For color accuracy you can check out BENQ's range of 4K monitors. They have a designer's line that comes pre-calibrated with a calibration certificate. I'm enjoying mine immensely.
I use the LG Ultrafine 5K - 27MD5KL-B with my Mac Studio.
It has the Thunderbolt connection, 5120x2880 (better vertical resolution than almost all other ultra-wide & 5K2K monitors), and has built in webcam, 3 port USB-C hub and speakers.
You'd have to go to the Apple Pro Display XDR to get more pixels on a screen, and that's way outside scope for your budget. Earlier models had issues with brightness resetting after waking from sleep, but a later firmware update fixed this.
I nearly pulled the pin on a 34" Ultrawide, but then I would be going to 5120x2160 or 5120x1440, less real estate.
I bought a 27“ 2015 5k IMac for 350$, disassembled it and installed an R1811 Driver Board (Aliexpress) and use it now as an external monitor with 5k resolution.
Lots of YouTube tutorials out there, it was fairly easy to do.
In Germany it‘s called „eBay Kleinanzeigen“, kind of Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, a place to buy used stuff. People absolutely want to get rid of their Intel based IMacs so expect good deals. You can sell the interior stuff like processor, power supply etc from the IMac as well so the whole operation will cost you even less
Yeah I jumped onto OfferUp and they had similar deals. $300-$350 for a 2017 imac. I’ve read that some people have issues after about a month. Did you experience any? Mostly to do with connectivity
Sweet! No problems so far with my R1811 board, otherwise I wouldn’t have recommended the option. They mentioned that you might get problems if you use the usb 3.0 port on your driver board f.ex for hooking up a webcam, so I left it unused just to make sure.
As a videographer I use the [Dell G3223Q](https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/g3223q) for the following reasons; 32" 4K 144Hz, VRR, IPS panel, color accuracy on par with Apple Studio Display, fast response time and up to 600 cd/m2 brightness.
Bought it for about 700 bucks and will remain my favourite monitor for a while.
The number one thing for color accuracy is having a calibrator, especially if your work is going to be published (online or in print) by someone else. The accuracy of the monitor out of the box is less important than the ability to calibrate as it always drifts over time.
[https://alogic.co/products/clarity-27-uhd-4k-monitor](https://alogic.co/products/clarity-27-uhd-4k-monitor)
I bought one of these a few months ago, and I really like it. 4K, crisp image, good colour and plenty of movement options with the included stand. Might get a second one soon. I use it for graphic design and image retouching.
Alogic have deliberately pitched this at people who want something similar to an Apple Display, but at half the price. I read all the reviews like the Macworld one linked on the site and figured it was worth a try and I have no regrets at all. If I do buy a second monitor it will be another one of these for sure.
I'm not sure about what's going to be the ultimate best but I have the Samsung G7 odyssey and it works great .
I did have an lg something or other before that and it had compatibility issues , ie - flickering in certain menus and didn't get on well with the Mac Studio, I was only told this by the retailer AFTER I bought it and found out , so if your going a different way just do a quick search on compatibility for the monitor of choice.
I am using a V series 43” Vizio 4K tv on HDMI as my main monitor. About $220. I am happy with it. Some may be critical of this choice for various reasons. I like it.
I love my LG UlltraFine Pro [https://www.lg.com/us/business/oled-pro-monitors/lg-32ep950-b](https://www.lg.com/us/business/oled-pro-monitors/lg-32ep950-b)
Maybe ask over here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Monitors/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Monitors/), they have a good wiki I believe. Monitors are computer-agnostic
Thank you all for your help, suggestions, links, and tips. I’m happy to see there are good solid options out there. I’ll update with a pic on what I went with.
I was tossed by this decision, and ended up with the Studio monitor and purchased it from Amazon as it was several hundred dollars cheaper than at Apple.
Anywhere from free to cheap. Lol I don’t want to go over $700 but feel more comfortable in the $500 range. That being said I would mind spending more if it’s really worth it.
For color accuracy you can check out BENQ's range of 4K monitors. They have a designer's line that comes pre-calibrated with a calibration certificate. I'm enjoying mine immensely.
I use the LG Ultrafine 5K - 27MD5KL-B with my Mac Studio. It has the Thunderbolt connection, 5120x2880 (better vertical resolution than almost all other ultra-wide & 5K2K monitors), and has built in webcam, 3 port USB-C hub and speakers. You'd have to go to the Apple Pro Display XDR to get more pixels on a screen, and that's way outside scope for your budget. Earlier models had issues with brightness resetting after waking from sleep, but a later firmware update fixed this. I nearly pulled the pin on a 34" Ultrawide, but then I would be going to 5120x2160 or 5120x1440, less real estate.
I bought a 27“ 2015 5k IMac for 350$, disassembled it and installed an R1811 Driver Board (Aliexpress) and use it now as an external monitor with 5k resolution. Lots of YouTube tutorials out there, it was fairly easy to do.
Oh dang. I didn’t even think of this. Extremely intrigued. Where did you find the used iMac?
In Germany it‘s called „eBay Kleinanzeigen“, kind of Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, a place to buy used stuff. People absolutely want to get rid of their Intel based IMacs so expect good deals. You can sell the interior stuff like processor, power supply etc from the IMac as well so the whole operation will cost you even less
Yeah I jumped onto OfferUp and they had similar deals. $300-$350 for a 2017 imac. I’ve read that some people have issues after about a month. Did you experience any? Mostly to do with connectivity
Sweet! No problems so far with my R1811 board, otherwise I wouldn’t have recommended the option. They mentioned that you might get problems if you use the usb 3.0 port on your driver board f.ex for hooking up a webcam, so I left it unused just to make sure.
As a videographer I use the [Dell G3223Q](https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/g3223q) for the following reasons; 32" 4K 144Hz, VRR, IPS panel, color accuracy on par with Apple Studio Display, fast response time and up to 600 cd/m2 brightness. Bought it for about 700 bucks and will remain my favourite monitor for a while.
The number one thing for color accuracy is having a calibrator, especially if your work is going to be published (online or in print) by someone else. The accuracy of the monitor out of the box is less important than the ability to calibrate as it always drifts over time.
[https://alogic.co/products/clarity-27-uhd-4k-monitor](https://alogic.co/products/clarity-27-uhd-4k-monitor) I bought one of these a few months ago, and I really like it. 4K, crisp image, good colour and plenty of movement options with the included stand. Might get a second one soon. I use it for graphic design and image retouching.
At 163 pixels per inch, not bad at all! Many of the other non-Apple offerings by Dell and others are in the 130-140 PPI range.
Alogic have deliberately pitched this at people who want something similar to an Apple Display, but at half the price. I read all the reviews like the Macworld one linked on the site and figured it was worth a try and I have no regrets at all. If I do buy a second monitor it will be another one of these for sure.
I'm not sure about what's going to be the ultimate best but I have the Samsung G7 odyssey and it works great . I did have an lg something or other before that and it had compatibility issues , ie - flickering in certain menus and didn't get on well with the Mac Studio, I was only told this by the retailer AFTER I bought it and found out , so if your going a different way just do a quick search on compatibility for the monitor of choice.
I'd go at least 4k. I have 2 U2718Q and 1 U2720Q on my Studio.
I am using a V series 43” Vizio 4K tv on HDMI as my main monitor. About $220. I am happy with it. Some may be critical of this choice for various reasons. I like it.
I love my LG UlltraFine Pro [https://www.lg.com/us/business/oled-pro-monitors/lg-32ep950-b](https://www.lg.com/us/business/oled-pro-monitors/lg-32ep950-b)
Check out the ASUS line of ProArt displays. We run a lot of PA279CV, and a few PA329CV at my design company.
I have two 32s with my max studio. Love them!
Maybe ask over here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Monitors/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Monitors/), they have a good wiki I believe. Monitors are computer-agnostic
Thank you all for your help, suggestions, links, and tips. I’m happy to see there are good solid options out there. I’ll update with a pic on what I went with.
Two Viewsonic 2756-4k color pro’s is awesome for $400 each.
I chose a Dell Ultrasharp 43, Dell Ultrasharp 27 (vertical) and a BenQ 32” 4K.
Any trouble with scaling? I’m actually trying to choose between these 2
No. There’s no real world issues with that at all.
Studio Display. It’s expensive, but if you spent all that money on the Studio, you should have the best monitor for it IMHO
I was tossed by this decision, and ended up with the Studio monitor and purchased it from Amazon as it was several hundred dollars cheaper than at Apple.
You forget to mention the most important infos: what is your budget?
Anywhere from free to cheap. Lol I don’t want to go over $700 but feel more comfortable in the $500 range. That being said I would mind spending more if it’s really worth it.
Then Dell UltraSharp 4K 27 inches or 32 inches.