Resolution and text size? External monitor for M1 Mac Mini

[GLTirebiter]

Hello all, I’m choosing a 27-32 inch monitor for a planned M1 Mac Mini, upgrading from a 2012 27’ iMac. I want the UI elements and text to be *no smaller* than on my current iMac. I don’t mind rescaling but not at the cost of sharpness. Will 4K or 5k lead to smaller text and UI elements etc? I mostly work with text, PPT, a little casual video work, no gaming.

Thanks for any advice! My iMac has been such a workhorse that I haven’t kept up with these issues.

 

[MikeDr206]

If you go with a 27 inch 5K, you’ll have a default apparent resolution of 2560x1440 — exactly the same as your iMac, but with an added bonus of retina. Everything will be crisper.

basically, 27-inch 5K has four times the pixels, at 5120x2880.

 

[BayouTiger]

I run the LG 5K display on my Mini. Flawless so far.

 

[Amethyst1]

I don’t mind rescaling but not at the cost of sharpness.

Running a “4K” monitor scaled to look like 2560×1440 will cause slight blurriness. If you want sharp pixel-doubled 2560×1440
HiDPI screen estate, you’ll need a 27” 5K monitor — which have all been pretty much discontinued (apart from the LG UltraFine 5K… maybe).

 

[EugW]

I find default text sizes on my 5K 27" iMac a bit small for my preferences in macOS. That 5K iMac is 218 ppi.

My preference is 2560x1600 on my 16:10 30" Cinema Display (100.6 ppi), which in terms of text size would be the equivalent of 5K on a 29.2" 16:9 screen (201.2 ppi), or 4K on a 16:9 21.9" screen (201.2 ppi).

 

[GLTirebiter]

Maybe I just go with a 27” QHD monitor? That would be equivalent to what’s on my iMac, correct? I’m perfectly happy with the resolution there (as long as I don’t see anything better). The 5k monitors are pricey!

 

[Amethyst1]

Maybe I just go with a 27” QHD monitor? That would be equivalent to what’s on my iMac, correct?

Correct - if you don't mind the way text is being rendered on your current iMac...

 

[marstan]

I just got a 27" 4k (EIZO CS2740) for my aging Mac Pro 5,1. I do not find graphics and text too big at 1920 x 1080 from the distance I sit (24"-34"); and being an integer divisible resolution, it gives you perfectly undistorted text plus a much smaller load on the graphics card. Yes, you give up a little screen real estate but that is a fair tradeoff for clarity and performance. Next best for me is 2048 x 1152; still very crisp but more real estate and more of a performance hit on the GPU.

 

[MikeDr206]

Maybe I just go with a 27” QHD monitor? That would be equivalent to what’s on my iMac, correct? I’m perfectly happy with the resolution there (as long as I don’t see anything better). The 5k monitors are pricey!

That’s correct. Frankly, the best option out there is still (!) a used Apple Thunderbolt Display if you’re interested in a glossy screen Like your iMac.

 

[marstan]

I would vote for 4k for the clarity of text; once you see how beautiful text is in 4k you won't go back. I would also run away from glossy screens. The larger they are the worse the glare. I remember buying the Apple display available in 2010/11 and returned it within an hour after seeing the glare from that thing.

You know Apple still sells the 27" 5k iMac with a nano matte screen; saw it in the local Apple store the other day and looks great. But, of course, not an M1 mini and pricey.

 

[EugW]

That’s correct. Frankly, the best option out there is still (!) a used Apple Thunderbolt Display if you’re interested in a glossy screen Like your iMac.

People are reporting software incompatibilities in Monterey with the Apple Thunderbolt Displays. Specifically, they are losing brightness control from the keyboard.

 

[GLTirebiter]

Thanks for all the viewpoints and info. I think I'm just going to go with a decent 32" 4K monitor and try to adapt to the sizes of UI elements and text. Or, accept a little blurriness in the upscaling. And I'm determined to go M1 - I use my computers a long time, and want to be as future-proof as possible.

The choice of monitors is bewildering! Models come and go so fast, and there's any opinion you want on any given monitor.

 

[MikeDr206]

People are reporting software incompatibilities in Monterey with the Apple Thunderbolt Displays. Specifically, they are losing brightness control from the keyboard.

Ugh, hadn’t realized that. I wonder if the 27-inch Cinema Display works better? It has a Mini DisplayPort and a separate USB connection.

 

[EugW]

Ugh, hadn’t realized that. I wonder if the 27-inch Cinema Display works better? It has a Mini DisplayPort and a separate USB connection.

I don't know. I will say that while my brightness controls via the keyboard for my 30" Cinema HD Display usually works in Monterey, on rare occasion after a wake-from-sleep, those keys become unresponsive. Or rather I should more accurately say if I press the brightness keys on the keyboard, the brightness icon will light on-screen, but the brightness won't change up or down. It's stuck at that specific brightness until I log out and then log back in. This is with a 12" MacBook though. YMMV with an M1 Mac mini.

Luckily on the 30" ACD, there are brightness buttons on the side of the bezel. The 27" LED Cinema Display doesn't have brightness buttons, right?

 

[zhenya]

Thanks for all the viewpoints and info. I think I'm just going to go with a decent 32" 4K monitor and try to adapt to the sizes of UI elements and text. Or, accept a little blurriness in the upscaling. And I'm determined to go M1 - I use my computers a long time, and want to be as future-proof as possible.

The choice of monitors is bewildering! Models come and go so fast, and there's any opinion you want on any given monitor.

Compared to the resolution you are used to now, any 4k+ screen is going to look extremely sharp even with upscaling. The effect of upscaling is very subtle compared to the visibly jagged pixels at your current resolution.

Is there a reason you are not just buying another iMac? I guess probably because of the display size? For a computer you might keep for close to 10 years, I might wait it out for the larger M-series iMac. External monitors are definitely a bit of a step down pretty much no matter what you do - and by the time you buy one at the same quality as what's included with an iMac, you're spending just as much money for something that still isn't as seamless as the iMac.

 

[GLTirebiter]

Compared to the resolution you are used to now, any 4k+ screen is going to look extremely sharp even with upscaling. The effect of upscaling is very subtle compared to the visibly jagged pixels at your current resolution.

Is there a reason you are not just buying another iMac? I guess probably because of the display size? For a computer you might keep for close to 10 years, I might wait it out for the larger M-series iMac. External monitors are definitely a bit of a step down pretty much no matter what you do - and by the time you buy one at the same quality as what's included with an iMac, you're spending just as much money for something that still isn't as seamless as the iMac.

I’ve gotten used to the larger screen, and the current iMac isn’t going to do it for me. Considered waiting for the larger ones, but I may end up paying for Pro power I don’t really need. It’s the eternal dilemma, right? I’ll see how the current iMac holds up, and try to resist the urge to buy something now.