The *COMPLETE* list of 27" 5K Displays?

[tenthousandthings]

WIKIPOST NOTES

I've added sections to the WikiPost, as the list becomes increasingly unwieldy with the gaming industry now in the house. It is divided into six ► sections: Announced (not yet shipping); Available (pre-orders and shipping); Multi-Touch; China; Dual-Mode Gaming (including China); Discontinued

Comments welcome, of course. I'm also considering dropping the 10-bit versus 8-bit + FRC distinction, because it's not always transparent so it's hard to track correctly and I think it just confuses things by implying it is a hardware difference when it is not. All panels today are capable of doing both. So I think probably we should follow Apple and just say "1.07 billion colors" -- how the display achieves that number is beyond the reach of a simple comparison list intended to help buyers make choices. It will also allow us to highlight advances beyond that number when they come.

For the China section(s), I've added ParcelUp links (note the USD prices fluctuate daily based on exchange rates, thus the "~" before the price) for Taobao-based Chinese brands and provided the Taobao item numbers, which can be used to find these listings on other similar sites.

I will add to the China section when I have time -- but for now it is just the most prominent and/or exceptional Chinese products -- Kuycon, AOC, and Geekon.

 

[tenthousandthings]

More official information on the Samsung Odyssey G80HF in German. I'm assuming all these "Fast IPS" dual-mode panels are from BOE (both 5K and 6K) -- this may turn out to be incorrect, but for now we're asserting that, although I don't actually remember how I deduced that.

Samsung site (Germany) €709 [Data Sheet]

 

[fotuwe]

What is your opinion / expectation on the choice of Apple Studio Display 2026 (non XDR) vs the new LG 27GM950B-B (Mini LED). The Mini-LED is itching me .. would like to try it out.

On the other hand I would miss the speaker which I'd like to have (sure I can buy external but the all-in-one approach by the ASD is amazing. I'd use the monitor for semi-pro photography work (hobby + some smaller paid jobs - nothing fancy). Gaming is not really a must on this display ... for weekends I have a PC with good GFX card and a simple Dell IPS with 165 Hz.

I know the LG will be more focussed on gaming or? Different coating, obviously different build quality ... should I still wait for some review from the LG 27GM950B-B or would you suggest - go ahead with the ASD (non XDR)? The price difference LG -> ASD is not a concern (ASD -> XDR is too much of a stretch for just a hobby non professional work).

 

[arclamp]

What is your opinion / expectation on the choice of Apple Studio Display 2026 (non XDR) vs the new LG 27GM950B-B (Mini LED). The Mini-LED is itching me .. would like to try it out.

On the other hand I would miss the speaker which I'd like to have (sure I can buy external but the all-in-one approach by the ASD is amazing. I'd use the monitor for semi-pro photography work (hobby + some smaller paid jobs - nothing fancy). Gaming is not really a must on this display ... for weekends I have a PC with good GFX card and a simple Dell IPS with 165 Hz.

I know the LG will be more focussed on gaming or? Different coating, obviously different build quality ... should I still wait for some review from the LG 27GM950B-B or would you suggest - go ahead with the ASD (non XDR)? The price difference LG -> ASD is not a concern (ASD -> XDR is too much of a stretch for just a hobby non professional work).

That's exactly the question I'm asking myself too!

 

[Charlie Bonesx]

What is your opinion / expectation on the choice of Apple Studio Display 2026 (non XDR) vs the new LG 27GM950B-B (Mini LED). The Mini-LED is itching me .. would like to try it out.

The ASD isnt' really on my radar (without miniLED it doesn't offer anything extra that interests me enough for the higher price point), but I am wondering how much I want miniLED or just go with one of the several other newer high refresh 5 27"

I think I want miniLED after having it on a MacBook Pro for awhile but I would like to see how the LG reviews

looks like they should be arriving for US customers around the time pre-sales open here so that works out for me

should I still wait for some review from the LG 27GM950B-B or would you suggest - go ahead with the ASD

unless you desperately need a monitor ASAP I'd think you might as well wait for some reviews at this point

 

[tenthousandthings]

What is your opinion / expectation on the choice of Apple Studio Display 2026 (non XDR) vs the new LG 27GM950B-B (Mini LED). The Mini-LED is itching me .. would like to try it out.

On the other hand I would miss the speaker which I'd like to have (sure I can buy external but the all-in-one approach by the ASD is amazing. I'd use the monitor for semi-pro photography work (hobby + some smaller paid jobs - nothing fancy). Gaming is not really a must on this display ... for weekends I have a PC with good GFX card and a simple Dell IPS with 165 Hz.

I know the LG will be more focussed on gaming or? Different coating, obviously different build quality ... should I still wait for some review from the LG 27GM950B-B or would you suggest - go ahead with the ASD (non XDR)? The price difference LG -> ASD is not a concern (ASD -> XDR is too much of a stretch for just a hobby non professional work).

I would wait for a review from someone with an interest in photography and/or color management, or at least an interest in something other than gaming. Another thing to be aware of is graphics requirements — not every Mac or PC will support 5K 165Hz or 120Hz, and it’s unclear if the on-device AI has a purpose outside of gaming. I'm not sure I want AI messing with what I see.

That said, it could be a meaningful improvement upon the basic Studio Display -- "Hyper MiniLED" (9,216 LEDs in an array with 2,304 zones) is an unknown, I'm not aware of it existing previously. Is it a breakthrough, a way to cut costs, or both? Here's something I posted about it earlier in another thread:

New Studio display or something else?

There's a lot we don't know about what LG is doing with the UltraGear 5K and how it compares to the Studio Display XDR. Primarily, what is "Hyper MiniLED" (9,216 LEDs in 2,304 zones) and how does that array compare to the MiniLED array Apple is using? I think we can assume Hyper MiniLED is an...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Mattgfx]

Kuycon P27Z​

No built in camera ?

 

[Dark-Signature]

Kuycon P27Z​

No built in camera ?

What for?

 

[dropadrop]

If webcams were of no use, why does Apple include them in practically all of their displays (laptops, imacs and studio displays)? Seems like quite a waste if you really think nobody has use of one…

 

[Dark-Signature]

If webcams were of no use, why does Apple include them in practically all of their displays (laptops, imacs and studio displays)? Seems like quite a waste if you really think nobody has use of one…

Because Apple can charge a markup of $200 on a webcam that costs a maximum of $50 to manufacture. The fact is that 90% of monitors available worldwide do not have a webcam, nor do they need one.

 

[dropadrop]

Or maybe, a large portion of their userbase spends a lot of time in meetings.

Of course a webcam is useless if you don’t need one. Like the speakers, and possibly part of the ports.

Just seems strange to wonder what makes a webcam is important to somebody - as the answer should be quite evidant to anyone capable of looking beyond their own needs - or even understanding everyone can have different needs.

 

[drrich2]

If webcams were of no use, why does Apple include them in practically all of their displays (laptops, imacs and studio displays)?

That's actually an interesting question. Many people video conference at least once in awhile; where notebooks are concerned, a travel-ready, compact minimalist, 'ready to go' system is desirable. A separate webcam would detract from that practical scenario.

iMacs were intended to be all-in-ones with as few external cables as possible. Very sleek, minimalist design. That's why I'm surprised they ditched the 27" iMac.

But they didn't ditch the minimalist aesthetic. The Mac Mini and Mac Studio look about as close to a smooth aluminum block as they could reasonably get.

Someone once posted the view that the ASD was intended to be the 'other half' of a Mac, in effect when combined with a Mac Mini or Mac Studio it gave you a de-facto 2-piece iMac, a comprehensive computer system. It also lets Apple boast of their Center Stage feature.

So in the case of notebook computers, I think a built-in webcam is needed; in the case of desktops I think it's a 'holistic system' aesthetic experience that Apple values offering.

 

[Chancha]

For Apple 1st party displays, it makes a lot of sense to add a webcam and decent pair of speakers to at least match the features that the regular consumer expects from an iMac, or the MacBook that they plug into the display. Remember the Studio Display debut with the Mac Studio, at the same time when an Apple exec confirmed them having no plans to release Apple Silicon 27"+ iMacs any time soon. So in a sense a SD + Studio combo is meant to replace the previous iMac 27" or even the iMac Pro experience.

So if Apple thinks a large enough portion of the potential market of the displays want the cam and speakers, they would throw them in, unless Apple bothers to release a lesser bare-bone version without them (which they don't). On the 32" XDR I suspect it was positioned to be a single-purpose reference tool so it was treated differently.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

My girlfriend’s work from home job requires multiple, long video calls per day.

She used to struggle doing these from her laptop and company supplied crappy external mobile display.

I got her the new ASD and she LOVES the high quality built-in webcam and speakers. Complete game changer for her. Zero chance she would ever mess about with an external webcam. Even her own iPhone via Continuity Camera.

 

[dropadrop]

I think Apple does not need to just think, they have statistics to show how many use them. So basically they know what percentage of customers use the speakers / camera on a daily / weekly / monthly level and probably use that data to support decisions while defining feature sets.

 

[Chrisjmv]

What is your opinion / expectation on the choice of Apple Studio Display 2026 (non XDR) vs the new LG 27GM950B-B (Mini LED). The Mini-LED is itching me .. would like to try it out.

On the other hand I would miss the speaker which I'd like to have (sure I can buy external but the all-in-one approach by the ASD is amazing. I'd use the monitor for semi-pro photography work (hobby + some smaller paid jobs - nothing fancy). Gaming is not really a must on this display ... for weekends I have a PC with good GFX card and a simple Dell IPS with 165 Hz.

I know the LG will be more focussed on gaming or? Different coating, obviously different build quality ... should I still wait for some review from the LG 27GM950B-B or would you suggest - go ahead with the ASD (non XDR)? The price difference LG -> ASD is not a concern (ASD -> XDR is too much of a stretch for just a hobby non professional work).

Would love to see that LG with a glossy or better with a Glass Protection. Really love the glass look - much more vibrant colors and sharpness.

 

[gilby101]

Another thing to be aware of is graphics requirements — not every Mac or PC will support 5K 165Hz or 120Hz

I think this needs pursuing. And I distinguish "support for" and "working with".

For M4 Macs the specs refer to support for "displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz" and "4K at 240Hz". No specs explicitly refer to 5K at 120Hz.

Only for M5 Macs do the specs refer to supported Hz for 5k with words like "One display up to a native resolution of 8K at 60Hz or 5K at 120Hz or 4K at 240Hz". This is only mention I can find of support for 5K monitors at anything higher than 60Hz.

So we can expect support for 5K at 120Hz only on M5 Macs. And is this only with Apple XDR display?

Just because 5K 120Hz and up is not explicitly supported does not say that it won't work. Or does it mean "won't work"?

As you have added to post #1, up to M3 Macs only work at 5K 60Hz.

Which Macs do work at 5K 120Hz?

M5: From spec they are supported at 120Hz. Is that with any 120Hz monitor or only with Apple XDR? Are M5s known to work with other displays at 120Hz?

M4: Do any M4 Macs work at 5K 120Hz and with which monitors?

And do any Macs work (none are supported) at 5K 165Hz? And which monitors?

Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

 

[tenthousandthings]

~

I think this needs pursuing. And I distinguish "support for" and "working with".

For M4 Macs the specs refer to support for "displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz" and "4K at 240Hz". No specs explicitly refer to 5K at 120Hz.

Only for M5 Macs do the specs refer to supported Hz for 5k with words like "One display up to a native resolution of 8K at 60Hz or 5K at 120Hz or 4K at 240Hz". This is only mention I can find of support for 5K monitors at anything higher than 60Hz.

So we can expect support for 5K at 120Hz only on M5 Macs. And is this only with Apple XDR display?

Just because 5K 120Hz and up is not explicitly supported does not say that it won't work. Or does it mean "won't work"?

As you have added to post #1, up to M3 Macs only work at 5K 60Hz.

Which Macs do work at 5K 120Hz?

M5: From spec they are supported at 120Hz. Is that with any 120Hz monitor or only with Apple XDR? Are M5s known to work with other displays at 120Hz?

M4: Do any M4 Macs work at 5K 120Hz and with which monitors?

And do any Macs work (none are supported) at 5K 165Hz? And which monitors?

Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

The ASUS 165Hz/330Hz with 180Hz in 5K is available, and we have a starting point in a FAQ chart that dates to December 15, 2025: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/faq/1056320/ (does not format properly in iOS, so I've attached the relevant section here)

The testing for this would have been finished before the M5 launched, even though it wasn't published until after. Still, as you can see, M3 Max and M4 Pro support (or "work") at 5K @165Hz -- I believe the "(w/OC)" notation means it is 5K by itself, not in dual mode, but I'm not sure since the Nvidia and AMD chart makes no mention of OC (over clock), so I'm not sure what that's about. Probably a setting on the monitor itself?

This is more or less in line with the requirements for the Studio Display XDR -- M2 Pro/Max, M3 Pro/Max, and M4 and above all support 120Hz. The tech specs for it are very clear. I would not expect Apple to go back and revise the tech specs for discontinued (or soon-to-be discontinued) products.

 

[thenewepic]

For M4 Macs the specs refer to support for "displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz" and "4K at 240Hz". No specs explicitly refer to 5K at 120Hz

because the specifications page was created before introducing of Studio XDR.
M2 Pro/Max/Ultra, M3 Pro/Max/Ultra, M4, M4 Pro/Max, M5, M5 Pro/Max - all these chips support 5K up to 165Hz.

 

[reuptake]

I'm looking for a new display to replace my ageing iMac 27", and while I can afford 5K models (BTW: Benq MA270S seems to be available in Europe!) I wonder if 4K shouldn't be my choice. I installed BetterDisplay and I'm finding 2304x1296 more comfortable for my eyes than "native" resolution. So if I'm going to run a scaled resolution, than maybe it's not worth it? Is it possible to achieve a similar ppi on 4K display?

 

[JoeG4]

I can't believe the $3299 Studio XDR is only 8-bit with FRC. I just can't. What the heck?! It's bad enough the regular one is, too. For that price!

 

[CWallace]

I can't believe the $3299 Studio XDR is only 8-bit with FRC. I just can't. What the heck?! It's bad enough the regular one is, too. For that price!

Apple can only use the panels made available to them by suppliers.

Looking at the Wiki on page one, all the 10-bit panels I see are Full-Array LED at 60Hz. The high-refresh rate MiniLED panels all seem to be 8-bit with FRC.

 

[Dark-Signature]

I can't believe the $3299 Studio XDR is only 8-bit with FRC. I just can't. What the heck?! It's bad enough the regular one is, too. For that price!

What do you expect for just $3,299?

 

[tenthousandthings]

Apple can only use the panels made available to them by suppliers.

Looking at the Wiki on page one, all the 10-bit panels I see are Full-Array LED at 60Hz. The high-refresh rate MiniLED panels all seem to be 8-bit with FRC.

[Note "Full-Array" usually means a direct backlight (as in FALD - "full array local dimming") -- the term is used to distinguish these from indirect, edge-lit backlights. MiniLEDs are by definition FALD -- most other IPS backlights are not.]

I have struggled with this (8-bit + FRC versus 10-bit) in the WikiPost -- the only 5K monitor I'm certain is true 10-bit is the BenQ PD2730S. I consider Image Science (an Australian reseller focused on monitors for imagery) to be a definitive source, but they only cover the specialized EIZO and BenQ monitors that they sell. Nonetheless, they provide good perspective (from 2024) on this question, as they sell both:

https://imagescience.com.au/knowledge/10-bit-monitors

The immediate problem for the WikiPost is manufacturers are not always clear in their marketing about this distinction (Apple among them!) 10-bit panel depth is not the same thing as a 10-bit color gamut, which can be achieved using 8-bit + FRC. The solution I propose we adopt for this is to just not say if we can't find confirmation either way. I think we should change the format to "Colors: 1.07 billion (10-bit) ..." or "Colors: 1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) ..." or "Colors: 1.07 billion (?) ..."

The larger problem is that it appears that at least some (if not all?) of the panels being produced today are capable of either -- so the BenQ PD2730S with support for true 10-bit color appears to use the same BOE panel that other manufacturers use for 8-bit + FRC, which leads to confusion. I imagine BenQ can do this because they already have a line of professional 4K and 1440p monitors for photographers and designers with support for true 10-bit color, so they've already invested in it. EIZO doesn't make a 5K or 6K, but if they did it would also likely support true 10-bit color.

Apple made a choice not to support it in the Studio Display XDR. As you suggest, it may very well have something to do with the 120Hz refresh rate and what happens when you combine that with true 10-bit support. There may be sacrifices with regard to full-screen calibration and uniformity that make it untenable for imagery and color management, while it's fine for gaming and productivity. I don't know.

 

[dropadrop]

I'm looking for a new display to replace my ageing iMac 27", and while I can afford 5K models (BTW: Benq MA270S seems to be available in Europe!) I wonder if 4K shouldn't be my choice. I installed BetterDisplay and I'm finding 2304x1296 more comfortable for my eyes than "native" resolution. So if I'm going to run a scaled resolution, than maybe it's not worth it? Is it possible to achieve a similar ppi on 4K display?

My old thunderbolt display died and I was preparing to purchase a 5k or 6k display as a replacement.

My work said I can get a display from there but the best was a 27” 4k Dell U2725QE. Annoying, but since it has gotten good reviews I could not justify paying over a grand for something else… And I have to say it’s way better then the old Thunderbolt display.