Ordered the Mac Mini-Need a recommendation on a 27" display that compares to my 2019 iMac (or better!)

If money is no object, the 27" Apple Studio Display has a 5K screen that is extremely similar to the one in your iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019). It goes for $1599+ USD.

LG used to be the only other manufacturer making 27" 5K (5120x2880 pixel) displays, but these days, I believe that there are models from LG, Samsung, BenQ, Asus, and ViewSonic. These are still likely to be pretty expensive.

A lot of people have settled for 27" – 32" 4K monitors, These are not as sharp as 27" 5K monitors, but some basic, decent ones (with IPS panels, 100% or near-100% coverage of sRGB, modern inputs, and height-adjustable stands) go for as little as $300 – $400 USD.

That external display will depend on your budget.

I am using an M4 Mac Mini Pro (64 GB/ 1 TB) with a 4K LG 32-inch display on an ergo arm (32UN880-B) that has exceptionally fine dot-pitch that I would say rivals the clarity of my 2020 Core i7 iMac. Cost $650 when I originally purchased it in 2020 for my M1 mini and five years later, it remains flawless.

Once I started using this 32-inch display, I found the extra screen real estate simply liberating.

I have the Apple Studio display and it is great although the camera could be better. I also have the Lg 27" 5k monitor that uses the same screen and costs less but it is hard to find as I believe it is out of production. I enjoy the 5k display with my old eyes.

LG makes a line of 27" 4K displays that work very well with Macs and are not that far off from iMac displays. At one time they were a supplier of iMac display panels.

Check online for pricing as often various retailers will deeply discount them from time to time as will LG itself.

I have an LG 27UP600 27", 4k, HDR display that I am very happy with. It is the barebones model which is all I needed.

I got essentially the same Mini M4 but with only 16 GB of RAM and got a 32" 4K monitor. It sees as good or better than my 2017 27" 5K iMac. If you're not going to do your own photo editing a 4K should be fine. (Disclaimer: my eyesight is failing so that may have something to do with my evaluation.)

If there's a big box electronics store near you go in and view some of the 27" and 32" monitors there to see how they compare to your older screen.

I'm extremely pleased with my LG monitor.

Just some food for thought.

I see the Kuycon 27" 5K monitor is becoming popular. You may want to look into that model.

https://clickclack.io/products/kuycon-g27p-5k-60hz-27-inch-ips-monitor?srsltid=AfmBOoq2YKf0qjbAcRgM608YQtcBNgIPnwoNkeWubfJnuIsPWU-WyQyp

Another thing to consider is using a 4K TV as a monitor . . . it will certainly have better speakers than most monitors and will cost a lot less. You will also be able to use it in moments of relaxation!

Over here in the UK high quality 43" 4K Smart TVs can be bought for £237 . . . larger and smaller models are available.

Just think what a 43" or larger TV would look like for displaying videos to your customers!

I have an old 32" 1080p TV in my studio doubling as a second monitor . . . works perfectly and sound is fine.

This is an old photo and things have been re-arranged but the large green screened item is the TV.

I’ve been using the MA320U for a while and it’s been great so far, solid build, and the colors and scaling look perfect on my MacBook Air M3.

If you’re into glossy finishes, you might wanna check out the new MA320UP, I think it’s basically the glossy 32” version of this line. https://www.benq.com/en-us/monitor/home/ma320up.html

lkrealtor wrote:

Thanks everyone! After considering everything, I am going with a new iMac. Only drawback is the 24" screen but I think the "all in one" will be better for me after considering external speakers, webcam and monitor.

Note that there are several stock models of the 24" M4 iMac.

The cheapest one – and custom-order models based on it – only has two multi-purpose USB-C (USB, USB4, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3) ports, which will fill quickly. There are some other compromises, too. (It has two fewer CPU cores and two fewer GPU cores than the other models, does not come with Ethernet or a Touch ID keyboard as standard, and can only drive one external display. But the port count is what may force you to go immediately shopping for a hub or dock.)

The others have four multi-purpose USB-C (USB, USB4, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4) ports, and Ethernet.

With a M4 or M4 Pro Mac mini, you would have three of those multi-purpose USB4 / Thunderbolt ports on the back, plus a couple of USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2) ports on the front, plus a HDMI port and an Ethernet port.

lkrealtor wrote:

...The think I am hung up on is I like the GLOSS and many of these are Matte finish. I don't have a glare problem with my iMac so would like to stick to Gloss. ...

FWIW, I had used an iMac and Thunderbolt display for years with glossy screens. When I got my 4K LG with a matte screen, after using for a very short time I really did not see much difference.

lkrealtor wrote:

The think I am hung up on is I like the GLOSS and many of these are Matte finish. I don't have a glare problem with my iMac so would like to stick to Gloss.

You have a 27" 2019 iMac. That one has a display panel that is laminated to the glass – and the glass has some anti-reflective coatings. The original 27" iMacs from 2009 – 2011 did not have those features – and I remember posts where photographers unfavorably compared the iMac screens to reflective panes of glass. The complaint then was that Apple should have offered matte displays instead of glossy ones.

I can definitely afford the Apple Studio it is just overpriced imo.

By the time you purchase that display, an Apple Magic Keyboard, and an Apple Magic Mouse, you've spent what a decent 27" 5K Retina iMac used to cost. But you still need to buy the computer! To add insult to injury, it only has one input, so you can't easily share it among multiple Macs (e.g. a desktop and a notebook).

As mentioned earlier, the only people who need and can benefit from very high quality monitors are (usually professionals) who are doing very high quality graphic work where perfect colour accuracy is essential.

Regarding you and your old iMac monitor I would suggest that "quality" is highly subjective.

I can remember the arguments back in 2008 over matte or reflective screens and I was very apprehensive about getting a new iMac with a reflective screen.

Yes, there were reflections but my brain erased them and all my worries had been pointless . . . it would have been the same if I had bought a matte screen . . . all the concerns about that would have been rendered unnecessary.

Up to a year ago I was using a 5K 27" iMac (reflective screen) and a couple of Mac minis with bargain basement (£110 Philips) 27" 1080p matte screens.

Side by side comparison showed the iMac screen was probably "better" but when used in isolation, the cheap monitors looked perfect.

So you are really worrying over nothing . . . except for an enormous bill!

lkrealtor wrote:

Thanks, after going to the Mac store today, I agree with a lot of you that the iMac screen is a bit small considering the other options for displays.

From Late 2009 through 2020, the Intel iMac line came in two screen sizes: 21.5" and 27".

The 24" M-series iMacs are the successors to the 21.5" Intel iMacs.

Apple discontinued the 27" iMac line without ever releasing a 27" Apple Silicon iMac. When they dropped the last 27" iMac, they simultaneously released the first Mac Studio and the 27" Studio Display. To date, Apple has shown no inclination of bringing "large screen" iMacs back. (Speculation on third-party Web sites that Apple would soon be releasing 32" Apple Silicon iMacs turned out to be so much wishful thinking.)