Totally confused with resolution Mac mini and 4K monitor need help

[Ravox]

Just got a Mac mini M4 and an 27 LG 4k monitor, its the first time Im using a Mac leaving Windows behind, and I'm confused regarding what resolution to use, after setting up the Mac with HDMI cable the default shows 1920 x 1080 should I change to 2560 x 1440? when I changed it looked fine but saw some places recommending to leave on 1080 on a 4K monitor despite the fact that the icons look bigger is that true? is better to leave in 1080?

Also should I turn ON HDR? is there a way to leave HDR off and to activate based on content?

 

[arncalars]

Just got a Mac mini M4 and an 27 LG 4k monitor, its the first time Im using a Mac leaving Windows behind, and I'm confused regarding what resolution to use, after setting up the Mac with HDMI cable the default shows 1920 x 1080 should I change to 2560 x 1440? when I changed it looked fine but saw some places recommending to leave on 1080 on a 4K monitor despite the fact that the icons look bigger is that true? is better to leave in 1080?

Also should I turn ON HDR? is there a way to leave HDR off and to activate based on content?

Agree on 1440. In screen settings where you choose resolution should be a way to turn off HDR.

I think displayport or usb-c ( built-in displayport ) is the way to go. HDMI is not the best in this situation.

 

[Ravox]

Agree on 1440. In screen settings where you choose resolution should be a way to turn off HDR.

I think displayport or usb-c ( built-in displayport ) is the way to go. HDMI is not the best in this situation.

Why not HDMI any specific reason to use display port? Makes the image better? Also better to keep in 1080?

 

[arncalars]

Why not HDMI any specific reason to use display port? Makes the image better?

As I have read, displayport support the best signal. HDMI does not display everything. You could Google the subject.

 

[arncalars]

As I have read, displayport support the best signal. HDMI does not display everything. You could Google the subject.

I use usb-c thunderbolt 3 with my Eizo CG2700x. It includes displayport 1.4

 

[drrich2]

an 27 LG 4k monitor

Which one specifically? A name/model and direct link to an Amazon page on it, for example, could be informative.

after setting up the Mac with HDMI cable

Does the monitor have USB ports or the like that you might like to use? I may be off on this, but I think you won't have the use of them if you are only connected by HDMI cable.

Also should I turn ON HDR?

Reviews of IPS panels (I'm guessing that's what your monitor is?) tend report an underwhelming impression of HDR from what I've gathered. Try watching a streaming movie with and without HDR and see whether you appreciate the difference.

 

[Kenny99]

Do a search (google) for "Spec for (Your Model No)". this will show you what your refresh Rate is, What HDMI version it supports and what max resolution. Next check your cables Specs. When you have all this information you will be able to decide what Resolution you want to see. (what you like) PS: I have mine set

 

[jasonsmith_88]

after setting up the Mac with HDMI cable the default shows 1920 x 1080 should I change to 2560 x 1440? when I changed it looked fine but saw some places recommending to leave on 1080 on a 4K monitor despite the fact that the icons look bigger is that true? is better to leave in 1080?

The reason 1920 x 1080 is recommended on a 4k monitor is due to the awful way macOS handles scaling. If you set your resolution to 2560 x 1440, macOS renders at 5120 x 2880. On a 5k monitor, this results in a perfect 1:1 pixel mapping. But on a 4k monitor, the image is scaled down to 3840 x 2160. This results in artefacts, blurriness, tearing etc. Unfortunately, to get 1:1 pixel mapping on a 4k display, you need to select 1920 x 1080.

Having said all of this, if 2560 x 1440 looks good to you, use it.

 

[Ravox]

My monitor model is LG Ultrafine 27US500-W

27us500-w specs

• Display panel type: IPS
• Screen resolution: 4K UHD ( 3840×2160 pixels )
• Max refresh rate: 60hz
• Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (Typ.) / 700:1 ( Min.)
• HDR support: HDR10
• Color gamut: DCI-P3 90% (CIE1976)
• Brightness: 300nits ( Typ ) / 240nits ( Min )
• Viewing angle: 178˚(R/L), 178˚(U/D)
• Response time: 5ms (GtG at Faster)
• Screen coating: Anti-Glare / Matte
• Color support: 1.07 Billion Colors
• Display Position Adjustments: Tilt
• Product color: White
• 2x hdmi and 1x display port

 

[MacCheetah3]

Just got a Mac mini M4 and an 27 LG 4k monitor [...] and I'm confused regarding what resolution to use [...] the default shows 1920 x 1080

MacOS scaling, HiDPI, LoDPI explanation

Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more! - waydabber/BetterDisplay

github.com

What is Display Scaling on Mac, and why you (probably) shouldn't worry about it | AppleInsider

Display scaling makes the size of your Mac's interface more comfortable on non-Retina monitors but incurs some visual and performance penalties. We explain these effects and how much they matter.

appleinsider.com

Also should I turn ON HDR? is there a way to leave HDR off and to activate based on content?

Set HDR doesn’t appear to be an option in Shortcuts app, but I did find this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/18jqvyc/easy_fast_shortcut_to_enabledisable_hdr_on_the_fly

 

[waydabber]

On a 4K 27" display using 2560x1440 is perfectly fine and gives an ideal UI size (if you do pixel art, you might want to switch to 1920x1080 to have the sharpest image possible and avoid scaling issues - but this is mostly irrelevant for normal desktop use).

No need to enable HDR on your display model (although it can technically decode a HDR signal, the contrast ratio and brightness is not suited for HDR content).

Hope this helps!

 

[mcdreamer]

I have a very similar LG monitor and it's absolutely fine at 1440p. In fact it looks great. Yes, you can see it's not quite as sharp as true 4:1 scaling, but it might as well be. In fact, I use the next largest logical resolution often too, and even that looks pretty good.

 

[the future]

But on a 4k monitor, the image is scaled down to 3840 x 2160. This results in artefacts, blurriness, tearing etc.

You make it sound worse than it actually is. Is it „retina“ ideal? No. But it looks just fine.

 

[theluggage]

but saw some places recommending to leave on 1080 on a 4K monitor despite the fact that the icons look bigger is that true? is better to leave in 1080?

First thing, the way Mac OS describes resolutions is a bit misleading. Put simply:

“1920x1080” is really 4K (3840x2160) - but with double-sized system fonts, icons etc. which some people feel wastes a bit too much space on a 27” screen. If you jump through a few hoops you can choose “true” 3840x2160 mode, but you’ll probably find icons, menus etc. too small to use.

“2560x1440” is really a 5k (5120x2880) image “downsampled” to 4K. This way, system fonts, icons etc. end up the same physical size as they would be on a 5k iMac or Studio Display - which many users feel is “just right” (your mileage may vary). The downsides are that since a 4K display can’t reproduce all the detail of the 5k image, the result looks slightly “soft” and there may be some artefacts, or less-than-glassy-smooth scrolling if you try and look at single-pixel details. Also, the “downsampling” process (plus the fact that graphics apps etc. are effectively rendering in 5k) puts a bit of extra load on the GPU/Video RAM. This may have been an issue a few years ago with weedy Intel integrated graphics, but a M4 shouldn’t break a sweat.

As for HDMI - with a bog-standard 4K 60Hz display it makes sense to use HDMI and leave your Thunderbolt ports free for other things.

HDR - try it and see, but again - with a bog-standard display (no OLED, miniLED, quantum dots etc.) there’s probably no point.

Ultimately - all that matters is that it works for you and suits your workflow. Many existing Mac users have been spoiled by 5k screens (which used to feature in relatively affordable iMacs) which are probably optimal for Mac but come at a hefty price premium and limited choice - 4K UHD is a good compromise.

 

[EugW]

In that size, my preference is 2304x1296, but many prefer 2560x1440.

It looks fine at the right seating distance. 27” 4K is 163 ppi, and is “Retina” at 21 inches or greater seating distance. (I usually sit at about 22-25”, and my 28.2” 163 ppi 3840x2560 3:2 monitor looks decent set to 2304x1536.)

 

[Kenny99]

Just one more thing: I work in a DARK room. I have added LEDs to the back of the monitor and have them set to a Yellow / orange color. My old eyes don’t like BLUE light and this helps reduce the White backgrounds to a brightness that is easy on my eyes and still gives me good color on Videos / movies. Also I have “Night Mode” set on. As has been said try other settings until you find something YOU like. Everyone is different

 

[macbug]

Go with what looks good to you, let the Mac figure the rest out. I'm using a 4k OLED TV as my monitor, 48", and trying to use 3840x2160 native even from where I sit is impossible ( big, deep, desk with a monitor arm ). Everything is much too small. And I suspect with a 27" screen, you'll have the same problem. And 1080P might be too big. So you found a good middle ground and if you're happy with it, leave it!

RE: HDMI/DisplayPort - You Mini has a really good, really fast, HDMI port rated for 8k60Hz or 4k240Hz. It'll handle 4k 60Hz just fine without needing to use up a thunderbolt port. So leave those thunderbolt and USB-C ports free. Display port isn't going to offer you any advantage right now, as far as I know.

As far as HDR, you really need to dip into displays with amazing contrast and brightness like the miniLED Apple used in their iPad Pro and now uses it on the MacBook 14 & 16 to get that insane 1600nit brightness peak while delivering the deep, dark contrast HDR needs to look its best. Or the current Pro dual-layer OLED displays. Your LG screen might be able to decode HDR and show it, but it's not going to look as good as it should. Actually maybe worse because the brightness ( 250nits ) is low. So, TLDR? Leave it off for now.

A really great tool for monitors / TV's / projectors is BetterDisplay ( https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay ). I think it's best display app for most people. And another I like to keep a more detailed look at what's happening on the mini is iStat Menus ( https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/ ). I hope you're enjoying your new Mini!

Good luck and congratulations!

 

[Hajj.david]

Just got a Mac mini M4 and an 27 LG 4k monitor, its the first time Im using a Mac leaving Windows behind, and I'm confused regarding what resolution to use, after setting up the Mac with HDMI cable the default shows 1920 x 1080 should I change to 2560 x 1440? when I changed it looked fine but saw some places recommending to leave on 1080 on a 4K monitor despite the fact that the icons look bigger is that true? is better to leave in 1080?

Also should I turn ON HDR? is there a way to leave HDR off and to activate based on content?

Id set it to the native 4k. Anything else you are scaling it, plus at native 4k youll have way more screen real estate

 

[HappyIntro]

I just bought an M4 Mac mini and have a Dell 4k 27" (16:9) monitor and a Dell 1920x1200 24" (16:10) plugged into it.

For my 4k monitor, sometimes I use it at 1080p and sometimes at 1440p, and both look very nice. If I had young eyes, I'd leave it at 1440p, but alas, my eyesight appreciates the larger proportions of 1080p. IMO the resolution you should choose is simply the one 1) where the UI elements are scaled to the size you are most comfortable with and 2) is optimized for your workflow, i.e., if you need edit multiple documents at the same time, extra resolution/desktop apparent space can be very important.

 

[HappyIntro]

In that size, my preference is 2304x1296, but many prefer 2560x1440.

It looks fine at the right seating distance. 27” 4K is 163 ppi, and is “Retina” at 21 inches or greater seating distance. (I usually sit at about 22-25”, and my 28.2” 163 ppi 3840x2560 3:2 monitor looks decent set to 2304x1536.)

Apologies if you get asked this all the time, but how do you like your 3:2 monitor? On my 16:9 monitor I feel like I have to put the dock on the left side to provide more vertical space to work with.

 

[EugW]

For my 4k monitor, sometimes I use it at 1080p and sometimes at 1440p, and both look very nice. If I had young eyes, I'd leave it at 1440p, but alas, my eyesight appreciates the larger proportions of 1080p. IMO the resolution you should choose is simply the one 1) where the UI elements are scaled to the size you are most comfortable with and 2) is optimized for your workflow, i.e., if you need edit multiple documents at the same time, extra resolution/desktop apparent space can be very important.

That's why I would choose the 2304x1296p setting for that monitor. The 2560x1440p setting makes the screen elements too small for my liking (which annoyed me on my 2017 5K iMac), and the 1920x1080p setting makes the elements too big and reduces screen real estate too much.

My ideal screen would be a 29-30" 5K monitor set at 2560x1440p: Perfect 2X scaling, lots of screen real estate, and nicely sized screen elements.

Apologies if you get asked this all the time, but how do you like your 3:2 monitor? On my 16:9 monitor I feel like I have to put the dock on the left side to provide more vertical space to work with.

My Huawei 3:2 monitor does provide a lot of vertical screen real estate but in truth, I sometimes prefer 16:9, depending upon what I do with it. The reason is because when I am working for long periods on vertical documents, I may not actually use the entire height of the screen.

The problem is I wear progressive "office" lenses, and so the top of the screen is out of focus if my head is facing straight at the middle third of the screen. The top of my glasses are meant for distance vision, not a computer screen, so because of the field of view of my glasses, I have to tilt my head up in order to get the top of the screen in focus; I cannot just glance upwards with these glasses. So, this is not an issue with the screen per se, but a problem related to my eyeglass prescription, and in that context a shorter screen would actually suit me better.

As for other features of this monitor, at least when connected directly to my M4 Mac mini, it wakes from sleep every time perfectly unlike some other third party monitors out there. (With my M1 Mac mini, it would also wake from sleep fine through a Thunderbolt 4 hub, but it doesn't consistently wake from sleep through that hub on the M4 for some reason. It must be directly connected to the M4.)

The one issue is that for HDMI, the monitor only supports the full resolution at up to 50 GHz. You can't use the monitor at full resolution at 60 Hz over HDMI, because they used in an older HDMI spec. This is a stupid design compromise IMO. However, I just use USB-C instead, and that gives me my desired full resolution at 60 Hz.

The monitor also provides HDR. HDR looks fine for macOS, but I noticed that there is degradation in text quality inside a VPN to a Windows machine. Everything on screen in macOS looks great in HDR... except for the window connected to Windows through VPN. It's curious and I don't know why this happens, but it's enough for me to keep the monitor in SDR mode, as I am VPNing Windows all day long for my work.

This screen also no significant backlight bleed. It's great not having to see backlight bleed. I returned two ASUS ProArt monitors that had bad backlight bleed. OTOH, screen brightness uniformity is not great. It looks a bit brighter in the centre than at the edges. Some of it due to true differences in brightness (as measured by my screen calibrator) and some of it likely due to the matte finish as the finish causes a bit of loss of brightness when viewed off axis. However, I usually don't notice it anymore unless I'm specifically looking for it or if I'm reminded about it like when I posted this message.

However, I believe they have discontinued this monitor. Also, I don't know where you're located, but I don't think it was ever available in the US, because of the Huawei ban in the US. (I'm in Canada.)

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

1920x1080 is "looks like 1080p", which I believe the Mac OS will use as the default setting when connected to a 4k display.

This is how it's supposed to be.
What the Mac is doing is "cutting in half" the full resolution of the display (3840×2160).
Thus, in "looks like 1080p", you have 4 "small" pixels representing each pixel.

In a practical sense, this produces images and text which are "at their sharpest" (the same way "retina" displays work on the laptops).

When you choose "looks like 1440p", this is forcing the Mac GPU to "scale" the image -- not "pixel for pixel" but "chopping things up" more.

The result will still look ok, but may not be -quite as sharp- as the 1080p setting above. Also, on some Macs this can tax the GPU, but I reckon that a new Mini m4 won't be bothered by it at all.

Whether you want "looks like 1080p" or "looks like 1440p" will really be determined by your own personal tastes.

Personal experience:
In my own experimentation with Sequoia (I have a 2018 Intel Mini), I've found that the setting "just higher than" 1080p is usable for me. I believe it's 2048x1152.

I've also been using the free "Better Display" utility, which you can get here:

GitHub - waydabber/BetterDisplay: Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more!

Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more! - waydabber/BetterDisplay

github.com

It can be upgraded to the "pro" version if you wish, but the free version does all I need.

 

[AlixSPQR]

On a 5k monitor, this results in a perfect 1:1 pixel mapping.

Does that mean that a 5K monitor is the best buy?

 

[drrich2]

Does that mean that a 5K monitor is the best buy?

No, it means it might be. At some point, there are some questions you need to answer (likely without the benefit of in-person evaluation and testing, unfortunate since the answers are individualized).

1.) Do you notice a difference in text sharpness on a 4K vs. 5K 27" display, particularly at the distance your face is typically from the screen, and if so do you care, does it impact you significantly?

2.) Are you content with the MacOS screen elements (e.g.: icons, the dock) at the sizes shown in the resolution you would use on a 4K monitor?

3.) Does the performance hit of scaling for a 4K display on the Mac you use in the context of what you use it for significantly impact you?

You can get an Asus ProArt 27" 5K display for around $800, which is the low end price-wise of the 27" 5K display market from what I've seen (that's no slam on Asus; it's not Thunderbolt, for example, which may not matter to you).

You can get a good brand name 27" 4K display for anywhere from around $250 (just a display, no or fairly minimal hub function) on up into the $500+ range (hub function, strong color accuracy and specific coverage of color ranges, etc...

If money is no object, then a 27" 5K display might be best, but then again, if that's true, what about the very expensive Apple ProXDR?

Also consider that if you pour a lot (whatever that is for you) of money into a 27" 5K display available now, you may be loathe to replace it for many years. So if the next Apple Studio Display supports a higher refresh rate, or another vendor offers a 27" 5K with higher refresh rate or 32" 6K display that you'd like better, you might pass on that because you've already spent so much money.

I think what it gets down to for many people is this; you may be looking at around $350 or so to get a 5K 27" over a 4K 27". How badly do you want what the 5K offers, and what are you willing to pay for it?

I went with the low end of the 5K price range because if we bring the ASD into it, that gets into a discussion of superior build quality, excellent color accuracy out of the box, webcam (allegedly a bit lackluster) with centerstage, spacial audio, lack of VESA mount holes unless you forgo a stand (IIRC?), rather poor support for other devices (e.g.: Thunderbolt but not HDMI), etc...but jacks the price up around $1,600, likely plus AppleCare and sales tax.

 

[ignatius345]

OP:

1920x1080 is "looks like 1080p", which I believe the Mac OS will use as the default setting when connected to a 4k display.

This is how it's supposed to be.
What the Mac is doing is "cutting in half" the full resolution of the display (3840×2160).
Thus, in "looks like 1080p", you have 4 "small" pixels representing each pixel.

In a practical sense, this produces images and text which are "at their sharpest" (the same way "retina" displays work on the laptops).

When you choose "looks like 1440p", this is forcing the Mac GPU to "scale" the image -- not "pixel for pixel" but "chopping things up" more.

The result will still look ok, but may not be -quite as sharp- as the 1080p setting above. Also, on some Macs this can tax the GPU, but I reckon that a new Mini m4 won't be bothered by it at all.

Whether you want "looks like 1080p" or "looks like 1440p" will really be determined by your own personal tastes.

Personal experience:
In my own experimentation with Sequoia (I have a 2018 Intel Mini), I've found that the setting "just higher than" 1080p is usable for me. I believe it's 2048x1152.

I've also been using the free "Better Display" utility, which you can get here:

GitHub - waydabber/BetterDisplay: Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more!

Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more! - waydabber/BetterDisplay

github.com

It can be upgraded to the "pro" version if you wish, but the free version does all I need.

Seconded about Better Display. I hooked up to my iMac a portable display with a resolution of ‎2560 x 1600, and it looked a bit fuzzy. Installed this software (the free version) and it made everything look razor sharp.