Best Mac monitors & displays 2026: Top picks for creatives, productivity & more

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Connections: USB-C (90W PD), 5Gbps USB-C (15W), 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x 5Gbps USB-A, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Rotation
Orientation: Landscape and portrait

There are two screen options with this affordable 4K display: matte (MA270U) and glossy (MA270UP). If you want the most vivid radiant picture with deeper blacks and brighter whites, go for the Nano Gloss screen. If you want to banish glare and reflections more so than with the pricey Nano texture glass on the Apple Studio Display, got for Nano Matte.

Some displays sell the stand separately so there’s an additional cost consideration, but that’s not the case here as the stand is included. It offers a great range of adjustment: -5 to 20 degrees of tilt, swivels 15 degrees left or right, and 115 mm of height. The display can also pivot 90 degrees to Portrait mode, a far greater range of motion than the Studio Display.

The MA270U/P can connect to a Mac through HDMI or USB-C. The USB-C connection offers 90 watts of power so it can charge your MacBook at the same time. If you want to use the display as a connection hub, you need to connect to the Mac via USB-C. Its built-in spare USB-C port offers 15W of power output and the USB-A 7.5W. There are two HDMI ports so you can connect to another device for multitasking.

The one thing that’s immediately noticeable with the MA270U/P is its impressive image quality. Colors are full of life and the detail is excellent. One standout aspect of the image quality is how sharp text appears. This is great for production and design work, but it can even make it more enjoyable to read and write.

It offers image quality that could satisfy users in a production environment–that’s one way of saying that its quality is better than what general users usually get. You might be able to find a 27-inch 4K display that’s a little cheaper, but it won’t look this good.–Roman Loyola

Read the full BenQ MA270UP Monitor review.

The 27-inch BenQ MA270U/P provides a very affordable alternative to Apple’s expensive 5K Studio Display. The BenQ 32-inch MA320U is slightly more expensive, but as well as providing a larger screen it produces a brighter display with bolder, crisper colors, although also at 4K. Read our review of the 32-inch Ben-Q MA320U.

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 5K (5120 x 2880 pixels)
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: Thunderbolt 5 (96W PD), 2x USB-C (10Gbps)
Webcam: 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View
Stand: Tilt. Height-adjustable stand costs extra $400/£400
Orientation: Landscape; Portrait with VESA mount adapter

As a production display, the Studio Display is still expensive but looks affordable compared to the Apple Studio Display XDR. Buyers will enjoy its handsome design, good image quality, and impressive spatial audio, but you can save a lot of money by going with a non-Apple display.

Apple displays have always produced very good image quality, and the Studio Display continues that tradition. Colors are rich, contrast is good, and the brightness is suitable for most tasks.

The Studio Display has a tilt-adjustable stand, but it does not pivot between landscape and portrait modes—a WESA mount beings you a portrait option with the right monitor arm or stand. You can get a stand that provides about four inches of height adjustment but it doesn’t come cheap. The price tag for the tilt- and height-adjustable stand is a whopping $400/£400 more. That Apple stand on its own is about half the price of a comparable third-party 5K monitor with its own height-adjustable stand, such as the BenQ MA270S, reviewed below.

The Studio Display has six speakers (four force-canceling woofers, and two high-performance tweeters) that sound better than most displays we’ve used but are no match for a decent independent speaker.

There’s nothing wrong with this display. Brightness uniformity is good, and color accuracy is excellent. It’s just an old panel, with poor motion clarity from a slow pixel response and a complete lack of modern expected display properties. It’s 2026, and all but the very cheapest monitors have refresh rates over 60Hz, adaptive refresh, HDR, or all of the above.

For a monitor being sold new in 2026, the Studio Display looks like what a nice $999 5K display should. But it costs $1,000 more than that (with a decent stand), and the addition of the webcam, speakers, and Thunderbolt ports doesn’t make up the difference..–Jason Cross

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 5K (5120 x 2880 pixels)
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: Thunderbolt 4 (96W PD), 1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A (10Gbps), 2x HDMI
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel
Orientation: Landscape; Portrait

BenQ has been doing a great job with its displays geared towards Mac users. I’ve reviewed the MA270U and the MA270UP (see above) and recommend them. But those 27-inch displays do have one specific feature that may be a no-go for some customers: They are 4K displays, not 5K like the Apple Studio Display. Most people will be fine with 4K, but for others, that’s a deal breaker.

Good news: BenQ now has a 5K offering, the new MA270S. It basically looks the same as the others, except it’s now a direct competitor to the high-resolution Studio Display. More good news: the MA270S lives up to the standard set by its two predecessors, with a great combination of image quality, features, and price. The 70Hz refresh rate might not satisfy gamers but it’s a touch better than most monitors’ 60Hz maximum.

If you’ve been holding out for a 5K 27-inch display, take a look at the BenQ MA270S. It’s a good alternative to the super-expensive Apple Studio Display. If color accuracy is a must-have, BenQ’s PD2730S 5K Designer Monitor (reviewed below) is one of the company’s DesignVue lineup of displays geared towards designers, graphics professionals, video producers, and anyone else who demands color accuracy and consistency, and top-notch image quality.

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 5K (5120 x 2880)
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: 2x Thunderbolt 5 (140W PD), 2x USB-C
Webcam: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View
Stand: Tilt- and height-adjustable stand
Orientation: Landscape; Portrait with VESA mount

Apple has replaced its 32-inch 6K Pro Display XDR with a new version of its 27-inch 5K Studio Display but with the higher XDR specs.

The XDR version has a mini-LED backlight array with up to 2304 dimming zones that can crank the brightness up to 1000 nits for SDR content and a peak of 2000 nits for HDR content. It supports resolutions up to 120Hz and variable refresh rates, too. (A note on 120Hz support: Macs with M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2, and M3 will only drive the display up to 60Hz. You still get HDR and all the other display features, though.)

While both Studio Display models support P3 wide color, the XDR model adds a host of additional color reference modes, including P3 + Adobe RGB, and even DICOM medical imaging.

The webcam is Apple’s 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View. The image quality is vastly improved on previous Studio Displays. White balance, clarity, resolution, and smoothness are all so much better.

Connected via one of the two Thunderbolt 5 ports, it can charge a MacBook at up to 140W—enough to fast-charge even the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro.

For well-heeled Mac (and only Mac) users, this is just the display to make your content shine. It should cost a lot less, and should be 32 inches (like the old XDR) instead of 27, but there’s no denying that the color gamut and accuracy are top-notch, HDR picture quality is fantastic, and even the webcam is really good this time.

it’s hard not to criticize the price. At $3,299 it’s three times what it should cost, even for an Apple product. At least the price includes the tilt-and-height adjustable stand, a whopping $400 upgrade for the regular Studio Display.–Jason Cross

Size: 32-inch
Resolution: 6K (6016 x 3384 pixels)
Panel: IPS 8-bit + HiFRC
Connections: USB-C (90W PD), 2x USB-A, 1x USB-B, 2x HDMI, DisplayPort 1.4, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel
Orientation: Landscape

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch offers Mac users a large, premium touchscreen on a dedicated stand that enables the 32-inch screen to tilt down flat for drawing or sketching and can be lifted to a more comfortable upright angle for viewing, much like a drafting board. It creates a sturdy, wobble-free surface for tablet-like stylus use in a downward-angled workspace. It can rotate 360° so that you can share work with colleagues.

The Clarity Touch is a precision, 10-point multitouch, One Glass Solution (OGS) touchscreen that combines the monitor’s protective layer with its input layer via a conductive medium keeps the Clarity Touch’s screen as thin as the other Clarity monitors, while maintaining the monitor’s bright picture.

Touchscreens are useful for artists and video professionals, with many pro tools having accurate touch functionality that beats using a mouse. It’s a more intuitive way to fine-tune levels and effects in photo-editing or music mixing, in applications such as Adobe Lightroom and Audition, and Apple Pro Logic. We did find the touchscreen setup a little fiddly as you have to install drivers for Mac, but once up and running, the operation was smooth.

Alogic had offered the Fold stand as a $219 optional accessory but it is now the default stand for the touchscreen monitor. One drawback is that you can’t adjust it to a portrait orientation without remounting the display.

Mac touchscreen alternatives

Alogic also offers a 27-inch Clarity 5K Touch, two 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) touchscreen models: the 27-inch Clarity Pro Touch ($1,499, also available with a fold stand) and 32-inch Clarity Max Touch ($1,699). Aside from the lower resolution and price-tag, the only real other difference is the retractable webcam that automatically raises itself from within the monitor when an app requires it, and then auto-retracts when it’s no longer needed. The 5K and 6K Touch monitors lack a built-in webcam, with Alogic instead recommending its own $189 Illuminate USB-C Light Bar with 4K Autofocus Webcam. Read our Alogic Clarity Pro Touch review and Alogic Clarity Max Touch review

Simon Jary

Also new is the appealing Alogic Aspekt 4K Touch (pictured above, from $1,799) that is available with an innovatove and neat Mac mini M4 cradle built into the Omni fold Stand. Read our Alogic Aspekt 4K Touch review. –Simon Jary

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels) aka HD
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, USB-C, and the integrated hub offers three USB 3.2 ports and one USB-C port
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt
Orientation: Landscape

The GW2790QT monitor from BenQ is a 27-inch IPS monitor with a maximum resolution of 2K and a brightness of 350 nits. It offers a color gamut of 99 percent of sRGB and can be selected for gaming, M-Book, or film. The monitor’s color gamut is good, but homogeneity decreases towards the edges.

The monitor features Low Blue Light Plus technology, which filters out blue-violet radiation harmful to the eyes, and automatic adjustment of screen brightness. A display coating is designed to reduce glare. The monitor can be rotated 20 degrees in any direction, tilted 5 degrees downwards and upwards, and the entire screen can be rotated 90 degrees into portrait format.

In addition to HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, the USB-C port provides 65 watts of power delivery for the MacBook, while another DisplayPort is available for connecting a second monitor. The integrated hub offers three USB 3.2 ports and one USB-C port with 5 gigabits per second speed.

The monitor has built-in speakers and a microphone optimized for video conferencing, equipped with noise filter and noise cancellation. A USB-C connection to the Mac is required for use. The monitor has a series of buttons for operation, including the integrated microphone, noise filter, Low Blue Light Plus, menu control, and on/off button.

For an additional $20, the display comes with a practical Yogi Pad set, which serves as an iPhone holder, universal shelf, and studs for stacking building blocks. While not the fastest monitor, it is suitable for general office use and does not require professional editing.–Thomas Bergbold.

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 5K (5120 x 2880 pixels) at 60Hz or QHD (2560 x 1440) at 120Hz
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: USB-C (65W PD), HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, 2x 5Gbps USB-A, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Tilt
Orientation: Landscape

The KTC 5K2K is very well priced at a retail price of $669.99, and expect to see lower prices on Amazon.

It’s silly to compare this display to the $1,599 Apple Studio Display but the KTC’s screen measures up pretty well on the specs front. Its stand is certainly basic but then so is Apple’s default. A better comparison is the $999 BenQ MA270S, reviewed above, which has a better stand than both of them and is an excellent all-round choice—but it’s hard to walk away from the KTC’s super low price-tag.

It isn’t the very cheapest 5K monitor on the market but it does offer more-than-decent P3 color accuracy and tone on a budget. Its dual-resolution option that turns it from 5K/60Hz to 2K/120Hz will appeal to gamers who want a well-balanced screen for mid-range color work and another for gaming.

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 5K (5120 x 2880 pixels)
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: Thunderbolt 4 (90W PD), Thunderbolt 4 (15W), HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, 10Gbps USB-C, 2x 10Gbps USB-A, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Rotation
Orientation: Landscape and portrait

The BenQ PD2730S 5K Designer Monitor is a 27-inch display that’s a new addition to the company’s DesignVue lineup of displays geared towards designers, graphics professionals, video producers, and anyone else who demands color accuracy and consistency, and top-notch image quality. Its size and resolution make it a direct competitor to Apple’s Studio Display.

The PD2730S was a pleasure to look at daily. The detail it produces is sharp and satisfying; I used the display with an M4 MacBook Pro, which has a mini-LED panel (what Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR) and it looks nice, but the PD2730S is much crisper. The colors produced by the PD2730S are great, too. BenQ promotes the PD2730S as a display that’s “always accurate” and has “consistent colors” thanks to the company’s AQColor technology.

BenQ also offers two software utilities for adjusting color. The Display ColorTalk app helps you set up your MacBook and the PD2730S so that the colors match between the two as closely as possible. The Palette Master Ultimate app works with hardware calibrators and can be used to create custom color profiles. Both apps are free and helpful to photographers, designers, and anyone else who deals with colors on a professional level.-

The newer MA270S (reviewed above) is a more affordable version but lacks the designer-level color tools of the PD2730S.–Roman Loyola

Size: 32-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: Thunderbolt 4 (96W PD), Thunderbolt 4 (15W), 2x HDMI 2.0, USB-C (35W), 10Gbps USB-C (15W), 2x 10Gbps USB-A, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Rotation
Orientation: Landscape and portrait

Apple doesn’t offer a 32-inch display, but the BenQ MA320UG fills in the gap, offering great image quality, a wide array of connectivity options, a solid design, and a versatile stand. It’s not a 5K display but it does offer 4K resolution at 120Hz–the faster refresh rate makes motion graphics look smooth. If you want a bigger display that looks good and has hub capabilities for your Mac, the MA320UG is a good choice.

Using the MA320UG daily with a M5 Max MacBook Pro my experience with the MA320UG has been extremely satisfying, with crisp, clean text, lively color with clarity, even brightness throughout the panel, and deep, rich black reproduction. The MA320UG offers a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. Like Apple’s ProMotion displays, the 120Hz refresh rate makes the MA320UG look smoother with video and animations, compared to 60Hz. If you do a lot of work with motion graphics, you’ll like the faster rate. 

Any glossy front is going to have reflections, but I barely noticed them, and they never disrupted my view. As iMac and MacBook users can attest, the advantage of a glossy display is that it makes colors look rich and vibrant, and images on the MA320UG didn’t disappoint.

As with the other BenQ monitors in the MA series it is designed for MacBook users looking to connect a display when at an office desk, and the port configuration does well to not just cover the ports on a MacBook, but also provide other ports you might need, including USB-A. –Roman Loyola

A 32-inch 4K alternative is the $599 Samsung M8 Smart Monitor that supports HDR content and 99% of the sRGB color standard, and supports Bluetooth for connecting additional peripherals, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay for Apple devices. This allows users to stream audio to the M8’s speakers or mirror the display from their Mac or iPad to the M8 without using a cable. The M8 can be used as more than just a basic computer monitor. It has a built-in ‘entertainment hub’, which includes apps for Netflix, YouTube, Xbox gaming service, and a web browser.

Size: 40-inch
Resolution: Wide Ultra High Definition (5120 x 2160 pixels)
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: 5Gbps USB-C (90W PD), HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, 2x 480Mbps USB-C (5W), Gigabit Ethernet, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Rotation
Orientation: Landscape

Two large screens side by side can be a big productivity booster, but one super-wide screen means one cable connection, no screen separation and removes issues with matching specs, meaning you avoid potential color, brightness, and display quality discrepancies if the two monitors have different specifications.

This 40-inch flat ultra-widescreen display saves you from buying two displays, each of which needs a connection to your Mac.

It creates a remarkable amount of convenient and ergonomic working screen space for a single monitor to maximize viewable multitasking apps and documents without the bezel gap and setting complications you get with a dual-monitor setup.

Picky creatives had issues with the (still available) lower-resolution 40-inch QHD (3440 x 1440) Edge on its lower pixel density so the 120% more pixels in this 5K version is a noticeable improvement. It might still not be for the more exacting graphics professional but for general productivity users this 40-inch screen is even more spacious than having two monitors side by side.–Simon Jary

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels) aka HD
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: 4x USB-A, USB-C, HDMI 1.4, 2x DisplayPort 1.2
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel, Joint (Rotation)
Orientation: Landscape

It’s a common criticism of Apple’s own displays that they don’t allow you to adjust the height of the screen unless you pay a ridiculous amount for an optional adjustable stand. Most rival displays do allow you to adjust the height, of course, but BenQ’s 27-inch PD2706UA goes even further. Rather than having a conventional stand, the PD2706UA includes an ergonomic arm that attaches to your desk and allows you to freely adjust the height, tilt and swivel, and even rotate it into the upright portrait mode with just a tap of your finger. You don’t have to pay a fortune for this flexibility either, as the PD2706UA provides an attractive 4K display for just $629.99/£549.99.

The ergonomic arm is designed to either clamp onto the edge of a desk or table, or attach to the circular grommets found on many pieces of office furniture. It does require a little patience to assemble properly, but the free movement of the screen will be a blessing for people who may have problems with their neck or shoulders, or simply for quickly swiveling the display into position to show your work to clients or colleagues.

The display provides 4K resolution with support for HDR10, which is good value at this price. Connectivity is good too, with HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces, along with one USB-C connector that handles video and provides 90W output for charging a laptop. It also includes a built-in USB hub that provides three USB-A ports and one USB-C (for data transfer only), as well as BenQ’s ‘hotkey puck’, which sits on your desk and provides a quick dial control for selecting display settings without using the traditional on-screen menus.

As always, BenQ keeps Mac users in mind by providing a Mac version of its DisplayPilot app, which provides features such as an ‘M-book’ mode that is designed to match the color settings on a Mac. The display also supports 100% of the sRGB color space, and 95% of DCI-P3, so it can handle a wide range of graphics and design tasks. Our only real complaint is that the display only provides modest levels of brightness – 350nits or 400nits with HDR – compared to 500nits for my office iMac. It also works with Benq’s Display ColorTalk and  Palette Master Ultimate color calibration tools.

The built-in speakers are pretty feeble too, but the PD2706UA does have a 3.5mm audio connector so you can use headphones or external speakers if you want to.

Some professional users might prefer a more expensive display that supports 100% of DCI-P3, but the PD2706UA will be a good, affordable option if you just need a 4K display for use at home or in the office, with the added bonus of the versatile ergonomic arm thrown in for good measure.–Cliff Joseph

Size: 2x 23.8-inch
Resolution: 2x HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: HDMI, USB-C
Webcam: No
Stand: Tilt, Swivel, Rotation
Orientation: Stacked landscape or portrait

The UPerfect Delta Mega is a monitor curiosity that might take your fancy. Instead of having two screens side by side, the Delta stacks two on top of each other, with the ability to fold the whole thing down flat when you want to. It comes with a carry bag so is portable, but you wouldn’t want to take it down to the coffee shop with you—and more would the other customers or café owner.

Having two screens stacked on top of each other will save your neck from frequent twisting plus a bunch of freed-up desk space too.

The two joined 24-inch screens are HD rather than 4K so won’t suit those who want the deepest, richest colors, but as a productivity option, we love the Delta Mega for the comfortable dual-screen alternative.

If you want other monitors stacked vertically, you would need a special mount. The flexibility of simply folding up the screens is a game-changer if your home-office setup needs tidying away at night.

There’s a smaller (18.5-inch) but still stacked touchscreen version, the UPerfect Delta Max, with a touchscreen option.

Another stacked option is the Mobile Pixels Geminos Dual Vertical FHD Monitor–Simon Jary

Size: 34-inch
Resolution: WQHD (3440 x 1440 pixels)
Panel: VA
Connections: Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.0, 2 USB-A ports (and a USB service port for servicing), a DisplayPort (version 1.2), an ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel
Orientation: Curved landscape

The Samsung VIewFinity S65TC is a 34-inch display but it’s more wide than tall, so it’s like working on two displays side by side. The S65TC also offers a high refresh rate, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and easy-to-use controls. It’s a nice display at a reasonable price.

The ViewFinity S65TC supports Thunderbolt 4 and you can use it to connect to a Mac. One of the Thunderbolt 4 ports delivers 90 watts of power (it’s labeled with a laptop and Thunderbolt icons), so you’ll want to use that port to connect to a MacBook so it can charge the laptop while connected. If you prefer, you can connect it via the HDMI 2.0 port. The display also has 2 USB-A ports (and a USB service port for servicing the display), a DisplayPort (version 1.2), an ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

The S65TC’s contrast is quite good, but the color reproduction feels watered down, especially if you put it next to an iMac, for example. Brightness is also in the lower spectrum at 350 nits–the Apple Studio Display’s brightness is 600 nits. Even a MacBook Air has more screen brightness at 500 nits.–Petter Ahrnstedt

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: USB-C (90W PD), USB-B, 2x HDMI, DisplayPort
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel, Rotation
Orientation: Landscape and portrait

The Alogic Clarity is a stunning 27-inch display with built-in hub and a fantastic height-adjustable, tilt and pivot stand. It will appeal to Mac users with its Apple looks and is even, in some ways, a superior monitor to Apple’s own Studio Display, although its 4K resolution isn’t as sharp as Apple’s 5K screen.

The stand is one of the best we’ve seen, and easily beats Apple’s standard monitor stand.

It features multiple display connections and can power your MacBook at up to 90W via either USB-C or USB-B.

There is also a Clarity Pro model that features a built-in retractable webcam, although we prefer a standalone webcam (check out our favorite Mac webcams), as well as a touchscreen version reviewed above.–Simon Jary

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: 2x USB-C PD, 5x USB-A, gigabit ethernet DP-in/DP-out, 1x HDMI, USB-C upstream (for daisy chain)
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel
Orientation: Landscape

Dell advertises the U2723QE with “exceptional contrast.” This is made possible by the panel’s IPS Black technology. Indeed, the screen offers an unusually high contrast ratio of 2000:1: black looks like black, and colors are very clearly distinguishable. Thanks to its wide color space support (100 percent Rec.709, 100 percent sRGB, and 98 percent DCI-P3) it is on a par with modern Apple LCDs.

The screen settings can be adjusted using the joystick on the back, or directly from the Mac desktop using the Dell Display and Peripheral Manager software. Here you can quickly adjust the brightness and contrast. There is also the option of defining a schedule for changing the brightness or contrast. If required, users can also define hotkeys for brightness and contrast control. However, the software works on the MacBook, Mac mini, and Mac Pro, but not on the iMac.

The ports on the back are hard to reach and not entirely in logical positions. The two connections at the front are also arranged at the bottom, which makes plugging them in from the bottom a gymnastics exercise every time. A side or rear-facing solution like Apple’s would be better here. But this display does offer a lot of ports, and it’s a complete USB-C docking station for MacBooks and a good extension for the Mac mini or Mac Studio.–Christian Rentrop

Size: 31.5-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Panel: IPS LCD
Connections: Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 3, 3x USB-A ports, 1x USB-C port, 1x USB-B port, 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, audio jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel
Orientation: Landscape

The BenQ PD3225U 4K display offers high display quality and many practical functions. It’s ideal for design, desktop publishing, and photo and video editing–it’s a good all-around display. Thanks to the Thunderbolt connection, it is ideal as a Mac docking station.

Using Thunderbolt, the display offers four USB ports and an additional Thunderbolt socket into a practical docking station. The second Thunderbolt port also serves as a daisy-chain connection, which can be used to connect a second monitor. The rest of the ports are located on the rear of the display. The PD3225U also offers two HDMI 2.0 ports and DisplayPort 1.4.

Content on the PD3225U is always clearly recognizable thanks to a peak brightness of 400 nits and a contrast ratio of 2,000:1. The PD3225Q is also an exceptionally evenly illuminated panel with no halos or similar display problems. The matte screen is coated with an anti-glare coating that largely prevents reflections from light sources. It also works with Benq’s Display ColorTalk and  Palette Master Ultimate color calibration tools.

The PD3225U also supports BenQ’s own Display Pilot software. This tool allows you to conveniently control the PD3225U from the Mac via the menu bar.–Christian Rentrop

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: USB-C (65W PD), 2x HDMI, DisplayPort
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel
Orientation: Landscape

The Asus ProArt PA279CV is a 4K monitor that offers accurate color and important “pro” features such as accurate gamma presets. It even has USB-C connectivity, making it an excellent choice for creators looking to upgrade from their laptop display.

It’s not a great-looking monitor, with larger than average display bevels on the plasticky chassis. It’s not luxurious but it’s fine for an office or workstation.

Asus’ ProArt PA279CV is a sensible choice for content creators who want a color accurate 4K monitor but don’t want to clean out their savings account.

Connected via USB-C, it can charge a MacBook at up to 65W—enough for a MacBook Air or 14-inch MacBook Pro.–Matthew S.Smith

Read a full Asus ProArt PA279CV review.

Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 2K (2560×1440 pixels) aka HD
Panel: IPS LED
Connections: 4x USB-A, USB-C, HDMI 1.4, 2x DisplayPort 1.2
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Swivel Floor, Joint (Rotation)
Orientation: Landscape

Apple’s Studio Display and Pro Display are seriously expensive, and they’re very much designed for professional and creative users who need 5K or 6K displays for graphics and video work. Not everyone needs such a high-res display though, and I’ve always found that a QHD (quad-HD) display with 2,560×1,440 resolution is the affordable sweet spot that works well for both general office work and off-duty entertainment. HP’s somewhat clumsily named E27u G4 is a good option here, providing an attractive QHD display with a variety of connectivity features for just $424/£286.80.

You’re not going to get a top-of-the-range display for that price, and the E27u does lack a few added extras, such as a built-in webcam or speakers. It gets all the basics right, though, with good image quality, multiple video inputs, and a useful built-in USB hub. The display’s 250 nits brightness may be relatively modest, but we found that the E27u looks bright and sharp enough for working with productivity software such as Microsoft Office, and also for streaming video from the BBC iPlayer and Apple TV+. And while Apple charges an extra £400 for an upgrade that allows you to adjust the height of its Studio Display—which is more than the entire cost of the E27u—you can tilt, swivel and adjust the height of the E27u, and even rotate it into upright (portrait) mode at no extra cost.

The E27u includes HDMI, DisplayPort and USB-C interfaces for connecting to your Mac, with the USB-C port also providing 65W power to charge a MacBook or other laptop if required. When using the USB-C connection you can also use four USB-A ports to connect devices such a keyboard, mouse or hard drive, and there’s also a second DisplayPort interface that will allow you to daisy-chain a second monitor if required. Our only complaint is that there’s no audio connector that would allow you to connect headphones or a set of external speakers to the display – although HP does sell a special ‘speaker bar’ that bolts onto the bottom of the screen if you want to add audio ($43.00/£40.00).–Cliff Joseph