moving from 2017 imac to new mini- whats the cheapest monitor for non professional use that wouldnt seem a downgrade

[madeirabhoy]

having problems with my 2017 imac, and thinking it might make sense to go back to mini+monitor as i did with my 2009 mini, before 27" 2011 and 2017 imacs. the €729 for the basic mini i can justify, but not then spending €1700 for the apple studio display.

Looking, there are plenty of 27" decent brand 4k monitors for €300. however 5k ones are much more.

would i really notice the drop in quality?

 

[OneRebertt]

A 5K monitor has almost 78% more pixels than a 4K monitor.

Whether or not you will notice a difference in quality between a 4K and 5K monitor largely depends on your use case. If you are primarily using the monitor for general tasks such as browsing the web, watching videos, or working with documents, you may not notice a significant difference in quality between the two resolutions.

However, if you are using the monitor for tasks that require more screen real estates, such as video editing, graphic design, or programming, a 5K monitor may provide you with more space and detail to work with, which can be very helpful in these types of applications.

Overall, the difference in quality between a 4K and 5K monitor may not be immediately noticeable in all use cases, but if you are using the monitor for tasks that require more screen real estate and detail, a 5K monitor may be a better investment in the long run.

 

[tstafford]

It's 100% a personal thing. No one can tell you whether you will "really notice the drop in quality". Some do, some don't.

FWIW - Samsung is supposed to be releasing a competitor to the ASD this year. No idea when or how much it will cost.

 

[madeirabhoy]

A 5K monitor has almost 78% more pixels than a 4K monitor.

Whether or not you will notice a difference in quality between a 4K and 5K monitor largely depends on your use case. If you are primarily using the monitor for general tasks such as browsing the web, watching videos, or working with documents, you may not notice a significant difference in quality between the two resolutions.

However, if you are using the monitor for tasks that require more screen real estates, such as video editing, graphic design, or programming, a 5K monitor may provide you with more space and detail to work with, which can be very helpful in these types of applications.

Overall, the difference in quality between a 4K and 5K monitor may not be immediately noticeable in all use cases, but if you are using the monitor for tasks that require more screen real estate and detail, a 5K monitor may be a better investment in the long run.

for me, buying a 5k monitor is a non starter. there dont seem to be any under €1k and that then more than doubles the cost of getting a new machine. its either tart up my 2017 imac and hopefully fix the issues around usb and bluetooth, or buy a mini for €730 and get a cheap monitor.

 

[OneRebertt]

Another option you could consider is buying a mini, but turning your iMac into a plug-in external display. There are plenty of guides online for how to do this:

.

As long as the screen is fine, you can just open it up, gut the internals (sell them if you want to make some extra cash) and install a 3rd party conversion board.

 

[meson]

There are very few options out there that have the pixel density Apple uses in their retina displays, it’s unlikely you will find one with the same color calibration, and very few have glossy surfaces.

That said, even the lower cost displays have come a long way in recent years. I opted for an LG 32UL500 with my M1 mini. I got tired of using my MBP with an external display that still couldn’t show enough info for certain tasks. After exploring the options I found that one screen with a full 4k resolution could get the job done.

I prefer to work in full native resolution sitting about as far from the screen as I would with a laptop. If I want display elements a little bigger, dropping to the looks like 3008x1692 resolution looks very good to my eyes. During remote lectures I’ll drop down to looks like 2560x1440 (things start looking a little rough at this resolution) to reduce the chances that something I’m sharing becoming too small on my students’ screens.

Being one of the cheaper 4k@32” options, this monitor is not without limitations. I often run it near peak brightness and find that it is bright enough in most instances but when the sun is just right in the window behind me, I wish I could go just a bit brighter. It doesn’t have an adjustable stand, but after 2 decades looking at a laptop screen, its height is just fine for me. There is no built-in webcam, but I printed a little bracket for my phone to be used with continuity camera and that is working well.

Considering the fact that I could quite literally tile the wall behind my desk with these screens for the price of a single Studio Display, I am more than happy with my screen and chose it based on a set of compromises I was willing to make.

 

[Fishrrman]

A friend is thinking of making the move from a 2017 27" iMac to an m2pro Mini.
But he's going to need help with a monitor recommendation.

I've been trying to find a decent 27" 4k display, and the choices can be bewildering.
I've focused in on these two from Dell:

Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Computer Monitor - S2721QS | Dell USA

View the Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Monitor (S2721QS) featuring HDR content playback for an amazing entertainment experience., or shop all Computer Monitors at Dell.com.

www.dell.com

and

Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Computer Monitor with USB-C Hub - S2722QC | Dell USA

View the Dell 27 Inch 4K UHD Monitor with USB-C Hub (S2722QC) featuring simplified USB-C connectivity, or shop all Computer Monitors at Dell.com.

www.dell.com

First one seems to be just-discontinued, but still in stock.
Second looks as if it could be successor to the first.

27", 4k, HDR (specifically mentioned in the first one, but second supports same 1+billion color spectrum).

Back in 2005 I bought a Dell 1905 19" for my PowerMac g4 mirrored door tower.
18 years later it still works fine on the back table with my old 2012 Mini (after some years just sitting on the floor).