The LG 34UC98-W 34-Inch 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD IPS Monitor blends great picture and features that make it a great option for any MacBook Pro owner. Equipped with two Thunderbolt 2.0 input/output ports, this monitor allows you to transfer data from compatible devices with incredible speeds far superior to USB 2.0. Astropad’s Luna Display isn’t just for your MacBook. It turns out that you can take advantage of that tiny little red dongle to turn your iPad into your one and only Mac Mini display. Apple tends to make announcements relating to the Mac Pro at WWDC, so it's feasible that we could learn more about it's plans for the Mac Pro, and the accompanying display, at WWDC in June 2018.
With a USB-C-to-Lightning cable, and the $9.99 Duet Display app, you can turn an iPad Pro into a monitor for easy work. And if you're using iWork, you can easily continue your work on your tablet. In this video, we listed the top 5 best monitors for mac in 2018. I made this list based on my personal opinion and i tried to list them based on their price, quality, durability and more.
BestUSB-C Monitors for MacbooksiMore2019
If your daily-use Mac is a MacBook and you need a bigger display than the 13 or 15-inch laptop screen, your best bet is LG's 27-inch 4K display for its versatility and price. It's perfect for most people, though there are other monitors better suited to different needs.
Best Overall: LG 27UK850-W
LG's latest 4K display is perfectly sized for most people at 27-inches. It supports a wide range of peripherals, including USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, HDMI, and standard headphones.
The best part of this monitor is its ability to power your MacBook while acting as a display so that your battery does not limit you. It can even power the 13-inch MacBook Pro with ease (though it struggles to keep the 15-inch MacBook Pro juiced up more than a trickle during use).
Pros:
- Built-in USB hub for all your peripherals
- Easy setup
- 4K display
- 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time
- IPS 3-side borderless display
Best Overall
LG 27UK850-W
The best USB-C monitor for most people.
This 4K monitor is perfectly situated between price and features with a variety of ports, high-speed data transfer, and 60W charging for your MacBook.
The 27-inch Envy has a great display that looks as good as its hardware. It's ultra-thin with a 'micro-edge' bezel, meaning it has a 3-sided nearly bezel-less edge, so you see more on the screen than, say an iMac's 27-inch screen. The USB-C connector powers up to the 13-inch MacBook Pro (it'll trickle charge the 15-inch MacBook Pro, too) so you won't have to worry about battery drain.
It's got a small base for minimal desktop footprint and can be mounted on a wall. With two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, and support for AMD FreeSync, it's the perfect gaming display, movie-watching screen, and everyday monitor.
Pros:
- 4K display
- Fast 60Hz refresh rate
- Zero lag for gaming
Best Value
HP Envy 27
An affordable option that looks as great as it performs.
The HP Envy 27 is a quality model monitor for this price. With a 27-inch 4K display and USB-C connection, you're getting the biggest bang for your buck.
The price tag on the LG UltraFine 4K is very appealing. You can have a quality 4K monitor that works seamlessly with your Mac. Though it doesn't have the Apple design aesthetic, the good stuff is all on the inside. Just like an Apple brand monitor, all of the monitor's controls are available in the settings section of your Mac.
This 24-inch display fits right into the pocket of reasonably priced and excellent quality if you don't mind the boxy black look. As for the price, you can get two of them for almost the price of one LG UltraFine 5K Display.
Pros:
- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Dual-screen full 4K display support
- Supports 85W charging
- Easy to set up
Best for daisy-chain
LG UltraFine 4K
Dual-screen full 4K support.
Hook up two for a beautiful, bright, and convenient workflow for your Mac laptop.
Though LG's UltraFine 5K was designed specifically with Apple's MacBook Pro in mind; it's the 34WK95U-W that wins our hearts. This 5K monitor has a 5120 x 2160 resolution, 34-inch display, a Thunderbolt 3 port, an HDMI port, a DisplayPort port, and a couple of USB-A ports. It's more versatile than the UltraFine, and that's ultra-fine with us.
Pros:
- Pro-quality technology
- Nano ISP color 5K display
- USB hub
- Versatile input options
Cons:
- No built-in camera or microphone
- Poor built-in speaker quality
Calibrate Mac Monitor For Print
Premium option
LG 34WK95U-W Nano-ISP UltraWide
From MacBook to iMac with LG and Thunderbolt 3.
Use LG's UltraWide monitor with your Mac laptop and daisy chain it with a second 4K monitor and have data transfer up to 40Gbsp and 85W charging.
With LG's latest update to its UltraFine 5K monitor, you can use it along with your 2018 (or later) iPad Pro with USB-C. That's because the monitor now supports USB-C and Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt 3 charges the MacBook Pro and the three USB-C ports offer 5Gbps downstream. Its 27 inches big, which is about the size of Apple's larger iMac, and has a similar P3 wide color gamut with 500 nits brightness. For full 5K resolution on a larger display, the UltraFine 5K is your perfect choice.
Its biggest downfall is that it doesn't quite have that Apple aesthetic. LG has designed an attractive Edge-Arcline base for some of its monitors, which looks better with Apple products. The UltraFine 5K, unfortunately, still has that big, boxy black base.
Pros:
- Up to 5K resolution
- Designed for Apple
- Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C
- Built-in speakers, camera, and mic
Best for iPad Pro
LG UltraFine 5K
Full 5K display plus support for USB-C.
If your workflow includes both a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro, this is the monitor you want for performance, reliability, and productivity.
The future is curved, and LG is the pioneer of bending the display rules. This 38-inch UltraWide monitor has a 21:9 ratio with split-screen support and is perfect for graphic designers and professional photo and video editors. The display has a USB-C data transfer port, two USB- A ports, plus a couple of HDMI ports, and a DisplayPort port.
Pros:
- Well-designed
- Easy setup
- Versatile ports
- Good built-in audio
Best Curved
LG 38WK95C-W Curved UltraWide
Ahead of the curve.
If you need to charge your Mac laptop and transfer data at the same time, you're in luck because this curvy beauty has what you want.
The ZenScreen is a favorite around the iMore office for its incredible portability. It's a 15.6-inch screen with a USB-C connector. You can rotate between landscape and portrait mode, and it's compatible with Thunderbolt 3. If you need a second screen when you're headed for the coffee shop, this takes up just the right amount of space without being a burden on your portability.
Pros:
- Weighs less than 2 pounds
- Ultra-slim at only 8mm thick
- Comes with its own cover
- 60Hz refresh rate
Best on a budget
ASUS ZenScreen
As portable as it gets.
The ZenScreen is ASUS's very portable monitor with its own USB-C port, a great-looking IPS panel, and Eye Car technology to prevents eye fatigue.
Bottom line
Picking the right second screen for your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro is a difficult one. It's important to consider how much room you have on your desk, what you plan to use your Mac laptop for, and how much you can afford. That's why the LG 27UK850-W is the perfect fit for most people. At 27-inches, it's big, but not too big. It's got an incredible 4K screen resolution and a variety of versatile ports for connecting all manner of peripherals.
If the LG 27Uk850 is just a bit out of your range, the HP Envy 27 truly is the next best thing. With 4K resolution and USB-C support, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the LG model does, but it's got everything you need to make your second screen work for you. Your most significant compromise is that there are fewer ports than the more expensive model, and the base isn't as sturdy.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Lory Gil is iMore's managing editor and spends more time in front of her monitors than she does anywhere else. She's constantly switching between desktop and mobile for work and knows how important an easy setup is.
Luke Filipowicz is iMore's gaming guru and knows how important a great monitor with zero lag is. If he had the room on his desk, he'd surround himself with 360-degrees of 4k displays.
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The price range for 4K monitors is falling down from last few months due to release of few incredible 5K monitors. But you can avail great response from these 4K monitors to meet your routine office, gaming or graphic design needs. Here we have collected few facts related to how you must choose a new monitor and further the article will help you to get comparative analysis of top 10 4K monitors available in market for your Macs. Hopefully, this article will help you to make easy decision for your next investment related to 4K monitors for Mac mini, iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Pro etc. The details here are described on the basis of top comparison factors like display technologies, price, compatibility etc.
In this article, we will share with you about things you need to consider before buying a 4k monitor for Mac as well as some of the best 4K monitors for Mac.
Part 1: Things to Consider When Buying a Monitor for Mac:
Section 1.Ports
There are two common options for connectivity, either you can access thunderbolt or go for HDMI cables. The ThunderBolt connectivity option gives you two connection abilities, either you can try the first generation system or go for advanced 2nd and 3rd generation. Each one of these have different capabilities. The Thunderbolt 1 offers easy connection with DisplayPort 1.1 a and allows maximum video throughput of 8.64 GBPS. ThunderBolt 2 can handle Display Port 1.2 with maximum video throughput ranging up to 17.28 GBPS. Third option is ThunderBolt 3 that has ability to work with 40GBPS throughput.
HDMI ports also assist in easy connectivity with MacBook Pro, Mac mini and Mac Pro models. Most of the latest Mac units are designed with HDMI 1.4 connectivity option that can handle 4K Display and Ultra HD Display at 24Hz and 30Hz rating respectively. On the other side, HDMI 2.0 offers 4K display connectivity while handling 60 Hz output.
Section 2.4K Supported Macs
It is possible to connect external monitors with most of Mac Computers. You can easily transfer details between 4K Ultra HD TV and 4K Monitors. Here is the top compatibility list:
- MacBook-Retina, 12”.
- iMac, 27”.
- Mac Pro
- Mac Mini
- MacBook Air and
- MacBook Pro
It is also possible to make connections via HDMI cable with supported resolution level of 3840 by 2160 and 4096 by 2160 at 30Hz and 24 Hz respectively.
Section 3.Single Stream (SST) Displays and Multi Stream Transport (MST) Displays:
The 4K resolution with 60Hz range is often managed with Multi-Stream Transport technology because this method helps to combine two halves impressively on single larger surface. On the other side with Single Stream Transport option there is no need for stitching. For gamers, it is much better to go ahead with SST technology as it can better handle 4K details with 60Hz range.
Related:4K Monitor Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right Monitor
Part 2: Top 10 Best 4K Monitors for Your Mac:
1. Dell P2715Q 4K Monitor:
This Dell monitor can handle 3840x2160 resolution level with extended support to 8 million pixels. It helps to generate finer views on screen with smart color sharing. The availability of HDMI port, USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort and DisplayPort makes it suitable for easy connectivity. The viewing angles can be adjusted to 178 degrees whereas 1,07 billions colours are well distributed on screen. The contrast ratio is 2 million to 1 whereas brightness level can be adjusted to 350cd/m2 range. Color accuracy is improved up to 99% with sRGB and preferred response time is 9ms. It is also possible to make daisy chain connectivity via DisplayPorts.
Related:Dell P2715Q 4K Monitor Full Review
2.Samsung UE590 4K FreeSync Monitor:
This 16:9 UHD 4K monitor handles all videos and images with added crispness and clarity so that users can enjoy fine details to complete their professional task. Resolution goes up to 3840 by 2160 level where sRGB technology supports 100% color gamut. Incredibly, the response time is rated to be 1ms and AMD FreeSycn technology can make gamers more happy by managing input lags. You can also access Pic-in-Pic technology for enjoying multitasking. The viewing angles are adjusted to be 170 degree/ 160 degree. You can make easy connections to external world via Display Port and HDMI option.
Related:Samsung UE590 4K FreeSync Monitor Full Review
3. Asus PB287Q:
Asus has designed stunning 4K monitor with 3840x2160 resolution support and the response time is enhances up to 1ms – definitely a great news for gamers. It can handle 60Hs refresh rate for 4K videos. The color lookup table is of 10 bit with 157 pixels adjusted per inch so that color accuracy can be increased with professional detailing. Other than this, you will be able to find several impressive features like night view, game mode, sRGB technology, theatre mode, darkroom mode and reader mode. Display properties can be easily adjusted for every unique mode. The connectivity options are DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4.
4. LG 27UD88 4K USB Type-C Monitor:
It is much easier to connect laptop, tablet and smartphones to this monitor via USB 3.0 port and the quick charge technology also allows fast charging facility to compatible devices. Other than this, you can access DisplayPort and HDMI port. The resolution level goes up to 3840 by 2160 whereas sRGB technology handles 99% color accuracy. This monitor is also equipped with color calibration and calibration hardware that allows easy adjustments on screen. The fine and easy to handle screen controls provide easy settings for contrast and brightness etc. Gamers will love to enjoy this monitor with its FreeSync abilities and the added Black Stabilizer.
Related:LG 27UD88 4K USB Type-C Monitor Complete Review
5. Dell P2415Q 4K Monitor:
Dell has designed this 23.8” display to offer great functionality. There are wide range of connectivity options including HDMI, DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort and USB 3.0 port where daisy chaining is also allowed to handle tablets and smartphones with ease. The viewing angle is supported with 178 degree rating whereas display screen can handle 1.07 billion colours with higher accuracy. The sRGB technology leads to 99% accuracy and brightness level is adjusted up to 300 cd/m2. You can enjoy 8ms response time on this screen with 2:1 million contrast ratio.
Related:Dell P2415Q 4K Monitor Review
6. LG UltraFine 4K Display:
Those who are using MacBook model 2016 or later are advised to invest for LG UltarfIne 4K display unit. You can easily power your MAcBook via USB-C port of your monitor. The screen size is 21.5” and it is also compatible with VESA. It can handle more pixels per inch whereas the audio connectivity can be enhanced with stereo speakers available with device. All three USB-C ports can handle 480 Mbps range and allows easy transfer of power, data as well as videos. The resolution goes up to 4096x2304 and the color accuracy is enhanced with its extended support to 9.4 million pixels. You can enjoy impressive viewing angle adjustment and brightness goes up to 500 cd/m2 with fine color range support.
Related:LG UltraFine 4K Monitor Complete Review
7. LG 27UD58-B:
If you are searching for a handsome deal that can manage your 4K games with incredible video quality then LG 27UD58 is nice choice for you. This monitor is designed with IPS technology and can handle 178 degree viewing angle with wide color support. The resolution support is up to 3840 by 2160 and it can manage 8.3 million pixels with crisp details. The color support goes up to 1.07 billion that makes fine adjustments for darker and brighter areas. It possesses FreeSych technology for gamers and response time is 5 ms where graphic cards can be handled with fine and smooth data transfer abilities.
Related: LG 27UD68 4K FreeSync Monitor Review in 2017
8. Dell UP2715Q:
This incredible monitor from Dell features 5K resolution support and display can be connected via 2 DisplayPorts. Other than this it has mini-Display port to support 4K ranges. With IPS panel technology, it becomes able to handle 1.074 billion colours with wider angles. The viewing angle is managed up to 178 degree and featured contrast ratio is 8,000,000: 1 with 8ms response time. Brightness level can be adjusted to 350 cd/m2 and Adobe RGB handles 99% color accuracy with finer details for all red, blue and green appearances. The stand be replaced with VESA and it also provides USB 3.0 based connectivity options.
Related:Dell P2715Q 4K Monitor Review
9. HP Envy 27” 4K UHD Display:
This 27 inch display screen is designed with IPS LED backlight support and the micro edge bezel with its clean design makes it look more elegant. You can use its sturdy Stand as well as can make connection via VESA wall mounting option. It works with 60Hz refresh rate and gamers will love its AMD FreeSync response. It is possible to eliminate the troubles associated with tearing and stuttering. The external port options include HDMI, Display Port and USB-C. This is a low price solution for gamers as its sRGB technology offers 99% accuracy for color gamut and brightness level goes up to 350 cd/m2.
Related:HP Envy 27 4K USB-C Monitor Review
10. Lenovo ThinkVision X1:
Lenovo has design ThinkVision X1 with lots of impressive features that suits best for most of professional applications. It can handle billions of vibrant colours with incredible distribution. ThinkVision offers better support to multi mode camera, speakers, borderless screen. It’s Built in type FHD camera also assists in enhancement of VoIP collaboration. You will have wide connectivity options with its Display Port, USB and HDMI port. The aspect ratio is 16:9, brightness rating is 300cd/m2 and viewing angle goes up to 178 degrees with fine support to color information up to edges.
Recommend: Use Filmora scrn Screen Recorder Software to record your gaming and edit your gaming video easily. It can record up to 120 FPS and record the gaming screen and the webcam simultaneously. Download Filmora Scrn to check its features by your own.
If you need to edit videos on your Mac, you will need a video editing software which supports 4K as well. We recommend you to edit 4K videos with Wondershare Filmora9 video editor. With the new release version 9 of Filmora video editor, you can now preview the 4K videos in full quality and edit it with the real-time rendering which provides better editing experience as well.
Easy-to-use and powerful video editor for all creators.
Bring up your video to a professional level with straightforward tools.
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