Will 27" WQHD 2560x1440 monitor work well with Mini 2018?

[user_xyz]

Hi All,

I'm using a 1080 monitor now and the Text size is just right but I would like to Sharpen the image/Text and keep the Font size the Same.

Would going with a 2560x1440 27 inch work well for those Purposes? i.e.., Will it scale correctly or cause some type of performance issues? Fuzzy Text, etc.

I use mostly Logic Pro with some web surfing but mostly logic.

2018 Mini with i7/16/512

Thanks for your Help!!

Update: Looks great -(to Me) Me so Happy!!

"Me Love you Long Time" !!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hi All,

I'm using a 1080 monitor now and the Text size is just right but I would like to Sharpen the image/Text and keep the Font size the Same.

Would going with a 2560x1440 27 inch work well for those Purposes? i.e.., Will it scale correctly or cause some type of performance issues? Fuzzy Text, etc.

I use mostly Logic Pro with some web surfing but mostly logic.

2018 Mini with i7/16/512

Thanks for your Help!!

It can drive a 4K screen, so it will drive a 2560 x 1440 resolution very easily. My 2015 MacBook Air can do two with ease. Fuzzy text can happen when displays are scaled. But you would (presumably) be driving it at its native resolution.

 

[user_xyz]

It can drive a 4K screen, so it will drive a 2560 x 1440 resolution very easily. My 2015 MacBook Air can do two with ease. Fuzzy text can happen when displays are scaled. But you would (presumably) be driving it at its native resolution.

So 2560x1440 Native Resolution will be the same size text as 1080 in 27 inch?

Thanks

 

[open0]

It can drive 4K 27" HDR monitor smoothly

 

[Fishrrman]

"Would going with a 2560x1440 27 inch work well for those Purposes? i.e.., Will it scale correctly or cause some type of performance issues? Fuzzy Text, etc."

A 27" monitor with a native resolution of 2560x1440 (1440p) won't be "scaled".
It will run at 1440p in its native resolution.*

You'll be fine.
Use a USB-c to displayport connecting cable.

Note:
I can't address the text issues.
These complaints seem to have more to do with the Mojave OS than they do "with the Mini".

* However, IF it's a 4k 27" display, to get 2560x1440 you WILL BE "scaling".
The display's native resolution makes all the difference.
So.. be careful what you buy.

 

[tombaja]

Hi All,

I'm using a 1080 monitor now and the Text size is just right but I would like to Sharpen the image/Text and keep the Font size the Same.

Would going with a 2560x1440 27 inch work well for those Purposes? i.e.., Will it scale correctly or cause some type of performance issues? Fuzzy Text, etc.

I use mostly Logic Pro with some web surfing but mostly logic.

2018 Mini with i7/16/512

Thanks for your Help!!

I am using a Viewsonic VP2771 connected by a USB-C to Display port cable with its native resolution of 2560x1440 (1440p). No scaling necessary, no issues with fuzzy text, no lagging.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So 2560x1440 Native Resolution will be the same size text as 1080 in 27 inch?

Thanks

Depends what the size of the 1080p monitor is. A 55” 1080 monitor won’t have the same size text as a 15” 1080 monitor.
To get a comparison look at Pixel per inch (ppi) on the two monitors.

But really you’ll be fine.

 

[mikehalloran]

You can run up to 3 monitors on the 2018 Mini per Apple Support as long as you follow the following guidelines:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209224

There are many things that will go faster/smoother/easier with an eGPU unit but most users doing most tasks will not require one.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208544

 

[user_xyz]

Thanks Everyone!!

 

[Spectrum]

Thanks Everyone!!

A 2560x1440 27 inch will have smaller text than a 1920x1080 27 inch.
Both, technically, have the same level of sharpness because the same number of pixels are used to render the fonts.

It sounds like what you really want is a 3840x2160 (4K) 27 inch monitor. This will give you identical font size to what you are used to, whilst have much improved font sharpness.

 

[Ploki]

You will get more screen real estate with 2560x1440 27”, but less sharpness. It will look like iMac 27 pre-retina.
More real estate might be beneficial for logic.

If you need same text size and better sharpness, what @Spectrum said.

 

[HuskerHarley]

A 2560x1440 27 inch will have smaller text than a 1920x1080 27 inch.
Both, technically, have the same level of sharpness because the same number of pixels are used to render the fonts.

It sounds like what you really want is a 3840x2160 (4K) 27 inch monitor. This will give you identical font size to what you are used to, whilst have much improved font sharpness.

I Ordered an i7/16GB/1TB MM...I want a 32"-34" Monitor. What is the best/ideal resolution I should target? (Have any Suggestions on a particular Model?)

 

[F-Train]

I Ordered an i7/16GB/1TB MM...I want a 32"-34" Monitor. What is the best/ideal resolution I should target? (Have any Suggestions on a particular Model?)

What do you intend to use the monitor for? What colour spaces do you need/want?
What resolution do you want (surely you have an idea about whether you want, in rough terms, 1080p, 1440p or 2160p)?
How much money are you happy to spend (it isn't hard to recommend a 4K monitor that may make you very happy, costs only US$6,000)?

 

[tombaja]

What do you intend to use the monitor for? What colour spaces do you need/want?
What resolution do you want (surely you have an idea about whether you want, in rough terms, 1080p, 1440p or 2160p)?
How much money are you happy to spend (it isn't hard to recommend a 4K monitor that may make you very happy, costs only US$6,000)?

 

[HuskerHarley]

What do you intend to use the monitor for?

What resolution do you want (surely you have an idea about whether you want 1080p, 1440p or 2160p)?

How much money are you happy to spend?

Home computer. I finally had enough years of fighting windows. So, this is gonna be my/our 1st Apple Home Computer. I'll be surfing the web. Photos. Listing to music videos. Watching other videos. Basically, I jumped for Apple because I/we like our iPhones + I like spending the Grandkids inheritance!

I really don't know what resolution is best for a 32"-34" Monitor.

I'm never really Happy to spend money (LOL!) but I do like to purchase the right thing off the bat...So, I'm willing to $pend whatever on the right monitor. H8 to buy only to have to buy again because of wrong initial purchase. Went to BB, nothing really impressed me, they didn't have very many monitors.

 

[F-Train]

Home computer. I finally had enough years of fighting windows. So, this is gonna be my/our 1st Apple Home Computer. I'll be surfing the web. Photos. Listing to music videos. Watching other videos. Basically, I jumped for Apple because I/we like our iPhones + I like spending the Grandkids inheritance!

I really don't know what resolution is best for a 32"-34" Monitor.

I'm never really Happy to spend money (LOL!) but I do like to purchase the right thing off the bat...So, I'm willing to $pend whatever on the right monitor. H8 to buy only to have to buy again because of wrong initial purchase. Went to BB, nothing really impressed me, they didn't have very many monitors.

Do you want to watch 4K content at 4K resolution or doesn't it matter? What about HDR content? Let me warn you, if you say yes to HDR you're into serious money. Like about US$1500+.

 

[tombaja]

I Ordered an i7/16GB/1TB MM...I want a 32"-34" Monitor. What is the best/ideal resolution I should target? (Have any Suggestions on a particular Model?)

I guess, there are many different opinions about the best/ideal resolution you should target. For my i7/16GB/512 2018 Mac Mini I started with a 1440p (2560x1440) monitor from Viewsonic, the VP277 (my main purpose is Lightroom/Photoshop/Luminar). I was quite happy with the resolution, but not with way Mojave renders small text (a bit fuzzy in my opinion). Then I changed to a 4K model from Viewsonic, the VP2780-4k. I use it in a downscaled resolution 2560x1440, now everything is razer-sharp, with wonderful colors and without performance problems. I am very happy with my solution.

 

[HuskerHarley]

Do you want to watch 4K content at 4K resolution or doesn't it matter? What about HDR content? Let me warn you, if you say yes to HDR you're into serious money.

Well, it would be nice (HDR) but the lack of programming for our two 4K HDR TVs leaves me not willing to spend serious coin for an HDR Computer Monitor.

 

[Spectrum]

See response to HuskerHarley below

 

[Chiromac81]

Hi All,

I'm using a 1080 monitor now and the Text size is just right but I would like to Sharpen the image/Text and keep the Font size the Same.

Would going with a 2560x1440 27 inch work well for those Purposes? i.e.., Will it scale correctly or cause some type of performance issues? Fuzzy Text, etc.

I use mostly Logic Pro with some web surfing but mostly logic.

2018 Mini with i7/16/512

Thanks for your Help!!

Update: Looks great -(to Me) Me so Happy!!

"Me Love you Long Time" !!

If you are using it for 4k then 24 inches is the largest that it will look good without scaling or having to put up with small looking items.

I suggest the dell 2415q

 

[Spectrum]

I Ordered an i7/16GB/1TB MM...I want a 32"-34" Monitor. What is the best/ideal resolution I should target? (Have any Suggestions on a particular Model?)

If it were me, I think I would choose a 32 inch 4K monitor (Dell Ultrasharps always have good reviews) and then use the inbuilt screen scaling functions in macOS to make the user interface elements your preferred size for your preferred viewing distance.

In my opinion, the statements that running ‘scaled’ resolutions lead to blurry text are overblown.

I use many different resolutions on my 4K iMac and all look as sharp as each other (although I do recognise that this is a higher DPI screen than 32inch 4K).

 

[tele-fragd]

In my opinion, the statements that running ‘scaled’ resolutions lead to blurry text are overblown.

It really depends on your eyesight and your own tolerances. I'm used to working with a 27" 5K display and have better than 'perfect vision', so I can definitely tell the difference. The majority of the work I do is in graphic design and UI design, so I love high pixel density screens, especially at the ideal screen sizes and resolution combos that Apple designs macOS for.

However if I had a choice between 4K 27" (with the scaling mode set to 'looks like 2560x1440') and 2560x1440 27"—even though 2560x1440 looks more 'correct', I'd still pick 4K 27" as it still looks better even with the slight blurring on type elements.

 

[Spectrum]

However if I had a choice between 4K 27" (with the scaling mode set to 'looks like 2560x1440') and 2560x1440 27"—even though 2560x1440 looks more 'correct', I'd still pick 4K 27" as it still looks better even with the slight blurring on type elements.

I completely agree with your post. I'm certainly not saying that there isn't a difference. But, I think that for most people the difference is negligible - and more importantly, I think you sum it up perfectly in the quote above: running a 27 inch 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440 (a perfect 1.5x scale), is as good or better than a "native" 27 inch 2560x1440. But not as good as a 27 inch 5K (a perfect 2x scale).

To put this a different way:
Consider 3 monitors, all 27 inch, 1) 2560x1440, 2) 3840x2160, and 3) 5120x2880: All running at "2560x1440 equivalent"
For a given font element - let's say it is 10 pixels x 10 pixels on monitor 1.
Monitor 2 will use 2.25x as many pixels to display the same text (15x15).
Monitor 3 will use 4x as many pixels to display the same text (20x20).

Here is a rough example:

 

[HuskerHarley]

But, I think that for most people the difference is negligible - and more importantly, I think you sum it up perfectly in the quote above: running a 27 inch 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440 (a perfect 1.5x scale), is as good or better than a "native" 27 inch 2560x1440. But not as good as a 27 inch 5K (a perfect 2x scale).

Is there a model under $1,000.00 you would recommend to go with a Mini (i7/16GB/1TB) or do I have to go over $1,000.00?

 

[ixxx69]

...running a 27 inch 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440 (a perfect 1.5x scale), is as good or better than a "native" 27 inch 2560x1440. But not as good as a 27 inch 5K (a perfect 2x scale).

Good post. However, I think there's a bit of a correlation vs causation confusion that is often repeated here. I would just point out that people correlate the scaling factor as the cause for for better sharpness. It's really more pixel density. 1440 looks better on a 27" 5K versus a 27" 4K not because of the 2x integer scaling (versus non-integer scaling) but because the 5K has more pixels.