Mini and 4K/5 displays

[MikeFromMesa]

I suspect that this has been covered somewhere on this forum before but I could not find any such threads when I did a search. Sorry if this is a repetition.

I own a Mini which, for a Mini, is decently configured - i7 chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB memory - and am currently using a Dell 24" monitor. I have been thinking about upgrading to a 4K or 5K monitor, 27-30 inch size, but have been a bit concerned as to whether or not the Mini is capable of driving such a monitor without undue response lag. Aside from simple uses (browsing, emails, etc) I mostly use the machine for photo editing and use tools like Capture One, Lightroom and Affinity Photo. I also do some coding using xCode but that is mainly just to write small apps to do stuff I need to do on my machine.

Given my uses for the Mini, should I expect to be able to add a 4K or 5K monitor without seeing real degradation? I currently have 2 screens set up with the second a very old (but still very good) Dell UltraSharp monitor. It is a 20" and is so old that it is 4x3 format, but it is still hanging in there. If I upgraded to a 4K/5K monitor I would probably use my current 24" Dell as a secondary screen.

Thanks for any help.

 

[pm-r]

It looks like it will depend on your Mac mini model:
Using 4K displays, 5K displays, and Ultra HD TVs with your Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT206587





- Patrick
======

 

[MikeFromMesa]

It looks like it will depend on your Mac mini model:
Using 4K displays, 5K displays, and Ultra HD TVs with your Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT206587
- Patrick
======

Thank you. I did not know there was an article about this on the Apple site.

The answer was actually very interesting. My Mini supports my Smart TV better than my old MacBook Pro (early 2013) did and does support 4K monitors, but apparently not all, as it is not listed as supporting SST and MST monitors at 60 Mz. I am not sure what those are as I have not really looked into 4K monitors except to see what they cost. And apparently the Mini does not support 5K as I guess the chip and graphics are just not up to that much work. Still, much to my surprise, the Mini is capable of producing a better image on my TV than my MBP with its faster chip and separate graphics card.

Live and learn. Thank you again.

 

[pm-r]

Thank you. I did not know there was an article about this on the Apple site.

That's why a google or browser web search can be so useful and informative and act as "your friend"!!!!

And then there's some software like SwitchResX that can make things work.
http://www.madrau.com






- Patrick
==========

 

[chscag]

And apparently the Mini does not support 5K as I guess the chip and graphics are just not up to that much work.

The only Macs that support 5K (aside from the 5K iMac) are the 2015 MacBook and the 2016 MacBook Pros. Apple is out of the display business altogether and instead is selling the new LG Ultra 4K and 5K monitors on their web site. BTW, both of those monitors were built special for Apple.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

And then there's some software like SwitchResX that can make things work.
http://www.madrau.com

I had previously downloaded DisplayMenu from the App Store. It is a free app (although there is a paid Pro version) and it does exactly what the web page for SwitchResX says it does - allow complete control over the display modes for your monitors.

The thing I noticed when looking over the Apple page you sent the link for is that my Mini can only support the 4K monitors that are SST and MST at 30 Hz and I am not sure what a monitor display at that slow a refresh speed would look like. Display Menu allows me to select any of 22 control settings (resolution and refresh rate combinations) for my new monitor and 10 for my old monitor, but the slowest supported refresh rate is 50 Hz so I just don't know if 30 Hz will end up being hard on my eyes or not and so I can even try it on my current monitors to test these.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

The only Macs that support 5K (aside from the 5K iMac) are the 2015 MacBook and the 2016 MacBook Pros. Apple is out of the display business altogether and instead is selling the new LG Ultra 4K and 5K monitors on their web site. BTW, both of those monitors were built special for Apple.

I did not even know you could buy a 21" 4K monitor.

I did try to find the two monitors that are on the Apple web site on Amazon, but failed. And, in any case, if I were buying a 4K monitor I would want it to be at least a 27" display. The reason I am thinking about changing is that my 24" Dell, although a very nice monitor, is a bit small and I sometimes have a hard time reading what is on the display. It is set up about 4 feet from where my eyes are and that makes the display a bit too small to be completely comfortable and, due to the way the system is set up, I can not move the monitor any closer. My other alternative is to set the monitor resolution on my current Dell a bit lower and I might have to try that, at least until I figure out what to do about the 4K.

Thank you for the post.

 

[pm-r]

The reason I am thinking about changing is that my 24" Dell, although a very nice monitor, is a bit small and I sometimes have a hard time reading what is on the display

In most apps you should have a "Customize Toolbar" you can use to setup using the text sizing icon to increase or decrease to size for easier and better reading.

And most browsers have a settings to only show text at a minimum set size, also set to help read small text.

To use the "Customize Toolbar", just follow directions:

I use that option with many apps, or you can just use the standard keyboard shortcuts:
command + "+" = larger
command + "-" = smaller








- Patrick
==========

 

[MikeFromMesa]

In most apps you should have a "Customize Toolbar" you can use to setup using the text sizing icon to increase or decrease to size for easier and better reading.

And most browsers have a settings to only show text at a minimum set size, also set to help read small text.

To use the "Customize Toolbar", just follow directions:

I use that option with many apps, or you can just use the standard keyboard shortcuts:
command + "+" = larger
command + "-" = smaller

View attachment 25772

I really have several choices. As a general rule I have done a "pinch-and-spread" (or Ctrl-+ and Ctrl--) to take care of reading issues in some of my apps and with Safari when I am online. Unfortunately this does not work with Finder and I took care of that by changing the Font size. I also tried addressing the issue by changing the screen resolution to 1600 x 900 but the problem with that is that it reduces the amount of "real estate" I can keep on the screen when doing work in my photo editing tools and xCode.

Gaining something always seems to come with the balancing fact of losing something and that is why I was thinking about a larger monitor. One of life's true-isms is what I used to tell my students (back when I was teaching) and that is "You are seldom given the choice of either being rich and handsome or being poor and ugly". Choices are often difficult because it seems that in most of life gaining something means correspondingly losing something else.

 

[pm-r]

I've mentioned using SwitchResX here and you commented that you were using some similar free utility, but as I recall, SwitchResX had the option for setting resolutions independently for each app, and as I recall it also included the Finder which would seemingly help you solve a lot of your resolution problems.

I don't know if the app you're using has the same options.





- Patrick
==========

 

[MikeFromMesa]

I've mentioned using SwitchResX here and you commented that you were using some similar free utility, but as I recall, SwitchResX had the option for setting resolutions independently for each app, and as I recall it also included the Finder which would seemingly help you solve a lot of your resolution problems.

I don't know if the app you're using has the same options.

It (Display Menu) does not have that same option. Thank you for reminding me about SwitchResX as I think I am going to give it a try. It has got to be less expensive than a new monitor.

 

[chscag]

Thank you for reminding me about SwitchResX as I think I am going to give it a try. It has got to be less expensive than a new monitor.

Just a note of caution about using SwitchResX... it has been known to overdrive certain monitors possibly causing damage to them. That occurs mostly from unrealistic refresh rates or resolution. Please be careful when using it.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

Just a note of caution about using SwitchResX... it has been known to overdrive certain monitors possibly causing damage to them. That occurs mostly from unrealistic refresh rates or resolution. Please be careful when using it.

Good to know. I guess I will be careful.