Please help me buy a 4K monitor

[hipnetic]

I want to buy an external monitor for my Retina MacBook Pro laptops (one personal 13" older model, one work-supplied 15" model). There are deals going around right now, and new deals that will pop up in the next few weeks. I'm looking for the best bang-for-the-buck options. I might be happy with a monitor as small as a 21.5" or 24" but if a 27" or 28" is a better path to go, that's fine, too. I don't think I want anything bigger than that.

I'm a bit clueless on what features I need to look for. I believe IPS is one. I don't care about getting extra USB ports through the monitor. Color-accuracy is important, but game-playing is not. I'd like to keep the price below $500.

 

[hipnetic]

So I did some more Googling and searching through these forums. A couple of 4K monitors that have have jumped out:
- Dell p2715q - older model that was once highly rated - currently on sale for $400 through one retailer
- LG 27UD69P-W - newer model which sells for about $100 more

Thoughts on these (or others you might recommend)?
[doublepost=1511146320][/doublepost]I just happened upon the 24" LG 24UD58-B also. I see that one for sale for just $250 right now.

 

[Fishrrman]

A good list to check out:
Comprehensive List of S-IPS/H-IPS/e-IPS and other IPS Based LCD Monitors

 

[oldhifi]

Don't buy LG, bad screen. I sent mine back..Samsung is better

 

[cube]

I bought a 48" curved 4KTV because I wanted 3D, not retina (I would prefer 46" but there was none).

I was looking for 40" but one being both curved and 3D was not actually available, and I got a good deal.

If you want to game, I don't think there are any TVs with HFR, FreeSync, or G-Sync.

There were older TVs with DisplayPort 1.2 (Panasonic), but one has to settle for HDMI 2.0 now.

 

[hipnetic]

I don't think I want to get a really large display. Even a 32" sounds a bit big to me. In fact, I think I like the idea of going a smaller than 27". I realize that means that I'll get less usable real estate. But today I saw a sale on the Dell U2518D (sale price $250). It's a 25" QHD (2560x1440) monitor with a stand that supports twisting it to portrait mode. I believe that native resolution might be workable in a non-scaled mode, since the Acer my wife stole from me is also QHD and at 27" is only a little larger.

That got me to thinking also about whether using a 4K monitor in a scaled mode would tax my MacBook CPU/GPU more, such that a QHD monitor non-scaled might actually be preferred. Taking it a step further...if I wanted to drive two QHD monitors from my MacBook Pro, could I? FWIW, this particular Dell U2518D has HDMI, DisplayPort, and Mini DisplayPort connections. No USB-C.

 

[cube]

Well, Apple likes AMD GPUs, so maybe they would support FreeSync in the future. I would look for that in a monitor, as it does not add any hardware cost and the vendors do not have to pay royalties.

 

[hipnetic]

I don't really plan to use it for gaming. More business-focused (e.g., software development). I would like it to have good color accuracy, and good edge-to-edge sharpness (for text legibility).

 

[cube]

Not much choice with HDCP 2.2 .

 

[fhall1]

I bought a Dell p2715q a couple months ago to run from a Caldigit TB2 dock connected to my 2015 13” rMBP. I am very pleased with it.

 

[hipnetic]

So I ended up buying the Dell U2518D. 25" QHD (2560x1440) IPS. $250 (on sale at Best Buy). Great stand which offers tons of options for tilting, lifting, and rotating, including rotating to portrait mode.

I liked the idea of 4K but the more I read, the more I worried about whether or not my older late 2013 13" rMBP could drive it (let alone drive two of them, if I wanted to do that).

So I got this QHD monitor home and then simultaneously plugged in my older 27" Acer QHD monitor (which my wife stole from me) which verified that I could run two QHD monitors.

So far I'm very happy with this Dell U2518D.

 

[waloshin]

Great choice the Dell is a really nice monitor.

 

[bladerunner2000]

So I ended up buying the Dell U2518D. 25" QHD (2560x1440) IPS. $250 (on sale at Best Buy). Great stand which offers tons of options for tilting, lifting, and rotating, including rotating to portrait mode.

I liked the idea of 4K but the more I read, the more I worried about whether or not my older late 2013 13" rMBP could drive it (let alone drive two of them, if I wanted to do that).

So I got this QHD monitor home and then simultaneously plugged in my older 27" Acer QHD monitor (which my wife stole from me) which verified that I could run two QHD monitors.

So far I'm very happy with this Dell U2518D.

Does OS X allow you do do UI scaling on that monitor like you can with 4k retina displays? I have a feeling the UI might be too small on such a screen.