Will I notice a difference as a programmer upgrading from 2xDell U2715H to 2xApple Studio Display?

[covertsurfer]

My 2 Dell monitors work fine running at 2560x1440, I have one vertical and one horizontal but I've been wondering whether to upgrade.

Essentially the screen real estate will stay the same but I assume it will just be twice as clear? I don't have any issues seeing text etc as a programmer on these monitors so am I wasting my money or will I be amazed at doubled defninition of text etc?

Is there anything else I'm missing that these might bring?

 

[Fishrrman]

My prediction is that text will be "clear-ER", but NOT "twice as clear".
It will certainly be "noticeable". Perhaps quite so.

Have you visited an Apple Store to see a Studio Display "in real life"?

 

[avkills]

I would recommend the above. When I went and looked at one, compared to my ultra wide 38", I was like, nope too small.

 

[iStorm]

Also have to consider how far away you're sitting from these monitors. The further away you are, the less benefit a retina/HiDPI display has. Can you see the pixels on the text from where you're sitting now? If not, you may notice very little improvement.

Do you have a MBP with a retina display? If so, put it next to your Dell displays and see if you can see any difference from your normal sitting distance. It won't be an exact comparison since the MBP has a higher pixel density than the studio display, but it should give you a rough idea of what to expect.

 

[Bigwaff]

I don't have any issues seeing text etc as a programmer on these monitors so am I wasting my money or will I be amazed at doubled defninition of text etc?

I've used IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm on both 4K displays and Apple 2K Thunderbolt displays. Home office, I swapped out the Apple TBD for the ASD about a year ago. Of course the difference was very noticeable. I find the 5K display makes an incredible difference in both IDE (where I spend the majority of my work computing time) vs 4K/2K displays. I sit about 18" - 24" from the display. The ASD is my main display w/ MBP to the left and the TBD to the right for Teams/Zoom/etc. I will be considering a second ASD to replace the TBD in the future.

 

[tstafford]

You need to see it yourself. IMO the display is the most subjective component of a set-up. Some folks find 4K to be spectacular, others can't tolerate it.

I love the ASD but I don't think it's for everyone.

 

[seggy]

The PoV of 4K users isnt the best comparison since Retina off-even scaling is kinda iffy - MacOS seems to be quite a bit worse than Windows in this particular scenario. It's certainly fine for most casual use, but maybe not if you're going to be glued to the screen in a pro capacity.

However at the 2x default retina scaling of the 5K, certainly noticeably (and more consistently than 4K for the above reason) sharper. So if you're looking at smaller text all day, yes.

 

[meson]

The PoV of 4K users isnt the best comparison

That’s a level of arrogance that was unexpected.

For a long time Apple’s 13” and 15” retina displays defaulted to a scaled resolution and no one complained and no one mentioned the extra gpu cycles nor impact on battery life. Yet, on a desktop that is permanently powered these are deal breakers for some reason. Apple’s scaling works just fine.

If you want input about 4k, then 4k users are the ones to ask. I chose 32” @ 4k because at that size I can use the full native 4k resolution. Even at only 140 pixels per inch, the text looks markedly better at scaled resolutions of 3008x1692 and 2560x1440 than it does on my 110 pixels per inch displays. At 27” and 163 pixels per inch, things will be even sharper. I chose screen real estate over sharpness to avoid requiring a second display. Everyone’s needs are different, but this works for me for the 6-10 hours per day I spend in front of it in TeXShop and other text heavy apps.

I can make my text look like the crappy images floated by bloggers and YouTubers by switching to a sharpness favoring gaming mode, choosing a non-hidpi resolution, or a resolution that is too low. Apple handles 4k hidpi resolutions just fine. It’s just that the pixels are a wee bit bigger. If it’s a problem, you can always slide the display back a couple inches.

Yes, we have a 27” retina iMac at home, and yes it looks wonderful, as do all glossy displays with Apple’s native calibration and higher pixel densities. An ASD would be a noticeable and welcomed improvement for the OP, as would a nice 4k display. Only the user can answer whether a little sharper image is worth a favor of 2-5 per display.

 

[Rnd-chars]

As someone who spends a lot of time reading text, code, and system architecture diagrams I personally find the Studio Display well worth it. It’s easier on my eyes than my old 27” 2560x1440 monitor and I appreciate the build quality, speakers and camera. It’s just a nicer experience all around.

The only monitor I’d be tempted to replace it with would be the XDR, though I have a hard time justifying the cost.

You sound like you’re on the fence and considering it’s not an insignificant amount of money (especially for two monitors), perhaps it’s just not for you. If you switch between your Dells and your (presumably) Retina display on one of your Apple products and don’t really notice a difference, perhaps this is money you can better spend elsewhere.

 

[xraydoc]

Much sharper, yes. Whether it’s worth the price is up to you.

 

[curnalpanic]

I replaced a U2515H (same resolution as yours but only 25") with an iMac 5K two years ago, and I am still surprised how much smoother everything is, although I do rotate between a 4K/32" monitor at another location.

I would recommend it!

 

[seggy]

That’s a level of arrogance that was unexpected.

For a long time Apple’s 13” and 15” retina displays defaulted to a scaled resolution and no one complained and no one mentioned the extra gpu cycles nor impact on battery life. Yet, on a desktop that is permanently powered these are deal breakers for some reason. Apple’s scaling works just fine.

If you want input about 4k, then 4k users are the ones to ask. I chose 32” @ 4k because at that size I can use the full native 4k resolution. Even at only 140 pixels per inch, the text looks markedly better at scaled resolutions of 3008x1692 and 2560x1440 than it does on my 110 pixels per inch displays. At 27” and 163 pixels per inch, things will be even sharper. I chose screen real estate over sharpness to avoid requiring a second display. Everyone’s needs are different, but this works for me for the 6-10 hours per day I spend in front of it in TeXShop and other text heavy apps.

I can make my text look like the crappy images floated by bloggers and YouTubers by switching to a sharpness favoring gaming mode, choosing a non-hidpi resolution, or a resolution that is too low. Apple handles 4k hidpi resolutions just fine. It’s just that the pixels are a wee bit bigger. If it’s a problem, you can always slide the display back a couple inches.

Yes, we have a 27” retina iMac at home, and yes it looks wonderful, as do all glossy displays with Apple’s native calibration and higher pixel densities. An ASD would be a noticeable and welcomed improvement for the OP, as would a nice 4k display. Only the user can answer whether a little sharper image is worth a favor of 2-5 per display.

o no tell me where i touched you

that was a long screed for no good reason and the same conclusion at the end 🤣

 

[AZhappyjack]

Your wallet will definitely be significantly lighter... as far as resolution for text, in my experience did notice much difference... returned my ASD for an LG 32" 4K monitor.

 

[learjet]

Do most of you use the glossy or the nanotexture version of the ASD?

 

[xraydoc]

Do most of you use the glossy or the nanotexture version of the ASD?

I have two standard glass models. I've actually never used one of the nanotexture ones.

 

[seggy]

Do most of you use the glossy or the nanotexture version of the ASD?

I got the standard ASDs for where I'm putting in a fewer number of new Macs to replace my old Macs from '19.

I have nanotexture on my first batch of XDR's so I know what it does, and if glare isn't a specific problem where you place your displays, then my opinion is that you're wasting money and increasing trouble.

 

[tstafford]

Do most of you use the glossy or the nanotexture version of the ASD?

All glossy here. They're gorgeous.

 

[learjet]

I got the standard ASDs for where I'm putting in a fewer number of new Macs to replace my old Macs from '19.

I have nanotexture on my first batch of XDR's so I know what it does, and if glare isn't a specific problem where you place your displays, then my opinion is that you're wasting money and increasing trouble.

Increasing trouble because ability to clean? Blurriness?

 

[seggy]

Increasing trouble because ability to clean? Blurriness?

The lack of contrast is a factor, but yeah - just being apprehensive about doing a spit take near a monitor is a problem.

 

[zach-coleman]

In my personal experience (just 1440 to studio display, not precise monitor) yes, it is night and day. If you have an Apple Store nearby go check it out. Do not get the nano texture, it looks terrible.

 

[fgengineer]

Text will be clearer. At 1440p and 27 inches, text looks awful to my eyes now.

Is it worth it in terms of productivity? No.

Is it worth it in terms of 2 times clearer text? No

Is it worth it in terms of good financial sense? No

Is it worth it in that it looks better and I appreciate it? Yes


That said, the ASDs have a lot of gotchas. They work best if you are purely in the Apple ecosystem. Working with them on windows or Linux can be a pain and they only have one input.

I bought one, but returned it since I am not entirely on the Apple ecosystem and I have a lot of devices. I did have 2 of the LG 5Ks and I loved the text on them, but those had even more gotchas.

Get these if you want something that looks better and you can afford to splurge on them.

With such a high value and subjective item, I would definitely consider trying them out. Buy one from a place that has an easy return policy and work with it side by side and then decide if it is worth it for you.

 

[MikeDr206]

You’ll notice a huge difference. I’m an attorney, and deal with text all day. Compared to my old Dell 5K (and my new Dell 6K), the ancient Apple Cinema Display (27“, 2560x1440) my mom has, and which I use when visiting her, is just ugh.

 

[Eggtastic]

Just curious what you decided. I have the U2515H, still works great but would like to upgrade size and to 4k. Debating a 32" 4k monitor or going big and getting an LG c3 42 as it would sit far back enough to not be a problem. I won't be considering an ASD I can't really justify the cost for my light usage.