Apple~$1,599
Apple Studio Display
27″ · 5120×2880 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 91ppd · retina-class
- HDR
- No HDR
- USB-C power
- 96 W
- 5K at 218 ppi
- 600 nits
- Thunderbolt 5
Best for: A Mac desk where text sharpness and a clean cable matter more than refresh rate
4K/5K creator monitors
High-resolution panels sold on colour coverage, factory calibration and pixel density rather than speed. Most run at 60 Hz, most dock a laptop over USB-C or Thunderbolt, and the ones that matter publish a gamut figure you can check.
8 models · 6 brands, $429–$2,999 · 1 with HDR hardware
- Sharpest of the type
- Apple Studio Display91 pixels per degree
- Fastest of the type
- Apple Studio Display60 Hz
- Cheapest of the type
- ASUS ProArt PA279CRV~$429
Samsung~$1,600
Samsung ViewFinity S9
27″ · 5120×2880 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 91ppd · retina-class
- HDR
- No HDR
- USB-C power
- 90 W
- 5K at 27 inches
- Thunderbolt 4, 90 W
- Matte 5K
Best for: macOS at a true 2× scaling factor without a glass panel
ASUS~$429
ASUS ProArt PA279CRV
27″ · 3840×2160 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 68ppd · retina-class
- HDR
- Accepts an HDR signal
- USB-C power
- 96 W
- 99% P3 and Adobe RGB
- Calibrated in the box
- 96 W USB-C
Best for: Colour-critical photo and video work on a real budget
BenQ~$580
BenQ PD2706U
27″ · 3840×2160 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 68ppd · retina-class
- HDR
- Accepts an HDR signal
- USB-C power
- 90 W
- 4K at 163 PPI
- 90 W USB-C
- KVM + 4-port hub
Best for: A designer who wants one cable to a laptop and calibrated colour out of the box
Lenovo~$884
Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-20
27″ · 3840×2160 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 68ppd · retina-class
- HDR
- Accepts an HDR signal
- USB-C power
- 100 W
- Thunderbolt 4 dock
- 99.5% Adobe RGB
- Factory calibrated
- Console at full speed
Best for: Photo and print work off a single laptop cable
ViewSonic~$1,000
ViewSonic ColorPro VP2786-4K
27″ · 3840×2160 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 68ppd · retina-class
- HDR
- No HDR
- USB-C power
- 90 W
- 100% Adobe RGB
- Colour wheel included
- 90 W USB-C
Best for: Print and prepress work where Adobe RGB matters more than refresh rate
BenQ~$1,100
BenQ PD3225U
31.5″ · 3840×2160 · 60 Hz · IPS
- Sharpness
- 59ppd · sharp
- HDR
- Accepts an HDR signal
- USB-C power
- 85 W
- IPS Black 2000:1
- Thunderbolt 3 85 W
- 98% Display P3
Best for: Mac-based photo and video work that needs deep blacks and a Thunderbolt dock in one box
ASUS~$2,999
ASUS ProArt PA32UCXR
32″ · 3840×2160 · 60 Hz · Mini-LED IPS
- Sharpness
- 58ppd · sharp
- HDR
- Real HDR
- USB-C power
- 90 W
- 2,304 dimming zones
- DisplayHDR 1400
- Calibrates itself
Best for: Grading HDR where the display itself has to be trusted