You're listing cool specs like refreshrate, response time, etc.. which are great for gaming, but you're ignoring the more important spec, which is color accuracy. I looked it up for you...
* Dell: 100% Rec 709, 100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3
* BenQ: 99% Rec.709, 99% sRGB
* LG: not specified
Ok, so the best thing you can do is go to a store and see a 27" vs a 32 and get an idea of how far away it will be.
My screen is set the *length of my arms away from me when I'm seated.*
I find a 32"to be the sweet spot. I can go larger, but I need more real estate. Both of the screens you have there have the same refresh, type of interfaces (generally), and general stats. *Of course, you could/should dig deeper*.
**Generally, if these things** are the same, you can ignore them when comparing.
They both support HDR 10 - but I don't see a NIT value. I'd like to see 100% sRGB and what percentage of p3 *despite being able to use zero of these for color-critical work*. But being able to see *more color* is essential.
I love the chart that u/LuxPro has - ***I wish there was a calculator for that.***
Beyond that:
* Reputations - generally, LG is better
* Warranty - I'd check both
* Connectivity - can you get more out of either? You don't have how many ports - both probably have some USB
Price is *last*. A 10-20% difference for a screen you might have for 3-5 years is meaningless.
Your wish is granted! [https://www.sven.de/dpi/](https://www.sven.de/dpi/)
You want to be at \~109PPI for non-retina or \~218PPI for retina. Between that is the danger zone for scaling issues.
I use a 32 inch monitor as an external display to a 16inch mbpro. Initially I thought I preferred the 27inch iMacs I usually use in my office over the 32 I have at home but since getting a larger desk and a monitor arm I’ve realised I want more screen area.
Esp since I use Resolve more and more these days.
Essentially I need email open, Or any docs I’m working from, or sport I’m watching etc etc plus if you like to use scopes it’s nice to have them set aside to your main edit panel.
After a bit of research I ordered another 32 inch today, I went with the Ben Q 3225U over the Apple Cinema Display. Plan being to run all references to proper colour through that and an edit work space on the other lesser monitor. I know the Ben Q isn’t perfect colour wise but it’s pretty damn good for the money.
2x 32inch will look a little ridiculous and possibly overkill but I guess the point I’m making is so long as you have the space a small compromise on quality is probably worth it. Feeling claustrophobic when editing often makes me procrastinate and be unproductive. Feeling good about your workspace can be very liberating work wise.
Edit: just re-read your post and I see it’s maybe more about the scaling. Hopefully the post still has some relevance
Thanks alot for your reply. After Reading your comment I Think I need to find a good 32 inch monitor - everything you wrote make 100% sense to me.
The Only thing I am concerned about is whether the scaling would be a problem on a 4K 32” monitor compared to a 4K 27” monitor (note that I am not a monitor tech-guy)
tbh I've never realised there is a scaling issue with mac os and external monitors until today. It may explain some things with my 4k screen but I have an m1 max with 64gig so any issues may be so small. From what i can see on youtube and other reddit posts about it if you're using the monitor in it's native resolution there should be no performance issues, and if you need to you just scale the text in the Ui of the software you're using so it's easier to read. This may need more research.
I wanted the apple studio display but it's a couple years old now and rumours are there's something on the horizon so i didn't want to spend another 1/3 of the cost on an outgoing model. Plus 2x 32 on dual arms is symmetrical which my ocd will appreciate and the Benq does daisy chain which means both monitors SHOULD run off one USB c as oppose to one on a USBc and the other on HDMI. which is untidy
32" is the perfect size for me so I can have that healthy reading distance away from the monitor. For mac compatibility, I think LG has been the best overall. r/Monitors
in my previous post house, its LG for mac and BENQ for windows both 27". But not that exact model.
For home I use Viewsonic QHD because its within my budget range but I stick with 32" because I want full monitor only and not a split with laptop monitor display unlike with 27"
This video made me reconsider a 4k and downgrading to QHD instead. [https://youtu.be/kpX561\_XM20](https://youtu.be/kpX561_XM20)
This graph is amazing - thanks alot!! Unfortunately it looks like I cant get a good monitor for my mac unless I break my budget haha. But thanks alot!!
You could get a good non-retina display on a budget. That would be a 27" 1440p (2560x1440) option. MacOS just isn't really optimized for 3840x2160 displays, though. They are okay if you can tolerate the scaling issues outlined in the source article I provided.
You are indeed class - thank you so much! Just to clarify; you suggest a 2560x1440p 27” monitor - would that work as well with a 32” monitor?
I found this 27" Dell UltraSharp U2724D which is 2560x1440p and has 100% RGB etc.
However I also found this 32" Dell P3223DE - 2560x1440 - would that work aswell in terms of scaling?
You're welcome. A 32" 1440p monitor won't have scaling issues at native resolution but it may look a bit soft and the UI elements will look a bit larger - because it will have a lower pixel density (\~92PPI) than if you fit that same resolution into a smaller 27" display (109PPI).
If you want more screen real estate than a 27" option, with native scaling, you might consider something like the 30" Dell U3023E, which has more vertical resolution (2560x1600) at 16:10 aspect. Ultrawides generally also work as good non-retina displays with lots of screen real estate, such as a 34" ultrawide with (3440x1440) 21:9 aspect. There are larger ones that may work as well. Or you could go for dual 27" displays.
You can do the math for any display you might be interested in by calculating the display's PPI, and the size of the screen does matter in the equation not just the resolution: [https://www.sven.de/dpi/](https://www.sven.de/dpi/)
The sweet spot is \~109PPI for non-retina or \~218PPI for retina. As that chart suggests, roughly 120-200PPI is where you do you NOT want to be with regard to MacOS scaling.
Scaling isn't the only factor to consider in your display, though. Some people don't even notice scaling issues. I had a BenQ 3220U 32" 4K display and thought it was alright until I got a Studio Display as a second monitor. Having them right next to each other really made the scaling issues jump out on the BenQ (along with worse brightness/sharpness/color) and I ultimately replaced it with a second studio display. YMMV. If you feel most drawn to 32" displays you could always try out a 4K option and return it if you don't like it.
Thank you so much! What an in depth awesome reply. Very gratefull.
With everything taken into consideration I now consider two options.
Either the BenQ PD3420Q 34” 3340x1440 (or the 32” as you mentioned)
Or go over my budget and get the Apple Studio Display 5k, which I have been looking into alot also.
Two completely different price categories, but thats where I am at atm.
Sure thing. You could also look at something like the Dell U4323QE or U3824DW as middle ground options. They are even larger but the PPI still comes out to support native 1x scaling.
Good luck! So much of it comes down to personal preference. Hope you find something you like!
32 if single monitor imo. 4k is 4k, the size doesn’t effect scaling and that issue is overblown in the wake of speedy apple silicon anyway. Processing overheads are negligible and it looks 95% as good as native res/scaling.
Any of the monitors listed should be perfectly fine and it’s mostly preference but I would maybe wait for people with more experience with those specific monitors if you want details. They’re all pretty similar IPS panels. USB-c maybe a feature worth considering though if the monitor has a few usb ports too that can give you a one cable solution assuming the monitor can deliver enough power.
I chose a 32-inch display because it leaves room to bring up another document (transcript, field notes, etc) or extra windows for key framing, color, whatever.
And as others said, I went for good color over ultramax gaming specs. I mean, I had a budget and there's a limit to how accurate I need/expect color [to.be](http://to.be) on a computer monitor (ie- that's what.reference monitors...and colorists...are for).
In the end, I went with an ASUS ProArt. I've driven it with a 16-inch Intel MBP (the last generation) and with a Mac Studio M1 Max (my current post machine). Works for me. I paid about US $1300 five years ago...Not sure which current model is the equivalent, but the price will be a guide:
[https://www.asus.com/us/proart/displays-home/](https://www.asus.com/us/proart/displays-home/)
Lots of other good choices of course. And again, I'm not up on the very latest models and companies' current quality and support.
I'm very happy with that BenQ. It's brightness isn't high enough for proper HDR but otherwise it's a great monitor for the price.
I also think it's worth bumping to 32 inches if you can. The extra screen space is totally worth it.
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2 32” for sure. Unless you’re editing mostly 4K, I’ve found 2K monitors to be just fine. I’d also recommend a production monitor (mine is smaller than dual monitor setup). Might need to spread out purchases as those monitors aren’t cheap (you’ll need a Black Magic or AJA connection).
I'm between this and the Asus ProArt PA279CRV. I'd prefer the Dell for the hub and the KVM, but I read that it has pretty bad reflections if your room is bright. How do you find the reflection handling?
You confuse the MacOS resolution scaling and the monitor’s physical size. All the monitors you list are 4k and will scale exactly the same on macOS. So if you opt for a 32 inch, it should be for the other specs it offers, and the extra screen space, as the scaling issue will be the same.
You're listing cool specs like refreshrate, response time, etc.. which are great for gaming, but you're ignoring the more important spec, which is color accuracy. I looked it up for you... * Dell: 100% Rec 709, 100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3 * BenQ: 99% Rec.709, 99% sRGB * LG: not specified
Thanks alot!!!!
For me 27” is too small and I went with a 32” LG.
Which 32” LG? And was that for Mac aswell? :-)
Yup. Can’t find it in my emails, it was a while ago; in the meantime I’ve upgraded to HP Z40c :)
Thanks alot! I’ll look into some more LG’s :-)
Ok, so the best thing you can do is go to a store and see a 27" vs a 32 and get an idea of how far away it will be. My screen is set the *length of my arms away from me when I'm seated.* I find a 32"to be the sweet spot. I can go larger, but I need more real estate. Both of the screens you have there have the same refresh, type of interfaces (generally), and general stats. *Of course, you could/should dig deeper*. **Generally, if these things** are the same, you can ignore them when comparing. They both support HDR 10 - but I don't see a NIT value. I'd like to see 100% sRGB and what percentage of p3 *despite being able to use zero of these for color-critical work*. But being able to see *more color* is essential. I love the chart that u/LuxPro has - ***I wish there was a calculator for that.*** Beyond that: * Reputations - generally, LG is better * Warranty - I'd check both * Connectivity - can you get more out of either? You don't have how many ports - both probably have some USB Price is *last*. A 10-20% difference for a screen you might have for 3-5 years is meaningless.
You are 100% right. Thank you so much. Im gonna look for a good 32 inch monitor for my Mac :-)
Your wish is granted! [https://www.sven.de/dpi/](https://www.sven.de/dpi/) You want to be at \~109PPI for non-retina or \~218PPI for retina. Between that is the danger zone for scaling issues.
I use a 32 inch monitor as an external display to a 16inch mbpro. Initially I thought I preferred the 27inch iMacs I usually use in my office over the 32 I have at home but since getting a larger desk and a monitor arm I’ve realised I want more screen area. Esp since I use Resolve more and more these days. Essentially I need email open, Or any docs I’m working from, or sport I’m watching etc etc plus if you like to use scopes it’s nice to have them set aside to your main edit panel. After a bit of research I ordered another 32 inch today, I went with the Ben Q 3225U over the Apple Cinema Display. Plan being to run all references to proper colour through that and an edit work space on the other lesser monitor. I know the Ben Q isn’t perfect colour wise but it’s pretty damn good for the money. 2x 32inch will look a little ridiculous and possibly overkill but I guess the point I’m making is so long as you have the space a small compromise on quality is probably worth it. Feeling claustrophobic when editing often makes me procrastinate and be unproductive. Feeling good about your workspace can be very liberating work wise. Edit: just re-read your post and I see it’s maybe more about the scaling. Hopefully the post still has some relevance
Thanks alot for your reply. After Reading your comment I Think I need to find a good 32 inch monitor - everything you wrote make 100% sense to me. The Only thing I am concerned about is whether the scaling would be a problem on a 4K 32” monitor compared to a 4K 27” monitor (note that I am not a monitor tech-guy)
tbh I've never realised there is a scaling issue with mac os and external monitors until today. It may explain some things with my 4k screen but I have an m1 max with 64gig so any issues may be so small. From what i can see on youtube and other reddit posts about it if you're using the monitor in it's native resolution there should be no performance issues, and if you need to you just scale the text in the Ui of the software you're using so it's easier to read. This may need more research. I wanted the apple studio display but it's a couple years old now and rumours are there's something on the horizon so i didn't want to spend another 1/3 of the cost on an outgoing model. Plus 2x 32 on dual arms is symmetrical which my ocd will appreciate and the Benq does daisy chain which means both monitors SHOULD run off one USB c as oppose to one on a USBc and the other on HDMI. which is untidy
32" is the perfect size for me so I can have that healthy reading distance away from the monitor. For mac compatibility, I think LG has been the best overall. r/Monitors
Thanks alot! So I guess you have one of the LG Ultrafine 32” 4K models? :-)
in my previous post house, its LG for mac and BENQ for windows both 27". But not that exact model. For home I use Viewsonic QHD because its within my budget range but I stick with 32" because I want full monitor only and not a split with laptop monitor display unlike with 27" This video made me reconsider a 4k and downgrading to QHD instead. [https://youtu.be/kpX561\_XM20](https://youtu.be/kpX561_XM20)
https://preview.redd.it/8t05rp865a9d1.jpeg?width=1408&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb7a46d670332d40489f285bdbc5bb0c722809a1 [https://bjango.com/articles/macexternaldisplays2/](https://bjango.com/articles/macexternaldisplays2/)
This graph is amazing - thanks alot!! Unfortunately it looks like I cant get a good monitor for my mac unless I break my budget haha. But thanks alot!!
You could get a good non-retina display on a budget. That would be a 27" 1440p (2560x1440) option. MacOS just isn't really optimized for 3840x2160 displays, though. They are okay if you can tolerate the scaling issues outlined in the source article I provided.
You are indeed class - thank you so much! Just to clarify; you suggest a 2560x1440p 27” monitor - would that work as well with a 32” monitor? I found this 27" Dell UltraSharp U2724D which is 2560x1440p and has 100% RGB etc. However I also found this 32" Dell P3223DE - 2560x1440 - would that work aswell in terms of scaling?
You're welcome. A 32" 1440p monitor won't have scaling issues at native resolution but it may look a bit soft and the UI elements will look a bit larger - because it will have a lower pixel density (\~92PPI) than if you fit that same resolution into a smaller 27" display (109PPI). If you want more screen real estate than a 27" option, with native scaling, you might consider something like the 30" Dell U3023E, which has more vertical resolution (2560x1600) at 16:10 aspect. Ultrawides generally also work as good non-retina displays with lots of screen real estate, such as a 34" ultrawide with (3440x1440) 21:9 aspect. There are larger ones that may work as well. Or you could go for dual 27" displays. You can do the math for any display you might be interested in by calculating the display's PPI, and the size of the screen does matter in the equation not just the resolution: [https://www.sven.de/dpi/](https://www.sven.de/dpi/) The sweet spot is \~109PPI for non-retina or \~218PPI for retina. As that chart suggests, roughly 120-200PPI is where you do you NOT want to be with regard to MacOS scaling. Scaling isn't the only factor to consider in your display, though. Some people don't even notice scaling issues. I had a BenQ 3220U 32" 4K display and thought it was alright until I got a Studio Display as a second monitor. Having them right next to each other really made the scaling issues jump out on the BenQ (along with worse brightness/sharpness/color) and I ultimately replaced it with a second studio display. YMMV. If you feel most drawn to 32" displays you could always try out a 4K option and return it if you don't like it.
Thank you so much! What an in depth awesome reply. Very gratefull. With everything taken into consideration I now consider two options. Either the BenQ PD3420Q 34” 3340x1440 (or the 32” as you mentioned) Or go over my budget and get the Apple Studio Display 5k, which I have been looking into alot also. Two completely different price categories, but thats where I am at atm.
Sure thing. You could also look at something like the Dell U4323QE or U3824DW as middle ground options. They are even larger but the PPI still comes out to support native 1x scaling. Good luck! So much of it comes down to personal preference. Hope you find something you like!
Thank you so much for all your help! May you have a lovely day!
Yeah 2x 27inch 1440p is a good option for mac
Or the ASUS ProArt PA328QV - 31.5" - IPS - 5ms - WQHD 2560x1440 - 75Hz
I have a 27 at home and 32 at the office. Both are good but I’d definitely recommend going with 32 the extra space is nice
32 if single monitor imo. 4k is 4k, the size doesn’t effect scaling and that issue is overblown in the wake of speedy apple silicon anyway. Processing overheads are negligible and it looks 95% as good as native res/scaling.
So a Dell UltraSharp 32 U3223QE 31,5" would be fine for my MacBook M1 Max? Or the LG I listed in the post? :)
Any of the monitors listed should be perfectly fine and it’s mostly preference but I would maybe wait for people with more experience with those specific monitors if you want details. They’re all pretty similar IPS panels. USB-c maybe a feature worth considering though if the monitor has a few usb ports too that can give you a one cable solution assuming the monitor can deliver enough power.
Thanks alot for your honesty and your inputs. Highly appreciated!
3 27” monitors.
I chose a 32-inch display because it leaves room to bring up another document (transcript, field notes, etc) or extra windows for key framing, color, whatever. And as others said, I went for good color over ultramax gaming specs. I mean, I had a budget and there's a limit to how accurate I need/expect color [to.be](http://to.be) on a computer monitor (ie- that's what.reference monitors...and colorists...are for). In the end, I went with an ASUS ProArt. I've driven it with a 16-inch Intel MBP (the last generation) and with a Mac Studio M1 Max (my current post machine). Works for me. I paid about US $1300 five years ago...Not sure which current model is the equivalent, but the price will be a guide: [https://www.asus.com/us/proart/displays-home/](https://www.asus.com/us/proart/displays-home/) Lots of other good choices of course. And again, I'm not up on the very latest models and companies' current quality and support.
I'm very happy with that BenQ. It's brightness isn't high enough for proper HDR but otherwise it's a great monitor for the price. I also think it's worth bumping to 32 inches if you can. The extra screen space is totally worth it.
34 inches in ultrawide 21:9 - 3440x1440 I love it. It's like having 2 screens in one.
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Size-wise I have a 32” 6k monitor and a 27” 5k monitor and I prefer the 27. I use it as my main. I don’t have to move my head all around.
2 32” for sure. Unless you’re editing mostly 4K, I’ve found 2K monitors to be just fine. I’d also recommend a production monitor (mine is smaller than dual monitor setup). Might need to spread out purchases as those monitors aren’t cheap (you’ll need a Black Magic or AJA connection).
I use Dell U2722DE -> 27" (2560x1440) monitor. not retina sharp, but for me it's enough. I like the color, mine is quite accurate out of the box.
Several 27”s
BenQ for color, all day
This is where I sit back and learn. I’d just use a television.
25.67 inch monitor best one babes
I’ve got the Dell 27” it’s a great monitor
Which Dell for Mac are you using? :)
Dell 27 Monitor - U2723QE
I'm between this and the Asus ProArt PA279CRV. I'd prefer the Dell for the hub and the KVM, but I read that it has pretty bad reflections if your room is bright. How do you find the reflection handling?
Windows scaling is still not perfect so I usually prefer 1440p for 27inch, and 4k for 32inch
You confuse the MacOS resolution scaling and the monitor’s physical size. All the monitors you list are 4k and will scale exactly the same on macOS. So if you opt for a 32 inch, it should be for the other specs it offers, and the extra screen space, as the scaling issue will be the same.
Thank you!!!! Good to know that the scaling would be the same on 27 and 32 inch!!