Monitor for M2 Mini under $800

[deconstruct60]

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.

There is a relatively new LG 32" IPS Black model that barely squeaks in under $800 at the moment ( although with taxes over the limit).

https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-32uq85r-w#

(competes with and perhaps shares same panel with Dell's 32 IPS Black model that is over the $800 limit.

Dell UltraSharp 32 Inch 4K Computer Monitor - U3223QE | Dell USA

View the Dell UltraSharp 32 Inch 4K USB-C Hub Monitor (U3223QE) with an intelligent 4K webcam & IPS Black technology or view all Dell computer monitors at Dell.com.

www.dell.com

)


Pretty sure they have a U2726QE alternative now also at a lower price 27".

The ergonomic placement of a 27" and 32" monitor shouldn't be the same. At the further distance the retina (as in elements of an eyeball) should be less of an issue.

Somehow these Mac discussions get herded into discussions of "has to be some exact multiple of 108 ppi and that is really not directly connected to eyeball specifics.

If let macOS pick the natural default setting for the display it is fine. No, don't get the same amount of content on the screen as the Apple specific 5K screen. But also have $1,000+ ( if get a monitor with an adjustable stand ... which for > $450 should be a 'given'. ) more money to spend on other stuff. Unless tossing another $1K at webcam and speakers, it is just a trade-off.

 

[deconstruct60]

I can recommend the following article to anyone who’s in the market for an external monitor. The importance of pixel density in combination with macOS is rarely mentioned in discussions like this.

Mac external displays for designers and developers, part 2

Since writing about Mac external displays in 2016, not much has changed. LG, Dell, Samsung, and other display makers have either never catered for the specs many Mac designers and developers want, or they’ve reluctantly produced products that have been short-lived or compromised.

bjango.com

From the article.

"... The comparisons below are made by simulating a Studio Display on the left and a 4K UHD (3840×2160 pixel) 27-inch display on the right, with macOS display scaling set so text and elements are the same size. ... "

If you try to force a 4K monitor to deliver the same thing as a 5K monitor then will get compromises. If just take the trade off of it being a 4K monitor and don't go down the rabbit hole of "have to get more desktop display height and breath back" the clarity is more than decent. The IPS Black panels even more so. Not going to get super dark OLED blacks but better contrast will help with perception of stuff like text and several out viewing use cases.

"Doctor it hurts when I drop a 40lb weight on my foot". "Don't drop the 40lbs weight on your foot".

4K at 32" inches does walk back much closer to the "must be multiple of 108 mindset" present in they "Retina" articles. ( Which is somewhat detached from real "retina" issues. )

 

[deconstruct60]

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?

The Samsung S80TB is $599 for 4K with just HDR10 in 27".

Viewfinity S8 27" 4K UHD Monitor with Built-in Speakers | Samsung US

Explore the Viewfinity S80TB 27" 4K UHD monitor with speakers, IPS panel, Thunderbolt4, HDR10 screen, & ergonomic swivel tilt stand. Buy today!

www.samsung.com

Pretty doubtful that will land with just a $200 delta over the 4K model. Likely this is going to arrive at a > $1K price. Not only is Samsung cranking up the pixel density but also the brightness is going up also (close to doubling). The backlight is going to be more expensive also. Throw in a metal case with a more fancy hinge/mount (versus the plastic S8 ) and webcam and "smart hub" (basically a TV class processor ). All of that and there isn't going to be a small gap between these two.

 

[Alex W.]

This

Dell 32 Curved 4K UHD Monitor: S3221QS | Dell Canada

View the Dell 32 Inch Curved 4K UHD Monitor (S3221QS) and enjoy expansive views in 4K plus built-in dual 5W speakers, or shop all Computer Monitors at Dell.com.

www.dell.com

 

[Tagbert]

LG 27" UHD is awesome. 27UQ850-W is the newest model, but 27UP850-W is 2022. Both have USB C at 90W power delivery.

I use the earlier model of that running scaled 2560x1440 and it works and looks good. The default scaled 1920x180 is just too big. If I had a true 5K monitor right next to it I might see a small difference in sharpness but on its own it is perfectly usable.

 

[5425642]

I have an iMac 27" Late 2012 and since there is no such thing as an iMac 27" Apple Silicon, I'm thinking of abandoning the all-in-one world and switching to the new Mac mini.

I don't want to spend money on the Apple Studio Display, as an alternative how about LG 27MD5KL and Dell U2723QE? They're both glossy screens, aren't they?

My 27" is not retina, and I use it at the native resolution of 2560-by-1600, if I understood correctly by setting the resolution to 5120-by-2880 I would see smaller text and icons, is that true?

However, I read that by setting LG to 2560-by-1440, the text and icons would look sharp as long as they are still a retina resolution, is that true?

Which other 27" monitors do you recommend differently?

Got two U2723QE and I love them

 

[robotica]

I have 2 of these and would recommend , they go on sale all the time for about £500 and have full thunderbolt 4 and a very good pannel.

ThinkVision 27 inch Monitor - P27u-20 | 62CBRAR6US

<p>If you are a photographer, a video editor, a graphic designer, or a professional who doesnât like compromises, its time you met ThinkVision P27u-20. The P27u-20 comes with a 3840 x 2160 UHD screen that delivers outstanding image quality and clarity. Its wide IPS screen offers enhanced viewing...

www.lenovo.com

 

[sam_dean]

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.

Sadly Target Display Mode isn't supported starting with your model.

A reason why I want iMac 27-inch replacement with a M2/M2 Pro so that it would be cheaper than a 27-inch Studio Display + Mac mini.

 

[TinyMito]

You can find some 4K at sub $800 easy. I would not recommend to go lower than 1440p... fonts are just ugly to read.

 

[pshufd]

I have 2 U2718Qs, a U2720Q, and a U2515H on my desk. These are Dell Ultrasharp monitors. The first three are 27 inch 4k and the fourth is a 25 inch 2k. I do 4k video editing because it's so easy and people expect it these days. I have used Dell Ultrasharp for the past 20 years or so and am very happy with them. I had a 2014 iMac 5k but sold it a few months ago after getting a Studio. The iMac 5k screen is great, but it was definitely time to move on for me and my use didn't justify a 5k monitor.

You could go with 27 inch 2k and I suspect that it would be good enough for 2k editing. The Dell Ultrasharp 4k 27 inch monitors are about $500 right now, while the 2k monitors are about $100 less. I would like to replace the 25 inch with a 27 inch as I like consistency but I don't need to right now.

Dell's consumer-grade monitors cost moderately less than the Ultrasharp line but I appreciate the port hub, multiple video inputs, and adjust-ability of the Ultrasharp line.

 

[pshufd]

Sadly Target Display Mode isn't supported starting with your model.

A reason why I want iMac 27-inch replacement with a M2/M2 Pro so that it would be cheaper than a 27-inch Studio Display + Mac mini.

Target Display Mode was dropped with the Late 2014 iMac 27. You can use Airplay to Mac with Apple Silicon Macs though.

 

[QuiteSure]

I have 2 U2718Qs, a U2720Q, and a U2515H on my desk. These are Dell Ultrasharp monitors. The first three are 27 inch 4k and the fourth is a 25 inch 2k. I do 4k video editing because it's so easy and people expect it these days. I have used Dell Ultrasharp for the past 20 years or so and am very happy with them. I had a 2014 iMac 5k but sold it a few months ago after getting a Studio. The iMac 5k screen is great, but it was definitely time to move on for me and my use didn't justify a 5k monitor.

You could go with 27 inch 2k and I suspect that it would be good enough for 2k editing. The Dell Ultrasharp 4k 27 inch monitors are about $500 right now, while the 2k monitors are about $100 less. I would like to replace the 25 inch with a 27 inch as I like consistency but I don't need to right now.

Dell's consumer-grade monitors cost moderately less than the Ultrasharp line but I appreciate the port hub, multiple video inputs, and adjust-ability of the Ultrasharp line.

Thanks, this is great info, much appreciated!

 

[mr_jomo]

LG 32” 4K with Ergo stand. I have two of these connected to my 16” M1 Max and they work great. $500 at Costco:

LG 32" Class Ultrafine UHD IPS Monitor with ErgoStand

LG 32" Class Ultrafine UHD IPS Monitor with ErgoStand

www.costco.com

If you don't mind: what resolution do you run them at, and what's your viewing distance?

Thanks 😊

 

[QuiteSure]

If you don't mind: what resolution do you run them at, and what's your viewing distance?

Thanks 😊

Right now I’m about 3 feet away and it runs at 2560x1440

 

[mr_jomo]

Right now I’m about 3 feet away and it runs at 2560x1440

Appreciate it, thanks!

 

[QuiteSure]

My Mini was delivered today, and it's a beast! I want to say: first, thanks to everyone who made suggestions here, I explored all of them. But in the end...
second, I have a Cinema Display from 2010 that I have hooked up to the Mini, and it works really well. I have it running at 2560 × 1440 (same as my 2015 iMac) and it looks perfect for my purposes, so for now I'm going to stand pat. There's an outside chance that if I run into some extra cash I'll spring for the Studio Display, but this 2010 product from Apple is working fine, so I'll stick with it.

 

[FSMBP]

I use the earlier model of that running scaled 2560x1440 and it works and looks good. The default scaled 1920x180 is just too big. If I had a true 5K monitor right next to it I might see a small difference in sharpness but on its own it is perfectly usable.

Dumb question...how are the speakers. I know they aren't Mac Studio Display quality, but are they decent for casually listening (i.e. not tinny sounding like most integrated speakers)?

 

[Tagbert]

Dumb question...how are the speakers. I know they aren't Mac Studio Display quality, but are they decent for casually listening (i.e. not tinny sounding like most integrated speakers)?

I end up using the speakers in the laptop. The monitor speakers don’t sound as good. They sound a little cheap and they face backwards. Because of that and because my biggest use of speakers is for zoom calls which I sometimes take when not on the monitor, I tend to just use the laptop speakers. I used to have some external speakers but the analog connection of the cable was always too touchy and noise prone. I do have a pair of nice Bluetooth speakers when I want to listen to music on my desk but that is less often these days.

FYI - this specific monitor is the LG 27UK850. I ordered it the day our office closed down for Covid in March 2020. It has been a good monitor otherwise.

 

[meson]

My Mini was delivered today, and it's a beast! I want to say: first, thanks to everyone who made suggestions here, I explored all of them. But in the end...
second, I have a Cinema Display from 2010 that I have hooked up to the Mini, and it works really well. I have it running at 2560 × 1440 (same as my 2015 iMac) and it looks perfect for my purposes, so for now I'm going to stand pat. There's an outside chance that if I run into some extra cash I'll spring for the Studio Display, but this 2010 product from Apple is working fine, so I'll stick with it.

Nothing wrong with that. Those are nice displays, and there's no need to take one out of service if it's working well enough for you.

 

[ivnj]

This is the one I use with a base M1.

Dell S2421NX 23.8" IPS LED FHD FreeSync Monitor (HDMI) Black S2421NX - Best Buy

Shop Dell S2421NX 23.8" IPS LED FHD FreeSync Monitor (HDMI) Black products at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

Or this is god enough

Samsung 390C Series 24" LED Curved FHD AMD FreeSync Monitor (HDMI, VGA) Black C24F390 - Best Buy

Shop Samsung 390C Series 24" LED Curved FHD AMD FreeSync Monitor (HDMI, VGA) Black products at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

 

[coolerkid]

Get the the LG 5k 27 Ultrafine. You can usually find one in like-new condition on Facebook marketplace for $500-700. Or if you don't need a 27" you can get the LG 4k Ultrafine used for $350-400. Not only is the quality phenomenal, but it's great not having buttons on the display and being able to control everything on your Mac, and the extra USB-C ports on the display come in very useful. The Dell UltraSharp U2723QE is also an amazing monitor, but it only comes in matte, which I personally hate.

 

[QuiteSure]

I broke down and bought the Studio Display for $300 off at Costco. A bit over my $800 budget but couldn't resist the Costco deal, and the display is gorgeous. No regrets. Thanks to everyone for their great advice!

 

[tstafford]

I broke down and bought the Studio Display for $300 off at Costco. A bit over my $800 budget but couldn't resist the Costco deal, and the display is gorgeous. No regrets. Thanks to everyone for their great advice!

Good move. If you like the ASD (and it sounds that you do) nothing else would have made you 100% happy. The price is obnoxious, the specs aren't what many want but it just works and looks great. I love mine but I get why it is vilified by many.