Mini with non Apple monitor?

think the majority of mac mini owners use non apple monitors otherwise it would not really be the "cheap" option to get a mac

my mac mini 2012 is connected by thunderbolt to dvi adapter to an old 17" samsung monitor from 2005 or something

and my my 27" asus monitor using a hdmi to dvi adapter

also used a 24" dell monitor

I currently use an LG 27UP600 27", 4k, HDR400 display without any issue. It is the "base" model of that years line (and is still available) and doesn't have the bells and whistles of the "higher" models but has the same display panel and display performance. It can generally be had for under $400 and is currently on sale at BestBuy for $229!

Despite the price, it has a high quality display panel but doesn't have the refresh rate for the high end gamer but is well suited for general use and even photographic and movie editing.

Yes, you can use most any after-market monitor/display with the Mac mini.

see > Connect a display to Mac mini - Apple Support