New monitor delimma - LG Ultrafine 5k vs ???

[bcbickers]

I currently run two 22" Asus VX228H 1080p LCDs on my 2017 tbMBP through a Hyperdrive Duo USB-C hub. The setup works, but I would really like to have more vertical screen real estate. My use cases are all office/business related (MS Office, Visio, Azure and AWS portals, browser, FTP, etc.) and typical home use (YouTube,

Momma also wanted to look at the Apple Watch and AirPods, so we headed to our local Apple store. I brought my laptop and hooked it up to the Apple store's LG 5k display. While I was instantly blown away by the image quality, the increase in screen real estate, and how well the display integrates into the overall "MacBook experience", I was very disappointed in the design language and build quality of the unit, especially considering the price tag. The back of the monitor had a one or two mm gap at the top left corner that you could pinch and hear it creak, it wobbled on its stand and didn't seem very stable, and just felt cheap and fragile.

I am also considering a 34" 21:9 1440p Ultrawide or upgrading to two 24" 16:9 1440p screens. Either of these options with a TB3 dock is much cheaper than just the LG 5k by itself. FWIW, I played with a 27" Dell 4k for a bit at Best Buy and didn't like how it scaled. Text and images in Word documents were fuzzy, Visio in a Parallels VM doesn't scale right, and the overall image quality just wasn't very sharp.

So is the 5k Ultrafine really worth the money? Do the image quality and "integration features" outweigh the crappy build quality and poor design language? For those of you that have an Ultrafine, are you happy with your purchase? Would you buy it again?

 

[maxsquared]

I think it's depend on use cases. Whilst screen resolution is important for me, colour accuracy is what LG Ultrafine stands out.

I do a lot of photo and video editing, the extra resolution is great, I can have a 4K video 1:1 on screen and then some, which helps a lot. But the colour of the screen is exactly the same as what's on my tbMBP 2016. I have Dell U at work, although the colour is good compare to some brand, but it is no way as good as what's on MBP or the LG Ultrafine.

For what you do though, I am not sure if the colour is that important for you.

 

[csurfr]

I currently run two 22" Asus VX228H 1080p LCDs on my 2017 tbMBP through a Hyperdrive Duo USB-C hub. The setup works, but I would really like to have more vertical screen real estate. My use cases are all office/business related (MS Office, Visio, Azure and AWS portals, browser, FTP, etc.) and typical home use (YouTube,

Momma also wanted to look at the Apple Watch and AirPods, so we headed to our local Apple store. I brought my laptop and hooked it up to the Apple store's LG 5k display. While I was instantly blown away by the image quality, the increase in screen real estate, and how well the display integrates into the overall "MacBook experience", I was very disappointed in the design language and build quality of the unit, especially considering the price tag. The back of the monitor had a one or two mm gap at the top left corner that you could pinch and hear it creak, it wobbled on its stand and didn't seem very stable, and just felt cheap and fragile.

I am also considering a 34" 21:9 1440p Ultrawide or upgrading to two 24" 16:9 1440p screens. Either of these options with a TB3 dock is much cheaper than just the LG 5k by itself. FWIW, I played with a 27" Dell 4k for a bit at Best Buy and didn't like how it scaled. Text and images in Word documents were fuzzy, Visio in a Parallels VM doesn't scale right, and the overall image quality just wasn't very sharp.

So is the 5k Ultrafine really worth the money? Do the image quality and "integration features" outweigh the crappy build quality and poor design language? For those of you that have an Ultrafine, are you happy with your purchase? Would you buy it again?

Ok, here it goes:

If you can afford it, get the UltraFine. Hands down, it’s an excellent display. You’re getting essentially the same screen that is in the iMac and iMac Pro. Text is razor sharp at any resolution choice, and the colors are spot on. I have owned one and it was pretty flawless. I’m currently running my 2017 5k iMac at the max resolution and it looks phenomenal.

Secondly, if you want to go ultra wide, definitely get one that does 3440x1440. I have sitting on my office floor a 34” LG and while it’s not bad, it still can’t hold a candle to the 5k UltraFine or the 5k iMac. I used this display (currently 549.99 on Amazon), with my 13” 2017 MacBook Pro with a USB-C to HDMI cable prior to purchasing my 2017 iMac. It’s perfectly fine for almost any use case, and you get just a tiny bit more of horizontal real estate over 5k.

You just need to decide what you want to spend, and how sharp you want the text to be. Staring at code most of the day, the 5k is a godsend. Also, don’t judge the display based off of the Apple floor model. . . Thousands of people each day poke, prod, turn, twist it, etc.

 

[bcbickers]

Good points, csurfr. I am a IT Cloud Architect and spend all day in Word, Excel, Visio (via Parallels), PowerPoint, Safari, and Skype, so text and graphics clarity are important. While I would like more vertical real estate, I work just fine in 1080p especially with two screens and never say, "Boy, I wish I had more vertical resolution."

So how would something like a Dell P2415q 4k monitor look running at 1080p? Would the screen quality be on-par with a retina device, like the LG Ultrafine 4k display?

 

[shareef777]

AVOID the 5K. There's a 50+ page thread about how buggy this setup is with the MBP. If you're still wanting to get them, I'd be willing to sell my 2 5K for the price of one (that's how crappy they are).

 

[bcbickers]

AVOID the 5K. There's a 50+ page thread about how buggy this setup is with the MBP. If you're still wanting to get them, I'd be willing to sell my 2 5K for the price of one (that's how crappy they are).

I’m not so sure that the 5k is a bad display. Sure, it had some bugs, but those have been pretty much worked out. Remember that this is a power user forum, so most of the feedback will be problem-oriented or negative. We expect much more out of our equipment than the typical consumer, and the comments/feedback reflect that.

My issue is the lack of design language I have come to expect from Apple. Their products are the best performing on the market and are stunning works of art. The price premium is easily justified to get high performance AND high design. If the 5k display was $850-900, I would already have two of them. At $1,300, it feels like LG is trying to capitalize on Apple’s brand equity. And that hurts both companies.

The UltraFine 4K is a a little better in the value department (not by much though), but my aging eyes need larger text and graphics than a 21.5” screen can provide even at 1080p. So how would text and graphics look on a 24” 4K scaled to 1920x1080? Would I get the same retina quality I get on my tbMBP or the Ultrafine’s?

 

[shareef777]

I’m not so sure that the 5k is a bad display. Sure, it had some bugs, but those have been pretty much worked out. Remember that this is a power user forum, so most of the feedback will be problem-oriented or negative. We expect much more out of our equipment than the typical consumer, and the comments/feedback reflect that.

My issue is the lack of design language I have come to expect from Apple. Their products are the best performing on the market and are stunning works of art. The price premium is easily justified to get high performance AND high design. If the 5k display was $850-900, I would already have two of them. At $1,300, it feels like LG is trying to capitalize on Apple’s brand equity. And that hurts both companies.

The UltraFine 4K is a a little better in the value department (not by much though), but my aging eyes need larger text and graphics than a 21.5” screen can provide even at 1080p. So how would text and graphics look on a 24” 4K scaled to 1920x1080? Would I get the same retina quality I get on my tbMBP or the Ultrafine’s?

“Power-user”!!!??? Please, all we do is plug in or out these monitors and it crashes the MBP! Let the MBP sleep with these plugged in and it crashes the MBP! This isn’t some power user use case!

If it weren’t for the fact that they consistently crash the MBPs (and have been doing so for a year now) I’d of whole heartedly recommended them. The design is perfect, and picture quality can’t be beat. The integrated controls and camera makes it a no brainer with a Mac. And the single cable solution with 85W charging is great. But with all that said, what’s the point if you have to hard reboot daily!

 

[the future]

If you can wait, there will be new Apple displays. They will probably be released alongside the new „modular“ MacPro, the only question is when exactly they will drop. I guess if we hear something about them at WWDC, they may be released in late 2018. If not … ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Earlier than that (I guess) LG will release a very interesting 34“ ultra wide monitor (34WK95U) with 5120x2160 resolution: https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/21/lg-a...-inch-ultrawide-4-5k-monitor-w-thunderbolt-3/

Those two are IMO the only real alternatives to the 5K UltraFine on the horizon.

 

[Richdmoore]

If you can wait, there will be new Apple displays. They will probably be released alongside the new „modular“ MacPro, the only question is when exactly they will drop. I guess if we hear something about them at WWDC, they may be released in late 2018. If not … ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Earlier than that (I guess) LG will release a very interesting 34“ ultra wide monitor (34WK95U) with 5120x2160 resolution: https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/21/lg-a...-inch-ultrawide-4-5k-monitor-w-thunderbolt-3/

Those two are IMO the only real alternatives to the 5K UltraFine on the horizon.

Woot is discounting the LG 5k monitors today (but they are factory refurbished) for $620. I am not sure if it is a typical strategy, or if they are trying to clear some (refurb) inventory before a new model is released.

 

[Wags]

Good points, csurfr. I am a IT Cloud Architect and spend all day in Word, Excel, Visio (via Parallels), PowerPoint, Safari, and Skype, so text and graphics clarity are important. While I would like more vertical real estate, I work just fine in 1080p especially with two screens and never say, "Boy, I wish I had more vertical resolution."

So how would something like a Dell P2415q 4k monitor look running at 1080p? Would the screen quality be on-par with a retina device, like the LG Ultrafine 4k display?

Anyone with experience with the LG 2415q or 2715q monitors

 

[TechnicallyTee]

Anyone with experience with the LG 2415q or 2715q monitors

Im currently running the p2415Q and love it right now but im thinking about upgrading to the LG 4K monitor. There isnt anything wrong with the monitor and running in the 1080p setting it really looks fantastic but idk how much I am a fan of the matte screen on it. Also I am looking for a monitor with built in speakers so it fits all my needs. Going to post my Dell up and if someone grabs it ill pick the LG 4K up.

 

[Wags]

Im currently running the p2415Q and love it right now but im thinking about upgrading to the LG 4K monitor. There isnt anything wrong with the monitor and running in the 1080p setting it really looks fantastic but idk how much I am a fan of the matte screen on it. Also I am looking for a monitor with built in speakers so it fits all my needs. Going to post my Dell up and if someone grabs it ill pick the LG 4K up.

Didn’t know the Dell was matte. Was worried LG had problems but think was mostly 5K units.

 

[bruinsrme]

Didn’t know the Dell was matte. Was worried LG had problems but think was mostly 5K units.

Yes, Yes they are. As nice as they are they just don't pop.

 

[bcbickers]

If you can wait, there will be new Apple displays. They will probably be released alongside the new „modular“ MacPro, the only question is when exactly they will drop. I guess if we hear something about them at WWDC, they may be released in late 2018. If not … ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Earlier than that (I guess) LG will release a very interesting 34“ ultra wide monitor (34WK95U) with 5120x2160 resolution: https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/21/lg-a...-inch-ultrawide-4-5k-monitor-w-thunderbolt-3/

Those two are IMO the only real alternatives to the 5K UltraFine on the horizon.

I would love the horizontal real estate that an Ultrawide provides. However, I do a lot of screen sharing on Skype and am worried that the resolution will be too small for other meeting participants. The Skype for Business client has an option to share any running application but only on Windows. The macOS SFB client supports only PowerPoint app sharing. Boooo, Microsoft.

I would really like to have two displays, mainly because of SFB and screen sharing. I can share my content or view others' shared content one display while I am working on the other. Since I have a 2017 13" tbMBP, dual 5k monitors are out because the laptop can't drive them. And I am a little worried about running dual 4ks because of the performance hit.

Where I am right now is to run a 34" Ultrawide @ 1440p and a 16:9 27" @ 1440p. My machine should drive both of these displays just fine. Neither of them will be retina-quality, but they are a substantial size and text/image quality upgrade from my current 22" 1080p TN panels. I'll ponder, mull, and research for another week, then pull the trigger. We'll see how it goes.

 

[cheezeit]

Good luck! I had triple 24” 1080p and got a lg 5k ultra fine but afraid it won’t be the same as having triple monitors... hard to decide as well. High resolution is nice to have.

 

[sunlit]

Just bought one for my new macbook pro 2017, no issues so far (couple of days running), sleep, wake, reboot, etc. absolutely no issues, works like a charm!

AVOID the 5K. There's a 50+ page thread about how buggy this setup is with the MBP. If you're still wanting to get them, I'd be willing to sell my 2 5K for the price of one (that's how crappy they are).

 

[scott_donald]

Just bought one for my new macbook pro 2017, no issues so far (couple of days running), sleep, wake, reboot, etc. absolutely no issues, works like a charm!

I have not had any problems with my two the last 2/3 months, very happy indeed.

 

[shareef777]

I have not had any problems with my two the last 2/3 months, very happy indeed.

I've been averaging 20 days of uptime lately.

 

[powerplant]

i had som smal problems with the usbC hub of the 5k display (bandwidths problems) but nothing else. I was maybe lucky with my display but I would not change it to anything else I really appreciate the resolution (so much that I avoid to work on my "normal 27' at home and change my work).

 

[Porkchop Sandwich]

LG 5K - great monitor all around.

 

[adonis3k]

Dell U3818DW

 

[kymblair]

My wife has been using two LG Ultrafine 5K with her 2016 15" MacBook Pro for long hours every day for over a year and loves them. Only issue at first was MBP USB-C ports overheated; she now plugs one into the left and one into the right, problem solved.