What monitor... and USB hub?

[Aaron801]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it, particaurly since my last Mac was a very old one, an '09 iMac, so the new should be a nice upgrade. Since this new computer doesn't come with a monitor though, that's something that I need to buy and I know very little about these things. I want to get something with at least 4K resolution, but I wonder if there is better and if that's even worth it? I want the 27" size. I'll obviously be using it for photography, but also graphic design, though I don't need any features that would be optimal for gaming, because I don't do any of that and don't need anything with built in audio, because I already have a system set up for that. What's the best value then for something that has a rep for good color and good reliability? I've honestly never done any color correction stuff with my old monitor, but something that has some ability for calibration would probably be nice, though the monitors that are made for graphics and have extensive color calibration features are well out of my price range. I see lots of monitors, new and used selling for as low as the $100 mark and lots at $200, though I'd be OK with spending up to $300, or even a bit more, if there's a compelling reason to spend more.

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Thanks, in advance. I really appreciate the advice I get here.

--
my flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/128435329@N08/

 

[dmartin92]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it

I got mine about 7 or 8 weeks ago. It’s great.

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Thanks, in advance. I really appreciate the advice I get here.

there is the old plug USB 3, and the new USB-C. The Mac Mini has 5 ports that can work with USB-C. Two on the front, three on the back. And zero ports for USB 3.

I bought adapters. I got one from the Apple Store for 25 Euros, and a package of 2 from Amazon for 10 Euros.

The adapter will have a « USB-C male » side, and a « USB 3 female » side. Then if you have a USB 3 connector on your mouse or keyboard, you will be able to use it on your Mac Mini.

 

[Nick on the Baltic]

A word of warning about hubs: USB-C just describes the physical connector. You also need to understand what protocols you need supported. There's Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, USB 4 - you're not likely to see USB 2 or 3.0 on a USB-C port.

Then there's the issue of power - how much power can be drawn from a port, which could be relevant, depending on what you have plugged in to it. Don't forget you then need appropriate cables (not all USB-C cables are the same) to match the protocol and power.

You'll probably be connecting your monitor with HDMI, which leaves you with 3 x TB4 at the back and 2xUSB 3.2 at the front. Do you really need a hub?

 

[dmartin92]

You'll probably be connecting your monitor with HDMI

I am not sure what the issue was, but when I connected my Mac Mini to my Eizo monitor, via HDMI, the thing worked, but everything looked awful.

With DisplayPort ... it's great.

, which leaves you with 3 x TB4 at the back and 2xUSB 3.2 at the front. Do you really need a hub?

 

[QuietOC]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it, particaurly since my last Mac was a very old one, an '09 iMac, so the new should be a nice upgrade. Since this new computer doesn't come with a monitor though, that's something that I need to buy and I know very little about these things. I want to get something with at least 4K resolution, but I wonder if there is better and if that's even worth it? I want the 27" size. I'll obviously be using it for photography, but also graphic design, though I don't need any features that would be optimal for gaming, because I don't do any of that and don't need anything with built in audio, because I already have a system set up for that. What's the best value then for something that has a rep for good color and good reliability? I've honestly never done any color correction stuff with my old monitor, but something that has some ability for calibration would probably be nice, though the monitors that are made for graphics and have extensive color calibration features are well out of my price range. I see lots of monitors, new and used selling for as low as the $100 mark and lots at $200, though I'd be OK with spending up to $300, or even a bit more, if there's a compelling reason to spend more.

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Thanks, in advance. I really appreciate the advice I get here.

Many monitors have USB hubs or more properly docks since they can send power to the computer. They do cost a bit more especially if they support Thunderbolt input and output which my main monitor does.

Many of the features that make monitors good for gaming are also good for photos and graphic design.

I am not aware Apple producing any USB hubs except for their two monitors.

 

[CAcreeks]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it, particaurly since my last Mac was a very old one, an '09 iMac, so the new should be a nice upgrade. Since this new computer doesn't come with a monitor though, that's something that I need to buy and I know very little about these things. I want to get something with at least 4K resolution, but I wonder if there is better and if that's even worth it? I want the 27" size. I'll obviously be using it for photography, but also graphic design, though I don't need any features that would be optimal for gaming, because I don't do any of that and don't need anything with built in audio, because I already have a system set up for that. What's the best value then for something that has a rep for good color and good reliability? I've honestly never done any color correction stuff with my old monitor, but something that has some ability for calibration would probably be nice, though the monitors that are made for graphics and have extensive color calibration features are well out of my price range. I see lots of monitors, new and used selling for as low as the $100 mark and lots at $200, though I'd be OK with spending up to $300, or even a bit more, if there's a compelling reason to spend more.

Rtings.com has thorough reviews of monitors, among other things. In their list of "best 4K monitors" the $230 Dell S2721QS is listed as best budget monitor.

https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/best/by-resolution/4k-ultra-hd-uhd

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Why do you need a hub? The Mac mini has plenty of USB-C ports. If you have USB-A peripherals, two converters cost $12 (Anker on Amazon). Over time you can convert your USB-A items to USB-C or BlueTooth.

 

[Aaron801]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it, particaurly since my last Mac was a very old one, an '09 iMac, so the new should be a nice upgrade. Since this new computer doesn't come with a monitor though, that's something that I need to buy and I know very little about these things. I want to get something with at least 4K resolution, but I wonder if there is better and if that's even worth it? I want the 27" size. I'll obviously be using it for photography, but also graphic design, though I don't need any features that would be optimal for gaming, because I don't do any of that and don't need anything with built in audio, because I already have a system set up for that. What's the best value then for something that has a rep for good color and good reliability? I've honestly never done any color correction stuff with my old monitor, but something that has some ability for calibration would probably be nice, though the monitors that are made for graphics and have extensive color calibration features are well out of my price range. I see lots of monitors, new and used selling for as low as the $100 mark and lots at $200, though I'd be OK with spending up to $300, or even a bit more, if there's a compelling reason to spend more.

Rtings.com has thorough reviews of monitors, among other things. In their list of "best 4K monitors" the $230 Dell S2721QS is listed as best budget monitor.

https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/best/by-resolution/4k-ultra-hd-uhd

I have to wonder about this site though... Since it has all the links to sellers below each review it seems like it may not be real unbiased reviews, but something done more to generate sales for the stores. I'm not saying that it is exactly that, but it does have that kind of feel. I wish I had something to read that really compared various monitors in one price range with others in different price ranges, so that I could get a better understanding of just what I'm paying for.

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Why do you need a hub? The Mac mini has plenty of USB-C ports. If you have USB-A peripherals, two converters cost $12 (Anker on Amazon). Over time you can convert your USB-A items to USB-C or BlueTooth.

You are surely right... which is why I ask these questions here... so I can learn something! I'm going to be buying some new hard drives, one for storage and another for backup for this thing, and they might even come with those new cables. I'll still order a couple those adaptor things, making sure that they're Thunderbolt 3 compatible, so that I can hook up an old hrd drive to transfer the data from my old computer...

 

[Nick on the Baltic]

Tom's Hardware is probably as good as it gets for unbiased reviews. I also tend to find things on Amazon and then look at the 1 and 2 star reviews, which can highlight potential problems/shortcomings that need further research.

If you fancy a particular piece of kit, asking about it here usually delivers worthwhile opinions.

Regarding USB-A to USB-C adaptors, TB compatibility is pretty meaningless. Your peripherals will still use USB 2, USB3.0, USB 3.1 or whatever. The TB port is backwards compatible.

Depending on the 'other' end of your USB-A cable, you may be able to get a USB-A to USB-C cable that will do the job, rather than mess with an adaptor.

--

Nick on the Baltic

 

[dmartin92]

You are surely right... which is why I ask these questions here... so I can learn something! I'm going to be buying some new hard drives, one for storage and another for backup for this thing, and they might even come with those new cables.

I got one of these, empty :

https://www.owc.com/solutions/express-1m2

And then I put a 4TB SSD in it. It was easy to do, and it works fine. I formatted the drive as APFS. APFS is "Apple File System" :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_File_System

It works fine.

I'll still order a couple those adaptor things, making sure that they're Thunderbolt 3 compatible, so that I can hook up an old hrd drive to transfer the data from my old computer...

https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/file-system-formats-dsku19ed921c/mac

I think that you will need to get all your old data on to a disk formatted as "ExFAT" if your data is coming from Windows. I tried to read my external drive that was formatted as "NTFS", and it didn't work. But ExFAT, that worked.

 

[Love_my_R5]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it, particaurly since my last Mac was a very old one, an '09 iMac, so the new should be a nice upgrade. Since this new computer doesn't come with a monitor though, that's something that I need to buy and I know very little about these things. I want to get something with at least 4K resolution, but I wonder if there is better and if that's even worth it? I want the 27" size. I'll obviously be using it for photography, but also graphic design, though I don't need any features that would be optimal for gaming, because I don't do any of that and don't need anything with built in audio, because I already have a system set up for that. What's the best value then for something that has a rep for good color and good reliability? I've honestly never done any color correction stuff with my old monitor, but something that has some ability for calibration would probably be nice, though the monitors that are made for graphics and have extensive color calibration features are well out of my price range. I see lots of monitors, new and used selling for as low as the $100 mark and lots at $200, though I'd be OK with spending up to $300, or even a bit more, if there's a compelling reason to spend more.

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Thanks, in advance. I really appreciate the advice I get here.

I just set up a Mac mini M4 (base model). That machine has a basic 1080p monitor but I use a better quality 27" 2560 x 1440 HDR (Asus ProArt) monitor with my own Mac mini M2. I believe that some ProArt models have a built-in calibration feature.

As far as Mac mini M4 ports go, one of the rear (TB4/USB4) USB-C ports is used to connect a (USB 3.2 Gen 2) 1TB Samsung T7 SSD. Another rear USB-C port is used to connect a (USB 3.1) 4-port hub with 3 USB-A connectors and one USB-C connector. The USB-A connections are used for a USB microphone and a webcam which are relatively slow devices. Using the rear connections keeps the cabling neat.

I also have a small USB-C to USB-A physical adapter which works well with the front USB-C ports for wired peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, or USB key that require USB-A.

 

[Love_my_R5]

I think that you will need to get all your old data on to a disk formatted as "ExFAT" if your data is coming from Windows. I tried to read my external drive that was formatted as "NTFS", and it didn't work. But ExFAT, that worked.

If I recall correctly, NTFS formatted drives are treated as Read Only by default on macOS (there may be a setting to allow read/write access). ExFat is the best option when a drive needs to be connected read/write to both a Mac and Windows hosts.

 

[dmartin92]

I think that you will need to get all your old data on to a disk formatted as "ExFAT" if your data is coming from Windows. I tried to read my external drive that was formatted as "NTFS", and it didn't work. But ExFAT, that worked.

If I recall correctly, NTFS formatted drives are treated as Read Only by default on macOS (there may be a setting to allow read/write access). ExFat is the best option when a drive needs to be connected read/write to both a Mac and Windows hosts.

Even just read... yes, well, it did work, for a minute, reading my NTFS drive, but after a minute or so, it stopped copying the files.

But with ExFAT, it worked well, for 3 or 4 hours, which is what I needed to slowly pull all the data off my Western Digital Passport (disk) drive, doing 80MB a second.

 

[CAcreeks]

I think that you will need to get all your old data on to a disk formatted as "ExFAT" if your data is coming from Windows. I tried to read my external drive that was formatted as "NTFS", and it didn't work. But ExFAT, that worked.

If I recall correctly, NTFS formatted drives are treated as Read Only by default on macOS (there may be a setting to allow read/write access). ExFat is the best option when a drive needs to be connected read/write to both a Mac and Windows hosts.

Even just read... yes, well, it did work, for a minute, reading my NTFS drive, but after a minute or so, it stopped copying the files.

But with ExFAT, it worked well, for 3 or 4 hours, which is what I needed to slowly pull all the data off my Western Digital Passport (disk) drive, doing 80MB a second.

Maybe MacOS was trying to write "those stupid .DS_Store files" (as Reddit calls them) on the NTFS formatted external drive. If you want, you can avoid creation of .DS_Store files, as below. Or continue using ExFAT, which is more universal than NTFS.

https://www.techrepublic.com/articl...ation-of-dsstore-files-for-mac-users-folders/

 

[gcrimmins]

I've been pretty happy with the Asus ProArt monitors. They have a good color gamut at an affordable price and seem to be pretty reliable. I have one at home and we use them at the photo studio where I work part-time, and they have always worked great.

 

[CAcreeks]

I've been pretty happy with the Asus ProArt monitors. They have a good color gamut at an affordable price and seem to be pretty reliable. I have one at home and we use them at the photo studio where I work part-time, and they have always worked great.

Yeah, this one is $369 at B&H, which is above OP Aaron's price range. It has some drawbacks, as enumerated in this review, but one big advantage is 99% AdobeRGB gamut.

https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/asus/proart-display-pa279crv

 

[jeffharris]

I just bought a new Mac mini, one of those M4 things. I'm pretty excited about it, particaurly since my last Mac was a very old one, an '09 iMac, so the new should be a nice upgrade. Since this new computer doesn't come with a monitor though, that's something that I need to buy and I know very little about these things. I want to get something with at least 4K resolution, but I wonder if there is better and if that's even worth it? I want the 27" size. I'll obviously be using it for photography, but also graphic design, though I don't need any features that would be optimal for gaming, because I don't do any of that and don't need anything with built in audio, because I already have a system set up for that. What's the best value then for something that has a rep for good color and good reliability? I've honestly never done any color correction stuff with my old monitor, but something that has some ability for calibration would probably be nice, though the monitors that are made for graphics and have extensive color calibration features are well out of my price range. I see lots of monitors, new and used selling for as low as the $100 mark and lots at $200, though I'd be OK with spending up to $300, or even a bit more, if there's a compelling reason to spend more.

Also, I'm going to need some kind of USB for this new computer as well, and I don't know a thing about what's most compatible with these things. I have an M4 not M4 Pro, if that makes any difference as far as compatibility. I realize that a Mac USB hub is probably the safest bet, but I was told that these things are way overpriced and that it's better to go 3rd party, but I'm unsure what to look for...

Thanks, in advance. I really appreciate the advice I get here.

I just got a new 27” 4K Viewsonic IPS monitor, VP2772T-4K. $600.

https://www.viewsonic.com/us/products/monitors/4kuhd-monitors/vp2776t-4k.html

It’s really great. Supports Thunderbolt 4, has a built-in USB hub. Supports HDMI, or DisplayPort. Even has a built-in 100W power supply for laptops. Image quality is excellent!

The only downside is that Mac OS does NOT scale UI elements for such a high resolution, so I’m doing constant tinkering to make Finder text legible. The Menu Bar is TINY, even after making it “Large” in the Accessibility System Prefs.

My previous monitor, another 27” Viewsonic IPS, supported 1440p, which was great.

I also use a 32” Viewsonic IPS monitor as my bedroom TV, with Apple TV 4K and KEF LSX wireless speakers.

HUBS. I have a CalDigit Element Thunderbolt 4 hub. I have a 16” MacBook Pro M3 Max. It adds 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports and 4 USB-A ports. I wish it were all Thunderbolt. It does support Thunderbolt 4 transfer speeds. Great hub and small!

I HAD A CalDigit TS3+ Thunderbolt 3 hub, but really didn’t need all the ports it has, 15, I think. My wife is thrilled with it!

 

[Buke]

I've got a 24" Dell on my MacMini (M2) I really like. I also use an older AGPTEK hub with a 1TB internal SSD running my Time Machine backup. System works well, does all that I need it to do

Buke