In case you haven’t given a 4K USB-C display a shot with your MacBook or MacBook Pro, one of the primary benefits is being able to use one cable for charging, video output, and data. Some will also offer built-in USB hub connectivity for other peripherals. While there are some solid displays on the market that include USB-C with less than 4K resolutions, spending several hundred dollars on a new display with a lower picture quality than what you’re used to on your MacBook won’t be a good fit for many. Aiming for something that will give you the most years of use, let’s take a look at displays that offer both sharp 4K resolutions and USB-C. This 4K USB-C display is an update to the that we.
The refreshed 27-inch model features an LED-backlit IPS panel with HDR10 support, AMD Freesync, and single-cable USB-C connectivity. The offers two USB 3.1 ports, but like the previously model, when running 4K at 60Hz, you’re limited to USB 2.0 speeds. It would have been nice to see 87W power delivery for full speed 15-inch MacBook Pro charging, but that shouldn’t be an issue for most users (with two different monitors I’ve found 60W to fully charge my 15-inch MBP in about 3 hours).
1 x USB-C v. 3.1 with 60W PD. 2 x HDMI.
1 x Display Port. 2 x USB v. 3.1 gen1. 3.5 mm audio port. 16:9 aspect ratio.
60Hz refresh rate. 3840 x 2160 resolution. sRGB 99%. AMD Freesync. Anti-glare finish For a more in-depth look at this display, check out our. The LG 27UK850 is available on.
This option has a very similar design to the ASUS Designo display, but it lacks the standard USB ports for connecting peripherals or thumb drives. However, it does offer a glossy display, which can sometimes be tricky to find. 1 x USB-C (PD not specified, likely 60W). 1 x HDMI.
1 x DisplayPort. 3.5 mm audio port. 16:9 aspect ratio. 60Hz refresh rate. 3840 x 2160 resolution. AMD Freesync.
Glossy screen The Acer H277HK is available from. These displays have gained some notoriety since debuting last year. After 9to5Mac’s in the 27-inch 5K model, Apple until a. That issue aside, we dove into the with our in-depth review by Jeff Benjamin. While the 27-inch Ultrafine display is really the only option on the market to support USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 and a 5K resolution, the likely makes this display a non-starter for a majority of users. Another trade-off here are chunkier bezels for a built-in webcam, although these displays do offer the most robust I/O selection.
Another aspect that sets these displays apart is P3 wide color gamut and 85W power delivery. If you’re tempted by these displays, our recommendation is to, where we’ve seen certified refurbished models of the and the. Thinking of waiting a while longer to see what Apple’s pro display or other manufacturers offer over the next year?
If you feel like you can’t compromise on a 4K resolution but are open to saving some cash by skipping the USB-C connectivity, LG has a compelling 27-inch 4K display for. It’s got many of the features of, and is rated on Amazon.
Should you get a 5K or 4K display for your Mac? How many pixels, ports, and panels do you really need?
Here's the answer! Can drive not just 4K displays off it's Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports, but 5K displays as well. That should make the choice simple: 5 is more than 4! But there are a number of factors you want to consider before choosing the right high-density (HD) display for your Mac. That includes the number of displays you need, the geometry of your viewing space, the variety of options, and the extras like ports that are available to you. Sometimes more is better but not always.
So, when it comes to 5K vs. 4K on your Mac, here's how to choose the right HD display for you! Pixels 5K means roughly 5000 pixels wide. 4K means roughly 4000 pixels wide.
5K is obviously bigger than 4K — says so right in the name! — but how much bigger?
5K is 5120 x 2880, which works out to 14,745,600 pixels total. (Phew!) 4K is 4096 x 2304, which works out to 9,437,184. (Phew/2!) So, while 5K only sounds 25% bigger than 4K based on the name, it's actually over 50% bigger in terms of raw pixel count. So, while 5K only sounds 25% bigger than 4K based on the name, it's actually over 50% bigger in terms of raw pixel count. If you work on 4K video, for example, that's enough to show your video at full resolution and also show all your tools and palettes at the same time. Here's what the difference looks like:. If the sheer quantity of pixels on the panel is important to you, go with 5K.
Size With great pixels comes great panel size. In other words, 5K displays are typically bigger than 4K displays. Apple seems to have standardized around 21.5-inches for 4K and 27-inches for 5K, that way the pixels remain at a small enough physical size that, when used from a normal working distance, qualify as 'Retina'. That's Apple's name for when the dots-per-inch (dpi) is high enough that you can no longer see the individual pixels and it looks more like a photo or real-world image.
Note: There are 4K televisions, which can connect over HDMI, that come in a wide range of sizes, including enormous 120-inch models. Those are different beasts and something outside what I'm discussing here.
Whether or not size matters will depend on how much space you available to you on your desk and in your room. In some cases, bigger isn't better at all. Here's how the LG UltraFine 4K display looks next to the LG UltraFine 5K:.
If you have limited space, go with 4K. If the sky is the limit, go with 5K.
Multiple The 13-inch MacBook Pro 2016 can drive two 4K displays or one 5K display. The 15-inch MacBook Pro 2016 can drive four 4K displays or two 5K displays. That's a lot of pixels.
Multiple displays gives you more flexibility in terms of how you set up your viewing area. You can put them side by side, stack them, angle them, and separate different tasks and apps onto different screens. I personally would do the 4K screens so I could have one to my right and one to my left of my laptop screen — Hobie Henning (@HuntHenning) A single display gives you unity in terms of one place to look and work and focus on. You put it where you want it and you don't have to worry about turning your chair or your neck to see different things, or taking up even more space on your desk. I'm more productive with a single display. So it would be 5K all the way. — Clinton Wilmott (@ClintonWilmott) Here's how those displays look at scale:.
If you want a single point of focus, go with one 5K. If you want multiple places to separate out multiple placements or tasks, go with two or more 4K. Ports Because of the incredibly bandwidth required for 5K — and the chicanery needed to make it work over DisplayPort 1,2-bound Thunderbolt 3 ports — the LG UltraFine 5K display only leaves you with 3x USB-C ports on the back, and they're restricted to 5 Gbps. Literally every other bit is streaming steady 5K.
The same, for some less explicable reason, is true of the LG UltraFine 4K display. In other words, they're freaking great panels that make for freaking crappy hubs.
Also, because all the ports are USB-C, if you want to connect USB-A, Ethernet, or anything else, you'll. Other 4K displays, though, offer more in the way of ports. If you don't need a hub but you do need an amazing display, go with the 5K. If you need more and more varied ports, go with one of the other 4K. Who should get a 5K display for Mac? If you want the maximum amount of pixels all in one panel, want a focused working environment, don't want to turn your head a lot, like the idea of a single cable connection, and don't care about having extra ports on the display, go with the 5K display. Who should get a 4K display for Mac?
If you size isn't as important to you or you want more displays rather than bigger or denser, prefer the flexibility of multiple panels, like having an ultra-wide working environment with your tasks all neatly split up, or want all the ports a hub provides, check out one of the 4K displays.