Can I run this amazing monitor with my MacBook Pro? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

My Hardware: 2019 16" MBP; AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8 GB; Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

I am not a gamer and have no interest in it

Currently, I have two 27" 4k monitors on my desk that I hook up to my Macbook Pro via Caldigit dock

I want this display. It looks completely awesome. However, before I invest $1700 to buy it I have a few questions as I am a complete novice at monitors and how to set them up resolution-wise

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1. Can my Macbook Pro drive this huge monitor?
2. With a Caldigit dock, I am guessing I use a display cable from monitor to dock and a single USB-C from the dock to Macbook? Or will I need a TB3 cable?
3. What would the resolution settings be on my Macbook Pro? Specifically, I would need to know if it would run on DEFAULT or SCALED and if SCALED, what specific settings
4. What settings would I have to change the monitor to? The video I have included below does go into display settings the reviewer deemed optimal but I am wondering if it is going to be the same for the Mac (as he is running Windows)

I am going to be using this monitor strictly for email, spreadsheets, iMovie editing, and web browsing. Would this monitor be appropriate for that purpose? I don't like the two 27" monitors I am currently running only because they don't wrap around my peripheral vision.

Note: This is currently unavailable for purchase as of last week due to Samsung doing a recall on the monitor. I expect it will be back in the marketplace shortly.​

 

[DaveF]

From just a pixel perspective a recent mac should have no problem running that monitor, as it has half the pixels of a 27" iMac.

G9: 5,120 x 1,440
iMac: 5120 x 2880

The new MBP can drive two 6K displays with resolutions of 6016 x 3384 at 60Hz

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

support.apple.com

And here's someone saying they're running a 5120x1440 LG monitor from a MBA

Ultrawide Monitors with Macbook Air 2020

I'm currently powering LG's 49" Ultrawide (5120x1440). One thing to keep in mind is that you will be running hotter because of the external monitor being connected (i.e. temperatures will start to peak faster, and you're likely to run into thermal throttling issues sooner). My average...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Ronald Epstein]

That's good news, Dave. Thank you for providing those links


Now I have to figure out if this is overkill for what I need it for (probably is)

It's a really sweet monitor, I'll say that

 

[John Dirk]

Ron! You're a guy after my own heart as I too simply love technology and am always looking for the best out there for my environment. Before I continue I should mention that I am not a MAC guy and have only limited knowledge of their products. That said, aside from the obvious compatibility issues, computer technology is pretty generic and I do have a long history on the PC side.

I took a quick look at both the monitor and the Caldigit dock. Since each has native support for Display Port, I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to use this monitor and don't understand why you wouldn't be able to run it directly to the Mac Book without the need for USB-C, etc. Since I don't know the specs of your Mac Book, I can't say whether or not you would be able to use it at it's optimal settings.

Now let's talk about what you're actually trying to accomplish. As you know, this is a high-end gaming monitor. Since you're not a gamer you would be paying for a couple of things I doubt would even matter [or even be noticeable] to you such as the 240 Hz refresh rate and the 1 ms response time. If you're looking for bleeding edge tech then I think you've found it and there's no compelling reason not to go for it. If you're at all interested in practicality [being retired and all ] then I think there are better options that might actually prove more satisfying in the long run as well as saving you a considerable amount of cash.

When I tired of my multi-screen setup about a year ago I auditioned a few of the Ultra Wide monitors available at the time. I personally found the sacrifice in vertical space more than I was willing to live with and also didn't really care for the curvature as much as I thought I would. I ultimately opted for this instead and have been very happy with it.

Good luck with whatever choice you make!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

John,

I love talking to you. You get me.

I am fascinated by tech. I'm drawn to it like a bug to a light bulb.

And you didn't try to talk me out of it which I appreciate.

The two 27" monitors I have served me well. They were a secondary choice at the time as there were issues with the Mac I previously owned running them well.

But what I don't like about running two monitors side-by-side is one, the bezels. Secondly, I am always moving around open apps from one monitor to the other that don't always stay in the same place every time I plug my computer in.

Finally, the dual monitor setup lacks what I feel is "continuity." Often it looks like I am running two different wallpapers across the entire spectrum due to the LIVING WEATHER APP background I use that doesn't conform to two separate screens.

I'll wait and see if Samsung gets this back in the marketplace anytime soon

 

[DaveF]

If you don't already, you'll want to use an app like Magnet or Moom. I use Magnet on my 27" iMac. There are various apps of this ilk, so pick the one with the features you need. (And this is one of those areas that Windows 10 bests macOS in usability, as the key window management features are built in).

Magnet – Window manager for Mac

magnet.crowdcafe.com

 

[John Dirk]

And you didn't try to talk me out of it which I appreciate.

Quite the contrary. I'm trying to talk myself INTO it!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Quite the contrary. I'm trying to talk myself INTO it!

That's funny. Seriously? That's one bad-ass monitor. I would be doing double takes if I were you.

If you don't already, you'll want to use an app like Magnet or Moom. I use Magnet on my 27" iMac. There are various apps of this ilk, so pick the one with the features you need. (And this is one of those areas that Windows 10 bests macOS in usability, as the key window management features are built in).

Magnet – Window manager for Mac

magnet.crowdcafe.com

Yup. That's a great recommendation. There is another that you didn't mention that I actually use called MOSAIC. I like this app in particular as when you drag your browser window a panel appears above it giving you a multitude of screen sizes and positions to choose from.

 

[DaveF]

I hadn't seen MOSAIC when I was searching. Magnet has a similar feature, where dragging to the screen edge previews a snap-to sizing option. It's simpler than MOSAIC but not as flexible or multi-featured. So, for anyone reading along, there's a handful of these apps with different takes on window management UI, so you can find the approach that works best for your work style.

 

[John Dirk]

That's funny. Seriously? That's one bad-ass monitor. I would be doing double takes if I were you.

Semi-seriously I guess. On the one hand it's a sweet looking piece of hardware. On the other hand I don't really have a use case for it and I spend the vast majority of my "me" time in my theater, which can always benefit from a cash infusion.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

BTW, when I get this -- and I pretty much have made up my mind that I am -- I am going to need advice on display settings both on the Mac end and the display side.

 

[JohnRice]

FWIW, I run two frameless 27" WQHD monitors, which have the same pixel area as that single monitor. While I get the coolness factor of that one, those two monitors cost me $600 total and the minimum gutter on the frameless design has never bothered me. Seems like a lot of money for a debateable real world benefit.

Weren't you recently beating yourself up over the cost of a $60 cable?

Just an innocent question.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

FWIW, I run two frameless 27" WQHD monitors, which have the same pixel area as that single monitor. While I get the coolness factor of that one, those two monitors cost me $600 total and the minimum gutter on the frameless design has never bothered me. Seems like a lot of money for a debateable real world benefit.

Weren't you recently beating yourself up over the cost of a $60 cable?

Just an innocent question.

Yeah, I was beating myself up over a $60 cable.

But there is a difference if I can weasle my way through an explanation...

Paying $60 for a f-ing cable compared to $1700 for what essentially is a brand-new TV for your desktop

 

[JohnRice]

Just keep in mind, you're looking at spending a lot of money to get a cool looking, single monitor with significantly less pixel real estate than you have now.

Clearly I'm breaking the John Dirk rule of not trying to talk you out of it, which is really just pointing out the other side of the decision.

For me, pixel real estate tends to be the bottom line where monitors are concerned. And color accuracy.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Here is where you can educate me, John...

What does it mean when I lose pixel real estate?

 

[JohnRice]

OK, no problem, but I didn't ask if you are using "Retina Mode" on your 4K monitors.

Here's the basic breakdown, then the complicating part.

Your current 27" 4K monitors have 3,840x2160 resolution. Two of them makes for 7,680x2160 resolution. The monitor you're looking at has 5,120x1440 resolution, which is significantly less than you have now. IOW, less pixel real estate than you have now.

Where it gets confusing is if you're running your current monitors in "Retina Mode" which is set in the computer's monitors settings. If you are, then your effective pixel count is half for each dimension, or 3,840x1080, but with higher resolution on some things. It's a little muddy what that means and what benefits it has.

The illustrious @Sam Posten can probably lend more help with the intricacies of Retina Mode. I'm sure he can tell you how awesome a widescreen monitor is for gaming. Of course, you said you have no interest in gaming.

 

[DaveF]

Ah, what @JohnRice says is crucial!

If you’re currently running two 27” 4K monitors, this ultra wide could be a huge step down in computer usability. Less windows on screen, less desktop real estate, etc.

This new monitor will be less than half (44%) the usable screen / desktop real estate of your dual monitor system.

Ask yourself if it’s worth $1700 to get rid of the bezels but lose one-third of your screen width and height — literally mask off the right third and bottom third of your current setup to see how that might feel.

Retina vs Native doesn’t matter here. Both systems set the same, the experienced loss of useable of screen space will be the same.

Put another way, do you “upgrade” a 65” 4K TV by replacing it with an 85” HD TV?

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

@JohnRice, hmmm... I wonder if Retina Mode would turn that Samsung beast into a 2560x720 effective display, haha...

IF Ron had been using Retina Mode on his current setup, he might find native (non-Retina) mode rendering everything too small for comfort on that Samsung beast. Does Retina Mode allow fine-tune adjustments?

In Windows 10, one could adjust the amount of scaling along a fairly reasonable scale...

_Man_

 

[DaveF]

Now, let’s also acknowledge there are practical issues in personal usability with bezels, with physical size of pixels and screens. “Retina” and “4K” are a young man‘s game, in many ways. It could really be true that an 85” HD set is be more enjoyable than a 65” 4K set, depending of viewing distance, eyesight, etc.

But $1700 seems like big money for a monitor meant for gamers, not have-work-to-do professionals / enthusiast.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

The problem I have with the two 27" monitors is that in order to run them at the recommended resolution I can hardly read the screen.

I am running it at: 3840x2160 @60Hz

That gives me the most razor-sharp image. However, the fonts are ridiculously tiny and hard to read.

I can go to this larger alternative: 2560x1440 @60Hz

The problem is, I lose sharpness at that setting but it's much easier to read text.

I have a feeling I am going to run into the same issue with the Samsung Q9 if I decide to buy it, which at this point, is decided.

I don't know squat about monitors. Most of the stuff I learn is through Google searches. I arrived at the current resolution (in bold red) by researching. Perhaps there is a better resolution I should be running the monitor at that won't kill my eyes and will keep the image sharp.

I have much to learn about obtaining perfect resolution and scaling on these external monitors. That is why I come to you guys for help.