Seeking non-Apple monitor for MacBook

Unless you have some very specific requirements for the monitor, like accurate color reproduction, mcolor matching, or a specific refresh rate, pretty much any display out there will work just fine.

Recommended brands include LG, Samsung, BenQ (for Photography work) or Asus.

Are you looking for a similar size to the old iMac? If so, is it a 21.5 or 27" iMac?

Are you looking for a specific resolution?

What kind of work do you do?

What kind of budget do you have for the display?

Some examples:

click here ➜ Samsung 27" ViewFinity S7 (S71H) 4K UHD IPS HDR10 High Resolution Monitor - Amazon.com

click here ➜ LG 27US500-W Ultrafine Monitor 27-Inch 4K UHD (3840x2160) HDR10 IPS Borderless Design - Amazon.com

click here ➜ ASUS ProArt PA279CV 27 Inch 4K UHD USB-C Professional Monitor - Amazon.com

click here ➜ BenQ MA270U 27” 4K 3840x2160 Monitor - Amazon.com

I work with users fiddling with their display interfaces often, so I have developed some strong opinions.

If you can get a Display with a Thunderbolt interface, then your options for using large (like 4K) displays are (essentially) not subject to limitations, except that cables need to be around 0.5 meters or shorter. Some such displays have USB Hubs and other interfaces built-in.

In general what you will likely do is use an adapter/cable USB-C to DisplayPort, and connect to the DisplayPort input of the display. That runs slower than Thunderbolt so those cable/adapters can be up to ONE meter.

Displays with ONLY HDMI inputs are not going to perform quite as well, because your MacBook Air does not have a Direct HDMI port, and simple adapters can be limited and troublesome. In general these can be limited to 4K at 50 Hz for 10 bits/color.

(On Macs with a direct HDMI output, M-series Mac from 2023 or later provide great HDMI support, but ULTRA HDMI cables are required.)

If you want more details, just ask.

hsample wrote:

Thanks, Phil for that fantastic reply. Some answers: * My current iMac is a 21.5", 2017 model. I wouldn't mind a larger screen, say 27" or 30" * Not looking for a specific resolution, though of course I want it to be crisp and work with whatever my laptop needs. * I use my desktop for typical household accounting, email, texts, writing and a couple of video games. Nothing particularly stressful for the machine. * Not more than $1,000-$1,200 Thanks for the links!

With that budget, you are way over the mark for most standard monitors. Only Apple over prices their displays that much. Not to say they aren't worth it, but they're mostly for really high end applications. what you describe will work with most monitors out there in the $250 to $500 range.

BTW, BenQ's monitor appears to be the only one of those four that specifically markets its Mac adaptability, at least on Amazon. The monitor has great reviews. Never heard of BenQ before. Who are they?

They're a pretty well-known and pretty long-lived company that was born out of Acer computers and later spun off into it's own company specializing in display products. It has made high quality monitors for many, many years, usually aimed at Photography professionals and Video editors. They are really good displays and not very expensive for what they can do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BenQ

Also, do you know how the monitor would connect to my MacBook Air, which only has two USB C ports? I suspect I'd connect the laptop to a USB hub, then a cable from the hub to either the monitor's USB C (15-watt) or its USB C (90-watt) port. Or...?

Most monitors have Display Port or HDMI ports. So a simple adapter from your MacBook Air's USB-C / Thunderbolt ports to either one of these is all that is needed.

Some newer displays will have the USB-C / Thunderbolt 3/4/5 ports so a direct high quality thunderbolt 3/4/5 cable is all that is needed. In the case of the ones I used as examples, they have HDMI and Display-Port ports.

You can of course use a hub or dock if you want too.

<< Or fit the other end of the cable with an HDMI adapter and plug that into the BenQ monitor's HDMI port. >>

That is right in Principle, but DON"T do that.

You will get sub-par results from HDMI generated by USB-C port..

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When adapting display data from most USB-C ports using ordinary adapters, each display interface uses a different set of standard speeds, as part of their standards. Each allowed speed must fit inside the maximum speed of USB 3, which is 20 G bits sec.

for HDMI, the highest standard speed that can be supported by the protocol (when starting with USB-3) is 14.4 G Bits/sec. That allows a 10 bits/color 4K HDR display to run at up to 50 Hz. 

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But a USB-C to USB-C cable (provided it is certified as a USB-C 20 Megabits/sec ) no longer that one meter will do nicely.

Thanks, Phil for that fantastic reply. Some answers:

• My current iMac is a 21.5", 2017 model. I wouldn't mind a larger screen, say 27" or 30"
• Not looking for a specific resolution, though of course I want it to be crisp and work with whatever my laptop needs.
• I use my desktop for typical household accounting, email, texts, writing and a couple of video games. Nothing particularly stressful for the machine.
• Not more than $1,000-$1,200

Thanks for the links!

HS

BTW, BenQ's monitor appears to be the only one of those four that specifically markets its Mac adaptability, at least on Amazon. The monitor has great reviews. Never heard of BenQ before. Who are they?

Also, do you know how the monitor would connect to my MacBook Air, which only has two USB C ports? I suspect I'd connect the laptop to a USB hub, then a cable from the hub to either the monitor's USB C (15-watt) or its USB C (90-watt) port. Or...?

My MacBoook Air only has two USB C ports, and the BenQ monitor I'm looking at has two HDMI, one USB A and two USB C ports. So I guess I would plug a cable into my laptop's USB C port, then plug the other end of the cable into one of BenQ's USB C ports; Or fit the other end of the cable with an HDMI adapter and plug that into the BenQ monitor's HDMI port.

Ok. No adapter. I see USB cables at or below one meter long on Amazon. Some have speeds of up to 20 GB/sec, which I suspect is much better than 20MB/sec. So unless you wave me off, that's the direction I'll go. I'll directly connect the monitor into one of my laptop's USB C ports, and plug a USB hub into the other laptop USB C port so I can connect other assorted devices.

Thank you!

So sorry.

The correct number is 20 G bits/sec, and that should be most of them, and 20 should be stamped on the ends.

I sometimes get my Ks and Ms and Gs and Ts mixed up.

I first learned to program on a computer that was two six-foot racks or equipment and a teletype. It had 4K of real RAM.

Again, just great info. I appreciate your assistance!