The monitor is probably the most important part of your Mac configuration after the Mac itself—after all, you can’t use a desktop computer without a monitor, and even a 16-inch MacBook Pro screen may seem cramped on the mornings when you work efficiently. By connecting multiple monitors to your Mac and expanding your desktop space, you can expand your work more freely.

Since you will spend a lot of time staring at the screen, investing wisely is crucial. Not only do you need a display that experiences pleasant visually, the quality of the screen image may also directly affect your productivity.

However, choosing a new monitor can be daunting. Not only do you have to choose from a lot of brands, but you also have to consider various sizes, resolutions and features - we say "many", which means it's really a lot . We are here to provide you with purchasing guidance and share some key points when choosing a monitor.

Best Mac monitors of 2025

Here are the best Mac desktop monitors we have tested. If you want to carry a large screen out of the box or not to use it for easy storage, we have also organized the most suitable portable monitors for Mac separately.

We have listed Apple's Pro Display XDR and Apple Studio Display, not because they must be the best choice, but for comparison and reference.

BenQ PD3225U – Cost-effective 4K Mac monitor

Size: 31.5 inches
Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Interfaces: Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 3, 3 USB-A ports, 1 USB-C port, 1 USB-B port, 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, 1 DisplayPort 1.4, audio port
Camera: None
Bracket: Supports height, tilt, rotation adjustment
Direction: horizontal

The BenQ PD3225U 4K monitor has excellent display effects and a variety of practical functions, which are ideal for design, desktop layout, and photo and video editing. It is an all-round monitor. With the Thunderbolt interface, it also serves as an ideal docking station for Mac.

Connected via Thunderbolt, the monitor provides four USB ports and an additional Thunderbolt port to form an efficient expansion center. The second Thunderbolt interface also supports daisy chaining and can be used to access the second monitor. The remaining interfaces are located on the back of the monitor. The PD3225U also comes with two HDMI 2.0 interfaces and DisplayPort 1.4.

Thanks to peak brightness of up to 400 nits and 2000:1 contrast ratio, the content on the PD3225U is always clear and recognizable. The PD3225Q panel has uniform brightness, no halo or other display problems. The matte screen surface is coated with an anti-glare coating, which can effectively reduce light source reflection. It is also compatible with BenQ's Display ColorTalk and Palette Master Ultimate color calibration tools.

PD3225U also supports BenQ's own Display Pilot software, and users can easily control monitor settings through the Mac menu bar. —— Christian Rentrop

Read our full review of BenQ PD3225U

Apple Pro Display XDR – Apple's top professional 6K monitor

Size: 32 inches
Resolution: 6K (6016×3384 pixels)
Interface: Thunderbolt 3 (96W powered), 3 USB-Cs
Camera: None
Bracket: Supports height, tilt, rotation (extra price $999/￡949)
Direction: horizontal; can be turned vertically with bracket

Apple's high-end Pro Display XDR is amazing in engineering design, and we can hardly find any problem in image quality and color performance. But such a high price and configuration determine that it is only suitable for a specific professional user group.

The XDR has amazing specifications: 32-inch, 6K resolution, 40% more screen space than Apple's 5K display, and peak brightness can reach 1,600 nits (1,000 nits for continuous brightness). But the price is amazing, especially if you want to match the Pro Stand for flexible adjustment and rotation.

Although it is expensive for ordinary consumers, it is not designed for the mass market, but is aimed at professional creative people.

Thanks to industry-leading polarization technology, XDR can maintain consistent image quality performance at an ultra-wide perspective, making it easier for creative teams to gather in front of a monitor to review photos, videos or design projects without color deviations.

With Thunderbolt connection, it also provides up to 96W of charging power to MacBook. ——Neil Bennett

Read our full review of Apple Pro Display XDR

Apple Studio Display – Apple's "people-friendly" 5K production-grade display

Size: 27 inches
Resolution: 5K (5120×2880 pixels)
Interface: Thunderbolt 3 (96W powered), 3 USB-Cs
Camera: 12 million pixels
Bracket: Supports tilt adjustment; height adjustable bracket requires an additional $400/￡400
Direction: horizontal; with a VESA adapter of $1,599/￡1,499, it can support vertical

As a production-purpose monitor, Studio Display is expensive, but it is already an "affordable" choice compared to Pro Display XDR. Users can enjoy their elegant design, good picture quality and excellent spatial audio experience, but they can save more money if you choose a non-Apple brand monitor.

Apple monitors have always been known for their outstanding picture quality, and Studio Display continues this tradition. Full colors, excellent contrast and brightness are suitable for most daily tasks.

Studio Display comes with a stand with adjustable tilt angle, but it cannot rotate horizontally and vertically like the Pro Display XDR unless it is equipped with an expensive VESA adapter. You can also purchase a stand that offers about 10 cm height adjustment, but it is not cheap either – an additional $400/￡400 for sloping and height adjustment is available.

The monitor has six speakers built in (four force-countering woofers and two high-performance tweeters), and the sound quality is far better than any other monitor we have ever used.

With Thunderbolt connection, it provides up to 96W of charging power to MacBook. ——Roman Loyola

Read our full review of Apple Studio Display

Samsung M8 Smart Monitor (2024) – Best 32-inch 4K Monitor

Size: 32 inches
Resolution: 4K (3840×2160 pixels)
Interfaces: Micro-HDMI (with HDMI adapter), 1 x USB-C (video input), 1 x USB-C (peripheral connection), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 5, AirPlay, Thread
Camera: HD
Bracket: Supports tilt and height adjustment (standard)
Direction: horizontal

Samsung M8 smart display has been a popular choice for home users since its release in 2022, with its 32-inch 4K resolution display priced below Apple's expensive 27-inch Studio Display. The M80D model (the fourth generation update model) has been upgraded in multiple functions, only for $699.99/￡549, and is extremely cost-effective.

The M8's glass panel still offers 4K resolution and 400 nits of brightness, while the M80D has been optimized in other aspects to improve cost performance. The monitor is divided into three parts and needs to be manually assembled, with a plastic case and a removable 1080p camera that is slightly light and thin. However, the M8 is not a mobile device, so it is absolutely fine to put it on the desktop at home for daily use.

M8 supports HDR content and 99% sRGB color gamut standards, which are sufficient to meet basic graphics processing, photo editing and presentation needs. However, professional photographers or video editors who need more accurate DCI-P3 color gamuts need to consider higher price options.

The interface configuration of the M80D has been adjusted: 1 USB-C, 1 HDMI and 2 USB-A ports, while the old model has 2 USB-C and 1 HDMI. However, it still supports Bluetooth connection to peripherals, Wi-Fi and AirPlay. Apple users can wirelessly stream audio to the M8 speaker, or mirror the Mac or iPad screen to the M8 without cables.

The M8 is not just an ordinary computer monitor, it has a built-in "entertainment center" and includes applications such as Netflix, YouTube, Xbox game services and web browsers. Some features are not available to Mac users, such as not being able to pair with Samsung Galaxy watches to monitor fitness data, and the Easy Settings app is only for Windows users. Samsung can further optimize the M8's screen menu and control logic.

Although the workmanship is not up to Apple's level and the menu system is a bit messy, the M8 is still an attractive and affordable 4K monitor for home users, outperforming Apple's more expensive Studio Display. ——Cliff Joseph

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