Help - in the market for a 4k monitor - I Think!

Bonky · 23 Nov 2020 at 14:23

(I'm not into gaming that much - yet - just a few Steam sims).
I have a 5k iMac 27inch 'retina monitor', BUT upstairs I have a 2020 MacBook Pro (Intel), a Minix J-50C, and a 4k Firestick. In other words NO high-end graphics cards -let alone a gaming specific one. Later I MAY need a new M1 Mac mini. Now all of these devices say that can output to a 4k monitor...so is, say a
BenQ-EW3270U ideal? (I will need HDMI and USB-C). Or would I better advised to plump for a UHD monitor? A little out of my depth here!
Many thanks,

Bonky (AKA Richard)

~cw · 23 Nov 2020 at 16:36

Does your MBP have the 8th gen or 10th gen Intel? Only the 10th gen supports DisplayPort 1.4 (for 4Kp60), otherwise you'll be limited to 30 fps on DP1.2. Also there's some caveats around running UHD from an MBP: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...dr-on-tv.2241859/?post=28577065#post-28577065

Personally for 27" I go for 2K (2560x1440) and look for something with DP + ideally two HDMI inputs. The BenQ looks like a fine panel, though someone highly recommended the Odyssey G7 but it's out of my current price range to recommend. Might be yours though

Check out RTings if you've not used before. https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/benq/ew3270u
Along with TFTCentral, displayspecifications.com and a few other review sites, very useful when picking a new panel.

Bonky · 23 Nov 2020 at 16:43

Thanks CW for such a full reply.

The MacbookPro is only a few months old; The spec is:
chipset Model: Intel Iris Plus Graphics

Type: GPU

Bus: Built-In

VRAM (Dynamic, Max): 1536 MB

Vendor: Intel

Device ID: 0x8a53

Revision ID: 0x0007

Metal Family: Supported, Metal GPUFamily macOS 2

Displays:

Colour LCD:

Display Type: Built-In Retina LCD

Resolution: 2560x1600 Retina

Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)

Main Display: Yes

Mirror: Off

Online: Yes

Automatically Adjust Brightness: Yes

Connection Type: Internal

I'll look at the websites you included; again, many thanks.

R

~cw · 23 Nov 2020 at 16:50

What model MBP is it? that's the easiest way to tell (the "MacBookPro12,3" style model number) - pop that into everymac.com or similar web site and it will give you the deets.

If you look at the CPU info, if it's a 10th generation Intel it should report as something like "Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1038NG7 CPU @ 2.00GHz". Intel have a utility called MacCPUID you can run to ID your CPU... https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/238777/how-do-i-identify-which-cpu-a-macbook-uses

Bonky · 23 Nov 2020 at 18:57

Hi, It's this one: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...2020-4-thunderbolt-3-ports-scissor-specs.html

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1038NG7 CPU @ 2.00GHz

Any recommendations for a 27-32 inch QHD monitor? I was looking at the Dell Ultrasharp range... LG look good, but somewhere I've read that Samsung models don't allow the use of 4k Firesticks (?)

Thanks once again; very helpful (and knowledgeable!)

R

Bonky · 23 Nov 2020 at 19:17

These seem to get a good write-up:
HP Pavilion 32 QHD Monitor, 32 Inch, Quad HD (2560 x 1440),(1 DP, 1 HDMI, USB-C, 2 USB 3.0) Black

R

4K8KW10 · 23 Nov 2020 at 19:33

Bonky said:
(I'm not into gaming that much - yet - just a few Steam sims).
I have a 5k iMac 27inch 'retina monitor', BUT upstairs I have a 2020 MacBook Pro (Intel), a Minix J-50C, and a 4k Firestick. In other words NO high-end graphics cards -let alone a gaming specific one. Later I MAY need a new M1 Mac mini. Now all of these devices say that can output to a 4k monitor...so is, say a
BenQ-EW3270U ideal? (I will need HDMI and USB-C). Or would I better advised to plump for a UHD monitor? A little out of my depth here!
Many thanks,

Bonky (AKA Richard)

32-inch or... ?

This is fine:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x LG 32UL750 32" 3840x2160 4K VA FreeSync HDR600 Widescreen LED Gaming Monitor= £529.99

Total: £541.09 (includes shipping: £11.10)

~cw · 24 Nov 2020 at 00:53

Bonky said:
These seem to get a good write-up:
HP Pavilion 32 QHD Monitor, 32 Inch, Quad HD (2560 x 1440),(1 DP, 1 HDMI, USB-C, 2 USB 3.0) Black

This one?
https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model-display/51ae1906
https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/51ae1906

100% sRGB gamut, WVA IPS, W-LED backlight, not the brightest panel (300 cd/m2) and can only do 76 Hz refresh max, but does have AMD FreeSync and rated response time of 5 ms, so not shabby at all. Provided panel uniformity is OK (and VA should be better than IPS) you could be on to a winner if it fulfils your criteria

Hunt around for some BF deals. Also my work's staff perks scheme offers some discount (£30) direct from HP's e-store for that monitor, but I did check just now and that particular model's currently out of stock. May come back in sometime.

Bonky · 24 Nov 2020 at 07:07

Yes, that one.

Thanks so much for your help.

R

4K8KW10 · 24 Nov 2020 at 15:36

Go for 4K monitor because on that 32 inch 1440p the picture clarity will be lower and the individual pixels larger, so if your vision is right, you will see pixel graining.

~cw · 24 Nov 2020 at 16:11

That's the only potential downside, I think 27" for 2K is a generally preferred sweet spot.

We have a 40" 4K TV in the living room, you have to get fairly near for the dot pitch to be easily visible. Sitting less than 1 metre away, a 2K monitor might be borderling. That said, you may find it OK. Only real way to find out is to buy and try

On my older 32" 1080p Samsung, if you sit closer than 3/4 feet away, the pixels are fairly distinguishable. 2K resolution improves this but 4K8KW10 makes a good point.

https://stari.co/tv-monitor-viewing-distance-calculator has a useful calculator for min/max recommended viewing distances and the optimum human eye acuity distance. NB that it calculates 32" 4K optimum distance as ~2 feet; 2K is ~3.2 feet. For a 27" display, ~1.7 feet and ~2.6 feet respectively.

You may find it doesn't bother you at all though!

Bonky · 24 Nov 2020 at 16:27

The
Dell 27 USB-C Monitor: P2720DC £290 was also on my list.

(https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/comparison/d40ef1caa)

Otherwise 4k:
LG UHD 27UL650 - 27 Inch Monitor IPS LED 4K with VESA Display HDR 400, White

£420.

or

BenQ-EW3270U. £410

I very much appreciate all your assistance!

R

Bonky · 28 Nov 2020 at 13:47

A naive question coming: I did buy the Dell P2720DC (see above) , but, mea culpa it does not have an audio out headphone socket, so how do I get sound? I'd imagine it's via a downstream USB port? In that case there's no mention of it in the manual. It would mean I'd need to buy a usb to 2 RCA phono plug leads.

I realise that this is probably not the right forum to ask this sort of question - but please take pity on me as I have this pit-in-the-stomach feeling that I've ordered the wrong thinG