Monitor recommendation for college student with a MacBook Air
August 28, 2024 7:19 PM Subscribe
Younger Proust has arrived at college and would like to get an external monitor that will fit on their little college desk along with their MacBook Air. Can you recommend something in the 24-27 inch range that will have excellent screen quality without breaking the bank?
They've been quite happy with the 2017-vintage HP 27'' 1440p Quad HD LED-Backlit LCD Monitor that we have at home, at least from the screen quality perspective. They're hoping to get something that will be as easy on the eyes (or easier), preferably more compact (especially depth -- the old HP has an 8.5 inch depth base), and preferably lighter (old HP is over 20 pounds). But the most important things are the screen and Mac compatibility. It would be great to get something in the $150 range, but they can spend more if it'll get them a higher quality screen.
They do a lot of reading and writing. They aren't particularly a gamer, certainly not high speed gaming, so that's not a concern.
Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
They've been quite happy with the 2017-vintage HP 27'' 1440p Quad HD LED-Backlit LCD Monitor that we have at home, at least from the screen quality perspective. They're hoping to get something that will be as easy on the eyes (or easier), preferably more compact (especially depth -- the old HP has an 8.5 inch depth base), and preferably lighter (old HP is over 20 pounds). But the most important things are the screen and Mac compatibility. It would be great to get something in the $150 range, but they can spend more if it'll get them a higher quality screen.
They do a lot of reading and writing. They aren't particularly a gamer, certainly not high speed gaming, so that's not a concern.
Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
At 24" a lot of the main brand options at that price are going to be 1080p, and I think that would be a downgrade from the 2560x1440 resolution they have now (a very useful one, I think).
There are a couple off-brand ones on Amazon that are 24" and 1440p but I can't vouch for their quality. Up at 27" I'd honestly be worried that you would not get much improvement quality wise unless you went with something higher up the food chain, in the $250-300 range. This on sale Dell one might be a good pick, though. (Don't worry about the gamer trappings - higher refresh rates are nice no matter what.)
BUT! If that monitor works for them, I would suggest removing the stand and attaching it to something more compact - according to that listing it has a standard 100x100 VESA mount, which means you can get any number of desk-gripping arms, narrow stands, or wall mounts for it. I bought new monitors recently and removed their big, ugly stands and attached them to my desk with something like this. Works like a charm and frees up a lot of space.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:50 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
There are a couple off-brand ones on Amazon that are 24" and 1440p but I can't vouch for their quality. Up at 27" I'd honestly be worried that you would not get much improvement quality wise unless you went with something higher up the food chain, in the $250-300 range. This on sale Dell one might be a good pick, though. (Don't worry about the gamer trappings - higher refresh rates are nice no matter what.)
BUT! If that monitor works for them, I would suggest removing the stand and attaching it to something more compact - according to that listing it has a standard 100x100 VESA mount, which means you can get any number of desk-gripping arms, narrow stands, or wall mounts for it. I bought new monitors recently and removed their big, ugly stands and attached them to my desk with something like this. Works like a charm and frees up a lot of space.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:50 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
PCPartPicker is a site that lets you search across several retailers. Looking at all Quad HD monitors there, the cheapest one is from a decent/known brand (MSI), and it fits most of what you want. The stand is about 8" deep still, but I think that may be about as low as most will go for the monitor to still be stable.
If you want something a bit easier to connect to a Mac, you could look at monitors with USB-C (so no adapter is needed, just a cable). The cheapest one of those is also from a good/known brand (HP), and it has the benefit of also apparently being a docking station. Plug in the laptop with one cable, and it will charge the laptop and connect the laptop to additional peripherals (mouse, keyboard, ethernet, ...) that are left connected to the monitor. Has a webcam built in as well, which would probably be good quality (it's one of the selling points for the monitor).
Most high-resolution monitors from real brands (not AUXITRNJJMOO on Amazon or whatever) these days are made with high-quality screen technologies. Most are IPS, which used to be the standard for the best-quality displays, and now it's mostly just the standard.
If you really want to minimize impact on desk space, you can mount most monitors on monitor arms that attach to the back of the desk (though it will depend on the exact configuration of the dorm desk to work without needing screws). That will add more cost, of course.
posted by whatnotever at 8:51 PM on August 28
If you want something a bit easier to connect to a Mac, you could look at monitors with USB-C (so no adapter is needed, just a cable). The cheapest one of those is also from a good/known brand (HP), and it has the benefit of also apparently being a docking station. Plug in the laptop with one cable, and it will charge the laptop and connect the laptop to additional peripherals (mouse, keyboard, ethernet, ...) that are left connected to the monitor. Has a webcam built in as well, which would probably be good quality (it's one of the selling points for the monitor).
Most high-resolution monitors from real brands (not AUXITRNJJMOO on Amazon or whatever) these days are made with high-quality screen technologies. Most are IPS, which used to be the standard for the best-quality displays, and now it's mostly just the standard.
If you really want to minimize impact on desk space, you can mount most monitors on monitor arms that attach to the back of the desk (though it will depend on the exact configuration of the dorm desk to work without needing screws). That will add more cost, of course.
posted by whatnotever at 8:51 PM on August 28
This Sceptre monitor is pretty compact, very inexpensive ($180), and IME is quite reasonable to look at and use. No bells and whistles like built in speakers or usb hubs or anything though. I've only used it with a mac.
posted by aubilenon at 9:16 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
posted by aubilenon at 9:16 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
I personally think the best value in monitors for a Mac, esp when you’re prioritizing resolution, are Dell Ultrasharp 4K monitors you can usually find on Craigslist for $200. Slightly spendier than your range, but worth it and sometimes available cheaper. Also, thanks to Dell for using model numbers that are easy to read. Starts with U = ultrasharp / next two digits = 27 / next two digits are release year (20 and up should be good to go).
posted by lousywiththespirit at 10:15 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
posted by lousywiththespirit at 10:15 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Display technology changes really slowly. The 27" Mac Cinema Display came out in 2010 and is a perfectly serviceable 2560x1440 monitor today, with the proper adaptor. So spending a bit more for something that will really last is not a bad idea.
For $229 you can get a razor-sharp 4K monitor that will work well for a very long time. E.g., LG 27" IPS LED 4K UHD 60Hz. You'll need a $20 cable like this one: Monoprice USB 3.1 USB-C to DisplayPort Cable - 5Gbps Active 4K@60Hz Thunderbolt 4/3 Compatible Black 3ft. Any reputable cable company will have something that works, just make sure it supports both the resolution and refresh rate, since 30Hz is pretty hard on the eyes. Alternately, you can get a little multi-adaptor for about $80 that will provide a full complement of ports including an HDMI, and then use the existing cable. Does everything that a full-featured docking station from a decade ago would do.
posted by wnissen at 9:08 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
For $229 you can get a razor-sharp 4K monitor that will work well for a very long time. E.g., LG 27" IPS LED 4K UHD 60Hz. You'll need a $20 cable like this one: Monoprice USB 3.1 USB-C to DisplayPort Cable - 5Gbps Active 4K@60Hz Thunderbolt 4/3 Compatible Black 3ft. Any reputable cable company will have something that works, just make sure it supports both the resolution and refresh rate, since 30Hz is pretty hard on the eyes. Alternately, you can get a little multi-adaptor for about $80 that will provide a full complement of ports including an HDMI, and then use the existing cable. Does everything that a full-featured docking station from a decade ago would do.
posted by wnissen at 9:08 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
The college may sell surplus IT equipment (mine does), if you're interested in potentially buying used. It may be worth searching for this on the college's web page.
posted by heatherlogan at 5:44 PM on August 29
posted by heatherlogan at 5:44 PM on August 29
Best answer: That LG 27 wnissen mentioned sounds like a pretty great deal, and it is now $199 at BestBuy, when I clicked that link (go Labor Day sales!).... It's actually a 4k IPS panel, which is a lot better than the cheaper TFT types. At that price I'm tempted to replace my ancient HP 24 inch that's getting a bit long in the tooth. I'd get a USB-C powered dock with an HDMI out to make it a one cable solution when working at the desk.
posted by rambling wanderlust at 4:55 AM on August 30
posted by rambling wanderlust at 4:55 AM on August 30
Response by poster: Thanks for these recs. Kiddo and I will take a look. If anyone has any additional thoughts, please let us know.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:35 AM on August 30
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:35 AM on August 30
Response by poster: Thank you all again for the suggestions. We just purchased the LG 27 on sale at BestBuy. Great timing, and hopefully kiddo will be pleased.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 12:02 PM on September 1
posted by Winnie the Proust at 12:02 PM on September 1
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posted by sesquipedalia at 8:48 PM on August 28