scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

As prices have dropped and resolution has increased rapidly over the past few years, I am in the market for a quality monitor to use with Lightroom and Photoshop. I’ve been using a 27” Mac monitor which is about 6 years old, pre HD or 4K. I’m not a gamer, I just want a hi-res 27” monitor for a reasonable price. When I look at various sites and recommendations, it leaves me very confused as to what features I need. 4K, UHD, virtual HD are all terms I see thrown around, but I’m not really sure what the differences will be to the naked eye. I calibrate the monitor to my printer and most of my edited images end up as prints. Im using a 2014 MBP that has thunderbolt ports, which I believe can be used as a mini display port with the proper adaptor. My price range is $500 or less.
I’m looking for both education and recommendations.
Thanks all.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Look here: https://turbofuture.com/computers/Under-500-Photo-Video-Editing-Monitor

Most they recommend under $500 are 24 & 25 but scroll down and the 27s are at the bottom. Apparently they attached an article on 27 inch monitors to the end of the original article with 5 picks.
The Asus listed is what I am using at present - I plan to upgrade to a 32 4K sometime.
The best 27 listed is the Dell U2718Q at $425 on Amazon.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

I use a 27-inch BenQ and I have been very pleased with its resolution.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

OP specified below $500, the BenQ doesn't fit that spec.

johnst1001a Loc: West Chester, Ohio

samsung 32 inch monitor, $399

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Lots of choices, and you don't have to spend a fortune. We have a couple of Dell SE2717HX 27" monitors here, and they're fine - for under $200. Prices vary regularly. We bought one of them for $160.

More on monitors -
Three articles from 2019 -
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/monitor-buying-guide,5699.html
https://www.neweggbusiness.com/smartbuyer/buying-guides/computer-monitor-buying-guide-2/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/computer-monitor-buying-guide/

https://digital-photography-school.com/choose-right-monitor-photo-editing/
https://photographylife.com/best-monitor-for-photography

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

You may want to rethink that.
When I had to rebuild my computer after the MB failed in late May I got a bee in my bonnet and bought a 32" Samsung at Sam's. For everything but editing it was great. But editing, I was just too used to my 27" ASUS graphic arts monitor (2K-now about 7 years old) and the 32" Samsung just didn't have the resolution. I returned it. Now the model I bought was a bit lower priced. Maybe the one at $399 has the resolution? What model is it you are recommending?
I am planning on getting a 32" 4K in the next 6 mos to a year.

assman Loc: Grand Rapids, MI

Dell U2718Q 27" Monitor
Item # ‌1231836‌
$ 369.99 from Costco on sale. I highly recommend it for the price. I am not a fan of Samsung. It was a huge upgrade for me. Also. Switching to 4k was an issue for me with font sizes until I found A+ System Font Size Changer. That little utility is a godsend.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

Hi Scubadoc. Your 2014MBP has an HDMI port - see pic, which can be used to connect almost any present day monitor. Any 2K or 4K monitor will suit your needs just don't allow salesmen to sell you a "Full HD" monitor as it is not high resolution as implied. Full HD is a screen with 1960 pixels across the top, 2K has 2540 pixels, 4K 3840 pixels and 5K 5210 pixels. Obviously the more pixels per inch of screen the better the resolution. I have a 27" 2K Apple Thunderbolt display which I use on my 2014 MBP and a 5K 27" iMac for most of my stuff. IMHO the 2K display is very very slightly better for most of my pics with many of my earlier photos from 2MP & 6MP cameras looking noticeably softer on the 5K iMac. Recent 24MP shots though are a bit sharper on the iMac. As to brand of monitor - my personal experience suggests almost anything but LG will be OK. Others opinions may (will) differ but I've had several LG items over the years - TV's etc and all have expired within a short time of the expiry of the warranty period.
Cheers JohnR

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

I appreciate your and everyone else’s reply to my post. Last night I ordered the Dell U2718Q (I’ve always had Dell workstations and monitors for my work, and have been impressed with their reliability and ease of connectivity). Amazon just delivered an hour ago. As you stated, the Thunderbolt port connected to the HDMI port with the enclosed cable, no adaptors needed. Turned it on, and immediately saw high res images. I haven’t played with the scaling options, as it appears that I am getting the highest res images that my 2014 MBP Retina laptop can furnish. So far so good.
Thanks all. I think I’m good for the next few years, at least until my MBP dies, which it likely won’t for a few years at least, as it is a refurbished computer purchased a year ago.

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

Update on Dell U2718Q:
Arrived as expected. Connected to my 2015 MBP Retina display via display port. Monitor worked for several hours, but after computer went into sleep mode, monitor refused to turn back on. Checked various Apple and Dell support sites and found this to be a too common occurrence. What is worse, Dell doesn’t support the Apple OS. I’m returning the unit and will try the BenQ PD27OOU, which appears to have better support for all things Apple.