To all owners of the ASD XDR: Is the Apple Studio Display XDR worth the upgrade

[mstso]

Hi,

I'm using a ASD since it was released back in 2022 and I'm really happy with it.
But something inside me is constantly asking for the new Studio Display XDR.
I'm not a prof user and I just use it for private stuff so color accurary and so on is not a priority.

So, to all owners (preferably owners who switched from asd to asd xdr):
Is it worth the money or is the "normal" asd still great enough?

 

[Dark-Signature]

If money isn’t a limiting factor for you, then go ahead and buy the ASD XDR. But if you’ve been following along here, you’ll have already realized that there will soon be several alternatives to the ASD XDR; while some of them lack certain features (such as MiniLED backlighting), but 5K resolution and higher refresh rates (up to 180Hz in 5K) are definitely in the mix and offer different features compared to the Apple solution, such as additional connectivity options like DP/HDMI, and they have a power button 😉

 

[Ifti]

Hi,

I'm using a ASD since it was released back in 2022 and I'm really happy with it.
But something inside me is constantly asking for the new Studio Display XDR.
I'm not a prof user and I just use it for private stuff so color accurary and so on is not a priority.

I was in the same boat - but I've decided to give it a miss. I mean, if the monitor was cheaper then maybe I'd be more tempted, but for some differences that I may not even notice in my day to day usage, I'd rather spend that money and buy a decent MacBook Pro instead!

 

[mstso]

If money isn’t a limiting factor for you, then go ahead and buy the ASD XDR. But if you’ve been following along here, you’ll have already realized that there will soon be several alternatives to the ASD XDR; while some of them lack certain features (such as MiniLED backlighting), but 5K resolution and higher refresh rates (up to 180Hz in 5K) are definitely in the mix and offer different features compared to the Apple solution, such as additional connectivity options like DP/HDMI, and they have a power button 😉

But none of these have the same design...I love how the ASD looks on my desk 🙂

 

[mstso]

I was in the same boat - but I've decided to give it a miss. I mean, if the monitor was cheaper then maybe I'd be more tempted, but for some differences that I may not even notice in my day to day usage, I'd rather spend that money and buy a decent MacBook Pro instead!

Well that's exactly the point: Too much money for too little difference.

 

[xraydoc]

I put up a long post on one of the other threads about why I decided not to upgrade from my 2022 Studio Displays. For me personally, I don't think I'd see $3,000 worth of improvement. I just don't think 120Hz refresh, HDR support and the mini-LED backlight is going to do much for me. Most of what I do on my Mac is productivity/office work. 120Hz won't make staring at a Word document any better. The improved backlight might be nice for some of the medical imaging that I do, but what's done on my Mac is really just for teaching and writing journal articles and such, so higher accuracy (as compared with my current Studio Display, which is pretty darn good) doesn't get me any real-world advantages.

So ultimately I'm going to put the same money towards different upgrades that I think will actually add some value.

If I didn't already have my current Studio Displays, then the calculus might be different, I think.

 

[Dark-Signature]

But none of these have the same design...I love how the ASD looks on my desk 🙂

If you only like the design ... go Kuycon G32P or the upcoming Kuycon P27Z with 180Hz at 5K. 😉