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The best monitors for Mac and iPad of fall 2022

The best monitors for Mac and iPad of autumn 2022. Finding your way in choosing the best monitors for Mac as well as for PC is not a simple task: there are models for all budgets, apparently similar but often with very different functionality and features … but what are the best monitors that this year can be combined with the Mac or iPad and based on which parameters to choose them?

iPhone 14 Pro, 48MP photos difference

Certainly the most beautiful, expensive and powerful is the brand new Apple Pro Display XDR but it is a professional monitor, with surprising fidelity, perfect for the great video professionals but with an entry price of € 5599.00 (cost all in all “modest ”, Compared to the few competitors) is certainly not affordable for all budgets.

With the Mac user in mind, we decided to explain the elements to take into account to match a monitor to the computer which could be a Mac Mini, a Mac Pro, but also a second display to be placed side by side with MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

The offer is obviously endless, with displays suitable for those who take care of photos and videos in a professional way, others designed for design, still others for gaming and multimedia, still others very generic and cheap, suitable for those who essentially do office work. (word processing, email, internet browsing and little else). We will briefly review the main technologies, certifications, and reference standards to be taken into account.

What connections must a monitor have to work with the Mac?

All relatively recent Macs offer Mini DisplayPort (Thunderbolt) output as standard; this can be used to connect monitors that integrate this port; DVI, HDMI or older VGA monitors can be connected with specific adapters. Different speech for recent MacBook Pro (as of late 2016) and MacBook Air 2018 and later that have Thunderbolt 3 interface or other connectors. We will see in a separate paragraph how to connect different types of monitors to these Macs.

Apple and third-party manufacturers provide Mini DisplayPort-DVI, Mini DisplayPort-VGA, Mini DisplayPort / DVI Dual-Link, and Mini DisplayPort-HDMI adapters. The Mac Pro currently on sale smoothly handles up to three 5K resolution displays and even up to six Thunderbolt displays.

The penultimate generation Mac mini (2014) supports up to two displays at 2560 × 1600 pixels, integrates Thunderbolt digital video output. The Mini DisplayPort output is native; for other outputs (DVI, VGA and and DVI Dual-Link) it is necessary to exploit adapters. The HDMI video output supports 1080p resolutions up to 60Hz, 3840×2160 at 30Hz and 4096×2160 at 24Hz. You can take advantage of the DVI output with an HDMI to DVI adapter.

The Mac mini 2018 supports up to three monitors (two 4096 × 2304 @ 60Hz resolution monitors connected via Thunderbolt 3, and one 4096 × 2160 @ 60Hz resolution monitor connected via HDMI 2.0) or two monitors (one 5120 × 2880 resolution monitor at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3, and a monitor with 4096 × 2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0); integrates native DisplayPort over USB ‑ C supports Thunderbolt 2, DVI and VGA outputs via adapters (sold separately); the HDMI 2.0 output supports a monitor with 4096 × 2160 resolution at 60Hz and allows you to connect DVI monitors using specific adapters (sold separately).

The Mac Mini with M1 CPU offers two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and one HDMI 2.0 port; it is possible to connect an external monitor up to 6K, and if you want also a monitor (main or secondary) up to 4K with HDMI 2.0. DisplayPort output is native via USB ‑ C (and any such monitor can be connected), works as Thunderbolt 2, DVI and VGA output via adapters (sold separately); the video output for HDMI 2.0 monitors supports screens with resolutions up to 4K at 60Hz; you can take advantage of displays with DVI input using an HDMI to DVI adapter.

MacBook Air M1 and MacBook Pro 13 ″ M1

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 ″ with M1 integrate two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports that can be used as DisplayPort; simultaneously supports native resolution, in millions of colors, on the integrated display and an external monitor with resolution up to 6K at 60Hz. Thunderbolt 3 digital video output is native via USB ‑ C (any such monitor can be used) and functions as VGA, HDMI, DVI and Thunderbolt 2 output via adapters (sold separately).

MacBook Pro 14 “and 16” 2021

The MacBook Pro 14 “and 16” 2021 simultaneously support native resolution, with 1 billion colors, on the integrated screen and up to two external monitors with resolutions up to 6K at 60Hz and over 1 billion colors (M1 Pro), or up to to three external monitors with resolution up to 6K and one external monitor with resolution up to 4K at 60Hz and over a billion colors (M1 Max). Thunderbolt 4 output offers native DisplayPort output via USB ‑ C (works as VGA, HDMI, DVI and Thunderbolt 2 output via adapters), but an HDMI digital video output is also standard on these models; the latter supports a monitor with resolution up to 4K at 60Hz and also allows the use of DVI monitors (via HDMI to DVI adapters that are on sale for a few tens of euros).

What about the 12 ″ MacBook?

The 12 “MacBook has a USB-C port that can be used for charging but also as a native DisplayPort 1.2 video output or, with a USB-C to VGA multiport adapter (sold separately) or to connect displays with HDMI input using the adapter USB-C to Digital AV Multiport (sold separately). It is in any case possible to take advantage of the Extended Desktop (the external monitor is seen as independent) or the Duplication of the Screen. simultaneously supporting native resolution on the integrated display and up to 3840×2160 pixels on an external monitor.

On the net there are “tricks” that explain how to drive a monitor with 4K resolution at 60 Hz using a single cable, a better frame rate able to reduce the sensation of “micro-click” and offer the perception of greater stability for the images reproduced on the screen. Apple has probably limited the support so as not to burden the work of the Intel HD Graphics 515 of the Intel Core M chip too much and therefore the trick in question is not clear if it can cause damage to the machine in the long run. If you decide to apply the change, you do so at your own risk.

The Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter

Up to Thunderbolt 2 the technology connector was that of DisplayPort, from version 3 (the most recent and performing) the connector is identical to USB-C (and accepts peripherals / monitors of this type). Apple offers a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter; this allows you to connect a Mac or other device equipped with a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port to a device that uses a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable. You can use this adapter’s Thunderbolt port to connect your Mac to a display that uses a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable. It can be used, for example, to connect your Mac to an Apple Thunderbolt Display or LG Thunderbolt 2 Display. Warning: the adapter in question is NOT compatible with displays that use DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort, such as Apple LED Cinema Display. Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 don’t match Mini DisplayPort, even though the ports are the same shape. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer about the actual compatibility of the adapters.

Other Thunderbolt 3 / USB C adapters

If a display cable can’t connect to the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port on your iMac Pro, iMac, MacBook Pro, or MacBook, you may need a different adapter. USB-C displays can be connected directly (no need for adapters); if we use a Mini DisplayPort cable with a Mini DisplayPort display, a third party USB-C to Mini DisplayPort compatible adapter must be used. There are third-party USB-C to DisplayPort adapters (here, for example, Moshi’s).

For HDMI, you can use the Apple Multiport USB-C to Digital AV Adapter or a third-party USB-C to HDMI adapter. For the VGA, Apple offers the Apple USB-C to VGA multiport adapter. Alternatively, you can use a third-party USB-C to VGA adapter, such as the Belkin USB-C to VGA adapter. For displays with DVI cables, a third-party USB-C to DVI compatible adapter must be used.

And the iPad, how do you connect the iPad to a monitor?

Using a compatible cable or adapter, iPads can be connected to a secondary display, for example, a computer monitor, TV, projector.

Models with USB-C connector can be connected with specific adapters such as the USB-C multiport adapter that allows you to take advantage of monitors with HDMI or VGA connector.

Same goes for iPads with Lightning connector: various types of monitors can be exploited by connecting a Lightning-AV digital adapter or a Lightning to VGA / HDMI adapter to the iPad charging port. Apple’s adapters have an extra port to connect the charging cable to in order to charge iPad while connected to a monitor, TV or projector.

Choose the best monitor for Mac

The diagonal and the “format”

Monitors, like TVs, are measured in inches. The measurement refers to the diagonal of the screen (from the lower left side to the upper right side). One inch equals 2.54cm. Looking for a monitor, we will certainly hear about “format”.

For example, “16: 9” indicates the proportion between the base size and the height of the rectangle in which the images are displayed. If the base is 16 cm, the height will be 9 cm; the dimensions obviously grow as the screen size increases but always remain proportional to the basic values ​​that refer to the horizontal and vertical side.

The screen size is indicated by providing the size of the diagonal, a measure that allows you to get an idea of ​​the overall size of the display, taking into account the rectangular shape and the fixed proportion between the base and the height.

The resolution

Among the specifications to take into account when choosing a monitor, certainly the first is the resolution. This term refers to the precision of the details that the system is able to display, a direct consequence of the quantity of the individual points that make up the image on the screen. Resolution is related to both screen size and dot spacing. This parameter measures the number of pixels (in width and height) that can be displayed on the screen.

The term 1080p, for example, indicates a display with a resolution of 1920 pixels (width horizontally) x 1080 pixels (height on the vertical axis).

As the resolution increases, the number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen and consequently windows and other elements increase. The resolution of many 24 ″ widescreen LCD monitors is Full-HD (1920 × 1080 pixels), the same as HDTVs for 1080p or 1080i modes. New generation monitors integrate support for “4K” resolution, in other words 4,096 × 2,160 pixels; still others support the lower “Ultra HD” resolution: 3,840 × 2,160 pixels, also known as 2160p.

The 5K resolution is integrated in larger screens (usually 27 “) and is equal to 5120 × 2880 pixels. Typical maximum resolutions of today’s monitors are: 1920 × 1200 pixels or 2560 × 1600 pixels; other higher ones begin to be found on consumer models but are normally available on professional models.

The doors

Many 4K and 5K monitors can be connected to the Mac using Thunderbolt or HDMI cables. For monitors with integrated DisplayPort port just use a Thunderbolt cable; some of these integrate a DisplayPort port which requires a DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable. The latter are very cheap cables and can be found for a few tens of euros on Amazon.

Macs sold from 2011 to 2013 use the first generation of Thunderbolt; this supports DisplayPort 1.1a technology, offering a maximum throughput of 8.64 Gbps and capable of driving virtually any 4K or 5K display with a refresh rate of 60Hz.

What is the refresh rate?

The refresh rate is the number of times in a second the image is redrawn on a display. It is a parameter that is measured in Hertz (Hz) and allows you to evaluate the actual stability of the image on the screen (as the refresh rate increases, eye fatigue caused by imperceptible flicker decreases). Typical frequencies of monitors are: 24Hz, 30Hz and 60Hz.

MacOS support at high resolutions

The latest versions of macOS support 4K resolution DisplayPort monitors via 30Hz and 60Hz Single-Stream Transport technology on the following Macs: Mac Pro (Late 2013), iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015, and following), MacBook Pro (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 and newer), MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015 and later).

4K monitor connection with 3,840 x 2,160 resolution is supported at 60Hz on the following Macs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015 and later), MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014 and newer), Mac Pro (Late 2013), iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015 and later), MacBook Pro (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 and newer), MacBook Air (Early 2015 and later).

The color spaces

In the technical descriptions of some monitors, there are chromaticity diagrams, a standard of the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) that shows the color space that can be managed by the screens. Without going into technical details (which we will perhaps talk about in a separate article), the breadth of these figures allows us to know the mathematical models of perception indicated as color spaces and represented by acronyms such as XYZ (it is the CIE 1931 model) , xyY, Lab, Luv.

The colors are indicated by two chromatic variables (x and y), arranged along the Cartesian axes of a plane where there is a “U” curve. The “pure” colors (technically those of the visible spectrum, from red to violet) are distributed along the curve; within the curve we find the colors ranging from pure colors to ideal white (in the center). These diagrams allow you to make evaluations from the point of view of the tonal ranges (gamut) and understand how many of these a device is actually able to reproduce. Professional monitors cost more because they are usually able to offer higher gamuts than cheaper ones.

Calibration

To obtain the best possible color match, the monitors are calibrated in the factory but the overall final performance depends on various factors: the video card used, the panel used, the lighting modes of the work environment and more. maOS integrates standard features that allow you to calibrate the monitors via software by creating customized profiles. The operating system and other software using Apple’s ColorSync technology can take advantage of these profiles and reproduce the colors of images more faithfully.

Monitors intended for professional environments (photography, video, desktop publishing) should be calibrated regularly using a colorimeter, a device that offers functions that allow you to adjust contrast, brightness, determine the brightness response curve, the response curve and the point better white.

The colorimeters (standard or available as an option with some professional monitors) allow direct measurement of display radiation and ambient light, generating customized profiles. The instrument in question allows you to measure the gamut and evaluate various parameters with which to determine the uniformity of the tonal response and brightness of the panel.

Panel technology

Panel technology means the type of liquid crystal used and the backlight system used. These are two parameters that determine the quality and breadth of the reproducible color range, in addition to the precision with which the input signal is transformed into the final tones.

These technologies also affect factors such as brightness, contrast and viewing or viewing angle, the latter understood as an arc on the perpendicular of the panel within which the colors should not veer clearly.

Most of the panels used in today’s monitors are divided into: Tn (Twisted Nematic) and Ips (In Plane Switching). The former has been on the market for the longest time, it is the cheapest but this does not necessarily mean that it is inferior to competing technology. With the Tn type panels it is possible to obtain higher refresh rates than Ips, even reaching speeds of 1ms against the average 5ms of the others. The refresh rate is particularly important with programs (eg games) that present moving images.

The IPS monitors, on the other hand, offer advantages from the point of view of color reproduction, of their consistency, for the greater width in the viewing angle. In fact, Tn panels typically suffer from greater directionality in color rendering, in brightness (in particular on the vertical axis). More expensive IPS panels display billions of colors with true 10-bit encoding and coverage of 99% of the sRGB spectrum.

The finish

Under “finish” in the description of a display you can find terms such as “matte” or “glossy”. These refer to the treatment of the terminal part of the panel which can be anti-reflective or glossy. The anti-reflective treatment reduces the influence of ambient light by limiting reflections on the screen, the second allows for more vivid and brilliant colors but does not limit reflections.

Glossy screens have the defect of being less visible, due to reflections, in very bright environments, but to the advantage of sharper and richer colors; opaque ones generally perform better even in conditions of direct light sources. Screens with the latter characteristics are preferred above all by users who work in the field of Desktop Publishing and who find themselves having to manage color matching on non-glossy prints: a glossy screen in many cases distorts the perception of the final result. Other potential users of the matte screen are those who work in over-illuminated conditions and for whom the reflective surface could be annoying.

Consumption and certifications

Parameters concerning energy consumption should not be underestimated. It is true that the vast majority of today’s displays consume very little but between one model and another there are differences that would be noticed by measuring consumption in standby (in the absence of an input signal). Consumption grows based on the diagonal, brightness settings and features that automatically adjust the backlight.

There are various standards for energy certifications and the most important acronyms are: Energy Star, EPEAT, ROHS and TCO. The presence of one or more of these abbreviations guarantees compliance with specific regulations but also parameters that take into account the management of materials and the ease of separation of components when the time for recycling arrives.

Thunderbolt and HDMI

The Mac’s Thunderbolt port supports displays with refresh rates up to 60Hz; Macs with HDMI port allow you to manage displays with refresh rates of 24Hz or 30Hz due to specific limitations of the HDMI 1.4 standard. The HDMI of the Mac Mini 2018 supports monitors with resolutions up to 4096 × 2160 at 60Hz.

Macs with Thunderbolt 2 support DisplayPort 1.2 technology; the supported bandwidth is doubled, allowing (provided you have an adequate video card) to manage more monitors.

MacBook Pros with Thunderbolt 3

The latest MacBook Pros (with Thunderbolt 3) simultaneously support native resolution, in millions of colors, on the integrated display and:

iMac Pro with Thunderbolt 3 port

The iMac Pro with Thunderbolt 3 port simultaneously supports native 5K native resolution (5120×2880), with one billion colors, on the integrated screen and:

The “cascaded” Thunderbolt connection

Some monitors with a Displayport / Thunderbolt connection allow multiple monitors to be chained together to a single video output. With the Mac Pro, for example, it is possible to connect up to six monitors to the single video output of the computer, a technique called “daisy-chaining”, a “circle” that allows you to take advantage of multiple independent displays without degrading the quality of the images.

Additional inputs / outputs

Some monitors provide inputs and outputs that have nothing to do with the display. For example, some have integrated USB ports that function like a hub connected to the computer. On still others there are audio inputs which, combined with standard integrated speakers, allow you to amplify the audio output of the computer, without resorting to additional speakers, even if the amplification is normally limited to a few watts.

How to choose?

After all this examination, what are the parameters to take into account when purchasing a display? It is not easy to answer because obviously a lot depends on the use for which they are intended. Among the parameters to be evaluated: the resolution supported, the response time, the size of the diagonal, the finish, the color range supported, the consumption and obviously also the price.

Do not underestimate the number and types of connections available such as Displayport, HDMI and DVI, taking care that in the first two cases there are standards that can support Single-Stream Transport (SST) and not Multi-Stream Transport (MST).

All Macs with Thunderbolt 2 support 4K 30Hz monitors in Single Stream Transport (SST) mode. Some models support 4K 60Hz monitors in Multi-Stream Transport (MST) mode offering a faster image refresh rate. Other parameters you might want to take into account are: the possibility of hooking (this can be done with monitors equipped with a VESA connection), the guarantees against manufacturing defects (even in the case of a few pixels) offered by some manufacturers, consumption and finally, even the budget at your disposal.

Best “alternative” to iMac

If you like the iMac style, but you are not satisfied with the bezels that Apple has placed on the iMac 24, then the Huawei MateView 28 inch monitor is the one for you. Combining it with a Mac Mini you could get a valid alternative to iMac, in terms of style and aesthetics. It is a 28 inch monitor, with 4K resolution and 3: 2 aspect.

The first thing that stands out is the appearance, with very clean lines, very thin frames and components, which certainly attract attention. The screen has a 94% ratio with a border of only 6mm and at the bottom of 9.3mm.

Huawei Mate View is a 28.2 diagonal monitor on IPS panel capable of offering a UHD resolution (3,840 x 2,560 pixels) with a 3: 2 aspect ratio. But what is striking about the Mate View is that it is able to connect wirelessly with compatible phones simply by touching the base. It also has a wireless connection thanks to the Miracast function and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity and IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4G / 5G) wireless LAN.

Best generic monitor for designers

Benq SW270C

This monitor boasts 99% Adobe RGB color space with IPS technology and USB-C connectivity with power delivery. It is a recommended monitor for those who need color accuracy. The manufacturer claims that SW270C delivers the most silent and smooth 10-bit panel color shades from a 16-bit lookup table (LUT) using gamma correction, highlighting support for “more than a billion colors for natural color transitions and subtle nuances “. The hardware calibration allows you to adjust the internal image processing chip of the monitor keeping the displayed images consistent with the original content without being influenced by the setting of the graphics card of the computer to which it is connected. It is adjustable in height, offers the Pivot function, boasts 2 HDMI connections, 1 DisplayPort and USB 3.1 – Type C. The warranty is 36 months on site.

Best generic monitor for photographers

PhotoVue Photographer Monitor SW270C

This monitor boasts 99% Adobe RGB color space with IPS technology and USB-C connectivity with power delivery. It is a recommended monitor for those who need color accuracy. The manufacturer claims that SW270C delivers the most silent and smooth 10-bit panel color shades from a 16-bit lookup table (LUT) using gamma correction, highlighting support for “more than a billion colors for natural color transitions and subtle nuances “. The hardware calibration allows you to adjust the internal image processing chip of the monitor keeping the displayed images consistent with the original content without being influenced by the setting of the graphics card of the computer to which it is connected. It is adjustable in height, offers the Pivot function, boasts 2 HDMI connections, 1 DisplayPort and USB 3.1 – Type C. The warranty is 36 months on site.

Best monitor for home and office

ViewSonic VP2458 24 “

This 24 ″ (23.8 ″ viewable) IPS Full HD (1920×1080) ViewSonic monitor offers 100% SRGB coverage. boasts 4-sided bezel-less design and advanced ergonomics that allow you to tilt, swivel, rotate and adjust the height of the monitor. The many connection options include VGA, HDMI and DisplayPort inputs that allow you to connect a wide range of HD and analog devices. In addition, the Flicker-Free backlight and the Blue Light filter help minimize eye fatigue resulting from prolonged exposure to the screen. The support is ergonomic with automatic rotation, the base is removable. A built-in sensor causes images to automatically rotate and fill the screen when the monitor is placed in a vertical position.

Best monitor for multitasking

LG 32UP550N-W

This 32 “monitor boasts Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), is HDR compatible, offers Color Gamut DCI-P3 90% and 10bit colors, USB-C connection (Power Delivery: 90W), 10W (5W) Integrated Stereo Speakers + 5W), height, tilt and pivot adjustment. The USB-C port allows, with a single cable, to connect to compatible Macs and PCs and transfer data and video in 4K, and recharge a device with 90W power delivery. It supports AMD FreeSync technology and boasts an intuitive interface for specific display adjustments. The 3-sided bezel-less design offers an immersive experience. The One-Click stand simplifies installation and allows you to adjust the height, inclination and rotation of the monitor, to create a tailor-made workstation. The response time is 4ms, the screen has an anti-reflective treatment. On the connections side we have: 2 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, USB-C and headphone output.

Best gaming monitor

LG UltraGear 32GQ950-B

This 32 ″ monitor features 4K 3840 × 2160 VESA DisplayHDR 1000 resolution; supports 4K gaming up to 144Hz with HDMI 2.1 and VRR. The response time is 1ms, it is compatible with G-Sync and AMD FreeSync technologies. The manufacturer reports “deeper blacks and consistent images from all angles”. A technology called ATW (Advanced True Wide Polarizer) boasts a better angular contrast ratio (max 11 times) and color coverage (max 52 times) compared to a display without ATW. Nano IPS technology with 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space ensures excellent color fidelity. With a speed of 1ms (GtG) comparable to that of a TN panel, the IPS reduces the phenomenon of reverse ghosting and provides fast response times, allowing you to enjoy an ideal gaming experience. On the connectivity side we have: 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 DisplayPort, 1 USB 3.0; there is also a headphone output and USB downstream (2x).

Best monitor for low budgets

Acer SA270Abi

The Acer SA270Abi monitor has a 27 “screen and offers Full HD resolution at 1920 x 1080 @ 75 Hz. The aspect ratio is 16: 9, contrast 1000: 1; the response time is 4ms, viewing angles (horizontal and vertical) 178 ° / 178 °. There is a VGA and an HDMI port. It is a simple monitor, adapted for home or office use. The design is slim and the visibility is great. The manufacturer boasts a technology called BlueLightShield which is supposed to reduce blue light exposure by adjusting brightness and color hue, and a different technology called ComfyView which promises to reduce the amount of light reflected on the display.

Best monitor for with Colorimeter and Thunderbolt 3

Dell UP2720Q

This monitor is intended for those who care about color fidelity. It is a 27-inch monitor with a 4K resolution, coverage of 100% of the color space, which Dell claims to be the first in size and resolution to have a built-in colorimeter. For those unfamiliar with the subject, a colorimeter is the tool used to calibrate monitors. Having a colorimeter built into the monitor itself means that users can quickly and easily calibrate the monitor whenever they want. Dell also boasts that this will help improve the efficiency of the display, as the colorimeter helps maintain consistency from production to delivery.

Other features of the monitor include Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, which allows for faster data transfer, while allowing users to connect their laptops to the monitor while charging them at the same time. Furthermore, the Thunderbolt 3 ports will be two, and allow you to manage up to 90 W of power, therefore suitable for connecting up to two monitors with 4K resolution in series.