The 6 Best Monitors For Mac Mini - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best monitor for Mac Mini that we've tested is the Apple Studio Display. You can complete your Apple ecosystem with this display that 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're a photo editor or do any content creation. It also has a 5k resolution that results in extremely sharp text. The main competitor to this monitor is the LG UltraFine 5k, another 5k monitor that's very similar but can be harder to find at times. Even the Apple Pro Display XDR is a fantastic choice for professional content creators, but it costs significantly more.

The Studio Display 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 on an arm instead. Another difference in variants is with the screen finish, as the standard coating has a glossy finish, while the nano-texture coating has a matte finish, providing fantastic reflection handling with either coating.

If you find the 27-inch screen on the Apple Studio Display too small, consider an ultrawide monitor like the LG 40WP95C-W. With a 21:9 aspect ratio and 40-inch screen size, it's easy to multitask with multiple windows open, and it's also useful if you're a video editor and need to see more of your video timeline at once. That said, it has a lower 5120x2160 resolution than the Apple monitor, but while it has lower pixel density, the text clarity is still fantastic. It also supports Thunderbolt 4 on both of its USB-C ports, which allows for higher bandwidth than the Thunderbolt 3 ports on the Apple monitor, and this is great if you have a newer Mac Mini that supports Thunderbolt 4.

In terms of its picture quality, it displays a wide range of colors in SDR and has excellent accuracy before calibration. It also has decent enough reflection handling to minimize glare if you have a few lights around, but it doesn't get as bright as the Apple monitor, so visibility can be an issue in well-lit rooms. If you want something brighter, you can also consider the LG 38WN95C-W, but it has a lower resolution and supports Thunderbolt 3 instead of Thunderbolt 4.

If you don't want the ultrawide screen of the LG 40WP95C-W and find the Apple Studio Display too expensive, check out the Dell U2723QE. It has similar pixel density to the LG and the same 27-inch screen size as the Apple, so the text clarity is fantastic, and while you don't get the biggest screen, it's still big enough to put two windows side-by-side. If you find the 27-inch screen too small, the Dell U3223QE is a larger alternative, but the colors look undersaturated in HDR, and it costs more for minimal difference in performance.

The U2723QE works well with macOS devices, and you can even use its KVM switch to control two devices with the same keyboard and mouse, like if you want to connect both your Mac Mini and MacBook to the monitor. It has three USB-C ports, and one supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, making it easy to connect to your Mac Mini with one USB-C cable, but DisplayPort supports less bandwidth than Thunderbolt. It's great for content creators because it has excellent accuracy before calibration, as colors don't look oversaturated, and the monitor also has perfect coverage of the sRGB color space used in most web content.

If you're looking for something cheaper in the lower mid-range price category, check out the Dell S2722QC. It's a lower-end version of the Dell U2723QE, so it has fewer USB-C ports and doesn't have a KVM switch, but it's still an excellent productivity monitor. There aren't any issues using it with a Mac Mini, and it's easy to connect to it via its USB-C input, which supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. If you prefer connecting your Mac Mini via HDMI, the Dell S2721QS is a cheaper alternative to the S2722QC with similar overall performance, but it doesn't have a USB hub to connect any extra devices.

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, and you won't have issues using it in a well-lit room either, as it gets bright enough to fight glare. Sadly, it doesn't have an sRGB mode, so some colors are oversaturated, which is still fine if you just need it for regular office use, but not if your work requires perfectly accurate colors.

If you're looking for something in the budget category, there are a few good options for the Mac Mini, like the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV. The main trade-off for getting something cheaper is that it has a lower 1440p resolution, which means that it doesn't deliver the same amount of details as the 4k Dell S2722QC, and with lower pixel density, it has worse text clarity too. However, it's still a great office monitor for the Mac Mini as it has a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode and four extra USB ports, which are useful if you don't have any free ports available on your Mac Mini.

This monitor is designed with content creators in mind, as it has an extremely accurate sRGB mode. It's ideal if you're just getting into photo editing or web design and don't want to spend much money on an accurate monitor. Sadly, it doesn't support HDR at all, and if that's something you want, you can also consider the Gigabyte M27Q. However, some picture modes on that monitor have flicker issues with macOS, so the ASUS is safer if you don't want to deal with compatibility issues.

If you need a basic and cheap monitor for your Mac Mini, you'll have to get something that doesn't have many features but is still good enough to get the job done, like the ASUS VG246H. As expected for a cheap monitor, it doesn't have a USB-C input like the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV, so you can only connect to it via HDMI. It has a smaller 24-inch screen and 1080p resolution, and the text clarity is still decent, but the size isn't ideal if you need to open multiple windows simultaneously. Luckily, what makes this such a good monitor for work compared to other cheap displays is that it also has a dedicated sRGB mode with good accuracy. However, you still need to calibrate it for the most accurate colors.

Despite its low cost, it has decent build quality, and the ergonomics are remarkable, as you can adjust the screen however you like, including rotating it into portrait mode. It's great for a vertical orientation in a multi-monitor setup, like if you want to get two and place one horizontally and the other vertically.