Advertisement Is the new Mac Pro reasonably priced when compared to a PC you can build yourself, or is the “Apple tax” in full effect? Prepare for a shock. Is a serious desktop for people who have serious computing needs. Though equally suited for work or home, its powerful hardware is designed to fit the needs of people who edit movies, create digital art and use big, demanding programs.

This means that the Pro can’t be paired with any mundane monitor. Only the best will do. The system’s FirePro graphics cards are designed to power big, pixel-dense displays, and several of them can be used at once to create the ultimate office command center. Which display should you buy to do the new Mac Pro justice? Here are a few options. ($999) This one is obvious, right? Apple makes a monitor.

You should buy it, because it’s pretty good. The current Apple Cinema Display, which offers a resolution of 2560×1440 and a beautiful image quality out of the box, seems like the default because of its quality and because of the Apple logo on its bezel. The Cinema Display also provides a built-in web cam and a number of additional ports that become available after connecting it via Thunderbolt. There are few problems, though. The first is a general lack of adjustability. There’s no height adjustment, no VESA mount and limited display controls. To make matters worse, at $999 it’s a bit overpriced for what it is, proving that Apple computers tend to last a long time, so you might want to consider purchasing a refurbished model to save some money. is not yet entirely a thing of the past.

If you’re not a serious professional, but instead an average Joe or Jane who occasionally dips into some more demanding work, the Cinema Display is nice. Otherwise, keep reading. ($1,499) For years Dell has been the 500-pound gorilla in the high-end monitor market, ripping the arms off competitors and stuffing them in various unpleasant places.

The company’s UltraSharp line has consistently provided amazing displays with a buffet of features and reasonable (though still expensive) price points. The Dell UltraSharp U3014 is the current 30-inch flagship, and it’s a doozy. Want 2560×1600 resolution? Want a gamut that spans 100% of sRGB and 99% of Adobe RGB? Not a problem. Want out-of-the-box color accuracy below a Delta E of 2? You will find it here.

The U3014 is a whirlwind of specs and numbers, all of which add up to one outstanding piece of kit. Well, it’s not calibrated for low response times, so some gamers might sense some, maybe.

There’s also no support for I/O ports aren’t a technology that folks spend a lot of time thinking about. Let’s face it – they’re not sexy.

Still, ports are important. As the interface between your computer and everything else, your., so you’ll be using a regular There are so many video cables out there and it can get confusing. VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort - what's the difference and why do they even matter?connection. The real problem, though, is the price: a full MSRP of $1,499 (currently ).

The U3014 is arguably worth every penny, but that’s still a lot to pay for a monitor. ($799) Though Dell remains the default selection for most consumers serious about image quality, ASUS has recently appeared to give the reigning champion a fight. The company now offers a line of professional-grade monitors that can go toe-to-toe with the Dells and are often sold for less.

Perhaps the best value is the 27-inch PA279Q, which is usually $799. That’s $200 less than the MSRP of Dell’s best monitor of similar size, yet ASUS still offers 2560×1440 resolution, excellent color accuracy and a host of ergonomic adjustments. Even experienced eyes will have a hard time telling the difference between this monitor and Dell’s equally excellent, but more expensive,.

The only problem is flicker. ASUS uses a technique called pulse width modulation, which turns the backlight on and off at rates normally invisible to the human eye, to create different levels of brightness. While most people can’t see each pulse, sensitive users may notice the trick, and PWM can cause eye strain for these individuals.

Dell’s more expensive U2713HM does not use this technique, and so is a better choice for people who commonly experience monitor-related eye strain. ($369) Everyone agrees that big monitors are awesome, but not everyone owns them. They’re expensive, of course, and they also take up a lot of desk space. Some people prefer to use several smaller monitors, while others simply want space free for other reasons. If all of this very practical talk hasn’t put you to sleep you may want to pick up Dell’s trusty. This 24″ IPS 1920×1200 monitor isn’t designed to offer the same incredible gamut and color accuracy as some other models, but it’s still good enough to satisfy most users, and the monitor’s MSRP of $369 is reasonable.

And you can often buy it for even less than that, as Dell routinely knocks $50 off the price. Though this is an entry-level IPS monitor, it still provides a host of ergonomic features (like tilt, swivel and height adjustment) and can act as a USB hub.

If you don’t need perfect color accuracy, or you’ve already spent all your money on the Mac Pro, this Dell is the way to go. Where’s The 4K At?

You’ve now read four solid recommendations that cover a spectrum of size and price, and you may have noticed none of them are 4K displays. Which may lead you to ask – what gives? Wouldn’t a 4K display sense? After all, the kind of person who can splurge for a Mac Pro can probably afford 4K as well. There’s just one tiny problem;.

Reviewers testing ultra HD monitors with the new Mac Pro have noted significant scaling issues with icons and fonts. You’d think Apple would have the problem solved given the company’s work on the MacBook Pro and iPad with Retina, but apparently the magic hasn’t been cast on 4K support just yet. That may change in the future but, for now, 2560×1600 is the highest resolution you should consider. What do you think of our monitor selection?

Do you agree, or would you rather buy a NEC, HP or one of those off-brand Korean monitors? Speak your mind in the comments! Explore more about:,.

I've completed my search for a new display for my 2013 Mac Pro. In the first installment, I described what my requirements were and how the Apple Thunderbolt display was not a strong candidate. It was quickly eliminated from the competition. In this Part II, the final verdict comes in. The back story here is that, prior to the purchase of the Mac Pro in the summer of 2014, I had been using a 2010 27-inch iMac. That Mac has a 2560 x 1440 display, called WQHD.

I became very accustomed to that size display, it fit my workflow, and I didn't have to move my writing apps around very much. However, when the Mac Pro arrived, the best displays I had available to me were 1) an Apple 24-inch LED Cinema display bought in 2009. It's resolution is 1920 x 1200, and 2) as a second display, a trusty old 23-inch Aluminum Cinema Display from 2005 (also 1920 x 1200). Both are, of course, IPS displays.

I use one main display as a primary work display and focus there. The second display is for World Clock, email and Skype, so if my primary display isn't big enough, I feel cramped and unproductive. The search began. The Candidates As I mentioned in part I, I decided not to go with a UHD/4K display because it seemed to me that everything would be too small for my eyes and my taste. One key guide was this fabulous article by Rob Griffiths at Macworld: ' Another was a discussion with Bob LeVitus.

And so I decided to go with what I had used before: 2560 x 1440. Samsung S27B971D This was the first monitor that I got excited about.

It met my requirements, and the I found said: A unique mix of form and function, it does its best to capture the minimalism that Apple products are famed for, but is not afraid to appear techy and complex at the same time. It had a PLS display. So far, so good. But it's MSRP was $1000, more than I wanted to pay.

Worse, I quickly found out that it was no longer available. Samsung S32D850T What was available in December 2014 from Samsung was the S32D850T. This is a slightly less expensive display with a Vertical Alignment (VA) display. (For more on display types, see CNET's ') I am fond of IPS displays, even though one article I saw mentioned that VA's are pretty good for office work and writing thanks to great black levels and contrast. Samsung S32D850T.

Image credit: Samsung The decision point came when I visited in the Denver Tech Center and saw one up close. When I touched it, it wobbled somewhat. It felt and looked cheap.

While the Apple Thunderbolt display was not on my list, I'm familiar with its aluminum design and great stability, and that more or less set the standard for me in terms of what I wanted in a plastic display. Also, while the resolution was what I wanted, it was in a 32-inch display. That meant more space used up on my desk, and I really wanted to stick with a 27-inch model. Asus PB278Q Another decently priced display that caught my attention was the Asus PB278Q. (.) It has a PLS display and got. It was just about my final candidate until that trip to Microcenter where I also had a chance to handle a demo unit.

It was even worse than the Samsung mentioned above: light in weight and a very unstable stand. I could immediately appreciate that the way these manufacturers were delivering displays with good specs and low prices (and therfore good reviews) was to skimp on the stand—something you can't evaluate by looking at it on a web page. Image credit: Asus The Old Amazon Trick There were a few other displays on my list, so I used the Amazon trick of going to the Amazon product page and reading the one and two star reviews. There, I discovered that all the displays remaining on my list were giving fits to the customers in terms of out-of-the-box initial quality, long term reliability, and horrific stories of bad customer service. I was beginning to despair. Next page: The Final Choice and a mini Review Page 2 - The Final Choice Our managing editor, Jeff Gamet, has become very familiar with Hewlett Packard displays via frequent meetings with the HP display team.

When I mentioned that I was unhappy with my search progress, Jeff urged me to take a look at the HP displays. Hewlett Packard takes its display technology very seriously and gears their displays to professionals.

Right away, model D7P92A4 on a promotional sale for $735. ( I bought it from the.) It didn't take long to realize that this was the display I was looking for. Here's a short summary of the specs of interest to me. 27 inches diagonal. Native resolution: 2560 x 1440.

Searching For Monitors For Mac Pro

Brightness: 350 cd/m 2. Display technology: 2nd generation IPS with LED backlighting. Response (gray to gray) 8 ms. Anti-glare coating (not glossy). Inputs: VGA, DisplayPort with HDCP, DVI-D w/ HDCP, HDMI w/ HDCP. 4 user USB 3.0 ports. Two on the left edge.

Front panel display controls: brightness, contrast, etc. Horizontal or vertical presentation mode. Stand: 12 inch (30 cm) wide base. Tilt, swivel and height adjustments. Weight: 16.74 lbs (7.6 kg). The only significant thing missing is a FaceTime camera, but I have one on the Apple LED Cinema Display, so that's not a problem.

Hewlett Packard Z27i. Image credit: HP Out of Box Experience The shipping box is exceptional, as good as one would wish for when there's a delicate display this large. It was oversize and had lots of styrofoam. There was no skimping. Upper left: 12-inch ruler on top. Bottom right: display unit clips very securely to base with no tools. The display section snaps on to the stand with a firm, secure click, and all that's necessary then is to connect the power, USB 3 and DisplayPort cables.

Thankfully, there is no annoying power brick. Included is a large sheet of paper that visually shows how to connect the various cables. VGA, HDMI and the aforementioned DisplayPort cables are included. Also included is a DVD with software (for PCs), the warranty terms ( three years), and a PDF User Guide explaining the controls. From box opening to successful operation only took about 30 minutes. L: Apple 24-inch LED Cinema.

R: HP Z27i The only compliant I had, if it's even that, is that the DisplayPort cable supplied was a full DisplayPort to DisplayPort, and I needed a miniDisplayPort to DisplayPort. I was told by my HP contact that they'll fix that. Fortunately, I had one of the required cables laying around, so I was up and running out of the box. My Experiences to Date I've been using this display since mid-December, 2014, and I am absolutely delighted with it. It was perfect out of the box, connected with no fuss to the Mac Pro (with DisplayPort), and feels solid and stable (with only the slightest wobble). I use the color temperature of 6500K which matches what I use for the Apple LED Cinema display to its left. Every function I expect of it works with the Mac, including sleep on demand, and the absence of a glossy display pleases me greatly.

One of the things I appreciated about this display is the height adjustment. As you can see in the photo above, I was able to match the height of the Z27i to the Apple Cinema display to its left. I liked that a lot. Another thing I appreciate is the anti-glare display. I spend a lot of time on my Mac, and this display, set at 22 percent brightness, has never come close to straining my eyes. Even though I wear progressive lens (computer) eyeglasses, every part of the display is crisp and pleasing. About this Mac: Displays Finally, This display runs very cool.

There are no massive bubbles of warm air flowing from the rear vent even after it's been on for weeks. The rated power consumption is 60 watts in typical use and 0.5 watt in standby mode. To say that I am delighted with this display is no exaggeration. Going forward, the plan is to look at some of the new displays from HP. I'll do that later in the year. Suddenly, after using some so-so, aging displays for years, I am on the modern display bandwagon. (A Mac Pro can do that to you.) It's going to be a great ride.

But for now, it's back to writing.