9+ Best External Monitor For Macbook Pro | Unrivaled Guide 2022

Whether you are a content creator, graphic designer, or just someone looking for an enhanced viewing experience on a larger screen, adding a bigger monitor to your MacBook Pro offers a whole new world of a better and improved viewing experience.

MacBook Pro is a fully functional laptop, but you may seem limited by its small display. Getting an external monitor allows you to have a larger display for tasks that require the screen.

The additional screen improves your productivity and offers a larger work surface and a better viewing experience for gamers and professionals.

Here, we’re not just looking at a larger display, but a screen that matches and supports the same color gamut and pixel density close to the MacBook Pro.

Best External Monitor For MacBook Pro 2022

Here we have selected the 9 Best External Monitor For MacBook Pro. Most of these monitors offer a USB-C connection which not only provides easy connectivity but keeps your laptop charged.

You can choose a monitor without a USB-C port and use an adapter to connect it to your MacBook Pro. Without further ado, let’s review some of our select MacBook Pro monitors.

Best External Monitor For Macbook Pro | Comparison Table 2022

5-Stars Pick | Great Prices | High Quality

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Best External Monitor For Macbook Pro | Reviews 2022

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How To Choose The Best External Monitor For Macbook Pro | Ultimate Guide 2022

The diagonal and the “format”

Monitors, like TVs, are measured in inches. The measurement refers to the diagonal of the screen (from the lower left side to the upper right side). One inch equals 2.54cm. Looking for a monitor, we will undoubtedly hear about “format”.

For example, “16: 9” indicates the proportion between the base size and the height of the rectangle in which the images are displayed. If the base is 16cm, the height will be 9cm; the dimensions obviously increase as the screen size increases but they always remain proportional to the fundamental values ​​that refer to the horizontal and vertical sides.

The size of the screen is indicated by providing the size of the diagonal, a measure that allows you to get an idea of ​​the overall size of the display, taking into account the rectangular shape and the fixed proportion between the base and the height.

The resolution

Among the specifications to take into account when choosing a monitor, certainly the first is the resolution. This term refers to the precision of the details that the system is able to display, a direct consequence of the quantity of the single points that make up the image on the screen. Resolution is related to both screen size and dot spacing. This parameter measures the number of pixels (in width and height) that can be displayed on the screen.

For example, the term 1080p means displays with a resolution of 1920 pixels (width horizontally) x 1080 pixels (height on the vertical axis).

As the resolution increases, the number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen, and consequently windows and other elements, grows. The resolution of many 24 ″ widescreen LCD monitors is Full-HD (1920 × 1080 pixels), the same as HDTVs for 1080p or 1080i modes. New generation monitors integrate support for “4K” resolution, in other words, 4.096 × 2.160 pixels; still, others support the lower “Ultra HD” resolution: 3,840 × 2,160 pixels, also called 2160p.

The 5K resolution is integrated into larger screens (usually 27 “) and is equal to 5120 × 2880 pixels. Typical maximum resolutions of today’s monitors are: 1920 × 1200 pixels or 2560 × 1600 pixels; other higher ones begin to be found on consumer models but are normally available on professional models.

The door

Many 4K and 5K monitors can be connected to the Mac using Thunderbolt or HDMI cables. For monitors with an integrated DisplayPort port just use a Thunderbolt cable; some of these integrate a DisplayPort port which requires a DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable. The latter are very cheap cables and can be found for a few tens of euros on Amazon.

Macs sold from 2011 to 2013 use the first generation of Thunderbolt; this supports DisplayPort 1.1a technology, offering a maximum throughput of 8.64 Gbps and capable of driving virtually any 4K or 5K display with a refresh rate of 60Hz.

What is the refresh rate?

Refresh rate is the number of times in a second the image is redrawn on a display. It is a parameter that is measured in Hertz (Hz) and allows you to evaluate the effective stability of the image on the screen (as the refresh rate increases, eye fatigue caused by imperceptible flicker decreases). Typical frequencies of monitors are: 24Hz, 30Hz and 60Hz

macOS support at high resolutions

The latest versions of macOS support DisplayPort 4K resolution monitors via Single-Stream Transport technology at 30Hz and 60Hz on the following Macs: Mac Pro (Late 2013), iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015, and following), MacBook Pro (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 and newer), MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015 and later).

Connecting 4K monitors with 3,840 x 2,160 resolution is supported at 60Hz on the following Macs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015 and later), MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014 and newer), Mac Pro (Late 2013), iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015 and later), MacBook Pro (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 and newer), MacBook Air (Early 2015 and later).

The color space

In the technical descriptions of some monitors, you will find chromaticity diagrams, a standard of the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) that shows the color space manageable by the screens. Without going into technical details (which we will perhaps talk about in a separate article), the breadth of these figures allows us to know the mathematical models of perception indicated as color spaces and represented by acronyms such as XYZ (it is the CIE 1931 model), xyY, Lab, Luv.

The colors are indicated by two chromatic variables (x and y), arranged along the Cartesian axes of a plane where there is a “U” curve. The “pure” colors (technically those of the visible spectrum, from red to violet) are distributed along the curve; inside the curve, we find the colors ranging from pure colors to ideal white (in the center). These diagrams allow you to make evaluations from the point of view of tonal ranges (gamut) and understand how many of these a device is actually able to reproduce. Professional monitors cost more because they are usually able to offer higher gamuts than cheaper ones.

Calibration

To obtain the best possible color match the monitors are calibrated in the factory. Still, the overall final result depends on several factors: the video card used, the panel used, the lighting modes of the working environment, and more. macOS integrates standard features that allow you to calibrate the monitors via software by creating customized profiles. The operating system and other software that use Apple’s ColorSync technology can take advantage of these profiles and reproduce the colors of images more faithfully.

Monitors intended for professional environments (photography, video, desktop publishing) should be calibrated regularly using a colorimeter, a device that offers functions that allow you to adjust contrast, and brightness, determine the brightness response curve, the response curve, and the point better white.

The colorimeters (standard or available as an option with some professional monitors) allow direct measurement of display radiation and ambient light, generating customized profiles. The instrument in question allows you to measure the gamut and evaluate various parameters with which to determine the uniformity of the tonal response and brightness of the panel.

Panel technology

Panel technology means the type of liquid crystal used and the backlight system used. These are two parameters that determine the quality and breadth of the reproducible chromatic range, as well as the precision with which the input signal is transformed into the final tones.

These technologies also affect factors such as brightness, contrast, and viewing angle or viewing angle, the latter being an arc on the perpendicular of the panel within which the colors should not veer in a noticeable way.

Most of the panels used in today’s monitors are divided into Tn ( Twisted Nematic ) and IPS ( In-Plane Switching ). The former has been on the market the longest, it is the cheapest but this does not necessarily mean that it is inferior to competing technology. With the TN-type panels, it is possible to obtain higher refresh rates than Ips, even reaching speeds of 1ms against the average 5ms of the others. The refresh rate is particularly important with programs (eg games) that present moving images.

The IPS monitors, on the other hand, offer advantages from the point of view of color reproduction, their consistency, for the greater amplitude in the viewing angle. In fact, Tn panels typically suffer from greater directionality in color rendering and brightness (in particular on the vertical axis). More expensive IPS panels display billions of colors with true 10-bit encoding and coverage of 99% of the sRGB spectrum.

The finish

Under “finish” in the description of a display you can find terms such as “matte” or “glossy”. These refer to the treatment of the terminal part of the panel which can be anti-reflective or glossy. The anti-reflective treatment allows for reduction of the influence of ambient light by limiting reflections on the screen, the second allows to obtain more vivid and brilliant colors but does not limit reflections.

Glossy screens have the defect of being less visible, due to reflections, in very bright environments, but to the advantage of sharper and richer colors; opaque ones generally perform better even in conditions of direct light sources. Screens with the latter characteristics are preferred above all by users who work in the Desktop Publishing sector and who find themselves having to manage the color correspondence on non-glossy prints: a glossy screen in many cases distorts the perception of the final result. Other potential users of the matte screen are those who work in over-illuminated conditions and for whom the reflective surface could be annoying.

Consumption and certifications

Parameters concerning energy consumption should not be underestimated. It is true that the vast majority of today’s displays consume very little but between one model and another, there are differences that would be noticed by measuring consumption in standby (in the absence of input signal). Consumption grows based on the diagonal, brightness settings, and features that automatically adjust the backlight.

There are various standards for energy certifications and the most important acronyms are Energy Star, EPEAT, ROHS, and TCO. The presence of one or more of these abbreviations guarantees compliance with specific regulations but also parameters that take into account the management of materials and the ease of separation of components when the time for recycling arrives.

Thunderbolt e HDMI

The Mac’s Thunderbolt port supports displays with refresh rates up to 60Hz; Macs with an HDMI port allow you to manage displays with a refresh rate of 24Hz or 30Hz due to specific limitations of the HDMI 1.4 standard. The HDMI of the Mac Mini 2018 supports monitors with resolutions up to 4096×2160 @ 60Hz.

Macs with Thunderbolt 2 support DisplayPort 1.2 technology; the supported bandwidth is doubled, allowing (provided you have an adequate video card) to manage more monitors.

The “cascaded” Thunderbolt connection

Some monitors with a Displayport / Thunderbolt connection allow multiple monitors to be chained together to a single video output. With the Mac Pro, for example, it is possible to connect up to six monitors to the single video output of the computer, a technique called “daisy-chaining”, a “circle” that allows you to take advantage of multiple independent displays without degrading the quality of the images.

Additional inputs / outputs

Some monitors provide inputs and outputs that have nothing to do with the display. For example, some have integrated USB ports that function like a hub connected to the computer. On still others there are audio inputs that, combined with standard integrated speakers, allow you to amplify the audio output of the computer, without resorting to additional speakers, even if the amplification is normally limited to a few watts.

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Current and good offers

While your buying decision shouldn’t hinge much on offers, it’s always a good idea to check out current offers. Not only is there a chance to save money, but sometimes you might even get a better product for a much lower price. Isn’t that something everyone wants?

Warranty

Most branded MacBook pro monitors have a decent warranty period where any manufacturing defect is covered or non-accidental issues are fixed for free. While most of us don’t think about it much, getting the option that comes with longer warranties can save you a lot of money and also ensure that the product is of the highest quality.

Lists

One of the most popular ways to find a reliable MacBook pro monitor is by looking at the lists of tips. Not just ours, but do a Google search and you may find endless listings that are highly researched and contain in-depth information. For example, this list of ours only includes high-quality options suitable for different use cases.

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Frequent questions

What is the best MacBook pro monitor in 2022?

According to my research, Samsung Monitor U32H850 Monitor 32 “4K Ultra HD, 3840 x 2160, Quantum Dot, 1.07 Billion Colors, 60 Hz, 4 ms, 2 HDMI, 1 DP, 1 Mini DP, Height Adjustable, Black is an of the most popular options for different use cases. However, you can also consider LG 49WL95C-WE 124.46 cm (49 ″) Curved 32: 9 UltraWide Dual QHD IPS (HDR10, USB Type-C, DAS Mode, Rich Bass, EPA 8.0), white black chassis that comes with similar functionality and costs a little less. If you are looking for an affordable option, consider purchasing Philips 346E2CUAE Gaming Monitor 34 ″ UWQHD, 21: 9 with USB-C, 3440 * 1440, Adaptive Sync, 100Hz, 1ms, 300cd / m2, Display Port, HDMI, USB Hub, Integrated Speakers, Multiview, Ergonomic, Vesa, Black.

What is the cheapest MacBook pro monitor in 2022?

In my experience, it is the cheapest option. However, it may be missing some options, so you need to ascertain your needs before finalizing it.

What are some reputable MacBook pro monitor brands?

When it comes to MacBook pro monitors, the following are the highly reputed brands offering high-quality products and services: Samsung Monitor, LG, PHILIPS, and so on.

What is the average amount spent on the purchase of a MacBook Pro monitor?

Although the average can vary a lot due to the huge price differences between the best and the cheapest, based on my calculations, the average price paid to purchase a MacBook pro monitor is $ 276.95.

What is the most expensive MacBook Pro monitor?

The Samsung Monitor U32H850 Monitor 32 “4K Ultra HD, 3840 x 2160, Quantum Dot, 1.07 Billion Colors, 60 Hz, 4 ms, 2 HDMI, 1 DP, 1 Mini DP, Adjustable Height, Black is the most expensive option in our list. It has most of the features and comes with a premium build quality, therefore, making it a bit expensive.

Should I consider buying from Amazon?

No matter what you order, Amazon is known for its high-quality service and ensures that the product meets your needs. In fact, it is much more reliable than the sellers in the local market and many other e-commerce stores.

Verdict

As stated above, finding the right MacBook pro monitor can be a daunting task for many of us. The best way to not overspend or underestimate is to look at the features and make sure the option you have chosen is capable of doing all the tasks you need to do.

No matter what your usage needs are, I have put tremendous effort into making sure the options on this list are highly suitable for all purposes. However, as mentioned in our buying guide, you should always make sure that the MacBook pro monitor you have chosen is capable of all the tasks you are buying it for.