Monitor suggestions wanted.

[JeffL]

1. I want to buy a monitor to connect to my new MBA M1. The MBA M1 and the monitor will replace my existing iMac 21.5" (Late 2012 model). I'm looking for suggestions on what to buy. I'll want a 24" screen as good or better than my existing iMac, the display information is 1920x1080 Nvidia GeForce GT640M 512 MB graphics. I use it for websites including some YouTube videos, spreadsheets, Pages, Numbers, just run of the mill stuff, no gaming. Not sure how to choose between LCD, LED, HD etc. Requirements are, HDMI to connect to the MBA and connection for my Edifier Desk Top Speakers.

2. Am I correct in presuming that the MBA and/or Monitor will have a facility to recognise my existing Apple cordless keyboard and mouse?

3. Can the MBA be closed whilst using the monitor, cordless keyboard and mouse or does it have to remain open? I ask because I think it switches off when you close it? Thank you.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

1. The monitor will no connect to your speakers, that goes to the MBA. You don't say what your budget is, which determines if you should go with the VA, TN or IPS panel. All displays are LCD with LEDs in them today. The previous generation of monitors were CRTs that you can't find and don't want.

Please do a little bit of research on the panel types of TN, VA and IPS. The prices for monitors based on these technology goes up in that order.

1080P is the bare minimum monitor resolution that anyone should buy, but 2k and 4k are the norm these days. But understand that with greater resolution, EVERYTHING is going to be tiny and based on your other posts this might not be suitable.

If possible you really should see if you know someone with a 2k, 4k, 5k monitor and see how it looks or visit your local electronics store and see for yourself.

As far as brand goes, go with a reputable (well-known) brand that's within your budget. I'm currently using Viewsonic's. I've used Samsung and Dells in the past.

2. The MBA will connect the peripherals, not the monitor.

3. Yes, people call this "clamshell mode". Read more here.

 

[chscag]

Just want to add a bit to Ashwin's excellent reply:

Don't skimp when purchasing a monitor. I realize that many of us (myself included) can't afford the very best but consider that it's your eyes.

And as Ashwin pointed out, high resolution monitors (4K, 5K) will be a lot harder to view because of the smaller size of everything. I personally recommend a 27" monitor but that's up to you and what space you have available for placing it.

I would love to have one of those new Dell Ultra series 32" monitors for myself but I know that it would start a revolution here in my home. Best to keep my other half happy.

Let us know what you decide on buying.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

1. I want to buy a monitor to connect to my new MBA M1...

Currently this monitor is a screaming deal:

HP VH240a 23.8-inch
$125
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072M34RQC/?tag=macforums0e4-20

The monitor comes with an HDMI to HDMI cable. So you will need an adapter to allow that cable to attach to the Thunderbolt 3 port in your iMac. This should do the job nicely for only $13:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07THJGZ9Z/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[krs]

Currently this monitor is a screaming deal:
HP VH240a 23.8-inch
$125
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072M34RQC/?tag=macforums0e4-20

WOW - that is a great deal.
Especially with a stand like that - the inexpensive monitors usually have a very basic stand that just tilts back and forth a bit and that's it.

Here is a pretty good explanation of the different types of panels and their pros and cons:

TN vs. IPS vs. VA: What's the Best Display Panel Technology?

The most influential decision you can make when you buy a new monitor is the panel type. So, what's the difference between TN, VA, and IPS, and which one is right for you?

www.howtogeek.com

 

[krs]

I just noticed this monitor as well.
Even cheaper than the one Randy posted and it includes a DP port input as well.
But the stand is much more basic
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BF4CZSV/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[JeffL]

I am continuing to do extensive research on the purchase of a 24” monitor, but I have a question to which I need an answer, to be able move forward.

Do I need to buy a monitor with 2560 x 1440 resolution to match up with my MacBook Air M1? (All my research so far has been for 1920 x 1080). I ask because I saw the following comment on an Amazon review for the Dell P2419HC which is on my short list.

Please note - this monitor is lower resolution than the mac's screen so text and images dragged onto it will look bigger (and not as sharp). Which is fine if the small mac screen is proving hard to see. If you want them the same size you will need a screen with a better resolution - eg 2560 x 1440.

This is the resolution spec of my MacBook Air M1
Retina Display 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colours. Supported scaled resolutions: 1680x1050, 440x900, 1024x640. 400 nits brightness. Wide colour (P3). True Tone technology.

Thank you.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Yes, thus mu recommendation of going for at least 2K resolution. If you pair a 2K native LCD to a 1080P monitor, the shift is WAY too dramatic and in your face.

If you go to 4K on the monitor, that will be fine still, but don't go lower than the native display for the MBA.

 

[JeffL]

Yes, thus mu recommendation of going for at least 2K resolution. If you pair a 2K native LCD to a 1080P monitor, the shift is WAY too dramatic and in your face.

If you go to 4K on the monitor, that will be fine still, but don't go lower than the native display for the MBA.

The Tech speak re 2K/4K confuses me. Are you saying that a 2560 x 1440 will be a good choice even though the MBA M1 is 2560 x 1600? Bear in mind it is a 24" Monitor Screen I want (or does screen size not matter?) So does 2560 mean it is a 2K? Thank you for your patience.

 

[pigoo3]

I'll want a 24" screen as good or better than my existing iMac...

When you say "good or better"...there are a number of parameters that this can statement can cover:

- Sharpness/clarity of the display
- Color accuracy
- Screen real estate
- etc

Late 2012 21" iMac's have what I would call a standard resolution display (as compared to higher resolution displays that Apple call's a "retina display").

Thus to get an external display that is "good or better" than a Late 2012 21" iMac's built in display is not too difficult...since it has a regular/standard resolution display (non-retina, non-4k, non-5k).

Maybe you can tell us what parameter(s) is most important to you (and your possible budget). This may help us come up with a solution.

Keep in mind...as with most things...the more you want...the more it will cost.

- Nick

 

[Raz0rEdge]

The Tech speak re 2K/4K confuses me. Are you saying that a 2560 x 1440 will be a good choice even though the MBA M1 is 2560 x 1600? Bear in mind it is a 24" Monitor Screen I want (or does screen size not matter?) So does 2560 mean it is a 2K? Thank you for your patience.

Take a look at this page which lists all the resolutions on monitors, both historical and future.

There you'll see that 2K is official defined as 2048x1080, but that's not a resolution you'll see often. Most monitors go 1080P (1920x1080) to some variation of WQHD (2560x1440 or 2560x1600).

The next jump is usually 4K which is 4096x2160 (officially), but you'll see a lot of monitors around 3840x2160 and 3200x1600 calling themselves 4K as well.

5K, 8K and 16K just go up from there.

Going with a lower resolution on a smaller monitor is fine, but the opposite will be too small and the same is true of going with lower resolution on a large monitor, things won't look crisp or anything.

For a 21" monitor, 1080P is perfectly fine, for 27" monitor, I would recommend minimum 2K. 24", being in between, you could go either way, but since your MBA is already at 2K, you likely want to stuck with that as well.

 

[JeffL]

As I was doing further research I discovered that there are problems of compatibility of M1 with external monitors. See the links below which say Apple know about it and are apparently working on a solution. I did a Chat with Apple this morning and asked if the problem affected 24"/27" 2560x1440 res. or just 4K monitors, but that person did not know the answer so someone will ring me on Friday afternoon. I've also queried with BenQ, Asus and Dell by email, waiting for replies.

Apple Fix Coming For M1 Mac External Display Issue

An app may fix M1 Mac ultra-wide display problems.

screenrant.com

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252433595

Has anyone on here experienced these problems?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Provide links to where you've seen this issue, not your post on the Apple forum.

 

[krs]

Provide links to where you've seen this issue, not your post on the Apple forum.

Did you miss this link that was posted?

Apple Fix Coming For M1 Mac External Display Issue

An app may fix M1 Mac ultra-wide display problems.

screenrant.com

The problem seems to only affect ultra-wide monitors and is intermittent on top of that.
I would not assume, as the article does, that this is necessarily a Mac M1 problem

 

[JeffL]

The Apple Fix Coming link in my previous post refers. Also the following links https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252130686

M1 MacBook Air: External display not recognized after waking ...forums.macrumors.com › ... › Apple Silicon (Arm) Macs

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Yup, missed the link, but then again, you aren't considering an ultra-wide monitor, so why worry?

 

[JeffL]

I’m back again! Lots of comments from various sources are making it difficult for me to choose which monitor to buy. Too much information overload for a non-tech guy like me.

To recap
I would like a monitor that will display text and images the same or similar size as they are on my existing iMac 21.5” late 2012 model which has 1920x1080 resolution (which I will be retiring when I buy the new monitor). The text on my iMac whilst reading this discussion is bigger than when reading it on the MacBook Air M1 which has a 13” screen with resolution 2560x1600. I have read that I should buy a 27” monitor with 2560x1440 or higher resolution (or a 24”/25” but text would not be quite as pin sharp) Just checked the spec of my iMac which has 102 ppi, so that is what I am used to.

One source said the following:
“The thing is - the MBA runs a scaled setting of "Looks like 1440x900” out of the box, meaning things appear at the size of a hypothetical 13.3" 1440x900 screen but a lot sharper. That results in a simulated pixel density of 127 ppi.

If you want things to be the same size on the external monitor as on the MBA at the same viewing distance, your options providing similar (real or simulated) pixel density are:
24" at 2560x1440
24" 4K scaled to "looks like 2560x1440
27" 4K scaled to "looks like 3008x1692

However, as the viewing distance is usually greater for external monitors than for laptops, about 110 ppi (real or simulated) is a good target (and is what eg. the Retina iMacs default to with regards to their "looks like" modes).

That means:
27" 2560x1440
21.5" 4K (original LG UltraFine) scaled to "looks like 2048x1152
24" 4K scaled to "looks like 2304x1296
27" 4K scaled to "looks like 2560x1440”

Could you please let me have your views on the above comments?
Also:
1. VA or IPS or does it not matter?
2. 1920x1080 or 2560x1440 or higher?
3. I will now consider 21” to 27” screen.
4. Want for home use, i.e. spreadsheets, letters, email, messages, occasional FaceTime, visiting websites, YouTube videos. No gaming!

I look forward to your further help.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

IPS is best for clarity, TN is best for refresh rate (though IPS has caught up here), VA was supposed to be the best of both with good clarity and refresh rate.

IPS panel baed LCDs will cost a bit more money than VA or TN.

If you are looking at monitors that are approaching 27", you might want to consider 2560x1440 as the base resolution. 1920x1080 (1080P) will just be very large text.

My recommendation is 24-27" IPS panel with a native 2K resolution. The reason I say not to get a 4K and down-scale is that you are spending more money for something that you will never use and depending on the scaling tech, it might work well or not. But a native 2K monitor will maintain it's resolution well.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Consider this one, which is a dynamite deal on a 27-inch monitor right now:

Sceptre E275W-19203R 27-inch

$140


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077SRKKHQ/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[pm-r]

Don't skimp when purchasing a monitor. I realize that many of us (myself included) can't afford the very best but consider that it's your eyes.

Excellent advice. Especially if one is getting into the seniors years... ?

And maybe somebody could Stamp Out this light grey text on lighter light grey background Vogue that's so many sites seem to support, including Apple... ? ?


- Patrick
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