The 6 Best Monitors For Mac Mini - Summer 2024 Reviews

The best monitor for Mac Mini that we've tested is the Apple Studio Display. It's a great monitor that allows you to complete your Apple ecosystem and has features you can only use with a macOS device, like its extremely accurate sRGB mode. This makes colors look life-like and accurate without any calibration, which is important if you do any content creation. It also has a 5k resolution that results in the optimal 220 PPI for macOS, and it has extremely sharp text clarity. It's one of a handful of 5k monitors available, alongside its main competitor, the LG UltraFine 5k, which has fewer features and is harder to find. The Studio Display also supports Thunderbolt 3, which allows fast data transfer from your Mac Mini.

There are a few different variants of the monitor, with one of the differences being the stand that it comes with. One only offers tilt adjustments, but there's a version with height adjustments and another with a VESA adapter if you want to mount it instead. Another difference in variants is with the screen finish, and regardless of which screen coating you get, it easily gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room.

If you find the 27-inch screen on the Apple Studio Display too small and need more space to work with, consider an ultrawide monitor like the Dell U4025QW. With a 21:9 aspect ratio and 40-inch screen size, it's easy to multitask with different windows open, which is useful if you're a video editor, as you can see more of your timeline at once. It's different from the Apple monitor because it has lower pixel density, but the text clarity is still fantastic. It also supports Thunderbolt 4 on its primary USB-C port, which allows for higher bandwidth than Thunderbolt 3, and this is great if you have a newer Mac Mini that supports Thunderbolt 4.

Regarding picture quality, it displays a wide range of colors in SDR and has fantastic accuracy before calibration. Though its reflection handling can deal with glare if you have a few lights around, it doesn't get as bright as the Apple monitor, so visibility is an issue in really bright rooms. If you want something brighter, consider the LG 38WN95C-W. However, it has a lower resolution and supports Thunderbolt 3 instead of Thunderbolt 4.

If you don't want the ultrawide screen of the Dell U4025QW and find the Apple Studio Display too expensive, check out a mid-range option like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. It has a smaller screen than the Dell, so it's not as good at multitasking with many windows open. Its 27-inch screen also has a 4k resolution, which is below the macOS target of 220 PPI that you'll find on the Studio Display. While text isn't quite as sharp as the Apple, it still has fantastic text clarity. The monitor performs extremely well no matter what you want to use it for.

It gets extremely bright and has great reflection handling, making it a fantastic choice for very bright environments. It also has outstanding ergonomics, so it's easy to share the screen with a colleague or share a movie with a friend. Its fantastic accuracy in the sRGB mode and vibrant HDR colors make it an excellent choice for content creators. It also displays deep blacks next to bright highlights in HDR, which is great if you're editing material with lots of darker content. If connecting lots of USB devices is important to you, consider the Dell U2723QE. It has over twice as many USB ports as the Acer, which is great if you have a lot of devices to connect, though its gaming and HDR performance are much worse than the Acer's.

If you're looking for something cheaper in the lower mid-range price category, check out the Dell S2722QC. As a lower-end monitor, it lacks a dedicated sRGB mode and has far worse HDR and gaming performance than the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. However, it's still an excellent productivity monitor. It works well with a Mac Mini and is easy to connect via its USB-C input, which supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. It's important to note that there are some reported flicker issues on this monitor with M1 Macs, but not everyone experiences this. If you're concerned about it, the Dell S2721QS is a cheaper alternative with no issues over HDMI but no USB ports.

The S2722QC's 4k resolution helps deliver sharp text, and the 27-inch screen is big enough to open two windows next to each other. It also has wide viewing angles that are great if you need to share the screen with someone else. You won't have issues using it in a well-lit room either, though it doesn't get as bright as the Acer, so it's harder to see in very bright environments.

If you're looking for something in the budget category, there are a few good options for the Mac Mini, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. The main trade-off for getting something cheaper is that it has a lower 1440p resolution than the Dell S2722QC, which means that it doesn't deliver the same amount of details, and with lower pixel density, it also has worse text clarity. However, it's still a great monitor for the Mac Mini at this price point.

The AOC displays a wide range of colors, which is great if you're editing photos or videos in HDR. It also gets bright enough for highlights to pop, so you can see bright highlights, which is great if you're editing HDR videos. Additionally, it has far better contrast than the Dell, so you can see deep blacks and very dark colors next to bright highlights in darker rooms. Some have reported the monitor has a red tint, although this only happens with certain settings.

If you have a limited budget but still want a good monitor, consider the Dell G2724D, which you can buy directly through Dell's website. Though it doesn't have good HDR performance compared to the AOC Q27G3XMN, it still has great SDR image quality. Its sRGB mode is extremely accurate, and this monitor gets bright enough to easily overcome glare, so it works well if you need to see an accurate image in any environment. However, it doesn't get bright enough for highlights to pop in HDR.

Where the Dell truly excels, given its price, is motion handling. Fast-moving objects look fairly crisp on its display, which makes it a great choice for editing videos with lots of motion or playing games. It also has fantastic ergonomics, so you can place it in your preferred position for a long work session and easily share work with a colleague.