What monitor to replace 5k iMac with a display that isn’t the LG UltraFine

[jck1634]

So I’m thinking about giving up my iMac for a new MacBook Pro but id still need an external display. The LG UltraFine seems the obvious choice but i was kinda hoping to get a larger screen. can anyone recommend me a screen under £1000 that would be a larger alternative? not fussed about gaming but colour accuracy is fairly important

 

[neumanc]

I'm hunting for the exact same thing. You got no response because it doesn't exist yet. Unfortunately, the LG Ultrafine 5k is the best 5k monitor on the market as of today (besides the iMac 5k). Even though it has a cheap plastic bezel, unstable stand, and picture burn.

In my opinion, the discontinued Apple Thunderbolt Display 27" (2k) is still the best affordable monitor on the market that actually lasts. I have 2 that still work and I use them today (daisy-chained) with an Apple Thunderbolt to USBC adapter (using with Late 2018 MacBook Pro 15" i9). The downside of the monitors is the glare.

I had (had) 2 LG Ultrafine 5k's. One stopped working and I refuse to buy another one. I use a single LG Ultrafine 5k at home, dual Apple Thunderbolts at the office.

 

[jck1634]

Thanks for your reply. I considered going with dual 4k 23 inch lg ultrafines to get a bit more real estate, but you're right. whilst doing my research I realised quickly that getting a high resolution monitor with a PPI count larger than 160 and also has thunderbolt and is colour accurate or can be hardware calibrated was next to impossible. I ended up sacrificing the 5k part for more real estate and I'm happy with my choice. The text and images on the screen don't really look any less sharp to me, even though its about 163 PPI (iMac 5k I believe has over 200) I went with an LG Ultrafine 32ul950-w and a used 21 in LG Ultrafine in portrait mode next to it. got everything for about £1000

its insane that today we still can't get better displays considering the 5k iMacs have been around for a good few years.

 

[_redefine_]

I'm here for the same thing, I'm looking for an external monitor for my 16" MBP! I'm this close to just get an Apple Thunderbolt Display as I love the colors/brightness/sharpness of it.

Does anybody have experience with the LG Ultrafine 4K version? I see the run around £500. The 5K version is nowhere to be found these days and they going for quite a lot of money in the used market even when they are damaged...

 

[jjd]

I have struggled with this insoluble problem for a while. Gave up waiting for the unicorn (new Apple display) and when the LG 5K finally came back in stock this week at Apple here in Aus, I gave in and ordered one.

Yes I will hate the 2014 era bezels and webcam, but the display is unmatched outside the XDR and the Mac integration will pay dividends every day. I just hope it last longer than some seem to have...

 

[satcomer]

I have struggled with this insoluble problem for a while. Gave up waiting for the unicorn (new Apple display) and when the LG 5K finally came back in stock this week at Apple here in Aus, I gave in and ordered one.

Yes I will hate the 2014 era bezels and webcam, but the display is unmatched outside the XDR and the Mac integration will pay dividends every day. I just hope it last longer than some seem to have...

Just get a 1080p Web camera so people can't see how long ago you shaved!

 

[anthonymoody]

The Huawei MateView 28" recently came to my attention. It's $1200 on amazon here in the US, but a reddit user successfully got one shipped from amazon.de for about $940. Seems like an interesting option though not 5k.

 

[Amethyst1]

The Huawei MateView 28" recently came to my attention. It's $1200 on amazon here in the US, but a reddit user successfully got one shipped from amazon.de for about $940. Seems like an interesting option though not 5k.

Sorry for spamming ( ) but this is the main thread on the MateView. Lots of technical info and pics by me and others, starting on page 7.

 

[anthonymoody]

Sorry for spamming ( ) but this is the main thread on the MateView. Lots of technical info and pics by me and others, starting on page 7.

Doh! Sorry and thanks for the arrow!

 

[Amethyst1]

Doh! Sorry and thanks for the arrow!

You're welcome. Nothing to apologise for

 

[MikeDr206]

If you can find a used Dell UP2715K, which is a glossy 5K display, consider that. The build quality is on par with the 27” Thunderbolt display, and the color scheme looks very Apple. No webcam, and the speakers aren’t as good as the Thunderbolt’s, but the PQ is on par with the LG’s.

It is a two DP monitor, tho. You’ll need to get one of those Thunderbolt/USB-C to two DP adapters. I also have found that it doesn’t like booting with both ports connected. And every so often I have to power cycle it to wake. I’m running it with a Mini 2018.