5K vs. 4K: Which HD display is better for your Mac?

“MacBook Pro 2016 can drive not just 4K displays off it’s Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports, but 5K displays as well,” Rene Ritchie writes for iMore.

“That should make the choice simple: 5 is more than 4! But there are a number of factors you want to consider before choosing the right high-density (HD) display for your Mac,” Ritchie writes. “That includes the number of displays you need, the geometry of your viewing space, the variety of options, and the extras like ports that are available to you.”

“Sometimes more is better but not always,” Ritchie writes. “So, when it comes to 5K vs. 4K on your Mac, here’s how to choose the right HD display for you.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Choose what works best for you, but we wish the choices were from Apple, not third parties.

14 Comments

  1. At this time 5K is better for photographers and creators.

    For video editing and gaming, high refresh rate is key and 4K displays are ahead there (if you drive it with state of the art gpus such as those awesome units featured in the nonexistent mid range tower Mac and the all new killer 2016 Mac Pro workstation).

    For coders and document writers and spreadsheet jockeys, it doesn’t matter. Use your grandmother’s display.

  2. Well there was a super monitor at CES this year that looks like it should have had an Apple name on it, but it didn’t:

    Interestingly, this same innovative company is offering this professional monitor in 2017:

    Yeah, that’s a 32 inch 7680×4220 resolution display at a tremendously sharp 280 pixels per inch.

    So sad that Apple just can’t keep up.

  3. I have a new 15″ MacBookPro and 2 LG 5K displays at work and one 4K LG at home. I work with design, photos daily. I am very pleased with this sollution. My best so far. The image quality is great across all displays.

  4. Ahem. If you need a 4K or 5K display, then you most likely work with COLOR. That means you have the same old priorities as always in a display:

    Q: What’s the color accuracy?
    Q: What’s the color gamut?
    Q: What’s the viewing angle?
    Q: Where are it’s ColorSync profiles?
    Q: Is the screen matte or glossy?

    This is a recent article that offers some general assistance:

    The Best Computer Monitors of 2017
    The right monitor can really change your daily outlook. Our buying guide outlines the specs that matter most and offers up our top-rated displays in a variety of sizes and at various price levels.

    Here’s another recent 4K and 5K article to contrast René Richie’s:

    4K and 5K Display Buyer’s Guide for Macs

    1. On big issue that many 27-inch 4K displays face is the inability to properly support the higher color gamuts. They may have the detail, but they lack the color.

      NOTE the paragraph above. You don’t want to buy a giant display with a crap color gamut.

      (This quote is from another relevant article, one that WordPress won’t let me link. I have no idea why).

Reader Feedback

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.