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Affordable 5K Display for Mac: ASUS ProArt PA27JCV Review ($799)

9:01 video

What if you could get a 5K display for your Mac for under $1,000? ASUS has a new 5K ProArt display, the PA27JCV, for $799, and I’ve been using it for the past few days.

Why Mac users want 5K

Because of how macOS scaling works, and Apple’s preference for Retina displays, interface elements are meant to be a certain size no matter how big the display is. The result is a sharper image on a 27-inch 5K display than on a 27-inch 4K display scaled to look like 1440p. For years, the only real 5K options have been the Apple Studio Display and the Samsung ViewFinity S9.

The PA27JCV is 60 Hz, rated at 400 nits (500 with HDR) and a 1500:1 contrast ratio, with ProArt’s reputation for color accuracy.

Design

The display itself is clean and minimal, with thin bezels on three sides and a slightly bulgy, ribbed chin with the logo. Six buttons and a joystick sit on the right side; as a Mac user who rarely changes display settings, I’d rather they were on the back.

The two-piece silver stand is metal wrapped in plastic, with the ProArt logo, the resolution, and an Energy Star sticker on the base. Why? It adjusts height, swivel and tilt and rotates fully. The cable pass-through is too low, though: at any normal height you’ll see the cables in the middle of the stand.

I do like the built-in power supply, so there’s no big ugly brick.

Ports and KVM

The main USB-C input carries the display signal and 96 W of charging. You can also connect HDMI or DisplayPort and use the second USB-C port for data, which enables a KVM: press a button on the front to switch the display and the built-in USB ports between two computers.

Those ports are limited to 5 Gb/s, so they’re not a good option for external SSDs. I’d add a hub instead.

CalDigit sponsored this video, with its Element Hub (a Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 hub with eight ports).

Color and uniformity

Out of the box in native color mode, I measured 99% of P3 (right on target) and 89% of Adobe RGB (a little shy of the 95% spec). Average Delta E was 1.13, so color deviations are pretty much imperceptible.

Uniformity is where it falls down:

  • Backlight bleed on all four sides, obvious even in the letterbox bars of videos. Most people won’t care, but I notice it.
  • Hot spots and uneven color, especially around the mouse pointer, caused by local dimming. Turning local dimming off made the panel much more uniform and raised contrast from 1500:1 to 1700:1, but did nothing for the bleed.
  • Dimmer edges at a normal viewing distance, maybe from the LuxPixel anti-glare coating. That coating does a good job hiding glare and reflections, though.

To be clear, there are no perfect LCD panels, and it performs about as well as the Samsung ViewFinity S9. I don’t bother with HDR on regular backlit LCDs anymore; you need OLED or lots of dimming zones.

Everything else

  • No camera, unlike the Studio Display or ViewFinity S9.
  • The speakers are absolute trash. I don’t understand why ASUS put them in.
  • On a Mac, the only way to change volume or brightness is clicking through the on-screen menu with the joystick. ASUS has a widget tool for Windows, but nothing for Mac.
  • Sleep takes a few seconds and flashes blue for some reason. Wake is fine.

Should you buy it?

For $799 you get 5K that keeps text sharp and macOS elements the right size, a decent design, the ability to connect multiple computers or a console, and good color for photo and video editing. You don’t get Mac integration, a webcam, decent speakers or a useful hub, and the backlight bleed shows in full-screen video. Those are the same issues you’ll find on most displays that don’t cost $1,600.

  • Why the Studio Display costs twice as much: an all-metal build, better backlight and uniformity, a camera, speakers and Mac integration. It’s just a better product.
  • Want Mac integration and fine with 4K? The 27-inch BenQ MA series is $599.
  • The other 5K option: the Samsung ViewFinity S9 debuted at $1,600 but has been on sale for around $150 less than the ASUS. It looks as good, with the same backlight issues, plus its own apps, speakers and camera. If 5K on a budget is what matters most, I’d probably choose it on price alone.

In this video

  • 0:00 a NEW 5K option
  • 0:17 why 5k?
  • 0:46 specs
  • 0:59 design
  • 1:27 stand
  • 2:00 built in power supply
  • 2:06 connections, ports, and KVM
  • 3:48 testing the display and accuracy
  • 4:23 backlight bleed and color uniformity
  • 4:47 disable local dimming fixed the color
  • 5:21 dimmer at the sides
  • 5:37 matte
  • 6:00 no camera, bad speakers, no Mac integration
  • 6:38 wake and sleep
  • 6:47 should you buy the Asus pa27jcv
  • 7:28 Asus vs the others

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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