In order to stay productive, I wanted to research and find the best external monitor for MacBook Pro content creation usage. Learn when you should consider 1440 versus 4k, the right connectivity accessories, and everything else to help you make an informed decision when buying a high quality monitor.
Want to skip all the reading and just buy the best? Here you go!
Table of Contents
Whether you are a fellow content creator, in the music industry, or some other visual artist, you know having a big monitor or two is absolutely essential. And there are plenty of other uses that greatly benefit from a superb external monitor that aren’t even in my awareness.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with different monitor setups. I’ve used a single monitor, multiple monitors, up to three at one point, and back down to one widescreen.
While I love the 16″ screen while on the go, I’m truly at my best when at my home office with a 32 to 38 inch monitor to edit photos and video on. My current monitor is a 34″ Dell Curved UltraSharp. This article is meant to serve as both a guide to others trying to figure out what to buy, as well as a wishlist for myself for my own upgrades.
Choosing an External Monitor
A big part of discovery for narrowing down a list of potential external monitors for the MacBook Pro included reading through multiple subreddits for photography, videography, and Apple.
I watched YouTube video reviews of many of the monitors mentioned by people using them professionally, and cross-referenced written articles by reputable outlets.
At the time of writing this, I was in the market for purchasing a new external monitor for my 2021 MacBook Pro 16″, which I used to help figure out the best options available.
All monitors listed will have exceptional color quality, color grading, and photo or video editing capabilities. If reading those specs are more important to you, links are provided to all spec sheets.
In order to best match an external monitor with the 2021 MacBook Pro, I wanted a monitor that could handle a 120 Hz refresh rate to better batch the quality of the laptop display.
There is something about monitor screen sizes you should know that not many companies will tell you. LCD panels are manufactured at specific sizes and ratios, then cut down for a great selection. The best deals and prices will come from sizes that are the most easily bulk produced. Having a little flexibility on your screen size when shopping can help you find better deals and also screen quality in general.
You’ll notice as you browse the different models each of the below manufacturers have available, they stick to specific sizes with not too much variance on these higher end display. The panel manufacturing process is why.
So what size should you actually get? Well, whether you are choosing between something around 24″ or going to the 36″ or even over 40″, you’ll need to determine your work style. Do you want to use both your MacBook Pro and an external monitor or two, to split your workspace up, or do you want it all on one?
I’ve gone both routes, and I have migrated back to just one big display. From my own personal, ADHD driven experience, keeping it on one allows me to easily hide distractions, such as Slack, Discord, etc behind productivity windows. I found when I had multiple monitors, I essentially spent nearly $500 to have a chat feed. But that’s just me.
4k vs 1440 Monitors
In comparing research to other forum and community discussions, it seems the consensus is if you are buying an external monitor for your Macbook Pro that is 27″ or smaller, you will be better off sticking with 1440. If your monitor is 32 inches, you could safely go either direction. Above 32″ and you’ll greatly benefit from running a 4k monitor natively.
Whichever option you end up buying – keep it native for better performance and the sharpest of text.
Overall, for DPI averages on monitors, these are breakpoints to follow:
- 24 inches = 1080
- 27 inches = 1440
- 32 inches = 4k
Evaluate the viewing distance from you to the monitor – the closer you sit, the more PPI your vision will benefit from.
Monitor Resolution versus Size Guide
Different monitor resolutions look the best in different size ranges, for DPI and text clarity.
The physical size of pixels matters as well. For example, if you get a 32in 1440p monitor and compare it to a 24in 1080p monitor, the physical size of the pixels is about the same. If you sit the same distance from the monitors. You would not notice a difference between the images. Other than one being larger. Text for example would appear the same quality. Because the physical pixel used to render it is the same size between the two monitors.
This is the same situation when you compare a 24in 1080p and a 32in 1080p. In my opinion 32 in 1080p is a garbage size and resolution for a monitor. 1440p is when you start to get a minimum quality back, but I prefer a thinner 1440p monitor, because it provides a higher density of pixels, and ultimately a higher image quality.
This is the exact same reason TVs have different viewing distance recommendations for different TV sizes. As the TV gets bigger, you should be sitting further away from it, to keep a relative image quality. This is less of an issue with 4k TVs.
A 27″ 1440p monitor will look way better than a 24″ 1440p monitor.
√(1920²+1080²)/24=91,8 ppi
√(2560²+1440²)/34=86,4 ppi
√(2560²+1440²)/32=91,8 ppi
So 24″ 1080p and 32″ 1440p has the same pixel density
2021 MacBook Pro Display
- Screen Size: 32″
- Panel: TFT IPS active-matric LED-backlit LCD
- Resolution: 6k 6016 by 3384 pixels (20.4 million pixels) at 218 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Brightness: 1000 nits XDR, 500 nits SDR
- Refresh Rates: 47.95 Hz, 48.00 Hz, 50.00 Hz, 59.94 Hz, 60.00 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 89º left, 89º right, 89º up, 89º down
- Price: $4600 with standard glass or $5600 with Nano glass
32″ Apple Pro Display XDR
Ports on this display include 3× powered USB-C ports for peripheral devices (USB 3.2 Gen 1 for Macs with a GPU supporting Display Stream Compression; otherwise USB 2.0) and 1× 96 W powered Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port supporting DisplayPort 1.4.
- Screen Size: 32″
- Panel: TFT IPS active-matrix LED-backlit LCD
- Resolution: 6k 6016 by 3384 pixels (20.4 million pixels) at 218 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Brightness: 1000 nits XDR, 500 nits SDR
- Refresh Rates: 47.95 Hz, 48.00 Hz, 50.00 Hz, 59.94 Hz, 60.00 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 89º left, 89º right, 89º up, 89º down
- Power Delivery: 96W
- Price: $4600 with standard glass or $5600 with Nano glass
While the Pro Display XDR is beautiful, it is prohibitively expensive and only supports up to 60 Hz. It also lacks any sort of hub capabilities.
Runner up: Apple Studio Display
Asus ProArt PA32UCG
This is the best external monitor for MacBook Pro you can buy. It takes the best of every other monitor on this list, and makes it better. The amount of ports on the monitor is mindblowing, and it even supports a bunch of HDR standards, Dolby Vision, along with 10-bit color.
The downside? At over $4000, it is out of my price range. And that makes me really, really sad, cause I feel in love with this thing after watching countless reviews of this monitor and dozens of others.
If all you care about is the very best, no matter the price, this is the monitor you should choose.
A runner-up to this monitor would be the PA329C, which is $3k cheaper and will remain a competitive option compared to the rest of the list.
- Screen Size: 32″ Curved
- Panel: Mini LED IPS Non-Glare
- Resolution: 4k 3840 by 2160 pixels at 138 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Brightness: 1600 nits HDR, 1000 nits SDR
- Refresh Rates: 120 Hz VRR
- Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
- Power Delivery: 60W
- Price: $4600 MSRP
Runner-up: ASUS ProArt PA329C
Alienware AW3423DW
The Dell Alienware AW3423DW is based on Samsung’s OLED panel that’s enhanced with quantum dots (QD-OLED)
The AW3423DW boasts a wide 99.3% DCI-P3 color gamut in addition to ~95% Adobe RGB coverage, resulting in 149% sRGB gamut size.
It’s capable of reaching a higher 1,000-nit peak brightness and it can sustain almost 300-nits (as opposed to C1’s ~150-nits) with a 100% white window, so ABL is a lot less aggressive. Just like every OLED, the AW3423DW has an infinite contrast ratio, instantaneous response time speed and wide viewing angles with consistent colors.
While the 3440×1440 resolution is lower than 4K UHD, it actually provides a higher pixel density on 34″ sized displays at roughly 110 PPI (pixels per inch), in comparison to 92 PPI of 48″ 4K and 105 PPI of 42″ 4K displays.
Another advantage of QD-OLED technology is better burn-in resistance; Dell even offers a three-year warranty that covers burn-in.
Aspect ratio: 21:9
Brightness: 250 cd/m2 (typical) ; 1000 cd/m2 (peak)
Refresh Rates: 175 Hz
Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
Power Delivery: SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1)
Price: $1300 MSRP
LG Ultrafine 34BK95U-W
The LG Ultrafine lineup is full of excellent contenders, but if I had to choose just one from their selection, this model would be it. Capable of 5k and HDR content, the inputs/outputs include power delivery and plenty of ports: 2x HDMI, 1 USB Upstream, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Headphone Out, and 2x USB 3.
This monitor is very similar to the one Apple sells on its website, but that one is only 27 inches, and I wanted to stay above 32. The 27″ version does include power delivery, a big deciding factor for me. Unfortunately, their larger sizes don’t include this specific feature. Choosing between the larger size and foregoing power delivery would be a tough decision, but the 34″ wins out for me.
- Screen Size: 34″ Curved
- Panel: Nano IPS Anti-Glare 3H
- Resolution: 5k 5120 by 2160 pixels at 163 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 21:9
- Brightness: 600 nits HDR, 400 nits SDR
- Refresh Rates: 75 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
- Power Delivery: 85W
- Price: $1500 MSRP
Runner-up: LG 27MD5KL-B 27 Inch UltraFine 5K or LG 27UP850-W 27″ 4k or LG 32EP950-B OLED
Viewsonic VP2785-4K
The Viewsonic Professional line of monitors have all of the basic needs of a media professional while maintaining a sleek thin bezel. If I were to go the route of multiple monitors, this is what I’d buy.
- Screen Size: 34″ Curved
- Panel: Nano IPS Anti-Glare 3H
- Resolution: 4k 3840 by 2160 pixels at 163 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 21:9
- Brightness: 350 nits
- Refresh Rates: 60 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
- Power Delivery: 60W
- Price: $800 MSRP
Dell UltraSharp U4320Q
At 43″, this is the biggest monitor on the list and at a surprisingly affordable price. The nits and ppi are going to be some of the lowest, but the power delivery options are enough to charge both your laptop and phone at the same time.
- Screen Size: 43″
- Panel: LED IPS
- Resolution: 4k 3840 by 2160 pixels at 103 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Brightness: 350 nits
- Refresh Rates: 60 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
- Power Delivery: 90W and 15W
- Price: $960 MSRP
Dell UltraSharp UP3221Q
Boasting Thunderbolt 3, USB C 3.2, the ability to daisy chain two 4k monitors, this is one of the few Mini LED display panels available.
- Screen Size: 34″
- Panel: Mini LED IPS
- Resolution: 4k 3840 by 2160 pixels at 140 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Brightness: 1000 nits HDR, 350 nits SDR
- Refresh Rates: 60 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
- Power Delivery: None
- Price: $4000 MSRP
Dell U3417W
The Dell U3417W is the external monitor for my MacBook Pro 2019 I used until this year.
You might be wondering why a 4+ year old monitor is included in this review. Well, The color quality and brightness have been wonderful to work with. Despite the specs on this monitor being far inferior to everything else listed, it is still a really good tool. And thus, a reminder to myself to not get too lost in the absolute best or perfect specs.
Over time, in using this monitor, I realized I would greatly benefit from a monitor that had a built-in hub with power delivery, in an attempt to limit cords on my desk.
The hub with this monitor is very versatile, but at its age, lacking in a few things I’d like to see from a newer monitor. Things like USB-C and power delivery, as well as better aux input/output management.
The other thing I realized, once I was settled in and used to this monitor, is a curved monitor isn’t necessarily ideal for lots of photo editing and photoshop. Another justification to switch back to a flat panel display.
I did like having a curved monitor where I could position it in the corner of my desk and manage space that way.
- Screen Size: 34″ Curved
- Panel: IPS Active matrix – TFT LCD
- Resolution: 1080i 3440 by 1440 pixels at 109 pixels per inch
- Aspect ratio: 21:9
- Brightness: 300 nits
- Refresh Rates: 60.00 Hz
- Viewing Angle: 178º Vertical, 178º Horizontal
- Price: $879 MSRP, $500 or so in 2021
Monitor Accessories
When connecting your monitor to your computer, there are a couple essential things to consider. Do you use DP, USB-C, HDMI, etc?
Does the monitor and computer support DSC (display stream compression)?
Theoretically, you only need a USB 3.2 Gen 2 cable to max out the USB-C (DP Alt Mode) connection. Thunderbolt (any) to make sure that the manufacturer didn’t skimp on details. On newer non-Mac laptops, USB-C to USB-C will do 144 Hz just fine with DSC support.
However, I remember that a bunch of people on a forum weren’t able to make USB-C to USB-C work with 144 Hz with M1 MacBooks. Not because of the cables, but because the MacBook’s USB hardware apparently tried to allocate 2 out of 4 high-speed USB lanes to data, whether or not the other side was willing to negotiate it up to the full 4 lanes for video. I don’t know if Apple may have fixed this since half a year ago, or if the hardware even allows fixing, but I wouldn’t bank on it.
So if you have an M1 Mac and you want to make sure, get a USB-C to DP cable (with HBR3 bandwidth specification) and skip the data. According to other people’s reports, this should get you the full 144 Hz and beyond specifications.
HDR and VESA Certified DisplayHDR
When buying monitors that support HDR, you’re going to want to check which certification they hold, as this will help you judge quality.
For working with HDR color spaces in film or photo editing, you’re going to want to look for monitors with at least DisplayHDR 1000. DisplayHDR 400 won’t show you all the colors you need, and DisplayHDR 600 is barely passable from a professional editing standpoint.
The VESA Certified DisplayHDR defines the fully open standard specifying HDR quality, including luminance, color gamut, bit depth, and rise time. High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays deliver better contrast and color accuracy, as well as more vibrant colors, compared to Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) displays. As a result, HDR is gaining interest for a wide range of applications, including movie viewing, gaming, and creation of photo and video content.
The DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black specifications assure that HDR content will appear vivid and life-like, with accurate color and contrast reproduction. Consumers should look for VESA tested and certified DisplayHDR or DisplayHDR True Black products. VESA’s multi-tiered performance ratings and logo system for DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black represent visible, meaningful performance levels relevant to specific applications and usage scenarios.
HDR10 is a display standard from VESA, prescribing 10 bits per channel color palette and a wider color gamut, as compared to the older 8bit/channel. HDR10+ adds dynamic brightness/contrast.
Warranties and Protection Plans
When you’re spending upwards of $5000 for a monitor, you might wonder if protection plans are even worth it.
I personally choose to get them. Make sure whichever plan you buy honors burn in, especially if you end up with an OLED monitor. You’ll also want to make sure backlight bleed and dead pixels – even just 1 – are covered.
As far as I know, Best Buy is one such company that honors that defect. MicroCenter will take a warranty return and provide a gift card on the spot for what you paid. Getting an extended warranty through these companies will make your process easier than dealing directly with manufacturers most of the time.
In Summary
It is tough to figure out the best external monitor for MacBook Pro you need, along with information overload and fatigue in sorting through the selection. Here are some quick breakdowns to help you choose:
Monitors with the best Power Delivery
- 96W – Apple Pro Display XDR
- 90W – Dell UltraSharp U4320Q
- 85W – LG Ultrafine 34BK95U-W
Monitors with Mini LEDs
Brightest Monitors
- 1600 nits HDR – Asus ProArt PA32UCG
- 1000 nits HDR – Apple Pro Display XDR
- 1000 nits HDR – Dell UltraSharp UP3221Q
Further Reading for Your MacBook Pro
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