Monitor refresh rates

[dcs.79c]

I have a 27" 1080P monitor that's dying. Occasionally, when I turn on my 2023 Mac mini, I see snow. I turn the monitor off then on & the snow is gone. So, maybe sooner rather than later, I'll need to replace the display. I do have a 23" 1080P monitor that I can use if my Dell fails before I'm able to get a new display.

Based on my research on YouTube, monitors have a higher pixel density than TVs & higher refresh rates. A thought just occurred to me. Maybe the higher refresh rates are based on using a PC rather than an Apple. I assume that the video card is capable of higher refresh rates.

The Display option in Settings shows 50 Hz, 60 Hz & 75 Hz for the Dell. It's set on 75 Hz with no problems.

I'd love to get a 32" 4K HDTV to replace the 27". Monitor buttons are such a pain in the posterior. A TV would have a remote control. I still haven't decided on getting a monitor or a TV.

This is from the Apple mini specs page:
HDMI display video output
• Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz

So, if I get a super-deluxe gaming monitor the resolution is maxed out at 60 Hz, correct?

If I get another 1080P, can I possibly get a refresh rate higher than 75 Hz?

I don't completely understand how the Apple scaling works.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

The first thing to start with is the capabilities of the computer (PC or Mac aren't what you should be looking at), which will tell you the max refresh rate and resolution supported.

Based on that, you want to match the monitor that makes sense.

For example, if you have a computer capable of supporting a max resolution of 2K at 60 Hz and have a monitor with a native resolution of 2K and 75 Hz. The monitor will work, but being below expected refresh rate (depending on the monitor) might have no impact or huge impact.

Similarly, spending money on a 120 or 240 Hz monitor and attaching it to a computer that supports a max 60 Hz is a waste of money.

If you are using a Mac Mini based on M2, the 4K at 60 Hz you quoted is accurate. The M2 Pro on the same machine can handle 4K at 144 Hz with paired with another monitor or with a single monitor go up to 4K 240 Hz.

You cannot increase the refresh rate, just match what's supported.

IMHO, 27" monitor with 1080P resolution is crappy. Jumping from that to a 32" at 4K will be quite a dramatic shift.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...I still haven't decided on getting a monitor or a TV...

My son uses a mid-range 4K Samsung 43-inch television as a monitor. It looks stunning. I reported on this in this forum. You may want to do a search for my original post. We had to do a lot of research and investigation to find a television that would actually look great when attached to a computer, but it paid off. The Samsung television that he purchased at Best Buy was extremely reasonably priced compared to getting (a smaller) computer monitor.

 

[dcs.79c]

FreeSync is AMD & Gsync is NVIDIA. What is the name of the Apple refresh? I don't know which sync my Dell uses.

I have the 2023 mini with the M2. The $800 one.

I don't completely understand how the Apple scaling works. If I buy a 32" 4K, the text & fonts will be very small. Sure, I can choose a larger font & make the icons bigger but that kind of defeats the purpose of 4K.

 

[MacInWin]

Sure, I can choose a larger font & make the icons bigger but that kind of defeats the purpose of 4K.

Not really. Jamming more and more on a screen is not always the end objective. You can increase fonts and icons and revel in the amazing clarity of the screen in 4K. Video will be impressive, and anything with graphics will certainly benefit from that high resolution. So if you get a 4K and find the font tiny (it is), then make the fonts larger. Just don't change the resolution of the setup because that will lose the benefits of the higher resolution altogether.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

You can increase fonts and icons and revel in the amazing clarity of the screen in 4K.

This^^. My son is using a 43-inch 4K television monitor. The fonts are a reasonable size and very sharp.

 

[dcs.79c]

WOW! A 43-inch 4K TV as a monitor!

I reckon that I should get a 4K TV. The 1080p format is almost 30 years old. I read on Wiki that the 1st 1080p broadcast was in1998. As time goes on, the 1080p devices will become harder to find & buy.

 

[dcs.79c]

The first thing to start with is the capabilities of the computer (PC or Mac aren't what you should be looking at), which will tell you the max refresh rate and resolution supported.

Based on that, you want to match the monitor that makes sense.

For example, if you have a computer capable of supporting a max resolution of 2K at 60 Hz and have a monitor with a native resolution of 2K and 75 Hz. The monitor will work, but being below expected refresh rate (depending on the monitor) might have no impact or huge impact.

Similarly, spending money on a 120 or 240 Hz monitor and attaching it to a computer that supports a max 60 Hz is a waste of money.

If you are using a Mac Mini based on M2, the 4K at 60 Hz you quoted is accurate. The M2 Pro on the same machine can handle 4K at 144 Hz with paired with another monitor or with a single monitor go up to 4K 240 Hz.

You cannot increase the refresh rate, just match what's supported.

IMHO, 27" monitor with 1080P resolution is crappy. Jumping from that to a 32" at 4K will be quite a dramatic shift.

I'm still confused about the refresh rate on my 2023 M2 mini with Sonoma. When I go to Settings & click on Displays & then click on Refresh rate, I see 50 Hz, 60 Hz & 75 Hz. It's set on 75 Hz. There are no problems with the display. no tearing, no rolling, nothing. Are the listed refresh rates in Settings based on the monitor( 1080P) or are they based on the M2's capability?

I've had the Dell since October 2017. Sometimes when I turn on the computer, I see snow or the entire display is magenta. I hope that is because the monitor is 7 years old & when I'm not using the mini, the monitor is in standby. So, basically it's been on nonstop since October 2017.

Based on the specs on the Apple website, if I choose a 4K monitor or HDTV, the refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, I guess based on the capability of the GPU & CPU. Is my assumption correct?

I'm on the Best Buy website. I searched for 27" to 32" 4K & full HD monitors. One option is to choose the refresh rate. They go from 60 Hz to 360 HZ. No option for 50 Hz. I chose 60 Hz & 75 Hz. My choices were narrowed down considerably!

Does Apple make any computers with a high refresh rate like 360 Hz?

So, based on what I presented, do I limit my search for a monitor(or HDTV, full HD or 4K) with a maximum refresh rate of 75 Hz?