Everything looks zoomed in and pixelated. For example, a 32-inch 1080p monitor is just a non-starter. On the other hand, I’ve tried desk monitors that were just hilariously bad compared to my smaller MacBook Air display.

At a natural viewing distance, seeing text and icons clearly requires straining for me. For this reason, I sit closer to Apple’s Mac displays for optimal legibility.

However, my eye sight with corrective lenses is 20/40, meaning I see at 20 feet what someone with 20/20 sees at 40 feet. I have plenty of experience with 21.5-inch 4K displays and 27-inch 5K displays, and the sharpness is clearly never an issue. That’s where things get interesting for me. The PD3225U monitor achieves about 140 pixels per inch for 4K (UHD) resolution. PPI is determined by dividing diagonal resolution in pixels by diagonal size in inches. Apple uses the term Retina to refer to high resolution screens with pixels that are indiscernible from a normal viewing distance. Thunderbolt 3 out (PowerDelivery 15W) x1Īs we established in the opening, Apple’s magic number for a “Retina” resolution Mac display is 218 pixels per inch.Thunderbolt 3 for PowerDelivery 85W, DisplayPort Alt Mode, and Data x1.Software: Display Pilot 2 and Display ColorTalk.Color modes: Animation, B+W, CAD/CAM, Darkroom, DCI-P3, DICOM, Display P3, HDR, Low Blue Light, M-Book, Rec.709, sRGB, and User.Refresh rate and response time: 60 Hz and 5 ms.Resolution and pixel density: 3840×2160 and 400 nits.Panel type and screen size: LED backlit IPS and 31.5 inches.With that being said, is a larger display with less resolution always a compromise? I’ve been reviewing a BenQ DesignVue Design Monitor for several weeks, and this 4K 32-inch setup has solved a real problem for me. The pursuit of pixels per inch is also why the Mac community endured the LG UltraFine 5K monitor for so long, and why Samsung’s more featured version of the Studio Display gets our attention. The result is a balance of sharpness and screen real estate for the price of $1499, $1599, and $4999, respectively. These resolutions and display sizes each amount to 218 pixels per inch. That’s why the 24-inch iMac is 4.5K, the 27-inch Studio Display is 5K, and the 32-inch Pro Display XDR is 6K. Mac display aficionados know that pixel count must scale with screen size to maintain Apple’s standard for “Retina” resolution.

Best small monitor for apple mainstage