chrison600

Q: iMac 5K GUI Scaling for External 4K Monitor?

Hi all,

 

I recently bought an inexpensive refurb 4K monitor to serve as extra workspace for my iMac Retina 5K. I was disappointed in the monitor in general, so I returned it, but while testing it I found it difficult to see/read the GUI and text on the 4K screen. After doing a bit more research I've found that there is a technology called "scaling" that will change the display parameters such that the GUI and text will appear larger while images still take advantage of the full resolution.

 

How can I tell if my iMac supports scaling?

 

Is there a list of recommended 4K monitors which the iMac works well with (scaling, recall of window position/size)?

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

Posted on Sep 26, 2016 5:09 AM

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Q: iMac 5K GUI Scaling for External 4K Monitor?

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  • by brenden dv,

    brenden dv brenden dv Sep 27, 2016 12:01 PM in response to chrison600
    Community Specialists
    Sep 27, 2016 12:01 PM in response to chrison600
    Howdy chrison600,


    I understand that you were particularly underwhelmed by the clarity of the display on the 4K display that you'd purchased for use with your 5K iMac. The assessment that you've come to after doing a bit of research is, however, correct. There are a number of factors that play into making sure that you've got hardware that will work well together, as well as configuring your Mac (and occasionally the display, as well) to accommodate different displays. Fortunately we've an article (linked below) that details a whole wealth of information regarding specifications to look for, as well as a certain number of displays that have been tested for functionality.

    Using 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs with your Mac
    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206587




    Regards.


  • by chrison600,

    chrison600 chrison600 Sep 27, 2016 12:43 PM in response to brenden dv
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 27, 2016 12:43 PM in response to brenden dv

    Thank you. I had read that article and while helpful, it was also confusing. What is "Single Stream Transport" vs "Multi Stream Transport"? I can assume that Multi is better than Single, but how? Does this simply mean the number of monitors able to be connected is either one (Single) or multiples (Multi)?

     

    There is a short list of monitors in the article, but they are listed as being configurable for Multi Stream Transport. There is no list for Single Stream Transport, nor any 27-28 class monitors.

     

    While this article does overview the 4K issue, it does not address whether 4K is better/preferable over 16:9 QHD in all situations.

     

    Thank you for the answer. Maybe someone else will offer additional advice.