iMac 5k screen with 4k external

londonbairn · 18 Jun 2018 at 16:21

I just got a retina iMac to replace my older one. I have a 27" 1440p screen already but it really shows its age versus the retina screen.

There are some 5k screens available but even refurbished they cost a lot, whereas 4k seems more reasonable.

Is there a massive difference with a 4k screen next to a 5k? Anyone else doing that?

Combat squirrel · 18 Jun 2018 at 19:12

londonbairn said:
Is there a massive difference with a 4k screen next to a 5k?

Id say about 1k

Irish_Tom · 18 Jun 2018 at 19:18

I have a 24" 4k Dell next to my 5k iMac at work — there's a definite difference, but I use the Dell very much as a secondary monitor (if that makes sense) so it's not crucial.

I did look into getting two 5k iMacs and running one just as a secondary monitor but I don't believe it's possible.

londonbairn · 19 Jun 2018 at 14:32

Thanks, I got the LG Ultrafine 5K refurbed

thecremeegg · 19 Jun 2018 at 15:53

I'd say you'd be hard pushed to see the difference - you can't see the 4k pixels at 27"!

Irish_Tom · 19 Jun 2018 at 20:10

thecremeegg said:
I'd say you'd be hard pushed to see the difference - you can't see the 4k pixels at 27"!

It’s not just the pixels (which you can tell the difference btw) — it’s colour, saturation, brightness, screen finish etc.

If you’re using the two screens for anything creative, it makes a big difference.

There’s not a lot out there like the 5k iMac screen.

Energize · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:36

Irish_Tom said:
It’s not just the pixels (which you can tell the difference btw) — it’s colour, saturation, brightness, screen finish etc.

If you’re using the two screens for anything creative, it makes a big difference.

There’s not a lot out there like the 5k iMac screen.

The OP specifically asks about resolution however, whether there is a resolvable difference between the displays is going to depend on viewing distance and conditions. There are many manufacturers of 4k panels so there is a lot to choose from in regards in the latter criteria, brightness has never really been much of an issue with LCD's though, even the cheapest displays are far too bright at their maximum setting for correct calibration.

londonbairn · 20 Jun 2018 at 22:28

I cancelled the UltraFine order. Apprehensive given the issues and the cost versus a measly one year warranty. I’m sticking with the 1440p Dell I have for now as.

Viewing distance is desk.

Hades · 21 Jun 2018 at 09:23

I no longer have a Mac. But about 10 years ago I bought a 30" 2560x1600 Dell monitor for my gaming PC. It was hugely expensive at the time (around £900). But it's the one component that has outlasted all of the others. I'm still using it now and I've had various PC's, laptops and Macbooks connected to it. It's no longer cutting edge and is outshone by some budget to mid-range monitors nowadays. But it's still a great monitor and in terms of value for money it has been the best bang for buck peripheral I've ever bought.

The moral of my story is to get the best monitor you can afford.

Combat squirrel · 21 Jun 2018 at 10:34

Hades said:
I no longer have a Mac. But about 10 years ago I bought a 30" 2560x1600 Dell monitor for my gaming PC. It was hugely expensive at the time (around £900). But it's the one component that has outlasted all of the others. I'm still using it now and I've had various PC's, laptops and Macbooks connected to it. It's no longer cutting edge and is outshone by some budget to mid-range monitors nowadays. But it's still a great monitor and in terms of value for money it has been the best bang for buck peripheral I've ever bought.

The moral of my story is to get the best monitor you can afford.

I'm still using mine that's nearly that old, it's still going strong and is still a 100% adobe rgb panel, best thing I ever bought.

It's not always about resolution, it's about panel quality.