If you’re searching online for the absolute Best External monitor for MacBook Pro using the most current burl-textured gradient blasphemies, we’ve comprised a listing of the preferred monitors for your Mac of 2024.
The MacBook Pro is a fantastic piece of tech, but it’s far from great concerning screen size. Purchasing an external display for better movie creation, video modeling, or graphic design is a significant upgrade for all professional Mac users developing video-rich content.
With maximum refresh rates ranging from 120Hz to 5K, the best Apple displays for MacBooks pass through the Apple Pro XDR and Apple Studio Display but not everyone can pay for such monitors.
We’ve broken down the best budget displays and the ten monitors specifically for the MacBook Pro which are usually preferred by Apple’s displays. Our research also discovered the 5K LG 34-inch Ultrafine Monitor for MacBook Air.
Top 10 Best External Monitor for MacBook Pro
Here’s the list of Top 10 Best External Monitor for MacBook Pro. We review the product after use. You can choose the product according to your need. Our priority is to give the best product to our users.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Dell U2723QE | Screen Size: 27 Inches Response Time: 5ms Resolution: (3840 x 2160) pixels | |
 | LG 32QN55T-B | Screen Size: 32 Inches Response Time: 5ms Resolution: (2560 x 1440) pixels | |
 | Dell S2722QC | Screen Size: 27 Inches Response Time: 8ms Resolution: (3840 x 2160) pixels | |
 | GIGABYTE M34WQ | Screen Size: 34 Inches Response Time: 1ms Resolution: (3440 x 1440) pixels | |
 | GIGABYTE M27Q | Screen Size: 27 Inches Response Time: 0.5ms Resolution: (2560 x 1440) pixels | |
 | Dell UltraSharp U2720Q | Screen Size: 27 Inches Response Time: 8ms Resolution: (3840 x 2160) pixels | |
 | BenQ PD3220U | Screen Size: 32 Inches Response Time: 5ms Resolution: (3839 x 2160) pixels | |
 | SAMSUNG J791 | Screen Size: 34 Inches Response Time: 4ms Resolution: (3440 x 1440) pixels | |
 | LG 34BK95U-W | Screen Size: 34 Inches Response Time: 1ms Resolution: (5120 X 2160) pixels | |
 | LG 34WK95U-W | Screen Size: 34 Inches Response Time: 5ms Resolution: (5120 X 2160) pixels |
1. Dell UltraSharp U2723QE – Best Budget monitor for MacBook Pro
You may want to consider the Dell U2723QE if you find the Apple Studio Display too expensive and prefer saving money. It’s considerably cheaper than the Apple monitor, but it lacks some features, such as 4K resolution.
It is still possible to read fine text with text clarity, however. The Dell still comes with some handy features, such as a large USB hub with three USB-C ports. With 90 W of power delivery, one of them is able to charge most MacBooks, including power-hungry models, or at least keep their batteries alive.
The KVM switch uses another USB-C port for connection, so you can use one keyboard and one mouse to control two sources simultaneously if you have another computer nearby.
In addition to having a dedicated sRGB mode, it also offers excellent accuracy before calibration, which makes it ideal for content creators. The stand is also flexible and has remarkable ergonomics, so it can be positioned in almost any way you like.
It is true that the Dell U2723QE has better picture quality than the Dell U3223QE, but the colors in HDR look undersaturated, which makes the U2723QE a better choice if you prefer something bigger.
In terms of office monitors, the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE stands out. Multitasking is easy with multiple windows open due to the large screen and high resolution of 4k. You can easily connect your devices to the USB hub and control them with the same keyboard and mouse as the KVM switch.
The ergonomics are superb as well, ensuring the image remains accurate at the sides if you want to share your screen with someone else.
2. LG 32QN55T-B – Best USB-C Monitor for MacBook Pro
If you aim to find an LCD monitor at a less expensive price point, the LG 32QN55T-B is all you need. It doesn’t have the same features as Apple Studio Display or even the Dell S2722QC, but it is still a good product or simple enough to function as a work product or professional tool.
Unlike its costly counterparts, it has a 1440p resolution. While 32-inch, its screen is big enough to open many windows side-by-side. There are no USB-C ports, so you’ll need to connect with it via HDMI, and there are no compatibility issues with the MacBook.
The screen can be viewed from just about any angle, and the image does not need to be flipped or rotated to the sides. The display also provides enough contrast to reduce glare, so the image is clear and viewable even in wealthy rooms. If you want this monitor to reduce your budget, use it’s an excellent choice.
The screen of the LG 32QN55T-B is powerful enough for office use. The large screen gives you additional space for doing your work, but the relatively low pixel density leads to a good resolution, however.
It is effective in bright rooms thanks to its mirror-image right and left sides, and its great peak brightness prevents glare. I had not planned the ideal viewing configuration for the TV, so its performance leaves much to be desired.
3. Dell S2722QC – Best 4k Monitor for MacBook Pro
If you really want more and don’t care about spending a lot of money, the Dell S2722QC is a terrific intermediate-level television for Apple MacBook Pro laptops. It has nearly all the features you’ll find on higher-end televisions and won’t break your budget.
It has one USB-C port supplying power delivery of 65 W, which will enable you to keep your computer running while using it, and it has two USB-A ports if you want to charge other devices. It isn’t impacted by recent Mac M1 laptops, except the base video playback resolution is 1080p, so it is necessary to override it to 4k to take advantage of its display.
The 4k–high resolution provides highly detailed and crisp pictures. If you can utilize it for up-to-light photo editing, it has decent accuracy out-of-the-box. However, it is not good enough for professionals like the Apple Studio Display. If you don’t want to worry about the specs, it’s a great monitor to use with the MacBook.
This Dell S2722QC is an exceptional choice for office use due to its high-resolution picture and compact size. The 4K resolution and considerable size result in an exceptionally high pixel density, which lets you see clearly through sharp text.
The 27-inch screen is also a great size for multitasking since it makes it easy to facilitate shared screens. The range of inputs makes it easy to adjust for flexible viewing, while the wide viewing angles allow you to comfortably watch whatever is on the screen.
4. GIGABYTE M34WQ – Best Ultrawide Monitor for MacBook Pro
With a 21:9 aspect ratio, you can get more horizontal screen space with the same screen height if you don’t want the standard 16:9 aspect ratio. We tested the Gigabyte M34WQ ultrawide monitor for MacBook Pro and found it to be the most impressive model we tested. It has a 3440×1440 resolution, and you can open multiple windows at once.
This device offers a variety of office-oriented features, including USB-C inputs with DisplayPort Alt Mode, as well as a KVM switch that lets you simultaneously control two sources. Using the keyboard and mouse, you can control both your PC and MacBook Pro from the monitor.
With MacBooks, windows are automatically returned to their original position when the screen awakens from sleep mode. For the best viewing experience, though, disable VRR if you aren’t gaming. HDR and variable refresh rate (VRR) work together, but there are some issues when they are enabled simultaneously. You can get the best ultrawide MacBook Pro display if that doesn’t bother you.
An excellent office monitor, the Gigabyte M34WQ. In a bright room, the ultrawide format is ideal for multitasking, and the high peak brightness and impressive reflection handling make visibility no problem.
In addition to a range of additional productivity features, this computer has a keyboard, video, and mouse switch (KVM), making it possible to control two sources simultaneously using a single keyboard and mouse. As well as having excellent gray uniformity, the text is clear and crisp.
5. GIGABYTE M27Q – Best Portable Monitor for MacBook Pro
The following are some good monitor options for MacBook Pro users who don’t want to spend a lot of money. Gigabyte’s M27Q monitor is an affordable budget option that features a high refresh rate of 170Hz and an IPS panel that features a full resolution of 1440P.
The screen is thus crisp enough to handle most tasks you might throw its way. Although it doesn’t have the same level of color support as a higher-priced monitor, its color support will suffice for most tasks.
It is worth noting, however, that the peak brightness of this product is extraordinary, and it is also able to handle reflections very well, as well. Thus, you won’t have to worry so much about bright rooms causing glare on your screen if you work in them.
Furthermore, the picture quality is excellent in general, and the image accuracy is fantastic right out of the box. Our best overall MacBook Pro monitor could have easily been this monitor if it had checked a few more boxes.
Nonetheless, because it falls short, and because the USB-C port can’t charge your MacBook Pro, it won’t be able to make our budget list.
6. Dell UltraSharp U2720Q – Best Monitor for MacBook Pro M1
There is no better budget external monitor for the MacBook Pro than the 27-inch Dell UltraSharp U2720Q. In addition to viewing movies and editing photos, the 4K display also makes it ideal for designing and watching films on a MacBook Pro.
You can use the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q with both Intel and M1/M2 MacBook Pros thanks to the two USB-C ports and the HDMI port. Furthermore, the USB-C port allows the MacBook Pro to be charged without additional power supplies thanks to its 90W of throughput.
It will, however, not be able to transfer data at the maximum speed of 40 GB/s that Macs are capable of because it lacks a Thunderbolt port. Its stand can be adjusted vertically and swivels, pivots, and swivels, another feature that many external monitors stand lack.
It is hard to find a better external display for your MacBook Pro at this price. This newer Dell UltraSharp U2723QE monitor allows you to connect your monitor directly to the Internet via Ethernet if you need an Ethernet connection. It is an upgraded version of the previous model.
7. BenQ PD3220U – Best External Monitor for MacBook Pro
For older Intel MacBook Pros with Thunderbolt 3 ports, there is a DisplayPort port as well as a USB-C port on the BenQ. As an IPS monitor, the BenQ PD3220U produces richer colors thanks to liquid crystals arranged in parallel.
In addition to supporting P3, it has an HDR 60Hz refresh rate, so it’s ideal for digital work, whether you’re working with Adobe’s RGB profile or your own. As the BenQ PD3220U covers Rec BT 709 and RAW photos, it is ideal for working with Adobe RGB profiles and RAW photos.
Updates to macOS Monterey have also improved compatibility with the BenQ PD3220U’s firmware, allowing for 60Hz refresh rates on M1 Mac Minis. In spite of its narrow viewing angle, the 32-inch monitor provides good viewing angles overall.
In bright sunlight, the glass finish will also glare, but as long as you avoid this, it will not be an issue. There are internal speakers on the BenQ PD3220U, but their quality is poor, so external speakers are a better option. As a result of Rosetta not being supported on macOS, Display Pilot will also not work on M1 Macs, like the Mac Mini.
8. SAMSUNG J791 – Best Wide Screen Monitor for MacBook Pro
Among the best gaming monitors for MacBook Pro, the Samsung J791 Ultrawide Curved Monitor was the first curved monitor to support Thunderbolt 3 ports. The monitor is primarily designed for gaming, with a 100Hz refresh rate, which makes it one of the best external monitors for MacBook Pro gaming on curved screens.
Thunderbolt 3 ports are present on the MacBook Pro, so you can connect and charge external drives and graphics cards along with the MacBook Pro. Daisy-chained Thunderbolt devices can also be connected to the Samsung J791, which means you only need one Thunderbolt cable to connect the monitor and all Thunderbolt devices together.
It is equipped with HDMI, DP, and USB ports as well as the Samsung 34-inch Ultrawide Curved Monitor J791. There is also a higher level of quality in the speakers of the J791. Watching videos, playing games, or watching films is easy with this device’s built-in 7-watt stereo speakers.
In terms of screen estate, the 34-inch curved widescreen monitor provides the impression of two monitors in one. This monitor has a contrast ratio of 3:1, which is significantly higher than the 1:1 ratio found in many monitors in this price range.
Even better, you can display two sources of data in Picture-in-Picture by resizing one source up to 25% and putting it anywhere on the display. The Samsung J791 Ultrawide Curved Monitor initially appears pixelated and jagged, but if you switch the Game Mode to “Always On”, it seems to fix the issue.
9. LG 34BK95U-W – Best Monitor Display for MacBook Pro
The LG Ultrafine 34 offers 163 pixels per inch (PPI), the highest resolution outside the Apple Pro XDR. The LG Ultrafine display, which contains a very similar panel to the 27″ 5K iMac display, is one of the best displays for Macs you can buy. Apple even worked with LG to develop the display.
As a matter of fact, we think the LG Ultrafine 34-inch 5K monitor is the best alternative to Apple’s Studio Display for MacBook Pro users. Despite the fact that it cannot compete with Apple’s 6K XDR Display, it’s still a very affordable alternative since the XDR costs almost $5000.
The LG 34BK95-W supports 5K resolution (5120×2160; also known as 5K2K) on Macs with M1/M2 chips and the Mac Studio, which is great for video editing and other tasks, but might be too high for reading text.
For those who work in desktop publishing or video editing, it’s also an excellent choice because it can easily handle 4K video. LG34BK95U-W Ultrafine gives you over 30% more screen estate than a standard 4K monitor due to its 34-inch 5K screen.
VESA mounting is required in order to get a swivel on the LG34BK95U-W Ultrafine. The LG34BK95U-W Ultrafine comes with a stand that can be tilted and adjusted in height, but you will have to purchase an accessory if you need to swivel.
The ports include HDMI as well as a Thunderbolt 3 port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which has 85W of power. As a MacBook Pro monitor, the LG34BK95U-W Ultrafine has a 60Hz refresh rate, which is pretty good for most gaming on an external monitor.
LG Ultrafine 34-inch 5K has speakers, but they are very poor in quality. You should connect some external speakers to improve the sound. LG Ultrafine 34 inch also lacks an integrated webcam, although you can connect a USB-C webcam or use your digital camera.
10. LG 34WK95U-W – Best Monitor for MacBook Pro M2
IPS LED monitor LG 34WK95U-W provides good picture quality in 5K resolution. SDR content can be displayed very brightly, and HDR content can be displayed decently. The low contrast ratio and bad local dimming, however, will result in grayish blacks in a dark room.
An excellent resolution and a large display are two of its most impressive features. With its low input lag, it responds very quickly to your actions, but it doesn’t support variable refresh rates for serious gamers, and it doesn’t flicker during gameplay.
This monitor has been reported to retain images several times, which can be problematic if you need to use it for content creation or for office work. For most purposes, the LG 34WK95U-W monitor is a good choice.
You can easily share your work with it since it has wide viewing angles that are bright enough for a bright office. The console has a low input lag that will please gamers, and a fast response time so that fast content can be displayed with little blur. The size and resolution of the screen, however, make it stand out from other screens. Moreover, it’s the best monitor for MacBook Pro M2.
How to Choose the Best External Monitor for MacBook Pro – Complete Buying Guide
A MacBook Pro can be used with almost any monitor, but there are so many options and connections that it can be overwhelming to choose, so we’ve shortlisted our favorites.
When choosing a display for a MacBook Pro, you should look for some key factors including the type of chip (M1 or M2). These key factors are mentioned below.
USB-C Vs Thunderbolt
It is imperative to choose an external display that supports USB-C or Thunderbolt ports when using a MacBook Pro (or any Mac). In addition to the M1 MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 4 port, many new Macs since 2017 have Thunderbolt 3 ports, although not all external displays have Thunderbolt ports.
There are no technical differences between Thunderbolt and USB-C; Thunderbolt is simply Apple’s version of USB-C. Monitors with USB-C ports can be connected readily to Thunderbolt ports on MacBook Pros.
Since USB 3, 3.1, 3.2, and 4.0 designations vary within USB-C, there is often confusion between USB-C and Thunderbolt because the cable and ports are identical. Apple-specific Thunderbolt cables and ports support up to 40Gbps transfer speeds and are Apple-specific.
High-quality images, such as those displayed by the Apple Pro Display XDR, require this when transmitted from your Mac. A key advantage of Thunderbolt is its high-quality color reproduction thanks to the 10-bit color representation, which is comparable to USB-C’s.
In addition, USB-C and Thunderbolt offer the advantage of supplying power to the monitor via the cable, so the display does not require an external power supply. By daisy-chaining your monitors if they have more than one Thunderbolt or USB-C port, you can use more Thunderbolt or USB-C ports at once.
You can also connect external devices to a Thunderbolt monitor by using hubs, microphones, speakers, external storage drives, and GPUs. The more Thunderbolt ports your monitor has, the more connections you can make.
MacBook Pro & HDMI 2.1
Unlike the newer HDMI 2.1 standards, the HDMI port on the latest M1 and M2 MacBook Pros support HDMI 2.0 instead. The HDMI port on a MacBook Pro does not support the highest refresh rate of 120Hz, so you can’t get 4K resolution.
Audio is still supported with HDMI 2.0 even though the maximum display resolution is only 3840 x 2160 with a 60Hz refresh rate. As with HDMI 2.0, HDMI 2.1 supports 7680 x 4320 at 60Hz as well as 3840 x 2160 at 120Hz.
However, no Mac currently supports HDMI 2.1, the newer standard. Oftentimes, cheaper monitors come with HDMI ports, which are compatible with MacBook Pro M1 models, but won’t charge them like a Thunderbolt or USB-C monitor would.
Picture Quality
You should also look for a monitor that has 97% DCI-P3 or higher color gamut coverage if you are a creative professional. The more colors a monitor can display, the higher its color gamut.
Apple’s M1 and M2 MacBook Pro Liquid Retina XDR displays feature a stunning resolution of 227 PPI, which is more than enough for 8K video, so external monitors simply can’t compare in terms of resolution.
It’s safe to say that most of the best external displays for the MacBook Pro support 4K and some even go as high as 5K, but no display compares to the MacBook Pro’s own internal display.
The MacBook Pro liquid Retina XDR screen produces much better images than Cheap Full HD (FHD) or even many Quad HD (QHD) monitors. Due to their poor image quality, we have excluded all FHD monitors from our list. It is also important to take the display’s refresh rate into consideration for the best image quality.
A higher refresh rate is possible with USB-C and Thunderbolt compared to HDMI, resulting in better image quality. The M1 MacBook Pro can handle a refresh rate that high, unlike many external displays.