Best Monitor for Text?

[HighTime]

Hello folks,

Moving from an old iMac Retina to an M2 Max in a few weeks time. All I really use is Word, Scrivener and sometimes InDesign for basic stuff. What monitor would give me the sharpest looking text? I don't play games or do any photography etc, it would literally be mainly for text. The retina display has always been crisp and I've seen some people talking about blurred text on non-Apple monitors at different settings or something, not really sure cause I'm not too tech savvy in regards to monitors, but surely there must be something that would have sharp text? I would prefer something bigger than the iMac's 27 inches. At the moment I want to spend around $1000 but that is open.

Any ideas?

 

[casperes1996]

So the thing that will mainly affect text clarity is resolution. Viewing angles will also influence the experienced somewhat. But you can ignore color reproduction.

If you want retina quality you want something with roughly 218 PPI. That is pixels per inch. The options are basically a 21” 4K display, a 5K at 27” or a 6K at 32”. In theory you could also do something like 1440p at around 13-14”. But that’s a bit small for a desktop. For 5K displays you only really have two options. The studio display and the LG UltraFine 5K, both of which are basically the same as iMac display panels.

Aside from the 21” option, this is a bit pricey and you can get a decent experience with a much cheaper 4K 27” panel. It won’t be retina quality and macOS will have to do fractional scaling for get optimal screen space utilization which also adds a bit of clarity loss.

 

[HighTime]

The options are basically a 21” 4K display, a 5K at 27” or a 6K at 32”.

Wow, so it seems very limited as in what I can get! I wanted to get a larger screen this time, like a 37 inch but that doesn't seem to be an option. The 6k at 32" is just too expensive.

I wonder how bad text would look if I got a larger screen with a lower PPI (thanks for explaining that by the way). Would be nice if you could see samples of what text looks like on different monitors. I mean if the text wasn't blurry or fuzzy maybe something less than a retina display wouldn't be too bad if it meant I could get a bigger screen?

 

[casperes1996]

Wow, so it seems very limited as in what I can get! I wanted to get a larger screen this time, like a 37 inch but that doesn't seem to be an option. The 6k at 32" is just too expensive.

I wonder how bad text would look if I got a larger screen with a lower PPI (thanks for explaining that by the way). Would be nice if you could see samples of what text looks like on different monitors. I mean if the text wasn't blurry or fuzzy maybe something less than a retina display wouldn't be too bad if it meant I could get a bigger screen?

Well you can get a comparison point. Did you ever have a Mac before retina displays became a thing?
The ones that weren’t built to order with higher resolution displays were around 110PPI. The MacBook Air and the high resolution built to order models were around 130.

4K at 37” would be around 120. As such, at a similar viewing distance, the clarity would be slightly worse than the pre-retina Macs. (slightly worse due to scaling). Of course viewing distance wouldn’t be the same and you would generally be further away from and have bigger content on such a big panel but at the same distant quality would be about compare able

 

[colodane]

Wow, so it seems very limited as in what I can get!

Yes - that is the reality. True Retina external displays (other than Apple) are rare in all sizes.

And even Apple has really only one choice: 27 inches for $1600 +.

 

[ubercool]

LG Ultrafine 5K is the best choice. Mine is still going strong after six years. 😎

 

[nathan300]

I was in the same situation a while back with a 2017 5K iMac. To be honest, there is a reason there are so few monitor options for higher than 4k resolution displays... the difference is minimal. The 5K iMac display was originally made in partnership with LG. So after debating I decided to just try a 27” 4k from LG off eBay. I figured if nothing else it could be a second monitor if I didn’t like it. After that I ended up buying a second one at 32“ with the Ergo stand and I’m very happy with them. Comparing the 5k iMac to the 2 LGs; the resolving power is lower if you scrutinize them side by side but you have to look for it. If you just use a 4k display normally it’s great. The most notable difference is the LGs are not glossy so the glare is almost gone. If you want blacks to be at their darkest for media watching glossy screens are better. For me though the iMac is a mirror in bright lighting when dark colors are on the screen. I’d recommend trying a 4k before shelling out thousands for the Apple Studio display that is loaded with unnecessary iPhone parts built in for FaceTime etc.

 

[HighTime]

I was in the same situation a while back with a 2017 5K iMac. To be honest, there is a reason there are so few monitor options for higher than 4k resolution displays... the difference is minimal. The 5K iMac display was originally made in partnership with LG. So after debating I decided to just try a 27” 4k from LG off eBay. I figured if nothing else it could be a second monitor if I didn’t like it. After that I ended up buying a second one at 32“ with the Ergo stand and I’m very happy with them. Comparing the 5k iMac to the 2 LGs; the resolving power is lower if you scrutinize them side by side but you have to look for it. If you just use a 4k display normally it’s great. The most notable difference is the LGs are not glossy so the glare is almost gone. If you want blacks to be at their darkest for media watching glossy screens are better. For me though the iMac is a mirror in bright lighting when dark colors are on the screen. I’d recommend trying a 4k before shelling out thousands for the Apple Studio display that is loaded with unnecessary iPhone parts built in for FaceTime etc.

You know all I want is clear text, I think I have become too worried just reading what people say about fuzzy text although some of it is definitely true from images I've seen. But I do think if I get the LG with the ergo stand it should be fine, I was actually looking at some of the LG's earlier. Is this the kind of one you're referring to?

See the thing is I could get a 27" but I really wanted to upgrade a bit on the size to be honest.

 

[xraydoc]

You know all I want is clear text, I think I have become too worried just reading what people say about fuzzy text although some of it is definitely true from images I've seen. But I do think if I get the LG with the ergo stand it should be fine, I was actually looking at some of the LG's earlier. Is this the kind of one you're referring to?

See the thing is I could get a 27" but I really wanted to upgrade a bit on the size to be honest.

Text on a 32" 4K display will be good. Not as good as on your 27" retina iMac, but still decent. All comes down to what's good enough for you balanced with how much you're willing to pay.

For myself, I went with two 27" 5K Studio Displays. Cheaper than one 32" 6K XDR but I can still spread out when necessary.

 

[nathan300]

You know all I want is clear text, I think I have become too worried just reading what people say about fuzzy text although some of it is definitely true from images I've seen. But I do think if I get the LG with the ergo stand it should be fine, I was actually looking at some of the LG's earlier. Is this the kind of one you're referring to?

See the thing is I could get a 27" but I really wanted to upgrade a bit on the size to be honest.

Yes, that is the same model number for the 32” 32UN880-B. The 27” was 27MU88-W. Adding a few more points; I find the 32” almost the same as the 27” but the 27” is slighter better clarity especially if you’re trying to replicate the 27” of the iMac. Neither will get as bright as the iMac but the iMac to me gets way brighter than you really need. I went with the 32” for more room with software applications that use lots of panels, while I have kept the 27” on the right of it for coding (text). If all I had was the 32” I’d be fine, but the 27” would be my preferred monitor for what it sounds like you are looking for with text. Also, regardless of what you get. I turned off the HDR setting in Mac display settings. It’s counter-intuitive but HDR on is worse most of the time, washed out. I saw this from others and found it be true. Also I recommend setting the scaling in Mac settings to what you like size wise and ignore the performance comment it makes when changing from the default.

 

[MacGizmo]

For 5K displays you only really have two options. The studio display and the LG UltraFine 5K, both of which are basically the same as iMac display panels.

You certainly have more than two options. The LG panel is used in numerous 5k displays from other manufacturers (essentially giving you the same display with a different logo on the front).

The Kuycon G27-X comes to mind because it's gaining a lot of attention, including here at MR where it keeps coming up. It uses the LG Ultrafine panel, and includes a fully adjustable stand and VESA mount for less than $1K out the door. Looks good too.

The Samsung Viewfinity S9 also comes to mind. But there are several others from Dell and the other usual suspects. All in the 218ppi range.

I would recommend anyone looking for a 5K display to read through the extensive MacRumors forum thread on the topic here.

 

[HighTime]

You certainly have more than two options. The LG panel is used in numerous 5k displays from other manufacturers (essentially giving you the same display with a different logo on the front).

The Kuycon G27-X comes to mind because it's gaining a lot of attention, including here at MR where it keeps coming up. It uses the LG Ultrafine panel, and includes a fully adjustable stand and VESA mount for less than $1K out the door. Looks good too.

The Samsung Viewfinity S9 also comes to mind. But there are several others from Dell and the other usual suspects. All in the 218ppi range.

I would recommend anyone looking for a 5K display to read through the extensive MacRumors forum thread on the topic here.

Thanks for that. You know what the thing is, I really wanted to get a bigger display, and understand that it will not look like the iMac retina, but if it the text isn't blurred in a say 32" screen but it is not as crisp as the retina that should be ok. But I have a few weeks to decide yet so will keep on thinking about it. Thanks for that thread will give it a look.

 

[MacGizmo]

I have the LG 34" Ultrawide 5k/2k display, which gives you a 5120x2160 resolution. Though I use it at a lower resolution, it is perfectly readable at that resolution, unlike a 27" display which is nearly unusable at the full 5K res because everything appears so much smaller. It offers a 163ppi, so it's not quite Retina quality, but still pretty decent.

The biggest problem I have with it is that it's almost too wide for my old eyes and I find myself inching closer to the screen when I need to read small text in the far left/right of the screen. In hindsight, I probably should have went with two 27" Kuycon-like displays. I would say Apple Studio Displays, but the pricing for the base model is just obscene.

 

[tstafford]

Thanks for that. You know what the thing is, I really wanted to get a bigger display, and understand that it will not look like the iMac retina, but if it the text isn't blurred in a say 32" screen but it is not as crisp as the retina that should be ok. But I have a few weeks to decide yet so will keep on thinking about it. Thanks for that thread will give it a look.

Have you looked at the Dell 6K?

 

[HighTime]

The Kuycon G27-X comes to mind because it's gaining a lot of attention, including here at MR where it keeps coming up. It uses the LG Ultrafine panel, and includes a fully adjustable stand and VESA mount for less than $1K out the door. Looks good too.

I took a look at this and it seems good. I'm trying to see if they will deliver to where I am, if they do I might go for it, but somehow I doubt they will be able to deliver here.

 

[jdb8167]

I took a look at this and it seems good. I'm trying to see if they will deliver to where I am, if they do I might go for it, but somehow I doubt they will be able to deliver here.

That looks like a great solution. Let us know how it works out if that is what you are getting.

 

[HighTime]

That looks like a great solution. Let us know how it works out if that is what you are getting.

I just messaged them and they said there is an updated version. If they can ship to me, I'm gonna give it a go. I kept thinking about it and I need crisp text over screen real estate. And now I'm thinking if and when I do want more screen space I might just save my pennies and get another one of these if it turns out to be good.

You guys who have two monitors next to each other? Doesn't the bezel line down the middle put you off? I've never used a two monitor setup. Some of you must have the main screen in the middle right in front of you and the other off to the side maybe as well?

 

[HighTime]

Have you looked at the Dell 6K?

I forgot all about that. I had seen it a while back, lovely but just too expensive and I can't get it here either.

 

[HighTime]

I probably should have went with two 27" Kuycon-like displays

You know like I just posted above I'm actually gonna go for one of these if they ship to where I am, just waiting for them to confirm. Will go for one now and then maybe some time in the future if need be go for another. Tbh I don't really need the extra space just seems like a lovely luxury to have.

 

[HighTime]

That looks like a great solution. Let us know how it works out if that is what you are getting.

You know I didn't realise it but they also have a 34 and 40" monitor. The PPI on the 34" is 163. But if they ship, I'm still gonna try the 27" 5k.

Anyone got any links or pics of what text at 163 PPI looks like?

 

[justmadeupname]

My question: has anybody in the UK (or even Europe) ordered one the Kuycon 27" retina monitors?

I'm also looking for a 27" retina monitor and mainly also for text.

Ordering the G27-X (non updated model) with regular stand stand to the UK (shipping & import costs included but to be confirmed by Kuycon) works out around at least £1083. A refurbished ASD in the UK is £1269, new is £1499.

For me still not worth the risk for that price -- no possibility of Apple Care and returns for repairs in out and out of warranty would most likely be out of the UK (more costs and headaches).

 

[turbineseaplane]

Kuycon 27" seems too expensive given it’s from a random third party and dealing with any issues will be really challenging and/or expensive

 

[HighTime]

My question: has anybody in the UK (or even Europe) ordered one the Kuycon 27" retina monitors?

I'm also looking for a 27" retina monitor and mainly also for text.

Ordering the G27-X (non updated model) with regular stand stand to the UK (shipping & import costs included but to be confirmed by Kuycon) works out around at least £1083. A refurbished ASD in the UK is £1269, new is £1499.

For me still not worth the risk for that price -- no possibility of Apple Care and returns for repairs in out and out of warranty would most likely be out of the UK (more costs and headaches).

Kuycon 27" seems too expensive given it’s from a random third party and dealing with any issues will be really challenging and/or expensive

I hear you guys, I haven't ordered yet.

I'm not currently in the UK, the ASD costs me £1532 where I am located at the moment. The Kuycon with delivery is estimated at £982 pounds for the upgraded version and a stand. But yeah, they are virtually unheard of but I haven't seen any major criticism of them from the few people who have posted reviews. I don't know, if it were only a couple of hundred pounds worth of difference between the ASD and this I'd go for the ASD, but £500 odd is quite a difference. Will it backfire 🤷🏽, who knows.

Like I said, still haven't pulled the trigger yet since the Mac studio won't get here for a couple of weeks anyway.

 

[HighTime]

I'm also looking for a 27" retina monitor and mainly also for text.

Have you narrowed it down to any that you are considering? I'd be interested to know what you might go for.

 

[justmadeupname]

Have you narrowed it down to any that you are considering? I'd be interested to know what you might go for.

I'm considering the Apple Studio Display but I'm curious about other glossy "retina" monitors.

An iMac M3 would suffice for me if the built in speakers were better. Less desk clutter is important to me.

AppleCare+ is important as well, so is "ease" of any eventual repairs as well as speed of delivery to the UK.

Budget was £1000 though I can stretch to £1269 refurbished Apple Studio Display in UK as it includes speakers & webcam

So thinking more, the Kuycon 27" seems less and less appealing to me although great price in the USA/Canada for example.