Stay with LG 21.5-inch UltraFine or Apple Studio Display

[Colstan]

I'm considering purchasing a Mac Studio and trying to decide whether to use my old monitor or get the new Apple Studio Display.

Despite being discontinued in 2019, last Summer I picked up an unopened brand new 21.5-inch 4K LG UltraFine for half MSRP on Ebay. I suppose someone had it hidden under their mattress. I'm now trying to decide whether to switch it out for the Studio Display with the nano-texture anti-glare option. The question is whether the substantial asking price is worth the upgrade.

If the Studio Display featured mini-LED and 120Hz, then it would be a no-brainer. However, it appears to use the same panel as the 27-inch iMac and 5K UltraFine that has been in production since 2015. Even though the specs are slightly better than the 4K I am using, I don't do anything like photography or video editing where the difference would matter, nor does the additional size make much of a difference; I mainly care about the "Retina" ~219 ppi density that macOS works best with.

While a lot of folks have had issues with the UltraFines, the problem I've had is that the brightness level will randomly reset a fews times per week, blinding me in the process, forcing me to readjust that setting. I'm not sure if that is because I use a slightly janky setup (Intel Mac mini paired with Black Magic eGPU) or an inherent flaw with the LG design. I admit this problem is quite irritating, but not a reason to throw out this monitor, and I don't know if it would be an issue using it with a different Mac model, but unfortunately I don't have one to test with.

The primary benefits in getting the Studio Display, in my case, are the upgraded speakers, anti-glare option, no brightness malfunction, and Apple's industrial design. (I have no use for a camera or microphone.)

I could probably make it another couple of years with my Intel Mac mini. However, there is a certain appeal to having an Apple monitor paired with a Mac desktop. I'm just not sure if the additional cost for an old panel is worth it. I can afford the Studio Display, I have the funds, but I'm not wealthy enough to toss away the money for little benefit. On the other side of the coin, Apple has historically shown little interest in regularly updating their monitor lines, if at all. The Studio Display could be the only consumer monitor for the next five or more years.

So, does a switch make any sense or am I getting taken in by the Apple hype vortex? I don't make snap decisions, I plan on waiting until WWDC is over to make a decision on any purchases, just in case something new is announced (such as an iMac Pro), but any feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[TheBigApple2006]

I am exactly in your boots, currently Mac Mini 2018 and Ultrafine 21. Enjoyed the Ultrafine a lot, but I need a bigger screen as I do word processing and need to view PDF annotations side by side with that (academic work). The 21.5 has long been small, despite being very good quality. No issues with brightness or anything else as I have it connected directly to the Mac mini, but I sometimes feel the built in graphics card is struggling. I have a move to Apple Silicon laptop in the pipeline anyways, but the Mini will probably tide me over for a while longer with the Studio Display coming in a fortnight. Have gotten the VESA stand, as I think the portrait mode will be something to behold!

 

[flapflapflap]

I’m waiting to see the first batch of reviews. Absent any material flaws, I expect myself to go with the Display Studio over the Ultrafine. I do not use PC and I’m hopeful the new monitor will be optimized for my iPP 11.

 

[Colstan]

No issues with brightness or anything else as I have it connected directly to the Mac mini, but I sometimes feel the built in graphics card is struggling.

You gave me a useful idea. I should disconnect the eGPU and try using the LG with the integrated graphics to see if I still have the brightness issue. Most helpful, thank you.

When I have used the integrated graphics, mainly to do software updates, I noticed that animations are choppy while running at full 4K. As much as I like the 2018 Mac minis, the integrated Intel graphics are truly awful.

I’m waiting to see the first batch of reviews.

I agree, that's the wise thing to do. I'm going to wait until after WWDC to make a decision, but getting feedback from others is a good idea.

Thank you both for your comments!

 

[TheBigApple2006]

You gave me a useful idea. I should disconnect the eGPU and try using the LG with the integrated graphics to see if I still have the brightness issue. Most helpful, thank you.

When I have used the integrated graphics, mainly to do software updates, I noticed that animations are choppy while running at full 4K. As much as I like the 2018 Mac minis, the integrated Intel graphics are truly awful.


I agree, that's the wise thing to do. I'm going to wait until after WWDC to make a decision, but getting feedback from others is a good idea.

Thank you both for your comments!

Indeed - the graphics I feel are simply sub-par. I am not sure my scrolling is as it should either with the LG 4K, I feel that the Mini is struggling even in basic tasks such as scrolling down websites in Chrome or Safari. I think it will be smoother with the Apple Silicon machines.

I want to move on anyways from the Mac mini, as I intend to keep the 21" as an additional, vertical monitor for my word processing. But this would require something else, as the Mini isn't capable of driving both a Studio and the Ultrafine on its own. Am thinking about the MBP 14 for this purpose, that should ensure a smoother operation.

 

[Amethyst1]

Indeed - the graphics I feel are simply sub-par.

Intel's integrated graphics have always been trash, more or less.

 

[Colstan]

I want to move on anyways from the Mac mini, as I intend to keep the 21" as an additional, vertical monitor for my word processing.

You gave me the idea to try out my LG with integrated graphics to see if that fixed the wake-from-sleep issue with the brightness resetting. It turns out that the problem is having an eGPU plugged in between the LG and my Mac mini. If I hadn't had this conversation with you, then I wouldn't have diagnosed the problem, so I thank you for that. Regardless of what monitor I end up choosing, at least I know that there is nothing wrong with my 21.5-inch UltraFine, and it will hopefully continue to serve me well for as long as I keep it.

Anyway, I think we both will enjoy the eventual move to Apple Silicon and perhaps an Apple Studio Display.

Intel's integrated graphics have always been trash, more or less.

This is the absolute truth. I used to get stuttering with the interface just running at 1680X1050 on my old Dell monitor, before I got the LG. An eGPU fixed that problem, so it's definitely Intel's poor performance. (It's now causing the brightness issue I mentioned above, but the performance tradeoff is worth it.)

 

[TheBigApple2006]

You gave me the idea to try out my LG with integrated graphics to see if that fixed the wake-from-sleep issue with the brightness resetting. It turns out that the problem is having an eGPU plugged in between the LG and my Mac mini. If I hadn't had this conversation with you, then I wouldn't have diagnosed the problem, so I thank you for that. Regardless of what monitor I end up choosing, at least I know that there is nothing wrong with my 21.5-inch UltraFine, and it will hopefully continue to serve me well for as long as I keep it.

Anyway, I think we both will enjoy the eventual move to Apple Silicon and perhaps an Apple Studio Display.


This is the absolute truth. I used to get stuttering with the interface just running at 1680X1050 on my old Dell monitor, before I got the LG. An eGPU fixed that problem, so it's definitely Intel's poor performance. (It's now causing the brightness issue I mentioned above, but the performance tradeoff is worth it.)

You are welcome! Although this news on the possible miniLED Studio Display Pro in June has given me some cold feet on the whole Studio Display order, I might wait for the three months and see what pops up. The MiniLED with ProMotion, assuming the latter works on Apple Silicon, would be an endgame monitor which might be worth coughing up for... In the meantime, the LG 21, whilst small, can serve me out, in tandem with an MBP 16"...

 

[Colstan]

You are welcome! Although this news on the possible miniLED Studio Display Pro in June has given me some cold feet on the whole Studio Display order, I might wait for the three months and see what pops up. The MiniLED with ProMotion, assuming the latter works on Apple Silicon, would be an endgame monitor which might be worth coughing up for... In the meantime, the LG 21, whilst small, can serve me out, in tandem with an MBP 16"...

I think that's a wise game plan. I had already decided on waiting until after WWDC, another three months won't kill me. Display analyst Ross Young is now saying that the mini-LED 120Hz display has started production. The confusion was about the A-series chips used to drive the new displays which were being conflated with new iMacs. Other rumors have put that at around $2,500. 9to5Mac had heard a rumor about a 7K display to replace the XDR, but Ross responded that he doesn't think that this is it. Regardless, I'm definitely waiting until after WWDC before making any decisions on a new monitor.

 

[PeterKG]

My 21” has horrible image retention. Anything on my desktop has an immediate affect. They disappear right away but very annoying. It didn’t happen when I first got it but over the years has declined.