Group test
A quality monitor is a must. We take a look at six affordable 4K displays
Reviewed by IAN OSBORNE
When you’re using a Mac, a good display is essential, and a second screen is a bonus. A stand-alone monitor doesn’t have to cost the earth either, even if it has a 4K resolution. 4K means the display has approximately 4,000 pixels along the long edge. The more pixels, the better the image. A 4K screen has around eight million pixels, which is approximately four times as many as a regular 1080p Full HD monitor. These are serious, sharp and detailed screens.
But it’s not all about the pixel resolution. How large are the screens? What’s their contrast ratio and brightness? What about connectivity options? How will you connect them to your Mac? What features do they offer? How versatile are they? And what do they look like? Aesthetics is certainly of secondary importance to performance, but who wants an ugly monitor on their desk next to a beautiful Mac? These are all things we’ve taken into account when selecting our six affordable 4K displays to cover in the test.
ON TEST…
> Acer Vero CB272Kbmiip
>AOC U27B3
>BenQ PD270
> Dell UltraSharp U2723
> Philips 27E1N1900
>Samsung M80D
How we tested
We tested the 4K monitors by connecting them to an M2 MacBook Air. We checked for viewing angles and height adjustability, important factors when setting up your display on your desk. We used a Photodisc image to look for things like flesh tones and general sharpness of picture, and our gradient ramps showed how well they can reproduce colours. We tested how the displays dealt with text documents at various point sizes, and checked for consistency in how the screens are lit too.