Just about any monitor can work with a Mac. It doesn’t need to be made by Apple or have any official certification. There’s a case to be made for using a cheap 1080p monitor, but most Mac users will want something a bit more premium. As you can see from options like the Dell 27 Plus 4K, that doesn’t have to mean overly expensive. Either way, here are the four elements to consider when shopping for a good monitor to go with your Mac.
Adjustability: Apple monitors and iMacs aren’t exactly known for adjustability. They often have none at all, and cost more when they do. That isn’t the best for your posture and ergonomics. Famously, the discontinued Pro Display XDR charged an extra $1,000 for a Pro Stand with proper adjustability (now a $400 add-on for the newer Studio Display XDR). For ergonomics, the top of the screen you’re working on should be as close to eye level as possible, and that ranges depending on someone’s height. If a monitor doesn’t have height adjustability, you’ll need a separate monitor stand or arm. Beyond height adjustment, many monitors also have stands that can swivel, tilt, and rotate, all of which matter when using multiple monitors. This is also needed if you want to use a second monitor vertically, which has become increasingly popular.
Ports: Even the cheapest monitors will always have HDMI, which is all you need to connect directly to a Mac Mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, or MacBook Pro. Some monitors have USB-C that supports video, which will let you connect to one of a Mac’s Thunderbolt ports. The Mac Mini comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, and an Ethernet jack. The Mac Mini Pro model has the same ports, except three of them support faster Thunderbolt 5 instead of 4. You’ll need to use at least one of these Thunderbolt ports to connect more than one external monitor. These monitors also tend to have other ports, such as USB-A. These can be useful, as the Mac Mini doesn’t have any on its own.
Image quality: Apple prides itself on the image quality of its Macs, so in the case of the Mac Mini, you’ll likely want to get something worthy of your Mac. This is especially important for content creators, photographers, and designers. So, consider a monitor’s brightness, color accuracy, color coverage, and contrast. While some IPS displays offer decent color and contrast, mini-LED or OLED displays will guarantee better image quality. These also have significantly higher peak brightness in HDR content, which really brings games and movies to life.
