Mac Mini M4 external display quality vs. iMac

If you want a monitor with roughly the same Retina-level PPI as the discontinued 27" Intel 5K Retina iMacs, or the current 24" 4.5K Retina iMacs, you would want something like

• A 27" 5K (5120x2880 pixel) monitor
• A 32" 6K (6016x3384 pixel) monitor

Monitors with these pixel densities include

• The now-discontinued first-generation 27" Apple Studio Display.
• The new second-generation 27" Apple Studio Display and the new 27" Apple Studio Display XDR
• The now-discontinued 32" Apple Pro Display XDR

There are also now 27" 5K (5120x2880) pixel monitors from several other vendors, including LG, BenQ, Samsung, Asus, and ViewSonic. Plus, perhaps, one or two 32" third-party 6K monitors.

There doesn't seem to be much choice in smaller screen sizes. There is a low-end $300 LG 24" 4K display whose specifications don't mention sRGB coverage, and a high-end Asus 24" 4K display with color accuracy features that might appeal to professional photographers and videographers, but whose price is something like $1300. There's a very noticeable dearth of 24" 4K displays in spite of the fact that UHD 4K is a common resolution for TV sets.

Note that the old 27" Thunderbolt Display is a 2.5K (2560x1440) pixel monitor. It is not as sharp as a 27" 5K Retina iMac display or an Apple Studio Display. On top of that, modern versions of macOS no longer do some of the tricks that older versions of macOS used to do to make text look good on that display. (Once you have a high enough PPI thaat you can draw letter shapes accurately without those tricks, the tricks become less necessary.)

Likewise, 27" iMacs started out with 2560x1440 displays. They got Retina 5K displays starting in Late 2014.

The BenQ PD2730S (new) has specs that meet (27-inch 5K (5120x2880) @ 218PPI ) and in some ways exceed the Apple Studio Display. It has gotten rave reviews vs. the ASD. While there are some minor differences in a few of the detailed specs, the big differences are 1) it has a nano-matte coating vs. the ASD's glossy surface and 2) it doesn't include a webcam.

FWIW, you need at least a 6K 32" monitor to look as good as the iMac 27" 5Ks. The 27" Apple Studio Display has the same resolution and pixel density as the iMacs.

egayzd wrote:

I read somewhere that Apple implements a different screen design than the "others" have been trying to copy... almost is not good enough; also, apple's software and screen display are so tuned well that they are simply "perfect"... well, I decide from what I see...

What you are talking about is called Apple Retina display technology, which has been available on many Mac models (iMacs & laptops) for quite a few years. It's also on iPhones & iPads. A Retina display is also called a "HiDPi" display because it has far more pixels than traditional displays. A 27" 5K Retina panel will be 5120-by-2880 resolution at 218 pixels per inch.

There are many third-party Retina-capable displays on the market ... the BenQ PD2730S that I mentioned earlier is one of them. While the Apple Studio Display is an outstanding display, many third-party Retina-capable displays hold their own against the Studio Display at lower prices. In general, they should look just as good as an Apple Retina display.

Also keep in mind that Macs still fully support "traditional" display types (non-Retina displays) but the image will not look the same as on a Retina display.

Re: “my late 2015(?) and 2019 27-inch iMac both runs 5120 x 2880, and letters are so crisp”

5120x2880 = diagonal of 5874.4 pixels, over 27”, for roughly 218 PPI.

Re:”the MSI 32-inch OLED does not even come close”

3840x2160 = diagonal of 4405.8 pixels, over 32”, for roughly 138 PPI.

“Retina” can also refer (informally) to the Retina scaling modes that Apple offers to take advantage of high-PPI displays. Even when you are using them on something like a 27” 4K monitor (163 PPI) or 32” 4K monitor (138 PPI) that does not have Retina-level pixel density.

E.g., in Retina “like 2560x1440” mode, a Mac will draw in detail on a 5120x2880 pixel canvas, and will then downscale the 5K image if dealing with a lower-resolution screen.

FWiW, I am using an LG27UP650 (27", 4K, HDR) with the screen set to 3008x1692 and text is sharp and crisp.

For me, I found it as the best compromise between screen real estate and text size. 2560x1440 (which still displays crisp text) crowded the desktop a bit too much and at full 4K everything was just too small.

While some may dispute this, but cable quality and length can subtly change fine details. While HDMI and Display Port technologies are fully digital, cheaper cables and longer cables can soften the edges on the digital pulses creating a bit of "fuzziness" in details since not all edges are lined up all the same all the time.

egayzd wrote:

Hi OT - which were you referring to? (3840 x 2160)?

I think he is referring to a previous reply where he wrote

I'm using an LG 32" 4K (32SQ780S) monitor at reduced resolution (1680 x 945) in Dark Mode and the text is very sharp. If I used the monitor at its highest resolution (3840 x 260) I would not be able to read any text on the screen at all. All much much too small.

If that screen was 260 pixels high, it would be like a grossly oversized Touch Bar! It's pretty clear that he meant to type 2160. Most likely, he made a typo, or the '1' key on his keyboard is flaky and possibly wearing out.

"Like 1680 x 945" on a 32" monitor translates to text that is about 50% larger in each direction, than the text on a 24" 1920 x 1080 monitor. But the Mac is drawing at a 3340 x 1890 pixel level of detail, and upscaling that to fit on the 3840 x 2160 pixel screen. "Like 1920 x 1080" would also provide large text – with more pixel-perfect scaling – although the text wouldn't be quite as large.

That's all well and good but without telling us exactly how & what you are comparing there's no substance there.

• What 32-inch OLED monitor?
  • Connected to what?
  • How connected?
  • What resolution?
  • What other settings (profile, brightness, gamma, etc)?
• What model 27" iMac?
  • At what resolution?
  • What other settings?

And the issue isn't the M4 mini ... it's whatever display you are connecting to it, how it is connected and the resolution you set.

I have an old 2018 Mac mini connected to a Sony Bravia TV via HDMI. The onscreen image is gorgeous at both 1080p and 4K. Text is fully readable. The M4 mini supports even finer resolution.

I'm using an LG 32" 4K (32SQ780S) monitor at reduced resolution (1680 x 945) in Dark Mode and the text is very sharp. If I used the monitor at its highest resolution (3840 x 260) I would not be able to read any text on the screen at all. All much much too small.