I read this article about meeting Apple retina specifications and display-scaling issues so want to avoid too much of a mismatch.
If you want to avoid scaling and must have a 27" 220ppi display, then that article pretty much lays out the choice - Studio Display vs. Samsung S9 vs. try and hunt down an LG ultrafine. Or wait for the Benq that someone mentioned turns up. I don't think there's much doubt that the Studio Display is the optimum in terms of actual display quality (the panel may or may not be the same as the Samsung, but Apple's glossy-but-anti-reflective coating is excellent) - it's other things that, for me, affect its value-for-money: $400 for a properly adjustable stand, captive mains lead, no additional DP/HDMI inputs - the latter is the deal-breaker for me - it won't be an issue for many.
However - and although this is partly personal opinion
I did write a long post a few years ago to back it up - I think the 4k display scaling issue has been somewhat exaggerated by a couple of articles which did a good job of explaining the issue but backed them up with some scary enlargements/simulations which I refute thus:
- "Never do this" courtesy of
xkcd.com, the fount of all wisdom.
More seriously, see:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/psa-4k-display-resolutions.2345906/
I used a 28" 4k display as a second screen next to my 5k iMac for years, set to "looks like 2560x1440" (i.e. 5120x2880 downsampled to 4k and retaining a
lot more detail than true 1440p) and, no, it's not as pin-sharp as true 5k, but it's really pretty good as long as you're actually going to get on with
doing stuff rather than endless A/B comparisons. Yeah, you get a slight 'shimmer' on scrolling and sometimes see moire patterns on half-toning (which is nature's way of telling you that your artwork is going to look **** on web-pages etc. where it
will get scaled) but I'd say that
it is an acceptable compromise for the huge price difference. Also (something the scary articles fail to mention) if you hit a job where you (somehow) need pixel-accurate editing
without zooming it takes seconds to change mode to "looks like 1080p" (again, full 4k resolution, not really 1080p at all - and with no fractional scaling) and put up with slightly chunky (but still perfectly usable) system fonts and icons while you do that job - or, if your eyesight is up to it, go to "3840x2160" for no scaling whatsoever (just about usable at 27"). Depends somewhat on what software you are using, whether you use full-screen or not - cross-platform apps tend to be designed for 1080p anyway which is still ubiquitous on PCs and be fairly efficient with screen space. Then of course, virtually every serious app gives you fine control over "zoom" or font size which you can adjust to taste - so this only affects system fonts/icons/dialog. I've never encountered anything that is
unusable at "1080p" in MacOS.
...and remember, "retina" is a function of viewing distance as well as PPI (not everybody gets that) and 4k@27" is "retina" if you typically view it from more than 21" away.
Being honest, though, you'll have been spoiled by your 5k iMac and anything other than a Studio Display will seem like a downgrade for a while. However, you can mitigate that by "thinking different" about the sort of display configuration you choose. E.g.
- Try a 24" 4k UHD display - saves desk space, and the "looks like 1080p" UI size will be about right.
- For real estate - try a dual display setup. You can get two decent 4k displays for a lot less than a Studio Display - I find two separate displays makes window management easier and often have the primary app full-screened on one with other app windows on the second display.
- Look at other screen ratios - such as ultrawide or 3:2. Personally, I use a pair of Huawei MateView 28" displays with 3:2 screens and 3840 × 2560 resolution. Think a 27" display with an extra inch and a bit of vertical space. I run these at "looks like 1920x1280" mode - no fractional scaling - and find the extra vertical space compensates for the slightly chunky UI (which primarily affects the menu bar and dock). I find that the 3:2 ratio is superior for everything unless you get triggered by black bars on 16:9 video (which don't affect the picture quality, anyway)
The MateView 28" seems to be discontinued (and was always hard to get in the US) but if I were buying a display today, I'd probably be looking into the Benq 28" "programming monitor"
BenQ RD280U promote programming productivity with backlight, Fine-coated panel, and advanced coding modes, delivering crystal-clear fonts for improved code differentiation in both light and dark themes adaptable to diverse development work environments. Accessible at a touch of the dedicated...
www.benq.eu
