Non-thunderbolt 27" (2560x1440) monitor for rMBP?

[walkie]

Hi all, I have an early 2013 15" rMBP which uses a dedicated nvidia 650M GPU, so I was looking into buying an external 27" (2560x1440) monitor, Apple sells a thunderbolt 27" unit but here in Europe this monitor is fairly pricey (around €1000), I'm on a budget and I want to buy a less expensive option (around €500), so I have seen another monitors such as Samsung, LG, Asus, HP etc., most of them seem to offer DVI/HDMI/VGA connections and cost half the price of that of Apple, I have read that the rMBP has a limitation on the HDMI port which can only handle up to 1080p resolution, so in theory in order to use a higher res. I need to relly on the rest of possible connections VGA/DVI?, having said that and since I'm not an expert in monitors/connections my question is:

Apart from the Apple's monitor, is there another 27"(2560x1440) monitor that can be flawlessly connected to a rMBP?, I mean one that can be used with that resolution and keeping a refresh rate of 60hz? which connection/cable is needed to accomplish this?

 

[Quu]

Mini Display Port to Display Port is the only cable you need. Make sure you buy a monitor with a Display Port input of course.

 

[raptor402]

Apart from the Apple's monitor, is there another 27"(2560x1440) monitor that can be flawlessly connected to a rMBP?, I mean one that can be used with that resolution and keeping a refresh rate of 60hz? which connection/cable is needed to accomplish this?

Just about any 27" monitor will give you 60Hz on HDMI 1.3 or above. Get a miniDP to HDMI adapter (eBay). A Dell monitor should do the trick.

 

[walkie]

Thanks to all for your quick replies, I'm going to do some research on monitors with display port in my area.

 

[w00t951]

Thanks to all for your quick replies, I'm going to do some research on monitors with display port in my area.

Try the ASUS PB278Q. After literally a month of research, I have concluded that this is the best 27" monitor for someone who doesn't care too much about the stand - it has top notch image quality and image adjustments, but lacks USB ports and has a subpar stand.

I love this monitor - I use it with my gaming rig and rMBP and have never had any problems.

 

[walkie]

Try the ASUS PB278Q. After literally a month of research, I have concluded that this is the best 27" monitor for someone who doesn't care too much about the stand - it has top notch image quality and image adjustments, but lacks USB ports and has a subpar stand.

I love this monitor - I use it with my gaming rig and rMBP and have never had any problems.

Thanks, I will check it out.

 

[T-Bob]

Asus has a good panel, but uses PWM: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/asus_pb278q.htm

I have the Eizo Flexscan 27" which uses same samsung panel but no PWM and great stand. Has DP as well. Viewsonic is similar but with a questionable stand. Avoid cheap Koreans at all costs.

 

[Freyqq]

I'd recommend a dell ultrasharp. I have the 24" version (U2412M), and it's great.

 

[T-Bob]

I'd recommend a dell ultrasharp. I have the 24" version, and it's great.

Depends which one. The cheaper version has huge QA issues and an unfortunate cross hatching effect. It is basically Dell's version of a cheap Korean.

 

[covertash]

Ideally, you really would want to get a monitor that has native Displayport on it like the Asus PB278Q that raptor recommended. Currently, it seems to be the best value while offering a lot of inputs, which will make your life much easier.

Not to say that DVI only 1440p monitors (like the eBay Korean ones) will not work; they will, (in fact, I am running one right now on my 13" rMBP) but it will require that you purchase this pricey cable to make the connection:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571Z/A/mini-displayport-to-dual-link-dvi-adapter?fnode=51

Furthermore, there are drawbacks to this setup, as it does require me to reseat the cables back into my rMBP because every so often resuming from sleep, or powering on the machine, may show a snowy or garbled picture. It's a minor inconvenience, but it does happen often enough that it can get annoying. Browsing through a lot of the reviews, this seems to be an inherent issue to this sort of cable, no matter if it is from Apple, or any other manufacturer.

If I could do it all over again today, the Asus would be my top pick.