Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation, and one that is not trying to frighten us into using a 1440p with no scaling rather than a scaled 4k one. I wasn't sure about which resolution to choose, but now I'm going for a 4k monitor. 👍
Great informative video! Aspect ratio and scaling is kind of a daunting topic for a lot of people. (Also, I bought an Apple TV 4K because of your video the other day, that thing is awesome!)
This is exactly what I've been looking for. Usually people talk a lot about the definition of a display and not about scaling and how operating systems manage the scaling settings. I wish I'd known this before buying a 2K Display 😅 now I'm stuck with seeing everything at 100% because fractional scaling in MacOS and Linux is just blurry.
@@camcodes2100 it took me about 1 month of trying different 27 inch monitors at different resolutions to figure out a lot of this and how macOS deals with it. Amazon knows how many monitors I went through 😆
OMFG! I was looking exactly for this. I was suspecting I would need at least 32" to see 4K as is, but was looking at 27" sometimes as the panels are generally cheaper. Yeah, no, it has to be 32" in least for 4K on a Mac. Thanks a lot for this video! Amazing explanation! A lot more people need to watch this!
Your takeaway is wrong. What matters is pixel density. The point of the video is that if you want a UI that is at the right size, you need the DPI of the monitor to be a factor of 110 DPI (that is either 110 or 220 DPI). iMac is 4.5K at 27inch (220 DPI), MacBook are 2K at 13-15 inch, etc. The UI may be uncomfortably too small or big if you are far away from a factor of 110DPI (below 100, above 120, below 200, above 240, etc.). Hence forcing you to use an "out of scale, scaling factor" to have an UI at proper size. The downside of using an "out of scale, scaling factor" is not properly explained in this video but main issue is that font and UI lack sharpness. There is an utility called BetterDisplay (15$) that mostly patch these issues and is really worth especially for 1080p and 2K monitor. It's less of an issue on a 4K monitor.
@@mathisd Hey, thanks a lot for such a detailed reply. I know about Mac scaling and I do have the Better Display (great software, btw). What I wanted to do is to be able to comfortably read / write with the display set to 4K without scaling. I had 2 32" which worked for me but I had to return them, and was tempted to go with a 27" 4K panel, but I couldn't figure out if 4K on a 27 would look too small, and the video shows it would. That's why I said It would be 32" at least for Mac.
@@HalfManHalfTech one doubt i have is that if we set the scaling resolution to 1080p only the UI changes right? Like if I play a 4k video on TH-cam will it still play on native 4k or will it be 1080p scaled to 4k?
Thanks for the video. But what’s the point of buying a 1440p monitor then if it’s going to get scaled by MacOS to 1080. Makes no sense no? Am I wrong? Is it not worth it the to buy a 1440p monitor for macOS?
@@Mr.C0ffee by default macOS will scale a 27inch 1440p monitor to 1440p There is no scaling for the ui elements on a 27inch 1440p monitor. Scaling a 1440p monitor to 1080 will make the ui elements bigger. You lose out on screen real estate or space since windows and elements are bigger. If you look at my macOS videos on the channel since I have a 27 inch 4K monitor my UI is scaled to 1080 P because I want the windows and elements to appear big enough for viewers to be able to see.
I'm using a 27inch 4k 144hz samsung monitor with m1 macbook air. Everything looks very sharp. The mac can also do full 4k 144hz, its vry smooth and sharp
Which monitor do you use? I'm still looking for something suitable to switch from Windows to macOS regarding productivity but with a higher refresh rate so I will still be able to use it for gaming with my Windows
Well, after days going nuts about which monitor I should buy, I have found a good explanation about how apple drives scales. Thanks you so much. You've got my like button. Now, here is the question for you: which monitor configuration would you recommend for someone which uses his macbook pro m1 Max for 70% productivity and 30% for some gaming? Any particular monitor you would recommend (price not an issue).
This happens because, unlike windows and linux, mac os does not yet have a separation between display resolution and interface scaling, where in linux and windows you can set a resolution of 4k or higher and scale the interface by 200%, doing thus just as visible as a native one but with a much higher clarity, that's why studio screen works much better on windows than on mac os even if it is not recognized by some users...
I'm looking for something cheaper than the Apple Monitor but for Music production, editing video and productivity. Can you suggest another 34" or more monitor to go with the Mac Studio M2? Hopefully cheaper🤭I just purcahsed Alienware AW3225QF but think it may be overkill for what I need it for! Love the specs but I'm not a gamer. Thanks for this video! New Subscriber 🎉
Hello i have at least changed 3 monitors due to this scaling issue ,but text clarity gives me lot of headaches and i stopped using my mac ....which monitor you would prefer me i do not want to look at 32 inch as bigger screen is not comfortable as i have small office space room 6 *6 feet room
well explained . thank you . I have a MacBook Pro 2017 with 2k Samsung G5 32 inch and it is running 2k default no scaling at 144hz and no issue with the performance msg but when I use my MacBook m2 15 inch with the same monitor the image is faded. would you know why ?
Lots of information! I AM a grandpa and my head is about to explode. Very interesting comparisons. I'm getting a new 27" soon. But getting one that displays Adobe RGB accurately for printing has narrowed my choice to BenQ's SW series. Cost also limits my choice to a 1440p which I have used for many years. It will still be a welcome upgrade although I'd love to have the 4K version.
Hi, I'm using M1 Mac Mini and planning to get a 27" 2K display (it'll connect to gaming console as well), but it seems UI in 1440p native looks kinda small to me, my question is if I scale it down to 1080p do I get blurry fonts and the 'warning messages'?
you are wrong bro. 1440p panel set to display 1080p will be worse than native 1080p panel. to scale down from 1440 to 1080, it is non-integer scaling. ( 1.5 instead of 2). Non-integer scaling will output poor, blurr text.
Just got a 27" with 1440p for my MacBook Pro. So basically I either get less space (bigger ui elements) and better resolution by scaling to 1080p or compromise by accepting the whack resolution with more space (normal sized ui elements)? What a fcking joke
So I should buy a monitor with inferior features just because the Mac poorly digests 4K? Interesting... especially for people who maybe work on that same monitor or just want to watch movies or video content in high quality. Are you serious?
Even with better display, 4K native is still better in clarity than 1440p using better Display or 1080p using better display. I tested it. I think I mentioned it in the video under the HiDPI section
@@HalfManHalfTech ofcause always use 4k if you can afford it. But even 4k is better with better display, cause macos is just optimized for 5k externals. But people get way to serious about their scaling. I‘ve seen people return their macs because of it and that’s just silly.
@@SebastianBeckerPhoto your are right i have stopped using my mac as i have sever headaches due to this scaling issue which monitor you would suggest me
@@satyanarayana7655 can't really give a recommendation there, since I can't speak for your specific condition, but I would probably go to an Apple store and have a look at their displays there. There are also some 5k2k screens from other manufacturers, maybe also take a look at those.
27” 4K vs 27" 1440p - Which Is The Best For Mac?
Updated video 👉🏾 th-cam.com/video/etqtdvrBuNY/w-d-xo.html
This is BY FAR the best guide on TH-cam. Thanks!
@@finn9204 thanks Finn
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation, and one that is not trying to frighten us into using a 1440p with no scaling rather than a scaled 4k one. I wasn't sure about which resolution to choose, but now I'm going for a 4k monitor. 👍
Great informative video! Aspect ratio and scaling is kind of a daunting topic for a lot of people.
(Also, I bought an Apple TV 4K because of your video the other day, that thing is awesome!)
It’s amazing. I like how the Apple TV is so minimal
Using 4K on my 32” screen, looks good, text is fully readable - even with my 57 year old mark 1 eyeballs
lol 😂 mark 1
Lol built in a cave, from scraps type of eyeballs.
Great video! Been looking for such an explanation for quite a long time. Thanks bro.
Glad it helped! Should have made it sooner but I recently started testing monitors and realized this needed more clarification
This is exactly what I've been looking for.
Usually people talk a lot about the definition of a display and not about scaling and how operating systems manage the scaling settings.
I wish I'd known this before buying a 2K Display 😅 now I'm stuck with seeing everything at 100% because fractional scaling in MacOS and Linux is just blurry.
@@camcodes2100 it took me about 1 month of trying different 27 inch monitors at different resolutions to figure out a lot of this and how macOS deals with it. Amazon knows how many monitors I went through 😆
This has cleared so much for me. Best explanation in youtube.
@@dheeladheel thanks.
Glad I could be of assistance
OMFG! I was looking exactly for this. I was suspecting I would need at least 32" to see 4K as is, but was looking at 27" sometimes as the panels are generally cheaper. Yeah, no, it has to be 32" in least for 4K on a Mac.
Thanks a lot for this video! Amazing explanation! A lot more people need to watch this!
Your takeaway is wrong. What matters is pixel density.
The point of the video is that if you want a UI that is at the right size, you need the DPI of the monitor to be a factor of 110 DPI (that is either 110 or 220 DPI). iMac is 4.5K at 27inch (220 DPI), MacBook are 2K at 13-15 inch, etc.
The UI may be uncomfortably too small or big if you are far away from a factor of 110DPI (below 100, above 120, below 200, above 240, etc.). Hence forcing you to use an "out of scale, scaling factor" to have an UI at proper size.
The downside of using an "out of scale, scaling factor" is not properly explained in this video but main issue is that font and UI lack sharpness.
There is an utility called BetterDisplay (15$) that mostly patch these issues and is really worth especially for 1080p and 2K monitor. It's less of an issue on a 4K monitor.
@@mathisd Hey, thanks a lot for such a detailed reply. I know about Mac scaling and I do have the Better Display (great software, btw). What I wanted to do is to be able to comfortably read / write with the display set to 4K without scaling. I had 2 32" which worked for me but I had to return them, and was tempted to go with a 27" 4K panel, but I couldn't figure out if 4K on a 27 would look too small, and the video shows it would. That's why I said It would be 32" at least for Mac.
M1 Pro MacBook also. I use 32” 4k 165hz OLED… for PS5 gaming & Mac use! looks great! Great video
Very insightful, loved it!🔥❤
Thanks 🙏🏾.
Thanks!! Been looking for this for long time
@@anggagargantuanconcepts2245 glad to be of service
Great Explanation 🙌, understood clearly every detail about macOS scaling in an interesting way.
@@MaheshVarma08 glad I could be of service
@@HalfManHalfTech one doubt i have is that if we set the scaling resolution to 1080p only the UI changes right? Like if I play a 4k video on TH-cam will it still play on native 4k or will it be 1080p scaled to 4k?
Thanks for the video. But what’s the point of buying a 1440p monitor then if it’s going to get scaled by MacOS to 1080. Makes no sense no? Am I wrong? Is it not worth it the to buy a 1440p monitor for macOS?
@@Mr.C0ffee by default macOS will scale a 27inch 1440p monitor to 1440p
There is no scaling for the ui elements on a 27inch 1440p monitor.
Scaling a 1440p monitor to 1080 will make the ui elements bigger. You lose out on screen real estate or space since windows and elements are bigger. If you look at my macOS videos on the channel since I have a 27 inch 4K monitor my UI is scaled to 1080 P because I want the windows and elements to appear big enough for viewers to be able to see.
I'm using a 27inch 4k 144hz samsung monitor with m1 macbook air. Everything looks very sharp. The mac can also do full 4k 144hz, its vry smooth and sharp
@@tyke_1203 thunderbolt connection or HDMI??
Thunderbolt to display port cable
Which monitor do you use? I'm still looking for something suitable to switch from Windows to macOS regarding productivity but with a higher refresh rate so I will still be able to use it for gaming with my Windows
@@tyke_1203 isn’t the MacBook Air m1 capped at 60 hz.
@@TheEverydayManChannel the built in display, yes. But you can use 120hz if using an external monitor that supports it.
Well, after days going nuts about which monitor I should buy, I have found a good explanation about how apple drives scales. Thanks you so much. You've got my like button.
Now, here is the question for you: which monitor configuration would you recommend for someone which uses his macbook pro m1 Max for 70% productivity and 30% for some gaming? Any particular monitor you would recommend (price not an issue).
Hi HMHT, thanks for this video, it's super helpful!
This happens because, unlike windows and linux, mac os does not yet have a separation between display resolution and interface scaling, where in linux and windows you can set a resolution of 4k or higher and scale the interface by 200%, doing thus just as visible as a native one but with a much higher clarity, that's why studio screen works much better on windows than on mac os even if it is not recognized by some users...
very clear comparison and detail explanation
@@bonihersanto7 thanks 🙏🏾
how did you know to put this vide on my feed? Perfect timing before I chose the wrong one!
@@XRP_321 it’s not me. It’s youtube 😆
@@HalfManHalfTech 😂. Ty is awsome! Thanks for the content. Subbed and looking forward to your next videos! 🦾🫡🫡🫡🫡
@@XRP_321 thanks 🙏🏾
Welcome to the crew
Same Here! Thank you to the brilliant creator of this video.
Awesome video! 💪
@@siegolas thanks Sie
I'm looking for something cheaper than the Apple Monitor but for Music production, editing video and productivity. Can you suggest another 34" or more monitor to go with the Mac Studio M2? Hopefully cheaper🤭I just purcahsed Alienware AW3225QF but think it may be overkill for what I need it for! Love the specs but I'm not a gamer. Thanks for this video! New Subscriber 🎉
@@pattip8110 Dell U2723QE
It’s the one I finally settled with
Which monitor should I get for MacBook Air M1 (2020), View infinity S8 32 inch, BenQ PD2706UA 27 inch or any LG 4K 27inch?
Hello i have at least changed 3 monitors due to this scaling issue ,but text clarity gives me lot of headaches and i stopped using my mac ....which monitor you would prefer me i do not want to look at 32 inch as bigger screen is not comfortable as i have small office space room 6 *6 feet room
Uff vaya que me sirvió tu video ahora que estoy por comprar un monitor, muchas gracias! Excelente explicación!!
@@rodolforojano9929 gracias 🙏🏾
Brilliant! This 71 year old grandfather can confirm it’s a very understandable video 😂
well explained . thank you . I have a MacBook Pro 2017 with 2k Samsung G5 32 inch and it is running 2k default no scaling at 144hz and no issue with the performance msg but when I use my MacBook m2 15 inch with the same monitor the image is faded. would you know why ?
Thanks you answered the most questions,
But what about eyes strain an eye fatigue?
Which one is more comfortable for eyes?
1080p or 1440p ?
Lots of information! I AM a grandpa and my head is about to explode. Very interesting comparisons. I'm getting a new 27" soon. But getting one that displays Adobe RGB accurately for printing has narrowed my choice to BenQ's SW series. Cost also limits my choice to a 1440p which I have used for many years. It will still be a welcome upgrade although I'd love to have the 4K version.
Hi, I'm using M1 Mac Mini and planning to get a 27" 2K display (it'll connect to gaming console as well), but it seems UI in 1440p native looks kinda small to me, my question is if I scale it down to 1080p do I get blurry fonts and the 'warning messages'?
I have a MacBook Air M1 with a 2K 27", and I have to say while the UI is quite sharp at 1440p, it gets softer/blurry with 1080p scaling.
@@newmarie416 thanks for sharing your experience :)
you are wrong bro. 1440p panel set to display 1080p will be worse than native 1080p panel. to scale down from 1440 to 1080, it is non-integer scaling. ( 1.5 instead of 2). Non-integer scaling will output poor, blurr text.
Bro how do you make your thumb line please any help
Combination of Photoshop and and at times ChatGPT
🥲watching this on my 1280x800 display
Thank you!
noice work
Thanks. Hopefully it makes sense.
Just got a 27" with 1440p for my MacBook Pro. So basically I either get less space (bigger ui elements) and better resolution by scaling to 1080p or compromise by accepting the whack resolution with more space (normal sized ui elements)? What a fcking joke
Thank you :)
@@jaimin.rathod 🤜🏾🤛🏾
So I should buy a monitor with inferior features just because the Mac poorly digests 4K? Interesting... especially for people who maybe work on that same monitor or just want to watch movies or video content in high quality. Are you serious?
watch the video again lol
You're a genious
@@Adgale really?
@@HalfManHalfTech For sure ;)
Thanks for posting. Very informative. Careful with the ageism though. lol
Use better display. Problem solved...
Even with better display, 4K native is still better in clarity than 1440p using better Display or 1080p using better display.
I tested it. I think I mentioned it in the video under the HiDPI section
@@HalfManHalfTech ofcause always use 4k if you can afford it. But even 4k is better with better display, cause macos is just optimized for 5k externals. But people get way to serious about their scaling. I‘ve seen people return their macs because of it and that’s just silly.
@@SebastianBeckerPhoto your are right i have stopped using my mac as i have sever headaches due to this scaling issue which monitor you would suggest me
@@satyanarayana7655 can't really give a recommendation there, since I can't speak for your specific condition, but I would probably go to an Apple store and have a look at their displays there.
There are also some 5k2k screens from other manufacturers, maybe also take a look at those.