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The Ultimate MacBook+PC Monitor Showdown #2

Open utterances-bot opened 3 years ago

utterances-bot commented 3 years ago

The Ultimate MacBook+PC Monitor Showdown

In this post I share my experience in my quest to find the ideal USB-C monitor for my PC and Macbook Pro.

https://jamejone.github.io/2021/01/01/the-ultimate-macbook-pc-monitor-showdown/

tiagoad commented 3 years ago

Hi, great information! Is it possible to daisy-chain these monitors together?

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@tiagoad daisy chaining does indeed sound like a nice feature. I spent several hours trying to get it to work between my VP2771 and another monitor but unfortunately it just wouldn't work. After a lot of Googling I get the sense that few people have successfully managed to set up daisy chaining between monitors of different manufacturers. There's also the issue where macOS has not and will not support MST (they do however support daisy chaining via their Thunderbolt interface on their $5,000 monitors). In the future I plan to go with a single-monitor setup.

arsfeld commented 3 years ago

I have the ThinkVision P27h-10 Monitor, which ticks all marks except for 144Hz and I believe PD is limited to less than 60W (my MBP 16' would usually discharge when having any kind of load). It's a gorgeous monitor though.

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@arsfeld I think that monitor lacks upstream USB-B for KVM-like functionality to a PC. How do you connect your keyboard and mouse?

arsfeld commented 3 years ago

@arsfeld I think that monitor lacks upstream USB-B for KVM-like functionality to a PC. How do you connect your keyboard and mouse?

It has four USB ports in the side, they're connected as a hub to the USB-C port. I have a Logitech receiver in one of them and both keyboard and mouse uses it.

It has an analog audio out right next to them too which is connected a set of speakers for me.

The USB-C cable is all I need to switch between laptops, which is very convenient.

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@arsfeld I see. In my configuration, I have a PC under my desk, so it's not as easy for me to swap a USB-C cable between my MacBook and PC. This is why I was strictly looking for monitors with the KVM-like functionality built-in. I can see how that setup would work well for you given you have two laptops with USB-C output. Cheers.

ghost commented 3 years ago

What about the Dell U3421WE IPS monitor? 34” 1440p ultrawide with USB-C with 90W PD and USB-B + HDMI/DisplayPort, analog audio output (and built in speakers), KVM switch and as a bonus an Ethernet port. It’s also VESA mountable.

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@makruiten great find. I probably didn't notice this one because it didn't ship until exactly 1 month ago. I personally think the LG 34WK95C-W slightly edges it out with the adaptive sync. I'm getting by just fine with 60W USB-C, though I could see why you'd want 90W if you were doing particularly demanding tasks on the MacBook.

The ethernet is a nice perk too. I hope that it would provide ethernet to both devices, regardless of whether they're actively selected by the monitor. Might be worth confirming, depending on your use case.

Anyway, I went ahead and added it to the list. Thanks for letting me know!

iKlask commented 3 years ago

The Asus Predator x34 GS seems like a valid option. It's a step down from the x34 S but actually available in the US right now (at Micro Center only?). Also a bit cheaper than the S at $900.

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@iKlask I assume you're talking about the Acer Predator X34 GS. It looks like a great model. However the listing I found at Micro Center does not appear to be the X34 GS. It lacks upstream USB-B (crucial for a PC connection). The real X34 GS is supposed to have it, so I think there may be an issue with Micro Center's listing.

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@iKlask After some digging around, I was able to find an X34 GS for sale in Australia! It has the upstream USB-B. It's currently listed for A$1,699.00, which I think translates to $1,342.21 USD. I've never purchased anything from Australia before, so do so at your own risk.

iKlask commented 3 years ago

@iKlask I assume you're talking about the Acer Predator X34 GS. It looks like a great model. However the listing I found at Micro Center does not appear to be the X34 GS. It lacks upstream USB-B (crucial for a PC connection). The real X34 GS is supposed to have it, so I think there may be an issue with Micro Center's listing.

@jamejone I think that might just be error on behalf of specs that MicroCenter/Acer give. Even Acer's own product page only mentions 4xUSB, no upstream. However the official "Quick Start Guide" for this monitor shows it has USB-B Upstream, along with 4xUSB-A 3.1 ports. One downside is 2 of those USB ports are on the side of the monitor instead of the back I/O. The extra ports are nice for more than just mouse + keyboad.... but awkwardly placed.

I put an order in the other day at MicroCenter, so I'll see how it works. My current setup at home is a Gaming computer and a Lenovo T14s for Work. I also have a personal laptop: 2020 Macbook Air. Both laptops have thunderbolt/USB-C capabilities so being able to dock/charge them with 1 cable to the monitor will be nice.

iKlask commented 3 years ago

Update on the Acer x34 GS

I got mine in today. So far works well with my setup:

Works great for my needs. I have the following plugged into the USB hubs:

One of the two USB ports on the side is considered a "charging port". It Can supply 5v 1.5A for slightly faster device charging. You can also configure it to be an "always on" port. My wireless mouse has a charging stand, so I plug the stand into this port so when my computer is off the mouse can still charge.

My only complaints so far are the following:

  1. VESA supports 100x100 but the opening in the back is SLIGHTLY too small to fit my VESA arm bracket. Holes line up, but the opening on the monitor is 122x122mm and my bracket is 124x1124mm. I'm ordering 15mm spacers and longer M4 screws so I can mount this.
  2. The USB hub doesn't seem to switch automatically with inputs (like my old LG did). If I plug my laptop into the monitor and switch input to USB-C, I ALSO have to go into the OSD menu and switch the USB hub from USB-B (desktop) to USB-C (and vice versa).

This display only seems to be sold at Microcenter right now for $899. Currently, they seem to only have stock for in-store pickup. I ordered and shipped mine online last week so maybe they'll get more shippable stock in the future. Pricey, but cheaper than the upcoming S (not sure what other features the S will have over this GS besides 200hz)

jamejone commented 3 years ago

@iKlask That's crazy it makes you switch the video source and USB hub independently. I'm now using a U3219Q because my work decided to issue me a USB-C monitor (go figure). I didn't have the problem you're describing with either the VP2771 or the U3219Q. If I recall correctly they both had some settings around what to do with the USB when switching between video sources. Maybe there's a setting you can tweak to get it to switch the USB hub automatically? Anyway thanks for the update. 👍