I am looking for an external display that will match my MBP M1 display in the clarity (resolution) of mostly Word texts for writing.
I own an LG Ultrafine 21.5 4K display (love it) but need another display for a different location (either 24 or 27"). It runs on usb-c, not HDMI (no complaints)
Is there an advantage to having HDMI or Usb-c?
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 26.1
with an M1, your direct HDMI output is limited to 4K at 60 Hz and HDR=OFF.
USB-C or a USB-C cable/adapter to DisplayPort has slightly higher limits, and can run with HDR=ON. (That's 10 bits/color vs 8/bits/color).
A Thunderbolt Display, or a ThunderBolt Dock, can run Higher speeds, such as a Higher speed DisplayPort, and higher resolutions and refresh rates.
Adapting a USB-C port TO HDMI for an HDMI-only display is a losing proposition and should generally not be attempted. You need a DIRECT HDMI output (with more capability than your M1 Mac has) to go higher HDMI-only.
This is quite helpful. Thanks.
I am trying to understand this technology and thinking about future-proofing as well.
Would the current MBP model with an M5 chip be capable of higher speeds and resolutions than the M1 version, either with the native display and/or with a Thunderbolt capable external display? It is hard to imagine a display that is crisper than my MBP M1, which my LG display appears to match, at least for still texts and images.
HDMI vs USB-C for external displays
