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Monitor for M2 Mini under $800

Macintosh1984 said:
I would like to avoid the Apple Studio Display, I'm not interested in speakers, webcams, etc.

I would like to understand which of those mentioned are glossy and look good on Mac at 2560x1440. From direct experience, I mean.
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I have seen the LG Ultrafine 5K in the Apple Store and it looked like the iMac displays. So that is probably your best bet if you want the best display quality on Mac that is not the Apple Studio Display.

If you shop around, you might find them discounted for less than $800. I saw it last year. Not sure if it is still available for this price as it normally goes for $1300.
 
As someone who routinely used 110ppi and lower external displays next to my retina macBook displays for years, I have no issue jumping back and forth.

Over the last couple weeks, I've been getting acquainted with my LG 32UL500 32" 4k @ 140ppi. Being used to the 'looks like' 1440x900 resolution on my 13" MBP, I find UI elements similar in size at full 4k resolution. The pixels are small enough that they do not bother me. I can drop back into a scaled resolution when I don't need as much content displayed, and it looks fine to me. Looks like 3008x1692 makes for a very nice compromise resolution for me. For an entry level 4k display, I cannot complain. It's a very good productivity monitor.

For the OP's intended use, I would look for a model that is a little brighter and possibly with a higher refresh rate, but I have no hesitation recommending a 4k @ 32" display to anyone.

That variant at Costco looks pretty promising. If you go that right, make sure you have either a USB-C to Display port cable or dongle. I think I've read that Minis can be fussy with the USB-C to USB-C with power delivery connection. While HDMI works fine as a connection, the Mini HDMI blocks the ability to control brightness and the display's speaker volume rendering apps like Monitor Control useless over HDMI.
 
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meson said:
As someone who routinely used 110ppi and lower external displays next to my retina macBook displays for years, I have no issue jumping back and forth.

Over the last couple weeks, I've been getting acquainted with my LG 32UL500 32" 4k @ 140ppi. Being used to the 'looks like' 1440x900 resolution on my 13" MBP, I find UI elements similar in size at full 4k resolution. The pixels are small enough that they do not bother me. I can drop back into a scaled resolution when I don't need as much content displayed, and it looks fine to me. Looks like 3008x1692 makes for a very nice compromise resolution for me. For an entry level 4k display, I cannot complain. It's a very good productivity monitor.

For the OP's intended use, I would look for a model that is a little brighter and possibly with a higher refresh rate, but I have no hesitation recommending a 4k @ 32" display to anyone.

That variant at Costco looks pretty promising. If you go that right, make sure you have either a USB-C to Display port cable or dongle. I think I've read that Minis can be fussy with the USB-C to USB-C with power delivery connection. While HDMI works fine as a connection, the Mini HDMI blocks the ability to control brightness and the display's speaker volume rendering apps like Monitor Control useless over HDMI.
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Great insight, thanks!
 
kyjaotkb said:
I would personally opt for the Gen 1 Ultrafine 4K rather than for the Gen 2. The Gen 2 24" 4K Ultrafine has a lower res than the iMac 24, it's only 3840*2160. The 21.5" 4K Ultrafine had a 4096*2160 display, like the 4K iMac 21", 218ppi i.e. a "true" retina feel and 16:10 format.
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I have had the first gen since launch. And it does have better resolution, but it's only 21", and it's ONLY USB-C. The 2nd gen is 23.5" and is Thunderbolt and USB-C, can dasiy chain, and overall if I had to buy one now I'd personally opt for that one even though the first gen does have better resolution and scaling. I should note, I have 0 hands on experience with the 2nd gen. Only the first.
 
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QuiteSure said:
I've been using a 2015 iMac Built-in Retina Display 27-inch (5120 × 2880). While I want to say I don't need a retina display, I've been using one for so long that I'm not sure how I'd feel without one.
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You might try to find one of the old LG Ultrafine 4K monitors (the 2017-2019 version, not the current one). They have a 21.5” screen with true 4K resolution. Can’t vouch for this particular seller, but these pop up on eBay regularly.
 
KPOM said:
You might try to find one of the old LG Ultrafine 4K monitors (the 2017-2019 version, not the current one). They have a 21.5” screen with true 4K resolution. Can’t vouch for this particular seller, but these pop up on eBay regularly.
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This is great information, but I should’ve made it clearer that I require a 27 inch or more.
 
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Tyler O'Bannon said:
I have had the first gen since launch. And it does have better resolution, but it's only 21", and it's ONLY USB-C. The 2nd gen is 23.5" and is Thunderbolt and USB-C, can dasiy chain, and overall if I had to buy one now I'd personally opt for that one even though the first gen does have better resolution and scaling. I should note, I have 0 hands on experience with the 2nd gen. Only the first.
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I also have the 1st gen (4096 × 2304 / 218 ppi) 21.5" USB-C only UltraFine display which is stellar. The 2nd gen 23.5" was not even close to the same quality.
 
I agonized over this. I went with a dual Ultrasharp 2723QE monitors. Color and sharpness are great. The bezel is nice and thin. Overall it looks great. It is a matte monitor.

Potential downsides that may not be relevant to you
- The reviews report issues with glare, and i agree with them.
- No webcam
- No speakers
- compared to Apple Studio Display, this is just another plastic monitor
- the USB hubs are great, but if you want to use them a full speed, then the monitor refresh rate drops from 60hz to 30.
 
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24” LG Ultrafine 4K
Near retina at 185 ppi
500 nits brightness
Nice macOS integration
Dual thunderbolt 3 ports (daisy chaining possible; minimally it’s great if 1 breaks, the monitor still works)
 
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QuiteSure said:
I just pre-ordered the M2 mini. I will be using this computer in my law office, so: browsing on Chrome, multiple tabs; MS Office; Email; Calendar; and light video work (I create my own YouTube videos). Thanks for your help! I'm looking to spend less than $800.
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I’ve purchased four of these. Two at home for me connected to a MacBook Pro, one for my daughter who has a MacBook Air attached to it, and one for use at work.

It is the “budget” Retina monitor option in this article by Casey Liss which is an excellent read on this topic.

Despite the low price and budget label I have found it to be great for general purpose work and development in Xcode (I teach high school computer science).

Whatever you do, I encourage you to get a monitor that qualifies as ”retina” quality. See the article by Casey Liss I mentioned for what that means.


Good luck!
 
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Samsung is supposed to be releasing their own 5K monitor in a few months. Do you have a cheap monitor laying around somewhere that can hold you over for a little bit?
 
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Anyone know if the Samsung M8 is any good? I like the idea of the built in webcam.
 
QuiteSure said:
This is great information, but I should’ve made it clearer that I require a 27 inch or more.
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Sounds good. At 27” all monitors for less than $800 will be 4K at best. Samsung announced a 27” 5K monitor at CES last week aimed squarely at the Apple Studio Display audience but didn’t specify the availability or price. I’d expect it to be at least $1200, though.

There are plenty of good 27” 4K monitors for $400. Just check out Newegg or similar reputable sites. For your needs just about any quality 4K monitor should be sufficient. I’d focus on the color gamut (since you’ll do light video editing) and brightness.
 
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rwhg said:
I’ve purchased four of these. Two at home for me connected to a MacBook Pro, one for my daughter who has a MacBook Air attached to it, and one for use at work.

It is the “budget” Retina monitor option in this article by Casey Liss which is an excellent read on this topic.

Despite the low price and budget label I have found it to be great for general purpose work and development in Xcode (I teach high school computer science).

Whatever you do, I encourage you to get a monitor that qualifies as ”retina” quality. See the article by Casey Liss I mentioned for what that means.


Good luck!
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Those are nice monitors, but: 250 cd/m² Brightness. The Gen 2 Ultrafine 4K (24MD4KL) is 500 nits or cd/m² Brightness.
 
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currocj said:
Those are nice monitors, but: 250 cd/m² Brightness. The Gen 2 Ultrafine 4K (24MD4KL) is 500 nits or cd/m² Brightness.
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All I can say is that I’ve never been dissatisfied with the brightness of these displays, and have never had a need to run them at full brightness. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
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KPOM said:
Sounds good. At 27” all monitors for less than $800 will be 4K at best. Samsung announced a 27” 5K monitor at CES last week aimed squarely at the Apple Studio Display audience but didn’t specify the availability or price. I’d expect it to be at least $1200, though.

There are plenty of good 27” 4K monitors for $400. Just check out Newegg or similar reputable sites. For your needs just about any quality 4K monitor should be sufficient. I’d focus on the color gamut (since you’ll do light video editing) and brightness.
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Thanks, appreciate the info.
 
QuiteSure said:
I just pre-ordered the M2 mini. I will be using this computer in my law office, so: browsing on Chrome, multiple tabs; MS Office; Email; Calendar; and light video work (I create my own YouTube videos). Thanks for your help! I'm looking to spend less than $800.
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This LG monitor is fantastic. I was using a 27" iMac for a long time (retina display) but this one works great. Not quite as big (24") and is 4k not 5k, but for most applications that's fine. https://amzn.to/3iT48V5
 
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If you can stretch the budget to get a 5k 27”, that’s ideal resolution for that size. I don’t like to go more than about 22” at 4k.
 
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