BenQ MA270U Review: Pairs nicely with the new Mac mini without breaking the bank – 9to5Mac

For me, one of the biggest issues with making the switch from a MacBook to a Mac mini was the display aspect of it. MacBooks all have fairly great displays, especially on the MacBook Pro. However, finding a good display that pairs nicely with a Mac desktop always feels like a little bit of a challenge.You either have to go with Apple’s expensive options, or compromise significantly on the experience with a third party. Some common compromises include poor brightness, a lack of USB-C, or a lack of macOS integration. While the BenQ MA270U certainly isn’t a Studio Display replacement, it performs excellently in all of the qualities that matter to me.First things first, this display comes in at $459. That’s cheaper than the Mac mini, even if you’re buying one from the education store. At that price point, it packs an aluminum stand, 400 nits of brightness, USB-C connectivity, and a built in USB hub. It’s a 4K 27″ display, and also offers 2 HDMI ports for plugging in a game console or anything else you might want on your desk.The built in USB hub is a great perk. The monitor offers two USB-A ports and an additional USB-C port, allowing you to connect up to 3 USB connections to your Mac through one cable. It also provides 90W of power via USB-C, which’ll recharge your MacBook quickly – if you’re using one. The USB-A ports come in clutch as well, since the M4 Mac mini doesn’t include them.Some will point out that 400 nits of brightness is a little sub-par, which is certainly true compared to Apple’s displays. However, this isn’t a super big deal for indoor usage. Many monitors in this class only have 250-350 nits, so I’m more than happy to have 400 at this price tag.The aluminum stand is also a nice touch, making the MA270U feel a decent bit premium.Lastly, there’s Display Pilot 2. This companion app allows you to control the brightness and volume of the display from within macOS. This is a rare feature on non-Apple displays, and normally you have to regularly fidget with physical buttons on the display. You won’t have to do that on the MA270U, and I’m happy to say that. You also don’t need to use the companion app necessarily, keyboard controls also work for brightness and volume control.Overall, the MA270U a great balance of everything important to me: decent brightness, USB-C connectivity, and a decent price point. At $459, it’s hard to go wrong with this display. There’s also a 32-inch variant available for $599.If you’re a fellow Mac mini user searching for a nice external display to pair with it, I’d highly recommend this monitor. The aforementioned companion app also has a feature to match its color profile with Apple’s, allowing for a close-to-stock appearance.Buy BenQ MA270U (27-inch):Buy BenQ MA320U (32-inch):Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, InstagramFTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:All the products that the 9to5Mac team has revie…Michael is 9to5Mac’s Weekend Editor, keeping up with all of the latest Apple news on Saturday and Sunday. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer in his free time, and has published numerous apps over the years.Manage push notifications

Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/02/15/benq-ma270u-review-pairs-nicely-with-mac-mini/