Hello,
I am starting a new job in a couple weeks that will be giving me a Mac and is fully WFH (ending seven years of Windows use at work!). I currently have a 38in ultrawide monitor that is great for Windows work, not so much for Mac IMO. Looking around, it seems there are more non-Apple displays than ever that have the correct PPI for Macs. Is anybody using any of these newer Mac-friendly monitors? Some like this Asus ProArt are about half the price or more of the Apple Studio Display.
I use this guy: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-ultrasharp-32-6k-monitor-u3224kb/apd/210-bhbz/monitors-monitor-accessories
I know folks have bemoaned the “ugly forehead” but it’s better than perching a separate camera on top and it works well. 6K is great. And because the montior has an ethernet port in addition to normal ports, it works as a single-cable hub for my M2 air. I plug in and get wired ethernet, wired keyboard, speaker, camera, etc.
I have two of the original Studio Displays and my son is using the ProArt both WFH, they are both great.
I’m very pleased with this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09TQZP9CL?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
I have a LG 27UL850 which is very reasonably priced. It’s 27-inch 4K, VESA-mountable and has USB-C power delivery. I plug in a single USB-C cable into my M1 MacBook Air which it then charges as well as provides video and connects the webcam that sits on top of it.
I have two of the Asus ProArt 5K displays and one original Studio Display (glossy). They both have amazingly sharp and clear image quality and I would have no problem getting more of either of them.
One really big edge that the Asus monitor has over Apple is that it can function as a KVM switch if you have more then one computer needing to share the monitor and its USB connected peripherals, which I do in one of my locations.
If you can manage it, get a true 5K monitor. The image quality between that and a scaled 4K is both subtle and profound. It’s like the difference between something printed on a laser printer and a photocopy of that same thing. The photocopy is fine until you’ve seen the original.
I have a 5k Pro Art that I haven’t even had time to unbox… once I hook it up to my M1 MBP to test it out, I will report. (Eventually, it will be for an M6 Mini scheduled to arrive in mid-October.)
-Eric
I’m still rocking my LG5k and original Apple Studio Display–would probably look at the Asus 5k if one of them broke.
At the home office, every desk has the Dell 6k @ciaran linked; they’re definitely nice and they scale correctly for Macs.
Dell 2722 QC — I like it.
This Dell 34" Ultrawide, which I bought in July 2024. It’s fine. I’m not picky.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQNGV8Z4
What makes your current display incompatible with the Mac?
It is perfectly usable (aside from audio controls requiring MonitorControl), but I’d really like one that has the correct PPI for Macs e.g. 24in 4.5k, 27in 5k, or 32in 6k if I’m going to be using Mac full-time now. I think if you look at Windows on this ultrawide monitor vs Mac OS, most people would say Windows looks sharper/better because it is actually designed for this PPI vs Macs that are not.
Apple Studio Display that I bought new back in March. The crisp nano-etched screen and integrated peripherals made it worth every cent! I’m especially loving the integrated speakers that replaced the box speakers that I had before.
I have a Studio Display.
I’ve had a very frustrating experience. I saved my pennies for ages and finally got rid of my old Intel iMac and bought a Mac Mini and the Studio Display two and a half months ago. I’m very careful and I never break anything so I didn’t get AppleCare.
However, not quite sure what happened but it suddenly shut down and developed a crack on the side of the screen over the bezel fanning out about the size of an inch. I can’t remember bashing it or knocking it at all. I took it to the Apple Store and they have told me it’s definitely customer-induced damage and quoted me £850 to repair it !!!
It’s very annoying, but I’ve put some black tape over it and I can’t actually see it then. It doesn’t cover the actual screen, just the bezel.
I had been using two Apple Studio Displays (5K, 27").
I recently got the new Asus 6K 32" monitor. It’s not cheap, running $1199 today on Amazon, but there was a significant sale a few months ago and I went for it.
I am very happy with it overall. Presently I have it set up as my main monitor, and one of the Studio Displays as the second monitor.
Two minor stumbling points: 1) When the monitors are in sleep mode and I wake up my computer, the Studio Display comes on immediately, but it takes about 5-10 seconds for the Asus to wake up. Not a huge problem. and 2) Although Asus has software that is intended to let the brightness and volume keys on the Apple keyboard control the monitor, I have not gotten that working reliably. Again, not the biggest issue in the world as I infrequency change the brightness.
Overall I think this is a great choice if you are looking for a larger than 27" monitor. I wanted the higher pixel density of a 6K when moving to a larger monitor for sharpness of text. I will likely keep one of the Studio Monitors as my secondary display especially for (possibly) better color assurance for photography work.
The Apple Pro Display XDR is, I am sure, a better monitor than the Asus, but at nearly 5x the cost, too rich for my needs.
I use the Asus ProArt at work: I’m a technical writer. After years of whinging about my Dell Windows machine I was moved across to an M5 MBA linked to the Asus. I’m very happy with the setup.
If I have a long stint of WFH I take the Asus home with me.
I have a Mac mini M4 pro connected to a BenQ MA320UP. It’s a 32" 4K glossy monitor (~650 USD). I usually run at 2304 X 1296. Text seems crisp to me. Very pleased. I have an Apple Studio Display that is waiting for my wife to eventually upgrade from an iMac M1 to a mini. I tried a 2 monitor setup for about a week but did not like it. The 2 monitors look great together but I’m just a single monitor kind of guy.
I have been using the Dell 40" Ultrawide (I forget the model # but it’s an Ultrasharp and comes with the KVM, tons of ports, etc.). I was gifted a tech credit from my employer for a work anniversary and, after years of wanting an ultra wide but too concerned about whether I’d really like one, I took a chance and am glad I did. I was using an LG 31.5" 4k (non ultra wide) prior and do not miss it at all.
That said…there were no 6k options that I can recall back last October when I chose this monitor. You already have an ultra wide so you know whether you want/need that or not, so that would be my advice: to decide if you want to stick with a UW or not and, if so, I can highly recommend the Dell or whatever the latest iteration of it is. One of the best reasons I like this monitor is the ports/KVM. The latter especially useful if you have a Windows or other machine as well. But even without, I was able to ditch the OWC TB dock I had been using. This monitor has more ports. I literally have one single TB cable that I connect to my MacBooks - a work Pro M4 Max and a personal M5 Air. I just switch the cable physically when I want to change between them.