Resolved Need help with monitor choice

[whocares1234]

Hi, I'm a plug/play type hoping someone more in-the-know can provide advice on external monitors.

I currently have a Dell SE2719HR (displaying at 1920x1080) connected through HDMI via the Apple-brand dongle, that is connected to the USB-C port on my M1 Air.

It looks horrible. Text is pixelated. Don't know why. All I know from briefly reading reviews about monitors online is there's much more than meets the eye, and buying the correct monitor isn't simple. I purchased the one I've now believing it would suffice and it certainly does not.

I don't game. I spend A LOT of time reading through documents, reading, and writing. I'd like a curved screen. I want to stay at or above 27". Preferably 32. (I need the space.) *Note: the Air M1 doesn't support dual monitors.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Apple Studio Display or Google the thousands of monitor threads on the forums/internet.

 

[whocares1234]

Apple Studio Display or Google the thousands of monitor threads on the forums/internet.

Apple studio display for text? I'm sure there are thousands of monitor threads, however I'm not willing to sift through all of them in the hopes I will find one meeting my specific needs. Yours is not a helpful response.

 

[chabig]

It looks horrible. Text is pixelated. Don't know why.

This is a low resolution display. 1920 x 1080 will always look pixelated at 27 inches. You really want something 4K, higher if you’re going to go to 32 inches.

 

[mcnallym]

is pixellaged as is a 1080p screen which really for text is 24” screen and large blocky text at 27”. If eyesight not great then can be useful however a lot of people will not touch a 1080p 27” screen.
tend to be popular with gamers as larger screen but screen refresh rate higher as lower res.

Well as already suggested then an Apple Studio Display.
will default to a looks like 2560 x 1440 mode, and use 4 pixels to for 1 pixel compared to actual 2560 x 1440 monitor.
Text will be as clear and sharp as can get on an Apple Computer. If concerned about what the screen output is like then this is the safe bet.
will also provide upto 96w to your laptop so no need for seperate cable for power.
would suggest however that get the Vesa version and a nice vesa arm mount for it so can arrange monitor as want.

if do not want to spend that much then get a Dell U2722D which is the Dell Ultradisplay 27” monitor with a res of 2560 x 1440. So same screen estate and effective resolution but uses 1/4 of pixels so whilst text still sharp will not be as sharp. However unless used to retina screens then you shouldn’t have an issue with it.

At 27” then you don’t need the curve if at correct distance from the screen.

If really want a curved then consider Dell U4924W which is 49” monitor across and 5120 x 1440. So basicly a single monitor but the equiv of 2 x 27” 2560 x 1440 monitors side by side. Also usb hub with 90w so single cable for power and monitor.

will get you about the most real estate can get, effectively two monitors but only one actual monitor so mba only see’s one monitor.

32” 2560 x 1440 going to be similar but not quite as bad as a 1080p 27” and generally nobody happy with that on a Mac in the threads out there.

4k screen at 32” going to be very small text so would have to start scaling which won’t do nicely as half of 4K is 1920 x 1080, and I have al ways found that modern screens run off actual res look weird however other people say is OK. So if fancy a gamble on if happy with a 4K 32” scaling then Dell U3223QE. Will also provide power if use the USB-C input to your m1 mba.

I use Dell Ultrasharp monitors with Macs and always been happy with them

Dell 2405, Dell 3008wfp, Dell U2719D.

 

[JPack]

Get an ultrawide IPS black monitor like Dell U3423WE. The U-series monitors are Mac compatible meaning you get full driver and firmware support. It has a USB-C connection so it’s direct to your Mac without any adapters. You might spot cheaper or more aggressively curved monitors, but those are likely based on VA panels and is not what you want.

 

[VivienM]

Dell has a 6K Retina-class 32" monitor nowadays. Probably big $$$$ but should work very nicely with a (newer) Mac...

 

[theMarble]

The key things to look for in a display (in my opinion) are:
- 100+ ppi (pixels per inch - this determines sharpness and clarity)
- IPS or OLED (colours don't look like crap + viewing angles are good)

I highly suggest reading the two articles about Mac external displays by Bjango, the developer of iStat Menus:
https://bjango.com/articles/macexternaldisplays/
https://bjango.com/articles/macexternaldisplays2/

 

[whocares1234]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. Dell U2722D as recommended by mcnallym is within my price range and seems to be an okay compromise considering information provided. I'm not stuck on Dell either, at all. Just happened to be what I purchased because it was on sale. The Dell U3423WE JPack suggested is beyond my budget. I will have a read of the two articles, theMarble.

 

[salamanderjuice]

Part of the problem is that Apple removed support for subpixel rendering in 10.14. Subpixel rendering is used to improve the look of text on non-Retina displays. If you plug in a Windows PC on the same monitor it won't look as bad because Windows still supports subpixel rendering.

Note that the "space" isn't really linked to the screen size but the resolution of the screen. A 27" 1440p screen will have the same space as a 32" 1440p one. Non-retina displays really only look good at their native resolutions.

For sharper text on a budget I would go with a 4K (3840x2160). It's not too hard to find one for $200-300 and can be found at most retailers so you can take a look in person. 4K is high enough you can run it at "retina" resolutions and you can scale it to look like 1440p to give more space. There is a bit of a tradeoff with 4K at 27". It won't look as sharp as your Macbook but it will be sharper than your 1080p monitor.

 

[sierrablue]

I second that. If budget is an issue get at least a 4K monitor. I did and no more blurry text.

 

[goldpin]

I've been very happy with the Dell U2723QE. 4K, good contrast, thin bezels, good ergonomics, connects with thunderbolt cable or HDMI, works with an iPad Pro well, too.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"Thanks all for the suggestions so far. Dell U2722D as recommended by mcnallym is within my price range and seems to be an okay compromise considering information provided"

Something else you may or may not know:
With the Dell "U" series, you can use the Dell "Display Manager for Mac" software.
See this page:

Dell Display and Peripheral Manager for macOS | Dell US

 

[whocares1234]

Thanks very much again for the recs everyone.​

I've purchased a Dell S2722QC — it was in stock, on sale, and within budget. Not from the "UltraSharp" line as some suggested, however this so far appears to be a significant improvement on what I was working with before.

 

[Reg88]

FWIW I've got a S2722QC and it's great with my 2023 Mini M2 Pro running at 2560x1440. Crisp and clear and works well for the price. I have it next to a dell U2415 and while the U is a bit sharper, I can't really tell much of a difference. Thus, my next monitor will probably be the U3423W since I'm curious to see if I liked the curved approach and fewer wires on my desk - and I'm not too worried about not having 4K at 34" since I'm good at 2560x1440.

But I've been using dual and triple monitor setups for a decade so we'll see how the one large monitor approach works.

Hope the helps someone out!