it hard to a non-HiDPI external monitor set-up. 4K scaled to look like 1440p is not as sharp as a 5K iMac of course, but it's pretty good. Far better than a 32" native 1440p monitor certainly. The eGPU means I'm in the fortunate position of not having to worry about any affect scaling has on performance. This also keeps the MBP silent with fans at 0 rpm a lot of the time.
After many years of 27" iMac ownership, I would find it hard to a non-HiDPI external monitor set-up. 4K scaled to look like 1440p is not as sharp as a 5K iMac of course, but it's pretty good. Far better than a 32" native 1440p monitor certainly. The eGPU means I'm in the fortunate position of not having to worry about any affect scaling has on performance. This also keeps the MBP silent with fans at 0 rpm a lot of the time.
I'd be remaining with 27" as this will also be sitting next to my iMac 27". There will be times when I'll be running two systems side by side, and other times where I'll use the screen for the iMac for when the laptop isn't needed. I'd heard that 4k on a 27" is blurred in comparison to a 32" due to scaling issues. Is that the case?
@dazzer21-2
4K on a 27" would be even sharper, because of the higher pixel density - I guess what you mean is, that you probably want to use a scaled resolution with a 4K 27" because text and other elements will be to small - and than yes - it will be a bit more blurred compared to a 32" 4K monitor running the native resolution.
I guess you could even use the 27" native in 4K but I am not that old and have good eyesight, but the native 4K resolution on my 32" IS tiny and if text and other elements would be even tinier (like on a 27") it would not be fun to use and strain the eyes.
4K on a 27" would be even sharper, because of the higher pixel density - I guess what you mean is, that you probably want to use a scaled resolution with a 4K 27" because text and other elements will be to small - and than yes - it will be a bit more blurred compared to a 32" 4K monitor running the native resolution.
I guess you could even use the 27" native in 4K but I am not that old and have good eyesight, but the native 4K resolution on my 32" IS tiny and if text and other elements would be even tinier (like on a 27") it would not be fun to use and strain the eyes.