The Best 4K Mid Range Monitor For Your Mac in 2024 - BenQ MA320U

[@Lostprincess161]

I've been fretting over what monitor to get. I currently still use a late 2015 iMac with an i7. I'll be upgrading to an M4 Mac mini, but I didn't want to buy it until I knew what monitor to get. I want to get something as close to the display on this iMac as possible. It sounds like this is the winner! It's much cheaper than a Studio Display but seems like it'll hold up just as well. Thank you so much for this video!

[@craigneidel]

Thanks. It's 4k vs 5k but for 1000 less I think it's a good option. I like it and use it in my workload

[@UWI-Anna]

Now I know what monitor to get for my Mac mini M4pro. Thank you!

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for watching

[@craigneidel]

@@UWI-Anna thanks

[@macgurrl]

Thank you so much for the video. I have been going crazy with trying to find a monitor for when I get a new mini.

[@craigneidel]

@@macgurrl you got it and thanks for watching.

[@bobbazley5376]

I bought one of this about a week ago and it arrived 2 days ago from Germany all the way to the remote Scottish Highlands and I really like the screen, very easy to setup and yes it has mac scaling but you can choose to go to the other resolutions if you want. The screen is great and it matches my 14" Macbook Pro M1 Max screen and I like it a lot. There was one issue and that when I used USB C only it kept showing just the super enlarged top left corner of the screen when i closed the macbook lid down. But was okay when I opened it again. I found that just using the HDMI cable made the problem go away when I just want to dock my Macbook and close the lid and use the screen by itself. Its a nice screen, it does what you need from a screen and its a good price since I was considering the PD version that is over £1099 ! this was half that price !

[@craigneidel]

Yes, overall it's a great monitor for the cost. Thanks for the info on the issue you saw. Appreciate hearing any thing like that. I have not seen that though but will keep my eye open and report back if I do but I used this like you described and didn't see that issue but will need to check again I guess now that you said that. Thank you.

[@rayray2283]

Hi Greg ! Great review. I’ll be looking for this monitor this weekend but I have a question, Can I split de screen with two different sources ? I mean connect a Mac mini and an iPad at the same time and see the two system on the screen (one on the left and the other on the right ) Is it possible ? Thanks in advance.

[@craigneidel]

@rayray2283 I have not tested that yet and I'll let you know if I do. But maybe check Amazon and BenQ page on that as it might say.

[@rayray2283]

@ Thanks a lot, I’ll be checking for this information and choosing a good beer 🍻 for the weekend

[@bobbazley5376]

@@rayray2283 I don't think it does PIP eg two sources different sides of screen shown.

[@digitalmarketinghumans]

I like how the monitor can flip vertically. BenQ is definitely a great brand, especially for color accuracy! I agree with this versus something like an iMac, for it's price, it may not beat it necessarily but it's still a good option. Then add an audio interface for like $120-$140, either UAD Volt 1 or Scarlette solo (4th gen), then buy speakers(studio monitors) for $99 (Presonus Eris 3.5) then get a decent mouse+keyboard and you're good!

[@craigneidel]

Yes, it's a great mid range panel. Still has some cost there but it's bright and 32" so I think it checks quite a few boxes. Yes, I think this will be a great option with the new M4 Mac mini for sure. Thanks again for supporting the channel.

[@LeeScratchHarry]

Thanks for making this video. Do you think that this is a good option for a new mac mini and a macbook pro setup or do you recommend something else? Will it also work with a Windows machine? Thank you.

[@craigneidel]

I think it's a great fit for new Mac mini and it works fine on Windows PCs. Thanks for watching.

[@ChelseaBangkok]

Hi Craig, thinking of purchasing a Mac 4 Mini. Can I assume this monitor would be a great companion ? Great Review as always .. ahh just seen the question and your answer below .. ☺️

[@craigneidel]

Thank you. I just dropped a video today (nov 19th) you may want to watch.

[@remexroth8666]

Excelent review ! I really like the clean design of this monitor and the ports are easily accessible. I live in Canada and right now this monitor is at the same price as the PD3205UA. Wich one would you pick ? I don't have any special needs it is only for multimedia and office use. Thank you !

[@craigneidel]

It's a hard choice but me personally would go with this one the MA320U. Just because it's a bit newer and seems to work great with all Macs. But, the other one is a great choice also. Thanks for watching.

[@remexroth8666]

@@craigneidel Thank you again !

[@LuisJimenez-rq6wk]

Hi Craig, greetings from Spain! I've discovered your reviews because I'm thinking in a new setup for the next year with a Mac Studio M2 MAX. Mainly, I will use this setup for graphic design, video editing and maybe podcasts recordings. Probably this setup will be a little excess for these purposes, but I need a setup for a several years. I've been during a couple on months checking several monitors, seeing a thousand reviews on YT and I get to the conclusion that Benq is the best choice for Mac users that we don't like the Studio Display (in my opinion too expensive for what it is, I insist, this is my opinion). I put my eye on Benq PD3205U, but with your review of this new model, I think I have change my mind and I'm think that I will be get this new model MA320U. Basically because the price is similar, but the specs of this are a little better than the PD3205U. If you would have to choose, what will be your recomendation, PD3205U or MA320U? Thank you so much for your work on these matters.

[@craigneidel]

Thank you. Being a Mac Channel I get quite a few monitors so to be honest I use each of them in my office but don't spend 8 hours on one particular model. But, with that said I think for the price of $599 or less this is the best value for a good 4K monitor. I mean other other monitor is great too but it's hard for me to tell a huge difference and I think this one with the brightness and sharpness is nice. I have only had this one a few weeks but so far it's been great but always do your own research to make sure it has the features and function you need. I was in Madrid and Seville a few years ago and loved it. One of my favorite trips. I need to head back. Thanks for watching.

[@DrSlideit]

Glad I bought one, it's sick!

[@craigneidel]

They are nice monitors for sure.

[@DrSlideit]

@@craigneideloops! Just bought a second. Hahahaha

[@dave4478m]

Thanks Craig for this really useful and informative review. One of the things BenQ is marketing for this monitor is the "Nano Matte Panel" which supposedly has exceptionally low glare and reflection. Very low glare panels generally have a trade off by being more grainy. How is the graininess of the coating on in this monitor, and how does the coating compare to the PD3225U? How is text sharpness compared to the PD3225U? A spec which is supposedly better for the PD3225U is the higher contrast ratio of 2000:1 compared to 1300:1 on the MA320U. Have you been able to compare side by side to see if the difference is noticeable?

[@craigneidel]

Yes, the panel seems to have less refection and very little graininess on the panel. It's about 85 to 90% I think if the more expensive PD3225U and in my opinion a great value for BenQ monitors for somebody that doesn't have a budget up to 1K. It's subjective with monitors so I just want to get it out that it's available and I always tell people to order one and test it and if they don't like it then just return it. With monitors people are different but this one to me is a great addition to a space that needed a higher quality 32" panel without approaching the price of the studio display.

[@richardbrown3069]

This is one of the best review videos I’ve seen for monitors that work well with Apple products. Thank you.

[@craigneidel]

Thank you for watching and the feedback.

[@bitcoinjc]

Awesome video thank you. Would be interesting to see a comparison on spescfically the CODING mode (for developers) between the BENQ- GW, RD and MA series. BenQ is amazing, wish we had an agent here in South Africa.

[@craigneidel]

It's a nice monitor for the money and a good value. I'll see what I can do but I'm so busy now not sure I can do any very specific videos on the features but I wanted to let people know that it's available now. Thanks for watching the channel.

[@ThoNo24]

Hi, this monitor doesn’t support daisy chain, or does it?

[@albreaud000]

focusing on text, what are your opinions on text clarity (knowing that all 4k monitors have some challenges)? Wish you would have shown some text as opposed to just photos. I was especially interested in comparing text on a 27" vs the 32"...

[@craigneidel]

I have not tested 27 but I test quite a bit of monitors and this is really good for 4k.

[@maryalands]

This one looks very good thanks for the video. Could you tell me which one do you choose between the MA270U (the 27” version of yours) and dell u2723QE? Both are currently the same price, ~500 euros, don’t want to spend more than that! Thanks

[@craigneidel]

I like the BenQ IMO. They are very good for the Mac.

[@strengthbydesign]

Just ordered one, really looking forward to it

[@craigneidel]

Good luck with everything.

[@ondrejvaclavik795]

Thank you for the detailed review! Do you think a 90W USB-C charger is sufficient to power a 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Max chip? From what I understand, this model requires 96W (unlike the 14-inch version). Thanks again!

[@craigneidel]

I think that would be fine.

[@prsearls]

An interesting review, Craig. I have a BenQ monitor on my "pending purchase" list (probably around Black Friday). My current NEC monitor is a 1440p and I'm going to stay with that resolution. Getting Adobe RGB color is very important to me for accurate printing so I'm going with the SW272Q but if that was not a requirement, your monitor would be high on my list. BenQ's software has lots of features and seems easy to use.

[@craigneidel]

Yes, for sure. Overall I think for most people this monitor is great if they own a Mac. If you do professional work then the PD3225U might be a slightly better choice but this is the best for most I would think.

[@alp4info]

CN- On-point yet again... Thanks! ✊🏾

[@craigneidel]

Thank you.

[@riasure]

This video arrived just in time for me:-)! Am wanting to purchase a new monitor to use in conjunction with my MacBook Pro. Currently my MBP and monitor are connected to an OWC hub. Could I connect this to the OWC hub instead of going straight from monitor to MBP? And in doing so will i have all the same colour match options as I would do going directly? Thanks

[@craigneidel]

Thanks for watching and good luck.

[@peterjohnpj2778]

Craig just a question do you think that apple may increase the internal storage of the apple tv ???? cheers thanks

[@craigneidel]

I heard they might drop the cost to $99 so I would not guess they would do that. But, you never know.

[@1Aquadon]

Thanks Craig!!

[@craigneidel]

You are welcome.

[@altadena57]

Craig; I just came across several of you videos re: choosing a great monitor for the new M4 Mac mini, Mac book Pro, etc. I've seen several references to an issue that I would like your to ask for your expertise to help me, and probably others, to understand the issue and whether it's a "problem", or what? The issue is that the M series Macs are rated as "5K'' for their monitor compatibility, and so using a "4K" monitor creates less sharpness, apparently especially noticeable with text. I'll admit I'm being lazy in asking you to sort this out; I could do a deep dive and try and figure it out myself, but I was hoping maybe you could do the deep dive and make a separate video with you findings and recommendations. Perhaps, for us newbies, you could start by explaining what 5K, 4K, 1440, etc means, and what "scaling" is, how to choose the right resolution, etc. Thanks for all your good reviews so far.

[@craigneidel]

There are some good videos on scaling out there and I would search for them on KZbin. Everybody is going to be different and may notice scaling issues more than others and some monitors handle them better. For me the BenQ MA320U is one of the best at doing it and that is why I really liked that monitor.

[@altadena57]

Thanks. I have found some other good videos re: scaling and other monitor spec’s. Thanks for the quick response. I just subscribed 😊

[@craigneidel]

Thank you.

[@JohnDay-ng3tu]

Good Morning Thank you for making this video re my previous request.The Benq MA320U Looks like a good choice re my needs as a non gamer just for every day use browsing e mails and a little video editing AND A GOOD PICTURE QUALITY. .Currently not available in Canada through amazon.Any suggestions where i can purchase this in Canada.?? also re ViewSonic VP3256-4K 32"Premium ips 4k is this a equivalent monitor , that will work with the mac mini m4 coming out soon. Any remarks would be great to hear from you.Or should i just stay with the new Benq MA320U AS SUGGESTED. OR just wait. THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT VIDEOS

[@craigneidel]

@@JohnDay-ng3tu I have not used ViewSonic directly but maybe wait for BenQ in my opinion. It's popular so out of stock but I'm sure it will be back soon.

[@bunty672744]

Hi Craig. Will 27" 4k be a better fit for Mac or 27" 2k? I dont mind scaling but the text has to look sharp and big, i am a programmer. I dont want to go above 27" for my personal preferences, i dont find anything bigger convenient

[@craigneidel]

I have the 32 so can't really answer that but I assume the text would be slightly sharper on that model. I recommend trying it and just return it if not up to your standards since everybody has different levels of sharpness.

[@bunty672744]

@@craigneidel Unfortunately here we cannot return electronics once bought. And there is now here we can try before buy. So dependent on great reviewers like yourself for the feedback :)

[@craigneidel]

The problem with reviewers or me reviewing is I'm only one person. I get products that may last years for me but I have 1 unit normally. It's possible that others who have the same product are seeing different issues or quality defects I don't. So I give more of a product showcase and then tell people to look at many other avenues etc. But I understand what you mean. What country are you in where you can't return electronics? I have never heard of that before.

[@bunty672744]

@@craigneidel I understand. India, we cannot return electronics once bought.

[@pattip8110]

I wish they had this in a 40" Thanks for reviewing this monitor! I just bought the curved Alienware aw3225qf OLED monitor on sale for $1299 and prefer this price 😅and its. I need it for music production, editing and productivity!

[@craigneidel]

Yeah, not too many places are making 40 iinch monitors but for a 32" this is a great value. Thanks for watching.

[@seniordiscount7055]

This monitor or the PD 3220U on sale at $799? Using for general productivity.

[@craigneidel]

This monitor is going to be quite a bit brighter. If you can get the PD3225U for $799 but for this or the PD3220U I might go with this one.

[@bernieemmons3973]

Hello. This monitor will be centered on the 60" desk, and the power supply is at the side of the desk. How long is the power cord?

[@craigneidel]

like 3 or 4 feet. You might need a power PDU to meet it half way.

[@LuisRamirez-jm3df]

Hey there, great review! Just wanted to point out technically it is less than a third of the Apple Studio Display considering the BenQ already comes default with the Nano Matte Coating, whereas that costs an extra $300 for the Studio Display. Also with the BenQ you’re already getting a fully adjustable stand WITH a VESA mount, whereas that isn’t even an option with the Studio Display, and an adjustable stand there costs another $400 🙄

[@craigneidel]

I guess that is ture and thanks for watching.

[@viraj1805]

Can I use for Ps5 , watching Netflix and working on MacBook?

[@craigneidel]

@@viraj1805 for sure....

[@conorburke6008]

if I connect my MacBook Air via usb C can I use the second USB C port on the monitor (15W) to connect a webcam to the monitor and will it work with my MacBook?

[@craigneidel]

I would ask that on the Amazon page. I will see if I can check this if I get a bit of time too.

[@bobby07241]

great video, this monitor is not available in Mexico is a shame

[@craigneidel]

It may be one day as it appears they are limited in quantity now.

[@jaymeez]

Not bad hopefully a good Black Friday Cyber Monday sale will pop up

[@craigneidel]

I'll be watching.

[@bencorwin]

Is it matte?

[@craigneidel]

Yes, more of a Matte screen

[@longaker]

Stores label the monitor as “White” but it looks silver. Can you share your experience with the exterior color? Thx

[@craigneidel]

@@longaker the one I have is silver

[@ES-yi8vv]

Do they make one of these with a webcam?

[@craigneidel]

I think you need to buy extra webcam.

[@bennyh.5784]

Could I also use the monitor for image editing? As a rule, I only edit images in SRGB mode…

[@craigneidel]

I don't see why not.

[@PawFromTheBroons]

Apple should really give us a 32-inch display. I'm less fussed about the 60hz than the 27-inch of their current lineup.

[@craigneidel]

That BenQ is pretty good for what it is. Hopefully apple comes out with a few new models too.

[@myytcommentspace-yi4um]

Hi Graig ! Help pls !! I just set up benQ monitor with my brand new Mac Studio and all worked and connected. I imported media - cool . Than check for updates and I got Sequoia update running so I run out with my dog out. Came back and both powered but monitor is black , keyboard and mouse don’t bring monitor to life. Rebooted still nothing. I am hopeless- help

[@craigneidel]

I am not sure what that could be. I assume you checked power and things like that.

[@DeliveringTrends]

I just don't understand why they didn't include the promotion or 120hz display inside the monitor, even if that costs a little extra I'd pay for it. Essentially all mac users with the macbooks that have the promotion will probably be disappointed. I am not sure but this is just a thought.

[@craigneidel]

Yes but I guess they figured since studio display is 60 they could keep at 60.

[@NikosGogosChannel]

The monitor is awesome but you didn’t mention the worst unboxing experience in the history of products

[@craigneidel]

Yeah, but I don't care too much about that. It's a crazy box but what can you do.

[@ErikThiart]

ppi makes it not compatible

[@craigneidel]

Very clear and works great.

[@jansix4287]

It’s ridiculous that monitors now have a rounded back like old Intel iMacs, without a computer in it. 🙂‍↔️

[@craigneidel]

Yes, but I don't see the back to be honest and this thing is massive and bright. It's a nice value I think.

[@alp4info]

Cooling!

[@jansix4287]

@@alp4info Yeah, the energy consumption on these panels is also too damn high.

[@craigneidel]

Then it's not right for you.

[@maxdronov]

my benq has a lot of issues with mac book connection - a lot of issues

[@craigneidel]

What BenQ are you using?

[@AlainGuindon]

Nice product, but out of stock so irrelevant.

[@craigneidel]

@@AlainGuindon I mean come on. It will come back. I love how you feel compelled to text that when I'm sure it could take 3 days and be back. Funny

[@AlainGuindon]

@@craigneidel I hope you’re right, but I have found that out of stock has been common for suppliers, with Dell as well here in Canada for the models in this price range. Your review is not irrelevant, but there’s still no stock.

[@craigneidel]

@@AlainGuindon Right now in the US it has 9 in stock on Amazon. I'm in the US so I'm not sure about the Canadian Amazon but I think you can find it other places like their website or places like B&H etc. if they ship there. Thanks for watching.

[@Frap710]

4k’s are dead on arrival for Mac, the bad pixel density doesn’t compete, and I believe also causes scaling.

[@craigneidel]

@@Frap710 ok . It's great for me and I'm using it.

[@frankhu8692]

the fk price doesn't compete either, only 1/3 of studio display

[@JustinOwenVideo]

Yes & no. 4K @ 27” would be no good due to scaling. But as it’s 32” you get away with it, albeit less pixel density (so no retina essentially).Studio display it isn’t, but would love to see one to see if it’s worth it for light/medium use…

[@ben22201]

Which 5K would you recommend then?

[@Frap710]

@@ben22201 I bought an Apple Studio Display because there are no good competitors and it sucks. It looks good, but is only 60hz and 600nits. Kind of shit stats for a $1400 monitor. Still better than plastic trash that won’t wake properly

[@ABUBAKRHAMZACAPERS]

Will this scale well with the new Mac Mini’s M4? Text?

[@craigneidel]

I like it but everybody's different

[@gkillmaster]

Wow, I was going to buy this and I can't find anywhere that confirms it's an IPS panel. Not on Amazon or on the BenQ site. I'm baffled!

[@craigneidel]

It says IPS on stats page

[@gkillmaster]

@@craigneidel o great!!! much appreciated.

[@BombDaBass2000]

its not IPS - its Backlit LED

[@gkillmaster]

@@BombDaBass2000 from the spec sheet at BenQ: Panel Type IPS Backlight Technology LED backlight

[@craigneidel]

Yes, don't post unless you know for sure. It's IPS and says right on the specs page on BenQ. So it's 100 percent IPS.