What are the best monitors around $800 to use with a MacBook?

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Apr 15, 2018

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2 Options Considered

Best monitors around $800 to use with a MacBook	Price	Size	Resolution
-- AOC C3583FQ	$549.99	35	2560 x 1080
-- Samsung U32E850R	$811.79	32	3840 × 2160 (4K)

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score 3 · Answer 1

AOC C3583FQ

Top Pro

Great image quality

The monitor uses a VA-panel, which is comparable to IPS. Image quality is excellent and aspects such as color reproduction, contrast and brightness are all great. See More

Top Con

Awkward touch controls

The on-screen display and menu's of this AOC display are controlled via touch-sensitive controls on the base of the monitor. Due to the ultra-wide aspect ratio, the OSD can be a little bit awkard to control. See More

Specs

Size:35

Resolution:2560 x 1080

Refresh Rate:165

For gaming:Yes

Top Pro

Curved display increases visual workspace

The AOC C3583FQ is curved and is angled similar to the curves of the human eye. Because of the curved screen, points on the screen are spread more evenly across your eyes, which increases your visual workspace and can reduce eyestrain. See More

Top Con

Smaller pixel density, not as sharp as other displays

The resolution of the AOC C3583FQ is Full HD, but because there's additional screen space on both sides, 2560 x 1080 pixels are displayed. This is the same pixel density as a regular 1080p non-ultrawide monitor. Because of the large screen size of 35 inch, this monitor isn't as sharp as some other displays. The amount of pixels per inch (ppi) is measured at 70. See More

Top Pro

Connections integrated in the base

In terms of connectivity, all ports are integrated into the base of the large display. That results in a more tidy environment and no cables dangling on the rear of the display. See More

Top Con

Doesn't support VESA mounting

The C3583FQ doesn't feature a VESA mount which makes wall-mounting or using an alternative stand impossible. See More

Top Pro

Extremely high refresh rate

The maximum refresh rate of this display is 160 Hz, which is extremely fast - even for high-end standards. Most high-end displays only offer up to 144 Hz, but this AOC display is a bit faster. High refresh rates are excellent for fast-paced gaming action and ensures a much greater fluidity. See More

Top Con

Large stand-by power consumption

With a stand-by power consumption of over 60 watts, the AOC C3583FQ definitely isn't an economic display. See More

Top Pro

Good viewing angles

Another advantage of the VA-panel is the range of the viewing angles. The monitor looks great from every horizontal and vertical viewing angle and color shifting doesn't occur. See More

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score 2 · Answer 2

Samsung U32E850R

Top Pro

Great image quality

This Samsung display uses an IPS panel, which results in a better color reproduction, brightness, contrast and overall great image quality. See More

Top Con

Maximum refresh rate limited to 60Hz

The U32E850R is not as fast as some other monitors, despite the fact that is supports AMD FreeSync. The minimum refresh rate is 48 Hz, with a maximum of 60 frames per second. Some of the more fast-paced games don't look as fluent on this iiyama as on other displays with a higher refresh rate. See More

Specs

Size:32

Resolution:3840 × 2160 (4K)

Refresh Rate:60

Adaptive Sync:FreeSync

Top Pro

Rotatable, tiltable and adjustable in height

You can easily adjust the height of the monitor, and you can also rotate it and switch between landscape and portrait mode. See More

Top Con

4K resolution doesn't scale well with all software

Due to the native 4K resolution and the relatively small 28 inch screen size, text can be hard to read in Windows and other non-gaming environments, such as Adobe's software. Not everything scales well in 4K (yet). See More

Top Pro

Extremely sharp

The Samsung U32E850R uses a 4K-display with a resolution of 2160 x 3840 pixels, which is four times the amount of pixels of a Full HD display. This results in an extremely sharp image and overall great image quality. In terms of pixel density which is measured in pixels per inch, this display achieves just a little bit under 140 ppi. A 32 inch display with a Full HD resolution would only achieve half of that - 70 ppi. See More

Top Con

Size limits viewing angles in corners

Although the U32E850R uses a PLS panel which is known for its great image reproduction and viewing angles, the sheer size of this display results in slightly worse viewing angles in the corners. The small difference is noticeable in dark situations. See More

Top Pro

Allows you to use two inputs at once

The Samsung U32E850R has a great multitasking feature, which allows you to use two devices on the screen at the same time. You can either choose to use an overlay mode (picture-in-picture), or display the images side by side (picture by picture). See More

Top Con

No cables included

The only cables included with the monitor are a power cable and a USB cable, no HDMI or DisplayPort connectors are included. For a monitor with this hefty price tag, it's disappointing not to receive the complete package. See More

Top Pro

Excellent viewing angles

The viewing angles of the MG24UQ are excellent and no color shifting (the distortion of colors) occurs when looking at the display from a horizontal or vertical angle. See More

Top Con

Expensive

With an average price tag of $1000, the Samsung U32E850R is positioned in the higher-end market. However, some other 4K monitors with comparable specifications and features offer more value. See More

Top Pro

4-port USB 3.0 hub

The monitor also doubles as a 4-port USB 3.0 hub, allowing you to quickly connect your devices on the display. See More

Top Con

Slower response time

The response time of this display is limited a 4 ms, which is excellent for normal usage but isn't as fast as some other monitors. In fast-paced gaming situations, ghosting may occur - ghosting happens when the previous image can still be seen on the screen due to a slower refresh rate. See More

Top Pro

Low stand-by power consumption

The U32E850R only consumes about 0,3 watts of power per hour in stand-by, which makes it one of the more energy efficient 4K displays available. For example, the AOC C3583FQ 35 inch display consumes a hefty 60 watts. See More

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What are the best monitors around $800 to use with a MacBook?

2 Options Considered

AOC C3583FQ

My Recommendation for AOC C3583FQ

My Recommendation for AOC C3583FQ

Great image quality

Awkward touch controls

Curved display increases visual workspace

Smaller pixel density, not as sharp as other displays

Connections integrated in the base

Doesn't support VESA mounting

Extremely high refresh rate

Large stand-by power consumption

Good viewing angles

Samsung U32E850R

My Recommendation for Samsung U32E850R

My Recommendation for Samsung U32E850R

Great image quality

Maximum refresh rate limited to 60Hz

Rotatable, tiltable and adjustable in height

4K resolution doesn't scale well with all software

Extremely sharp

Size limits viewing angles in corners

Allows you to use two inputs at once

No cables included

Excellent viewing angles

Expensive

4-port USB 3.0 hub

Slower response time

Low stand-by power consumption

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