Question Replacing a 2015 iMac: what's a good monitor?

[craigbot]

Total newbie here.

Gone are the days apparently when I can walk into an Apple store and get an integrated iMac with computer and screen to replace what I have now, which is a 2015 iMac with a 27-inch 5120 × 2880 display. I really like the 27-inch size and would prefer not to go smaller with the current 24" iMac. So I'm thinking a Mac mini or Studio. The separate 27-inch Mac Studio display seems expensive at $1599 compared to other non-Apple monitors but its resolution is 5120 x 2880, which is what I have now. But even though the specs look good--600 nits for example--I've read some really critical reviews.

When I stack it up against a well reviewed 27-inch monitor like the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE, it's 1/3 of the price, less bright in the specs at 400 nits and lower resolution at 3840 x 2160. So questions:

What do you think of the 27-inch Mac Studio display?
Am I missing something in thinking that it's superior to say a Dell UltraSharp U2723QE?
Are there other monitors in the 5120 × 2880 resolution range to look at?
Any advice on a Mac mini vs Studio for photo editing?

Thanks much in advance especially for tolerating a newbie.

 

[velocityg4]

LG has one, the 27MD5KL-B. I think it is the same panel as used in the 2019/2020 iMac 27. Just without the glass. Other than that you'll have to wait for the Samsung Viewfinity S9 to come to market. I think the ones from HP and Dell are long discontinued. They probably just used the same panel as the previous LG model.

 

[sarcophagus_macabre]

The LG monitor is $600 less than the Apple one @ Microcenter...

I would suggest the Studio for any sort of content creation. The 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back, plus 2 USB c 4.0 ports on the front for the base Studio, or 2 more Thunderbolt 4 ports on the Studios with the M2 Ultra chip. Base Studio has 12 cpu cores, 30 gpu cores, 32 gb unified memory, 512 G ssd. Lots of options to dramatically increase the price.

I got a M1 Studio last year, it's not quite as fast as my Ryzen 7 5800x system, but keeps up pretty well...