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00:00Hey guys, I'm Tom of Tech Chap and in this video
00:02I want to give you some of my tips and also recommendations for what the best monitor or display is to pair with your
00:09MacBook whether it's your shiny MacBook Pro 14 or 16 or your Air or really just any laptop
00:15Whether you want something budget-friendly or with pro level color accuracy for gaming
00:20Maybe or even just you want the best overall bang for your buck
00:23I have also timestamped this video if you want to jump ahead and also I'll leave links to my recommended displays in the description
00:30Below and if you enjoyed the video a cheeky like and subscribe would be lovely
00:34Okay, first things first. How much do you need to spend?
00:37Well, you can go from a couple of hundred quid up to the best part of seven grand
00:43So it's important to figure out what features you actually need
00:47So you've got to consider what you're gonna use it for if it's just a second screen for having
00:52Discord on the side or watching movies or something. It probably doesn't need to be this Apple Pro display XDR
00:56But then if you color grading and video editing then you are gonna want something with pro level color accuracy
01:02But before we get to all that the most important thing really and also probably most boring thing is this the cables the connection
01:09So right now I've got a MacBook Pro 16 via this Thunderbolt Pro cable, which will come up to in a second paired up to this
01:176k Apple Pro display XDR
01:19This is a lovely setup would highly recommend if you've got like nine grand to spare between the two of them
01:24So that's not gonna be for everyone
01:26Without getting too bogged down the best and most expensive monitors will offer a Thunderbolt port and that gets you the highest resolution and refresh rates
01:34Including data transfer and it'll also charge your laptop, which means you can have fewer cables and you can keep your desk nice and tidy
01:40However, if you're on more of a budget then regular USB C ports HDMI or DisplayPort will be more than good enough for most of us
01:49They all have pros and cons and different limitations and hopefully this
01:52Table will give you a bit of an idea of what each one can do
01:55I'm telling you this stuff can get very complicated and could probably have a whole video just dedicated to talking about the difference between
02:02HDMI 2 and 2.1 and USB C and Thunderbolt
02:06It's a lot
02:07so all recent MacBooks from last few years have
02:10USB C ports that support Thunderbolt 3 or 4 and effectively they are the same thing again a whole video could be on that there
02:16are differences, but they have the same max speed and
02:18What we're talking about today are basically the same
02:21so you've got Thunderbolt on your MacBook you then need a Thunderbolt cable or a high-bandwidth USB C cable and then also a
02:27Thunderbolt display to give you the best of the best
02:30We do also now get an HDMI 2 port on these latest MacBook Pro 14s and 16s
02:35Which isn't as good as Thunderbolt, but it can still get you 4k 60 and HDR
02:40Now, of course a screen like this doesn't have an HDMI input
02:43So you'll have to use an adapter, but you're still limited by what's being output through this
02:48So at a very high level, you've got Thunderbolt 3 and 4, which is the best really you've got HDMI 2.1
02:53Which is quite rare, especially on monitors
02:55It's more common on TVs which we'll talk about in a second
02:58And then you've got sort of display port which can come with the USB C and then you've got just normal USB C
03:04No display port no Thunderbolt, which can do sort of 4k 60 and some charging
03:09But not the same full amount of charging and then you've got the sort of lowest here
03:13HDMI 2.0, which is a safe can still get you 4k 60
03:18That wasn't simple at all, was it?
03:20It is very complicated
03:22So it is worth reading reviews and also looking at specs for the particular monitor you're looking for
03:27So there's nothing wrong with a good old HDMI 2 monitor
03:30They are the most common and most affordable but mostly for this video
03:33I'll be recommending ones with USB C with external display support or Thunderbolt 3 or 4
03:40So let's move on and talk about size and 24 inches is still the most popular by far
03:46But personally, I think a 27 inch screen is the sweet spot without being too big for your desk or too expensive
03:52Now for me bigger is pretty much always better and with this 32 inch screen or indeed even that 38 inch ultra wide
04:00I've got over there
04:00You've just got more space for your apps whether you're having sort of side-by-side multitasking or you just want a more immersive experience
04:0716 by 9
04:08monitors are still the most common but taller 16 by 10 ratios give you a bit more vertical space or as I say you can
04:14Go ultra wide with a 21 by 9 or 21 by 10
04:18Like I've got here or even a super duper 32 by 9 ultra wide if you've got a massive desk and just want to go
04:24nuts
04:24The next thing to think about is resolution because you don't want to pair your shiny lovely MacBook or whatever laptop you're using
04:30With a low quality low res display, which just looks kind of rubbish when you've got them next to each other
04:35So 1080p full HD is absolutely fine on a 24 inch monitor
04:40But anything bigger definitely try and get 1440p or quad HD for a much sharper picture
04:45And if you need to see even finer detail then go for 4k
04:49It's absolutely worth it for graphical or video work and outside of gaming because it'll just destroy your frame rate
04:54There isn't really a downside to 4k except maybe it's a bit more expensive
04:59Then there's panel type. So rule of thumb avoid TN panels
05:03You don't see them as much these days, but they're pretty cheap and also not very good at all
05:06The best overall I would say is IPS you get good viewing angles great color accuracy, but it is also worth considering VA
05:13They often have better contrast even higher brightness
05:16But at the cost of some accuracy and then occasionally you'll run into a mini LED or an OLED option
05:21Which also have their own pros and cons are generally a lot more expensive
05:24It's also important to consider the color accuracy
05:26Which means what you see on screen is truer to what you'd see in real life and then more
05:30Representative of what others will see when looking at or watching your content
05:34so having a monitor with at least a hundred percent sRGB and
05:38Ideally a 90% or higher Adobe RGB and DCI p3 is preferable
05:44Some monitors like this and also the ultra wide which I use pretty much every day actually have dedicated color profiles
05:50you can go into the display settings and change to sRGB or
05:54Adobe RGB or p3 and then you can edit your content that way
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06:45and the last thing to think about before we come to my recommended models is
06:48The refresh rate and normally this isn't something most people think about especially when it comes to second external displays
06:54especially for productivity
06:56but since Apple introduced the
06:58120 Hertz promotion on these new MacBooks
07:00Which we also have on the likes of the Surface Pro 8 and the MSI Creator Z 16 more and more
07:06Pro laptops are now offering high refresh rates
07:09And so as good as this is and it is very good as you'd hope for well six and a half grand top spec
07:15But bear in mind you're gonna have your nice smooth 120 Hertz on here and then on your second screen
07:19It's gonna feel slower because you're gonna go back down to 60
07:22Which is why some monitors again, like the one I've got over there are also high refresh
07:27It's 144 Hertz. So going between the two screens feels more seamless and it's just a bit nicer to use when it's a lot smoother
07:34So that's worth bearing in mind, but realistically you're still fine with 60 Hertz. Yes
07:38It won't be quite as smooth, especially as we've been now spoiled by this
07:41But the vast majority of productivity and work laptops are 60
07:45It's very rare to get something at high refresh unless it's more gaming oriented
07:49Oh and also don't forget that if you have a recent iPad
07:52You can actually use the sidecar feature to make it a second screen for your MacBook
07:56It's completely wireless. And of course very portable. It's an iPad so you can bring it with you
08:02Okay, so that is all the background stuff. Let's talk about some of my recommended monitors
08:07There's no room on my desk for this. This is the Dell ultra sharp u2720Q
08:12And it's probably my favorite all-around monitor right now
08:15It is a couple of years old hopefully to do an update soon and it's not exactly a budget option
08:20But in terms of image quality connectivity and features, it's a pretty easy recommendation
08:25The 4k resolution looks sharp on the 27 inch IPS panel
08:29So a great color accuracy the display HDR 400 spec is kind of the entry point for HDR
08:35But it's still nice to have downsides. Well, there's no Thunderbolt 3 support
08:39It is also 60 Hertz and it doesn't get quite tall enough to sit above my
08:45MacBook screen without having to go on a stand. Although the 14 should be fine. I think overall it's a solid buy
08:51My other favorite is this Asus ProArt PA278CV
08:55Which is around half the price of the Dell but it's not far behind in terms of quality now
09:00I don't have one in the studio with me right now, but I've tried it before and I think it's great
09:03And it's also a 27 inch IPS
09:06Although it drops resolution from 4k to 1440 and color accuracy is a little bit lower
09:11But still impressive and you can also switch between different calibration profiles
09:14Viewing angles and response times are great and it even outperforms the Dell with a higher 75 Hertz refresh rate with adaptive sync VRR
09:22So everything feels a bit smoother. There's USB-C connectivity, although again, not Thunderbolt
09:27But you do get 65 watt charging or the Dell did offer 90
09:30There's also no HDR support and overall contrast is a bit average, but it's still a good option overall
09:36alternatively Dells
09:39S2722DC is a similar price and spec and is a more affordable version of the U2720Q
09:45This is a really good choice
09:46If you prefer the Dell design language, although I think Asus probably has the edge when it comes to color accuracy
09:52If you're on a tighter budget then check out the Viewsonic VP2458
09:57For around 200 to 225 pounds or cheaper still this Dell S2421NX
10:02I know it's another Dell but you can get this for about a hundred and sixty pounds
10:07It is 24 inches full HD and you're not getting any of the fancy bells and whistles
10:11But you know if you just want a second screen to have your Excel spreadsheets or have a bit of YouTube on the side of
10:17Something this is a really good affordable option
10:19And it's also worth mentioning if you are just going to go with a full HD 24 inch display
10:23Then you don't have to worry about any of this connectivity stuff
10:26In fact the first third of this video because you can get everything you need just through a basic HDMI port
10:32Which you can either do straight from the HDMI port on the new MacBooks or via a USB C adapter
10:37But what about me? What do I actually use?
10:40Well, I would consider this but it is far too expensive
10:43So I use that the LG 38WN95C
10:48The huge 38 inch size and taller 32 by 10 aspect makes it feel a bit less letterboxy than most ultra-wides
10:55Plus we get decent HDR, Thunderbolt 3, surprisingly good speakers, impressive color accuracy and a
11:01144 Hertz refresh rate with G-Sync and FreeSync
11:05It is quite expensive at about 1500 pounds or so and it can be a little tricky to find stock
11:09But for my money, it is not only the best monitor for pairing with your MacBook
11:14But it's just the best monitor hands down
11:17Although bear in mind while ultra-wides and even super ultra-wides offer a lot more horizontal space than immersion
11:22They do take up a lot more desk space
11:25Especially curved models and also videos and some games will have large black bars either side
11:30But as good as that is it is not professionally color accurate
11:34In fact, very few monitors actually are in terms of the sort of mainstream display market
11:38But this is also worth considering the Apple Pro Display XDR
11:42As I say it starts from about four and a half
11:44Thousand pounds and if you want to add this nano texture coating which makes it more matte and also this stand
11:50You're looking an extra grand apiece together. This is about six and a half thousand pounds
11:54Which is obviously an eye-watering amount of money
11:57But if you're buying this as an investment for your business for your work, then maybe it is worth the investment
12:03It's a 32 inch 6k
12:061600 nit peak brightness monitor with fantastic contrast and also a true 10-bit color panel
12:12Which is quite rare and also the build quality and style are what you'd expect from Apple
12:16This thing is a thing of beauty
12:19There are a couple of areas maybe that it's starting to fall behind technically
12:22For example, it is still using an IPS LCD display
12:25Whereas we have the mini LED on the MacBook switch we get higher contrast on here
12:30Although this does a really good job for what it is
12:32It's also 60 Hertz still again 120 Hertz over here
12:36So in a couple of ways, maybe it doesn't quite keep up with the brand spanking new screens on these MacBooks
12:41But then we do have other advantages like it's 32 inches and also because of this
12:46Cooling and actually the two active fans inside which you don't really hear very often
12:50It can sustain the higher brightness for longer than even the MacBook. So actually this peaks at 1600
12:56Generally looking at a thousand for HDR
12:58Although UI generally like this is 500 nits and apparently that's something people complained about when they bought this is that why am I not?
13:06Getting that full a thousand nits all the time
13:08Well, the answer to that is in Mac OS the UI is always limited to 500 nits
13:14But when it detects HDR content like YouTube videos or your workflow in Lightroom or Premiere or DaVinci or file cut then for the content
13:21It'll boost it up to a thousand or 1600 nits peak and that's how that works
13:25And also we do have different color profiles on this as well
13:28It is absolutely stunning though
13:29And I kind of would recommend if you can I mean you're paying this much anyway to go for that nanotexture glass
13:35It does really give you that matte effect and interestingly rather than just putting a matte
13:39Film over the top or an extra layer like most displays. They actually etch into the glass to scatter the light and reduce reflections
13:48Alternatively, the LG ultrafine OLED Pro is a mere four grand and again
13:53This is aimed at professionals
13:54But the OLED screen offers perfect black levels as each pixel can turn itself off individually and they're fantastic at displaying vivid and accurate colors
14:03The LG also gets USB C with display and 90 watt power delivery and plenty of adjustability
14:09Slightly more reasonably priced though is the still great 40 inch Dell Ultrasharp U4021QW
14:16And if you're into photo work
14:18Then the BenQ SE32-1C photo view has great color accuracy a big 32 inch 4k screen and USB C
14:26As for gaming, well, this probably isn't your number one priority particularly if you have a Mac
14:30Yes
14:31You have the Apple arcade some games on the Steam library and maybe even you could stream it through GeForce Now or Xbox cloud gaming
14:37But generally most people don't play a lot of games on the Mac
14:40But if you are gaming then of course all these will be fine
14:42But to get the best experience, you're gonna want a high refresh ideally 144 Hertz or above refresh rate
14:48And finally, what about using your TV as an external screen instead?
14:53So TVs use HDMI inputs
14:55So you need to connect directly to HDMI on your laptop or via USB C to HDMI adapter
15:00And actually TVs are a cheaper route to bigger screen sizes
15:04But they can take up a lot more space on your desk and sitting up close to one
15:07It can be tricky to see everything
15:09Also, if you're using an older 1080p TV then sitting up close won't do the sharpness any favors
15:15And also slower pixel response times can make the motion on some TVs blurrier than regular monitors
15:21But then if you're sitting in a distance with a long adapter cable, then the extra size could be useful
15:26So those are some of my top picks
15:28If you think I've missed out any great options or you've got any recommendations
15:31Let me know in the comments below and also if you've got any questions
15:34Hopefully you found this video useful
15:35And if you want to see more from me then hit that subscribe button below and I will see you next time right here
15:40On the tech chat. Thanks for watching. Oh
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