I have decided to modernise my computer from a 27” 2009 iMac to a Mac mini M4. This now means that I need to enter the world of choosing a monitor, about which I am pretty ignorant. Although I am sure that they are a perfect match & look beautiful having seen the price 😳 an apple monitor is off the list!!
It will be used for email, surfing the internet, the occasional YouTube video & to run music to my sound system via Plex/ WiiM. I have no plans to get into video editing/ photoshop.
The requirements are:
Plays well with the Mac mini - I have read that certain screen resolutions don’t.
No larger than 27” as I will be sitting 3-4 feet away.
Aesthetically pleasing/ reasonably well made as it’s the first thing that you see coming into the living room & I hope to be using it for a long time.
Potential candidates are below. A couple are 5k screens & more expensive, I’m unsure as to whether they will give me any real world benefits.
BenQ MA27OU
BenQ EW2790U
ASUS ProArt PA279CRV 4K Ultra HD 27" IPS LCD Monitor - Black
ASUS - '27" 5K ProArt Display PA27JCV'
Dell ultrasharp U2723QE (the ‘25 model is £160 more).
What would you choose? Is there something better than I haven’t listed?
I have the Dell U2723QE and am very happy with it, but can't honestly compare to the others as haven't used them. About all I can say is it looks great and happily accepts input over USB-C from my MacBook Air, my work Dell thing and my wife's work computer (and powers them - but that's not relevant to you).
No feedback on the Mac Mini compatibility but why limited to a 27” screen? I’ve had an HP monitor that size for a few years but just lucked into getting a 34” curved LG monitor and it’s ace. I’m sat with it about 1-2ft away from me on the desk and it’s lovely for working from home on.
32” Dell ultrasharp. 32” is great and I can use it like a use 2 x smaller monitors at work.
The picture quality is good but not quite as a 5K retina screen. I wasn’t expecting it to be though. Colours are great (I use it for photo editing) but because it’s 4K, rather than Apple’s 5K, it’s difficult to get a scale that suits me. No big deal though.
ideally, I would have Apple’s 5K monitor but I’m not willing to stump up the cash. I would maybe recommend going with the Asus 5K or if you can find it, an LG 5K. I believe LG make the Apple screens.
I believe it's possible to use that generation of 27" imac as a monitor using a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort cable...
I rock one of these (less than 3 feet away!)
https://www.iiyama-monitors.co.uk/products/monitors/xb3288uhsu-b5
It's great. That's also a pretty solid price - I paid £340 about 18 months ago
When I bought the mini I was under the impression that I could use the old iMac as the display, however it seems that that functionality was lost with the move to Mx chips. Someone has posted on YouTube how to gut the iMac & convert it - but it looks way out of my comfort zone.
Following with interest.
I've been using a M4 Mac mini for a week now coming from an earlier iMac.
I'm missing the crispness of the iMac screen as I'm just using one of my work 24'' monitors that whilst HD is a bit basic. I actually have an old iPad running as a second screen that I am preferring over my 24'' at the moment!
I'm going to be limited to 27'' max as I already have two 24'' monitors on the desk and a laptop ...
When I bought the mini I was under the impression that I could use the old iMac as the display, however it seems that that functionality was lost with the move to Mx chips. Someone has posted on YouTube how to gut the iMac & convert it - but it looks way out of my comfort zone.
I looked at that recently. it feels like a good use of a very high quality screen, possibly even if you had to pay a Mac repair place to do the work for you...but then I saw that the display driver board is over £200 on Aliexpress and really went off the idea. That's a lot to invest on a process that does look like it could easily end up with a broken screen.
This could be helpful?
I have the LG 5K Ultrafine that I bought ages ago and I've been happy with it but a friend, who also had the same model, splurged on an Apple one and claims it's worth the money (which I doubt)
I had a similar dilemma a year ago after replacing a 2013 iMac with a Mac Mini. Tied myself in knots reading / watching reviews and comparing spec sheets. In the end I had a stiff drink and went for the Apple Studio (with 10% black Friday KRCS discount).
When comparing prices take into account that the Apple display has more than decent speakers and built in webcam (perfectly OK for Teams calls). Adding these to the 5k screens I was looking at (Benq & Asus from memory) narrowed the £ gap. My other consideration was that I could physically see and touch the Apple screen but nowhere locally had the Benq (Asus was not even available in UK at that time).
If it lasts as long as the iMac I will (continue to) be happy.
Also considered trying to convert the iMac to an additional screen, but not at £200 for the driver board.
ASUS 5K
though I’d recommend the Apple Studio Display as an option. Sure, there’s alleged to be a new version coming out in 2026 but the current model is great imo.
edit. Great imo based on personal experience of using one for a while now and it being a LOT better than my previous BENQ PD2700U. Worth the difference for image quality, integrated HD camera, adequate sound, thunderbolt and USB-C connections, and looks neat.
I’m not bothered about either a webcam or speakers. I (fortunately) only have social video calls for which an iPad or phone is fine. Sound duties are taken care of via a very good all in one player that sits above the computer.
I went for a BenQ MA27ou in the end. A 5k screen felt a bit like buying a Ferrari to go to the supermarket…
My next decision is whether to go for a NAS or just an external hard drive.
My next decision is whether to go for a NAS or just an external hard drive.
I don't see the appeal of a NAS. Maybe I failed the intelligence test (nerd edition) but the value (to me) of being able to access my files from anywhere is about zero. But feel free to enlighten me !!