Best large wide screen for MacBook Pro
Discussion
I would be very grateful for any recommendations for a large (at least 32") and preferably wide screen, monitor to use with a new 16" M1 MacBook Pro. I want something a bit bigger than the new studio display, but am reluctant to pay £5k for the pro version unless I really must.
I have done a lot of research online, but but there seem to be many contradictory comments about just how good some of the monitors are and also whether they work with the new MacBooks. In short, I am after a very large monitor with a screen as good as the Mac's own display. Has anyone got any recommendations that they would be kind enough to share?
I use it for office work (word, reading documents etc), so gaming, speakers etc are unimportant. I do however need one which is very easy on the eye as I use it 10hrs plus a day.
I have done a lot of research online, but but there seem to be many contradictory comments about just how good some of the monitors are and also whether they work with the new MacBooks. In short, I am after a very large monitor with a screen as good as the Mac's own display. Has anyone got any recommendations that they would be kind enough to share?
I use it for office work (word, reading documents etc), so gaming, speakers etc are unimportant. I do however need one which is very easy on the eye as I use it 10hrs plus a day.
I don't think you're going to have much luck getting a 'retina' quality screen that's also an ultra-wide.
The best I can think of at the moment would be the Alienware AW3423DW OLED (3440 x 1440) @ £1100 - but that's showing delivery dates some time in August after the initial run sold out. This is the one I'm after for my gaming PC...as I've already got the Studio Display for my Mac.
Otherwise, the LG 40WP95C-W IPS ultrawide (5120 x 2160) may be suitable if you don't want a gaming-oriented monitor, and it uses a Thunderbolt or USB-C connection to the Mac.
The best I can think of at the moment would be the Alienware AW3423DW OLED (3440 x 1440) @ £1100 - but that's showing delivery dates some time in August after the initial run sold out. This is the one I'm after for my gaming PC...as I've already got the Studio Display for my Mac.
Otherwise, the LG 40WP95C-W IPS ultrawide (5120 x 2160) may be suitable if you don't want a gaming-oriented monitor, and it uses a Thunderbolt or USB-C connection to the Mac.
Personally think 30inch 1600p 16:10 is the optimal for an office monitor.
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-ultrasharp-30...
The text won’t be too small. You won’t have to keep moving your head.
I got a 32 inch 1440p Dell P3221D recently, find it a tad large.
Got a seriously stiff neck when I first used it because of all the head turning to see the corners. Now I’ve built up my neck muscles (lol), its better, but I can still feel it after a long days work.
Had no such issues with a 27 inch monitor 1440p monitor used in the same way, although I found the text was a bit small.
At the size you are talking about, the only retina quality choices are Apples Pro Display XDR or Dells UP3218K. That needs a dual DVI connection to display 8k at 60hz however. Not sure if or how that will work from a Macbook Pro.
I deliberately went with an old skool standard display because I needed it to work seemlessly with work VDI and virtual desktop solutions and across Mac and Windows laptops. 1440p or 1600p at 30 or 32 inches means everything displays natively at a good size and you never have to fiddle with display settings. Software old and new also displays without issue.
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-ultrasharp-30...
The text won’t be too small. You won’t have to keep moving your head.
I got a 32 inch 1440p Dell P3221D recently, find it a tad large.
Got a seriously stiff neck when I first used it because of all the head turning to see the corners. Now I’ve built up my neck muscles (lol), its better, but I can still feel it after a long days work.
Had no such issues with a 27 inch monitor 1440p monitor used in the same way, although I found the text was a bit small.
At the size you are talking about, the only retina quality choices are Apples Pro Display XDR or Dells UP3218K. That needs a dual DVI connection to display 8k at 60hz however. Not sure if or how that will work from a Macbook Pro.
I deliberately went with an old skool standard display because I needed it to work seemlessly with work VDI and virtual desktop solutions and across Mac and Windows laptops. 1440p or 1600p at 30 or 32 inches means everything displays natively at a good size and you never have to fiddle with display settings. Software old and new also displays without issue.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 14th April 13:36
OLED might be the way forward for ultimate clarity. I was taken back by how good the contrast was on these screens in CurrysPCWorld.
The Pro Display XDR uses localised dimming zones. You can see light bloom when there is high contrast between background and foreground, although it is still a superb display. The contrast is noticeably a step up from the Studio Display which backlights everything.
The point I’m trying to make here is that deep black text on a crisp white background, looks sharper than grey text on a murky off white background because of the relative contrast. Its something else to think about in addition to the dpi of the display. Only OLED and some newer LCD technologies (that aren’t available for monitors for now) can dim and light at the pixel level. With a fully backlit display like the Studio Display, black will always be a shade of grey.
Spend a Saturday like I did, take your Macbook Pro around the shops and plug it into stuff, with the software and documents you use and see what you like?
The Pro Display XDR uses localised dimming zones. You can see light bloom when there is high contrast between background and foreground, although it is still a superb display. The contrast is noticeably a step up from the Studio Display which backlights everything.
The point I’m trying to make here is that deep black text on a crisp white background, looks sharper than grey text on a murky off white background because of the relative contrast. Its something else to think about in addition to the dpi of the display. Only OLED and some newer LCD technologies (that aren’t available for monitors for now) can dim and light at the pixel level. With a fully backlit display like the Studio Display, black will always be a shade of grey.
Spend a Saturday like I did, take your Macbook Pro around the shops and plug it into stuff, with the software and documents you use and see what you like?
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 14th April 14:09
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