External monitor for my MacBook M2 Max

a66as · 15 Oct 2023 at 17:53

Which monitor would you guys recommend? I was to learn Java or Python but would ideally also want to connect my windows laptop or ps5 for gaming as well.

on my 2560x1440p monitor the text looks very fuzzy when setting it to native and puts me off using the monitor where as it looks fine on windows (from researching it looks like this has something to do how Mac OS scales things).

has anyone got a similar setup?

ChrisD. · 15 Oct 2023 at 17:58

The Studio display is very good.

a66as · 15 Oct 2023 at 18:06

Problem with the studio display it that its only 60hz, (the pro XDR one is over my budget), was hoping for a 120-144hz screen. don't mind getting a 4k screen (27 - 32 inch) but worried about whether it would have any issues with text

cookiem0nster · 19 Oct 2023 at 16:49

Have you tried installing BetterDisplay? I'm happy with my Mac running Sonoma on non HiDPI screen. I'm using a 34 inch ultrawide at 3440x1440 and a couple of 27inch screens at 2560x1440.

HACO · 19 Oct 2023 at 23:01

a66as said:
Problem with the studio display it that its only 60hz, (the pro XDR one is over my budget), was hoping for a 120-144hz screen. don't mind getting a 4k screen (27 - 32 inch) but worried about whether it would have any issues with text

You either pick sharpness (200ppi+) or refresh rate (60Hz+). You can't get both. Not even with the Pro XDR.

Captain · 20 Oct 2023 at 02:49

I used mine with the Gigabyte M32U, 32” 4k 144Hz and it was perfect.

a66as · 20 Oct 2023 at 20:05

cookiem0nster said:
Have you tried installing BetterDisplay? I'm happy with my Mac running Sonoma on non HiDPI screen. I'm using a 34 inch ultrawide at 3440x1440 and a couple of 27inch screens at 2560x1440.

I have but it doesn't seem to be making much of a difference, what settings do you use for your 1440p screens? (I am using Sonoma)

HACO said:
You either pick sharpness (200ppi+) or refresh rate (60Hz+). You can't get both. Not even with the Pro XDR.

on my 2560x1440p screen I can set it to 1280x720 at 144hz which makes the text look sharp and pretty and but then everything is too big, where as on the native 2560x1440p resolution the text looks off and fuzzy.

Captain said:
I used mine with the Gigabyte M32U, 32” 4k 144Hz and it was perfect.

was thinking of picking up a 32 inch LG 4k screen or a 38 inch ultra wide 1600p screen, still deciding. Did you have to use scaling on the 4k screen and how bad was the text?

LiE · 21 Oct 2023 at 08:57

M28U for better text clarity over the 32” version. 4K scaled to 1440p looks pretty good.

Steedie · 22 Oct 2023 at 11:49

LiE said:
M28U for better text clarity over the 32” version. 4K scaled to 1440p looks pretty good.

Please do not get this monitor. Speaking from someone who suffers with dealing with it every day, it’s possibly the worst bit of tech I’ve ever bought

The OSD has to be the most god awful thing ever, and it’s so slow. You have to wait ages to do anything. The IO is really badly laid out and a nightmare to get to if you need to mess with cables, the stand is ghastly, the cable management it offers is non existent and the adjustments the stand offers in terms of tilt and raising/lowering is really poor

The picture is ok, but the experience outside of the picture is terrible, and I long for the day it develops a fault so I can launch it in to the bin with as much force as I can muster

You can tell this monitor makes me angry, can’t you?

LiE · 22 Oct 2023 at 13:19

Steedie said:
Please do not get this monitor. Speaking from someone who suffers with dealing with it every day, it’s possibly the worst bit of tech I’ve ever bought

The OSD has to be the most god awful thing ever, and it’s so slow. You have to wait ages to do anything. The IO is really badly laid out and a nightmare to get to if you need to mess with cables, the stand is ghastly, the cable management it offers is non existent and the adjustments the stand offers in terms of tilt and raising/lowering is really poor

The picture is ok, but the experience outside of the picture is terrible, and I long for the day it develops a fault so I can launch it in to the bin with as much force as I can muster

You can tell this monitor makes me angry, can’t you?

Stop being a baby

how often do you go in the OSD?

Steedie · 22 Oct 2023 at 13:51

LiE said:
Stop being a baby how often do you go in the OSD?

Virtually any time I need to swap inputs. If a machine switches off or goes in to standby, you have to sit and wait 10-15 seconds for you to be able to switch to another machine. Drives me up the wall.

I don’t think I’ve swore at an item as much as I have that monitor

a66as · 22 Oct 2023 at 13:51

Will test the MacBook on my 40 inch 4k tv later today, if the text looks decent then I'll most likely get a 27 - 32 inch 4k.

a66as · 23 Oct 2023 at 22:39

I have decided to go with a 4k after testing it on my 40 inch 4k tv which looked quite nice, not sure whether to go for 27 inch 4k or 32 inch 4k, I sit around 40 CM (1.3 feet) away from the screen but am edging towards a 32 inch

LiE · 24 Oct 2023 at 07:26

Personally I’ve always gone 27” for 4K as scales nicely to 1440p equivalent and text looks good. 32” I find too big for 1440p equivalent.

a66as · 24 Oct 2023 at 21:33

LiE said:
Personally I’ve always gone 27” for 4K as scales nicely to 1440p equivalent and text looks good. 32” I find too big for 1440p equivalent.

Yeah even on my 40 inch 4k tv 2560x1440 looks decent , I suppose 1440p would look even sharper on a 27 inch compared to a 40 inch. Im planning on ordering on Thursday so it gets here Friday so got 2 days to decide whether to go 27 or 32 (but edging towards 27)