Dell UP3017 or U4320Q for 2021 MacBook Pro?

Lm00seTheC0wSnake on 23/11/2021 - 02:56

Hi all, I’m soon to be getting a shiny new 2021 MacBook Pro and looking for a nice monitor to replace my current Dell E248WFP which I bought back in 2005! Monitor technology has changed significantly since then and after reading a lot on the internet, I’ve narrowed it down to either a Dell UP3017 or Dell U4320Q.

I’m going to keep this monitor for another 15 years so don’t mind spending the money up front, but I’m really confused by all the technology. So I’m hoping that the collective wisdom of OzB can please help me out!

Do any of you have either monitor and can:
1. Recommend it; and / or
2. Confirm that it will work well with the MacBook Pro?

I’m read conflicting reports on the internet whereby some people rave about how well these monitors work with Macs, yet others are having all sorts of problems.

Would also love to hear your recommendations if you don’t think Im off track with these monitors.

Any help would be most appreciated! Thanking you in advance!

Computing

Comments

  • m00seTheC0wSnake on 23/11/2021 - 03:05

    Additional information… I do a lot of work in Excel and PowerPoint and I like to have a movie or tv show running while I do work. I’m also planning to start learning how to code my own game and eventually release it an app. Unlikely to make any money from it but using it as a means to make the learning real for me.

    • cille745 on 23/11/2021 - 08:44
      +1

      From your use case, seems like a dual monitor setup would be much more useful

    • trongy on 23/11/2021 - 08:45
      +2

      The main selling point of the UP3017 is excellent colour accuracy, which is important to professionals graphics and video creators. It's an older monitor and not worth the price for your use cases. In 2021 nearly all IPS monitors all have very good colour which should satisfy your movie/video consumption needs.

      For coding and Excel the larger screen size of the U4320Q make it the clear winner. I don't have a MacBook Pro but Dell have a page about using their USB-C monitors with Macs. This monitor will not only work at full resolution over USB-C, but also power the MacBook and act as a USB 2.0 hub.

  • Richardc on 23/11/2021 - 03:45
    +1

    You using the laptop and monitor side by side or monitor alone?

  • Haydos90 on 23/11/2021 - 08:23
    +1

    Unless you're doing work where colour accuracy is critical then the UP3017 is not only overkill, but significantly worse than more modern options that are also much cheaper. It's a lower resolution than your incoming Macbook Pro while being much larger so it won't be very sharp in comparison. it's also a 4 year old monitor at this point (the last 2 digits in the model number are the year).

    For something to pair with a Macbook Pro and to be futureproofed, you should really be looking for a monitor with a usb-c interface, that way it can both connect as a display and charge your laptop at the same time. Have you considered the U2720Q? Or maybe the U3219Q if 27" is too small?

    The U4320Q seems to tick these boxes, but that's a very big monitor so the sharpness won't be as good, it will be similar to your current monitor as it's not far off 4 times the size. I've used a 40" 4k TV as a monitor temporarily and I found myself snapping things to the bottom corners as using the top of the screen wasn't great for ergonomics, so if you're considering the larger options then make sure you're 100% sure about it.

  • m00seTheC0wSnake on 23/11/2021 - 09:45

    Thanks for your replies and advice!

    I've currently got a 21 inch monitor in portrait and the 24 inch monitor in landscape. It's the 24 inch that I'm looking to replace with something larger and clearer. I've got both monitors plugged into my work laptop and looking to also plug both monitors (the 21 inch and new monitor) into both my work laptop and the MacBook Pro, and toggle the inputs to switch between the 2. I think I have to get a usb-c hub thing to connect the MacBook Pro to the monitors?

    I'm planning to use the MacBook Pro closed when I connect to the 2 monitors, however I may open it if I feel I need a third workspace.

    Seems like I'm off track with the UP3017 as it isn't needed for my use case (and thanks for the tip about the last pair of digits indicating release year).

    Picking up on the comment about the U4320Q not being sharp… Won't it be super sharp because it's 4K and a Dell 'Ultrasharp' (whatever that means)?

    I didn't think about the ergonomics of looking up that high to the top of 43 inch. That's a good point.

    I think the main thing is that it would be nice to get something larger and clearer than my current 24 inch, which is pretty rubbish but it was all I could afford 15 years ago. Apparently about 30 inch or 32 inch is the sweet spot for a 4K monitor paired with a MacBook Pro, due to something about matching PPI pixel density. However there's not a huge cost difference to jump up to the 43 inch so I thought 'bigger is better' but that seems not to be the case?

    There's also stuff on the internet about monitors being 'flicker free', but aren't they all free of flicker? I thought flickering only happened with old CRT monitors?

    • nubix on 23/11/2021 - 11:42
      +1

      there's a lot of amazing options if you'd consider an ultrawide too

      • m00seTheC0wSnake on 23/11/2021 - 11:44

        I did consider them, but will the whole curved screen thing be too weird? I often need to get things lined up perfectly in PowerPoint, and will I have trouble eyeballing a straight line on a curved screen?

    • Haydos90 on 23/11/2021 - 11:54
      +1

      With the sharpness it's all about the pixel size/density. If you compare two 4k screens, 43" and 30", they'll have the same resolution but the pixels will be larger on the 43" so it won't look as sharp unless you sit further back, which isn't particularly practical for a computer monitor at a desk.

      It does come down to personal preference with display size but my recommendation would be the U3219Q based on what you've said so far.

  • frondono on 23/11/2021 - 11:23
    +1

    Why don't you get an OLED? Plenty of good OLED monitors for less than $2k

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