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Intel Mac MIni and 4/5k monitors?

jtnyc

Senior Member
Hi Everyone,

I just bought an i7 6 core Intel Mac Mini. I’m gonna use my old 23 inch Apple Cinema display for now, but I’ve been looking at maybe getting something new. I’m not well versed in monitor specs and not really sure what to look at. I think I’d like a 24 inch monitor and I prefer a matte finish. Other than that, I need help... 4K, 5k, no k... I don’t do any video or photo work at all. Its all DAW work and browsing the internet.

Any info, suggestions are much appreciated

Thanks
 
Hi, first thing I’d check is video RAM - is it shared with main RAM and how much of that do you have. Then check specs of all the gear you’re going to run. Remember, min/recommended specs need to be considered for everything running at the same time, so RAM can be quickly eaten up. I run a QHD monitor off my Mac, which is 2k resolution and find that more than enough for Logic (though I do use my iPad as a remote), so I’m not maxing out the video RAM requirements, leaving plenty for the apps.

(I use a Dell 27”)

Hope this helps!
 
When I got my M1 mini, I hooked it up to my 27" BenQ photo monitor and had to get something new for my i7 mini, which is now primarily a music computer. I didn't want to spend a ton, 24" seemed about right for my viewing distance, and I wanted something better than HD resolution - I found this Lenovo 24" 2k at Newegg (I got it a bit cheaper than the current price) and have been generally happy with it, though the buttons aren't great and it relies on a rubber strap for cable management. The display itself seems fine, and the nearly-nonexistent bezel on three sides is nice.

LG makes an Ultrafine line of 4k/5k displays meant for the Mac - they're the displays you'll find on Apple's store - but you pay a lot to have the Mac integration (software controls through the OS instead of buttons) and I don't think they're a great match with the integrated graphics on the Intel mini.

Generally, I'd go for something 24-27" at 2560x1440 - with the integrated graphics, I'd consider that the sweet spot. You'll see as much as on a 5k display at default settings, just with ¼ the pixels. You could also consider some of the 3440x1440 ultra-widescreen displays - you'll see more of each track on screen at once, but they're more expensive and the mini might struggle more with the extra pixels (there may be some mini owners here with some experience with them - I haven't tried one).
 
Hi, first thing I’d check is video RAM - is it shared with main RAM and how much of that do you have. Then check specs of all the gear you’re going to run. Remember, min/recommended specs need to be considered for everything running at the same time, so RAM can be quickly eaten up. I run a QHD monitor off my Mac, which is 2k resolution and find that more than enough for Logic (though I do use my iPad as a remote), so I’m not maxing out the video RAM requirements, leaving plenty for the apps.

(I use a Dell 27”)

Hope this helps!
Not sure if it’s shared ram, but I have 64 gigs of ram. I’m running Logic as well. i have heard that the Intel Mini doesn't have ideal graphics, and I certainly don’t want to tap the ram or cpu.
 
When I got my M1 mini, I hooked it up to my 27" BenQ photo monitor and had to get something new for my i7 mini, which is now primarily a music computer. I didn't want to spend a ton, 24" seemed about right for my viewing distance, and I wanted something better than HD resolution - I found this Lenovo 24" 2k at Newegg (I got it a bit cheaper than the current price) and have been generally happy with it, though the buttons aren't great and it relies on a rubber strap for cable management. The display itself seems fine, and the nearly-nonexistent bezel on three sides is nice.

LG makes an Ultrafine line of 4k/5k displays meant for the Mac - they're the displays you'll find on Apple's store - but you pay a lot to have the Mac integration (software controls through the OS instead of buttons) and I don't think they're a great match with the integrated graphics on the Intel mini.

Generally, I'd go for something 24-27" at 2560x1440 - with the integrated graphics, I'd consider that the sweet spot. You'll see as much as on a 5k display at default settings, just with ¼ the pixels. You could also consider some of the 3440x1440 ultra-widescreen displays - you'll see more of each track on screen at once, but they're more expensive and the mini might struggle more with the extra pixels (there may be some mini owners here with some experience with them - I haven't tried one).
Thanks Rick,

Am I to assume that a 4 or 5k monitor will stress the Mini more than a 2k or the like? I’ll check out your suggestions for sure.
 
Thanks Rick,

Am I to assume that a 4 or 5k monitor will stress the Mini more than a 2k or the like? I’ll check out your suggestions for sure.
Yes, absolutely - the fewer pixels the integrated GPU needs to deal with, the better, so best to find a good balance.

I definitely wouldn't go to a 5k screen with the Intel mini, and 4k I know is a problem if you scale the screen to a non-standard resolution (something other than the default "Retina" resolution). I don't think the benefit of running at the stock 4k resolution — basically a sharper version of what you'd get at 1920x1080 — is worth it for music. Better to go with a less expensive 2k display - you'll fit more tracks on screen and get better performance as well.
 
I have the i7 Mini 64Gb and it runs a 4k monitor very smoothly at the full resolution, but scaled resolutions incur a big performance hit. So yes, for a 24-inch I'd say 2k or similar.
 
Not sure if it’s shared ram, but I have 64 gigs of ram. I’m running Logic as well. i have heard that the Intel Mini doesn't have ideal graphics, and I certainly don’t want to tap the ram or cpu.
Most Mini’s have shared RAM, which is a real shame as they are great desktop computers. (A shame as it means I can’t use them for my photo work, as Adobe apps need at least 4Gb vRam to work properly.) As others have said, stick to 2k - I have one and it’s a treat with Logic, especially if you’ve only had HD/1080 monitors before.
 
Most Mini’s have shared RAM, which is a real shame as they are great desktop computers. (A shame as it means I can’t use them for my photo work, as Adobe apps need at least 4Gb vRam to work properly.) As others have said, stick to 2k - I have one and it’s a treat with Logic, especially if you’ve only had HD/1080 monitors before.
Yeah, there hasn't been a mini with a discrete GPU since the PowerPC days, unfortunately. The 2018s work well with eGPUs, but that's a very niche thing. When I bought my 2018 mini, it was the best way to get a Vega GPU without going to an iMac Pro, but it does look a bit ridiculous to have a separate GPU box that is many times the size of the computer it's attached to. If I was doing it today, I would probably go for one of the new Sonnet Breakaway Pucks - they're pricey, but they're nice and small and will attach to just about any display (my eGPU doesn't have any Thunderbolt 3 ports, so I couldn't use the LG Ultrafine 5k).
 
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With my Mac mini 2018 I run a Dell ultra wide 34" at 2556x1080 (my eyes are bad). No issues at all. The only issues I have heard with the Minis is for people who run a 4k or 5k monitor at scaled resolutions (anything other than native or 2x). Sometimes it can result in some UI lag. However, most of the issues I have seen are made worse with low RAM (8GB) and it seems to be better with more RAM.

QHD 2K monitors that run 2556x1440 work well and are great at 27" size. Depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. If you go with a 4K monitor though, be prepared to either run it native, or at 2x (looks like 1920x1080).

Wayne
 
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