Monitor for MacBook (Looking for Retina Style Crispness)

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  DialADeal on 20/11/2021 - 10:26

  Just bought this for my MBP
  hoping the same

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  p1 ama on 20/11/2021 - 11:31

  Looking to find out, simply, will this screen look comparable to a retina display (in sharpness) with similar physical sizing of windows and other elements?

  Essentially, no, even a 4K monitor of that size (27") cannot look as sharp as the retina display because the pixel density is much lower. However, you are likely to sit further back with a large monitor, so this will offset the lower pixel density, so you'll be fine.

  For reference, the MBA display has 227 ppi, a 2560x1440 27" monitor will have 108 ppi, and a 4K 27" monitor will have 163 ppi.

  In terms of the "crispness", that's due to more than just the pixel density as well. For example, Apple uses a highly reflective surface on their displays which is worse with glare, but looks sharper, whereas most monitors will have a matte surface that disperses incoming light at the expense of some "crispness".

  • 

    jetblack on 20/11/2021 - 12:38

    Ah. Interesting to know! Yeah expected glass vs matte would increase some trade off.

    Cheers for the response

    • 

      raziel2001au on 20/11/2021 - 13:15

      The pixel density of any 4K monitor is still very high, you'd be hard-pressed to really notice a difference. What's more important is the technology used for the monitor. Apple uses IPS panels and they are the best in terms of image clarity. OLED monitors are even better, but I can't recommend them for desktop use due to potential burn-in issues.

      When I knew less about monitor panels, I bought a TN panel for professional work (yes I now understand how stupid that was) and I couldn't even read the text in Blender where it's black text on a grey background. We use Samsung QLED-based monitors at work, same story, I often lose the mouse pointer on the screen simply because the monitor isn't clear enough for professional work (those monitors use PVA panels I believe). Long story short, get a monitor with an IPS panel, they offer the best clarity, and if you have the option, pay a little extra for one that's colour calibrated out of the factory.

      I bought a couple of dirt cheap uncalibrated Philips 4K IPS monitors that I use at home, but I have my own colour calibrator, so it was easy to calibrate them myself. But they were very off in terms of colour accuracy at the start, that's why I'd recommend just getting something that was calibrated at the factory in the first place.

      You also need to pay attention to the monitor's inputs. Your first choice should be a monitor with USB-C input (some can even power the MacBook over that single connection), but they can be expensive. Most likely, you'd go for a monitor with DisplayPort input. Avoid connecting over HDMI if you can. You can buy a USB-C to DisplayPort cable for your MacBook and that should have you sorted out.