Best Thunderbolt monitors for Mac in 2024
UnsplashThunderbolt monitors often outshine their USB-C counterparts. If you’re looking to buy one for your Mac, here are the 5 top Thunderbolt monitors to consider.
The best Thunderbolt monitors for Mac offer many advantages over the ones with USB-C. While Thunderbolt (3 and 4) share the same connector as USB-C, they are nothing alike in terms of performance.
There are a whole lot of Thunderbolt monitors you can buy for your Mac, but if you’re confused about which one to get, keep reading. We have listed the 5 best Thunderbolt monitors for Mac. Most of these monitors use Thunderbolt 3 and come from brands like Samsung, BenQ, LG, and even Apple.
1. Samsung ViewFinity S9
Key specs
- Size: 27-inch
- Resolution: 5120 x 2880
- Thunderbolt port: 1x Thunderbolt 4
- Price: $1,599
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent color accuracy | Expensive |
| Adjustable stand and matte screen | |
| Sleek design |
Samsung ViewFinity S9 is currently the best Thunderbolt monitor for Mac. It offers almost the same features as the Apple Studio display but often costs a lot less. It has a 27-inch panel that features up to 600 nits brightness, 5120 x 2880 (5K) resolution, and 60Hz refresh rate. The monitor has 1x Thunderbolt 4 port, 3x USB-C, 1x mini-DisplayPort. You get 90W power delivery too.
The Samsung monitor also brings a 4K webcam that attaches magnetically to the back of the display. Its design resembles that of Apple Studio with similar, sleek styling. Samsung ViewFinity S9 comes standard with tilt, height, and pivot adjustment— you need to pay an extra $400 to get these features on an Apple Studio.
2. BenQ PD2725U
Key specs
- Size: 27-inch
- Resolution: 3840×2160
- Thunderbolt port: 1x Thunderbolt 3
- Price: $899
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent color accuracy | Expensive |
| On-screen display and shortcut keys | Poor built-in speakers |
| Sleek design |
BenQ PD2725U is a high-quality 4K display aimed at creative professionals. Its 27-inch panel offers clear, crisp images with excellent color accuracy. In addition to the Thunderbolt 3 port, it also has USB-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI inputs.
BenQ has specially designed the monitor to be paired with a Mac. It ships with default color settings that perfectly match Mac and MacBook Pro laptop colors. There’s an exclusive M-Book mode that provides active color syncing. You also have the option to daisy chain via Thunderbolt 3 to extend your workspace on up to two 4K monitors.
3. Apple Studio Display
Key specs
- Size: 27-inch
- Resolution: 5120 x 2880
- Thunderbolt port: 1x Thunderbolt 3
- Price: $1599
| Pros | Cons |
| 5K resolution | Lackluster webcam |
| Excellent mic | No HDR, no local dimming, no variable refresh |
| Great speakers | Expensive |
If you have the budget, Apple Studio Display is the best Thunderbolt monitor to pair with a Mac. You get top-notch features like 5K resolution, 600 nits brightness, and 96W power delivery. Apple Studio has a Thunderbolt 3 port instead of a Thunderbolt 4 port featured on the Samsung ViewFinity S9. There’s not much difference between the two except that Thunderbolt 4 enforces the 40 Gbps bandwidth.
Apple does a better job of integrating its own display into the Mac interface, so you might get a better experience going with the Apple Studio (if it’s in your budget).
4. LG UltraFine 27
Key specs
- Size: 27-inch
- Resolution: 5120 x 2880
- Thunderbolt port: 2x Thunderbolt 3
- Price: $699
| Pros | Cons |
| Stunning screen | No legacy ports |
| Simple design | Makes going back to lesser screens a challenge |
| Affordable |
The LG UltraFine monitor may be considered somewhat outdated now, but it still boasts features similar to the newer options listed above. Apple itself recommended this monitor until it introduced its own Studio line. A single Thunderbolt 3 cable included with the monitor delivers video, power, and data to your Mac, and it is mounted on an adjustable stand.
The LG UltraFine features a 27-inch screen with 5K resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. With a peak brightness of 500 nits, the monitor offers 2x Thunderbolt ports (1 upstream, 1 downstream up to 40 Gbps), and 3x USB-C 3.1 gen 1 ports up to 5 Gbps.
5. Samsung ViewFinity S6
Key specs
- Size: 27-inch
- Resolution: 5120 x 2880
- Thunderbolt port: 2x Thunderbolt 4
- Price: $800
| Pros | Cons |
| Ease of use | Controls are confusing |
| Picture quality | |
| 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports |
Samsung ViewFinity S6 features a curved panel, making it a great choice for those seeking better viewing angles and a wider field of view. The LED panel on the monitor offers a 100Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution. Additionally, it boasts a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 350 nits peak brightness, 115% sRGB color space coverage, and HDR10 support.
While the response times of 5 ms (GtG) may deter some gamers, the monitor offers AMD FreeSync support to mitigate image tearing. The ViewFinity S6 S65TC also includes a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, as well as built-in speakers.
6. Apple Pro Display XDR
Apple- Size: 32-inch
- Resolution: 6016 x 3384
- Thunderbolt port: 1x Thunderbolt 3
- Price: $5000
| Pros | Cons |
| Great brightness | Too expensive |
| Impressive sharpness | |
| Thunderbolt 3 port |
Apple Pro Display XDR isn’t a normal consumer monitor. It’s meant for professionals and for demanding office tasks. It can be a consumer product if you’re willing to pay $5,000 for it plus $1,000 for the stand. It’s arguably a stunning piece of engineering, and the picture quality and color output are nearly perfect, but at that price and with these features, this is a display for a very specific audience.
Get the monitor if your work involves video editing, photography, 3D animation, and game development. The XDR brings a 32-inch 6K LCD that can hit 1,600 nits of peak brightness. That’s 1,000 nits of sustained brightness from a full-array local dimming backlight composed of 576 special blue LEDs.
It supports true 10-bit color and the full DCI-P3 color gamut, and Apple says that it can hit a million-to-one contrast ratio using certain industry-standard test patterns. Picture quality is maintained at ultrawide viewing angles, thanks to polarizer technology.
Apple Pro Display XDR has four USB-C connections on the back, and one of them is a Thunderbolt 3 port. When connected via Thunderbolt, it can charge a MacBook at up to 96W.
Are Thunderbolt monitors better than USB-C monitors?
Thunderbolt monitors are better than USB-C monitors in many ways. They let you connect multiple displays, whether you’re using a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 monitor. For instance, they can drive a 4K monitor while still having enough bandwidth to send data to other devices.
Plus, with daisy chaining, you can connect up to 5 more Thunderbolt devices in a row, all sharing the bandwidth. That means a total of 6 devices can be hooked up to just one single Thunderbolt 3 port on your computer.
With Thunderbolt 3, you also get 40 Gbps bandwidth over a single cable. For reference, USB 3.1 Gen 1 offers only 5 Gbps while USB 3.1 Gen 2 goes up to 10 Gbps. This itself is a big reason for you to opt for a Thunderbolt monitor. Not to mention, Thunderbolt’s bandwidth is bi-directional, meaning a full 40 Gbps is also available to receive data.
How to choose the best Thunderbolt monitor for Mac
Ultimately, the best Thunderbolt monitor will be the one that fits your needs. See what size you prefer and determine if you need 5K resolution or multiple Thunderbolt ports. A lot will also depend on how much you are willing to spend. The options listed above fall into different price categories. You might find some of them available for a lot cheaper if your timing is right.
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