27" Ultrafine UHD 4K Nano IPS Black Monitor with USB Type-C (Open Box) (Open Box)

I performed weeks of research before committing to the 27UQ850-W. While no monitor is perfect, this is likely the best Apple 5K replacement under the $800 price point. I use Apple machines for just about everything except gaming: productivity, software development, creative workflows like photo editing and recording audio, and watching videos. I have a 2019 Macbook Pro 16 i9 (Intel) and another 2021 Macbook Pro 16 M1 Max. Both machines are working great with this monitor. Connectivity --------------- DisplayPort and USB-C ports work fine. I can't tell any quality difference between them. My regular setup uses the DP port connected to CalDigit TS4 dock. Cables provided by LG are long enough to reach the TS4, but users with a machine farther away might need slightly longer cables. I haven't tried the HDMI port because a lot of people report Apple issues with HDMI on M1-based machines. This monitor does not support daisy chaining or Thunderbolt. Resolution and Overall Visual Experience ------------------------------------------------ My biggest concern was how Apple-native 2560 x 1440 ("WQHD") output would look when rendered on a 4K display. I write a ton of code and need text to look really sharp. I read all I could find about this subject and took a field trip to the Apple Store to evaluate the 5K display where the situation is perfectly ideal: 2560 x 1440 logical pixels get rendered onto a 5120 x 2880 display yielding an exact 2X scale factor in each axis. The results are super sharp text and smooth visuals for both content and UI elements -- part of the Retina brand. Here's the thing some readers may wish to know. On a 27" display WQHD output does in fact look best from a text size and UI perspective, at least on Mac. Changing to resolutions other than 2560 x 1440 result in an experience that is less satisfactory. Imagine my surprise when, for WQHD output, text looked 85-90% as crisp as the Apple 5K. I sit between 26" and 32" away from this monitor. At this viewing distance I don't struggle to read anything. Everything is clear. I am confident WQHD output on WQHD-native displays will look much worse despite a perfect 1:1 pixel mapping. I also think WQHD content will look better on a 27" 4K than a 32" 4K due to higher PPI on the smaller display. As to the alleged performance hit Mac machines take while downscaling to non-native resolutions like WQHD, here is my experience. Macbook Pro M1 Max doesn't even blink. There is no observable difference in terms of heat, CPU, or anything else. By contrast the 2019 Intel Macbook Pro i9 runs hotter by 10-15 deg C. The fans run constantly above 2500 rpm. One Youtube user reported slowdowns on Apple hardware while connected to a 4K monitor and rendering scenes in Blender. I can see where this might be an issue for specific Apple machines and/or apps, but I suspect they are edge cases the average user won't run into. This monitor has nice saturation and overall color balance. I'm no colorist but the display just looks really, really good. I tried toggling HDR in Apple settings under display but couldn't discern any observable difference. Interoperability With USB-C Docks ---------------------------------------- I have accessories like monitor and audio interface connected through a CalDigit TS4 dock. This LG has no problems through it either. Both Macbook Pro machines remember display arrangements and resolutions that were previously selected. I haven't observed power management related snafus as some people report, but I disabled power management while on A/C power. Brightness ------------- Going back to the priority for text legibility, I traditionally used extra brightness to enhance contrast and make reading easier on my eyes. I leave this monitor at 100% brightness, but I could probably go down to 85% before it would start to feel dim. Brightly lit rooms probably afford many fewer options unless one agrees to pay the Apple tax for the ultra-bright 5K. Build quality --------------- Build quality is okay. It looks like the cheap plastic that it is, though I like the narrow bezel all the way around the front. I haven't tried out audio because I use studio monitors instead. The monitor does not include a camera. In closing I think this is a fantastic monitor -- probably the best I've bought. Gamers and ultra discriminating users who need the very best probably won't be happy with it. For the rest of us it's a nice offering from LG that shows how far IPS panel technology has progressed in recent years.