4K monitor for 2018 Mini

[hughvane]

Calling all 2018 Mac Mini users! Please nominate, preferably from personal experience, your recommendation for a 4K UHD monitor using 3840x2160 resolution, and the cost (I'll do the currency conversions).

If this has meaning for clarification ..... Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

I have been reading websites and specifications until I'm cross-eyed. The more I read, the more I become confused with information overload.

TIA

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Calling all 2018 Mac Mini users! Please nominate, preferably from personal experience, your recommendation for a 4K UHD monitor..

Currently this monitor is an amazing deal:

YEYIAN ODRAZ 27” IPS Panel HDR 4K UHD Slim Bezel PC Gaming Monitor 3840x2160, 1 Billion Colors, Low Blue, 300cd/m2, 1000:1, 60Hz, 5ms, 16:9, 178°, G-Sync, FreeSync, DP/HDMI/USB, Speakers, VESA, Tilt
$220
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HN6XSYS/?tag=macforums0e4-20

Other monitors that are really good deals right now:

AOC U2790VQ 27" 4K 3840x2160 UHD Frameless Monitor, IPS, 5ms
$270
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBM2DCC/?tag=macforums0e4-20

SAMSUNG U28R550UQNX / LU28R550UQNXZA / LU28R550UQNXZA 28 4K UHD Monitor with AMD Free Sync
$262
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084V9CJB1/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[Randy B. Singer]

The AOC U2790VQ 27" is down to $210 on Amazon today! A stunning buy.

 

[hughvane]

Other monitors that are really good deals right now:
SAMSUNG LU28R550UQNXZA 28 4K UHD Monitor with AMD Free Sync
$262

This is the exact same one I'm considering very seriously, but more expensive way down here in NZ (about another US$50).

The AOC is a brand I'd not met before I started looking at a larger monitor to replace my dead iMac. It sells for about US$14 less than the Samsung.

Unfortunately, hot deals in the US chill markedly and rapidly once one adds freight to NZ. Then there is the vexed issue of warranty, repairs, and so on.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Unfortunately, hot deals in the US chill markedly and rapidly once one adds freight to NZ. Then there is the vexed issue of warranty, repairs, and so on.

Yes, I'm sorry but I have no experience on what is available in NZ. Usually I can't even be terribly helpful with my fellow Mac users in nearby Canada.

The thing to do is find (or create) a Macintosh discussion list in NZ and then everyone can share local experience and deals.

 

[pm-r]

This is the exact same one I'm considering very seriously, but more expensive way down here in NZ (about another US$50).

That seems pretty reasonable considering the extra freight distance it needs to travel.

Like most imported things down there I guess and a consequence of living in such a lotusland... ;-)



Patrick
=======

 

[hughvane]

Decision made - and I now have a Samsung 28" E55 or LU28R55OU 4K business monitor in place. Cost about US$327. Display detail:
LU28R55:
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)
Display Serial Number: H4ZT400775
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Adapter Type: DVI or HDMI
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Adapter Firmware Version: 2.0a

Fantastic clarity and resolution, but I shall go (even more) blind squinting at the tiny letters. This text for example is at 150% magnification within the browser just to make it readable.

Someone on a similar thread made comment about having to rescale all app outputs to cater for the upgraded monitor requirements. Any thoughts and/or advice about that? SysPrefs>Displays seems not to have manual adjustment and simply states Default for Display.

Gaming is okay, there is more trialling to be done, but the text size is intolerable.

I shall have to find some way of lowering the whole monitor on this work desk which is dual level, not plain tabletop. Tilt is a complicated process and I've still to learn how to make that adjustment, but basically the whole thing sits far too high and needs to be lowered by ~75mm/3".

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Someone on a similar thread made comment about having to rescale all app outputs to cater for the upgraded monitor requirements. Any thoughts and/or advice about that? SysPrefs>Displays seems not to have manual adjustment and simply states Default for Display.

See here for how to get extended settings:

If your external display is dark or low resolution - Apple Support

If your Mac is working, but the external display connected to it has a blank or black screen (no video) or can't use its highest resolutions or refresh rates, try these solutions.

support.apple.com

If you still don't have a resolution in System Preferences that is appropriate, you can try:

BetterDummy (free, donation requested)
GitHub - waydabber/BetterDisplay: Unlock your displays on your Mac! Smooth scaling, HiDPI unlock, XDR/HDR extra brightness upscale, DDC, brightness and dimming, dummy displays, PIP and lots more!

 

[jsteave]

Decision made - and I now have a Samsung 28" E55 or LU28R55OU 4K business monitor in place. Cost about US$327. Display detail:
LU28R55:
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)
Display Serial Number: H4ZT400775
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Adapter Type: DVI or HDMI
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Adapter Firmware Version: 2.0a

Fantastic clarity and resolution, but I shall go (even more) blind squinting at the tiny letters. This text for example is at 150% magnification within the browser just to make it readable.

Someone on a similar thread made comment about having to rescale all app outputs to cater for the upgraded monitor requirements. Any thoughts and/or advice about that? SysPrefs>Displays seems not to have manual adjustment and simply states Default for Display.

Gaming is okay, there is more trialling to be done, but the text size is intolerable.

I shall have to find some way of lowering the whole monitor on this work desk which is dual level, not plain tabletop. Tilt is a complicated process and decorative concrete Salt Lake City I've still to learn how to make that adjustment, but basically the whole thing sits far too high and needs to be lowered by ~75mm/3".

I can finally upgrade from 1440p to 4k 60fps. Any recommendations on what monitor to get?

 

[pm-r]

Fantastic clarity and resolution, but I shall go (even more) blind squinting at the tiny letters. This text for example is at 150% magnification within the browser just to make it readable.

I cannot imagine how you are managing at that resolution, but if you're getting to the point where you need more and better control you might want to have a look at SwitchResX app.

SwitchResX - The Most Versatile Tool For Controlling Screen Resolutions On Your Mac

SwitchResX

Download the latest version of SwitchResX for Mac for free. Read 143 user reviews and compare with similar apps on MacUpdate.

www.macupdate.com

- Patrick
=======

 

[pm-r]

I shall have to find some way of lowering the whole monitor on this work desk which is dual level, not plain tabletop. Tilt is a complicated process and I've still to learn how to make that adjustment, but basically the whole thing sits far too high and needs to be lowered by ~75mm/3".

Just a thought for you to consider, a lawyer friend ended up using a fly tying vice held in a mount so he could attach his monitor and adjust it to different heights as well as rotate it for landscape and portrait mode and worked very well for his use.

But I'm sure you will think of something...



- Patrick
=======

 

[hughvane]

I can finally upgrade from 1440p to 4k 60fps. Any recommendations on what monitor to get?

See above. The Samsung works well with MacOS, but I've also read of Mac users being happy with Dell.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I can finally upgrade from 1440p to 4k 60fps. Any recommendations on what monitor to get?

Scroll back to post number 2 in this thread where I offered several suggestions for great monitors that are currently being offered at good prices.

 

[hughvane]

See here for how to get extended settings:

If your external display is dark or low resolution - Apple Support

If your Mac is working, but the external display connected to it has a blank or black screen (no video) or can't use its highest resolutions or refresh rates, try these solutions.

support.apple.com

If you still don't have a resolution in System Preferences that is appropriate, you can try:

It's astonishing how one finds things out by clicking an item to see what it does. I have now found how to adjust display size, incl text, in SysPrefs>Displays>Resolution>Scaled. If others, like me, thought it best left to the OS to sort itself out, think again. I'm now seeing things larger and clearer. More experimentation required, but it's an improvement.

I'll have a closer look at Better Dummy when I get back from hospital next week.

 

[hughvane]

I should add that the menu bar(s) remains stubbornly resistant to enlargement. Luckily I have a monocular . Will post an update if I stumble across a solution.

 

[pm-r]

I'll have a closer look at Better Dummy when I get back from hospital next week.

I assume you are referring to what now appears to be called BetterDisplay.

BetterDisplay

Download the latest version of BetterDisplay for Mac for free. Read 12 user reviews and compare with similar apps on MacUpdate.

www.macupdate.com

GitHub - waydabber/BetterDisplay: Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more!

Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more! - waydabber/BetterDisplay

github.com

As I mentioned previously, you might want to have a luck at some of the features of SwitchResX.app and see if it suits you for features and resolutions:

SwitchResX - The Most Versatile Tool For Controlling Screen Resolutions On Your Mac

SwitchResX

Download the latest version of SwitchResX for Mac for free. Read 143 user reviews and compare with similar apps on MacUpdate.

www.macupdate.com

PS: good luck with your hospital visit.
Do you have your new monitor with you in hospital???



- Patrick
=======

 

[hughvane]

I assume you are referring to what now appears to be called BetterDisplay.

BetterDisplay

Download the latest version of BetterDisplay for Mac for free. Read 12 user reviews and compare with similar apps on MacUpdate.

www.macupdate.com

GitHub - waydabber/BetterDisplay: Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more!

Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more! - waydabber/BetterDisplay

github.com

Probably, and Better Dummy links to BD.

As I mentioned previously, you might want to have a luck at some of the features of SwitchResX.app

Will take a look at that later.

PS: good luck with your hospital visit.
Do you have your new monitor with you in hospital?

Thank you. It's a knee replacement, the stay is usually 3-4 nights if all goes to plan.

I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to picture me in a hospital bed clutching a great lump of plastic & glass named Samsung Monitor . I'll have my phone with me and can access M-F with that if necessary.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

As I mentioned previously, you might want to have a luck at some of the features of SwitchResX.app and see if it suits you for features and resolutions:

Better Display does what SwitchResX does, and more...and it's free.

 

[pm-r]

Better Display does what SwitchResX does, and more...and it's free.

That's good to know thanks Randy, and nice to know that the new kid on the block is also free and with better and more features.

I haven't seen it mentioned before but then again I guess I wasn't actually looking either... ;-)


- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I assume you are referring to what now appears to be called BetterDisplay.

Perusing their Web site shows me that BetterDisplay is the successor to BetterDummy, and that they are not precisely the same. BetterDisplay is aimed at Apple Silicon Macs (it *may* work with Intel Macs, it is not assured), and while it is free, there is a $15 "Pro" version for extended features.

BetterDummy is still available and is still completely free, including extended features. It is geared for Intel-based Macs.:

https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay/releases/tag/v1.0.13