Samsung 27" ViewFinity S9 Series 5K Computer Monitor, Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, Matte Display, 4K Slimfit-Camera, Slim Metal Design, AirPlay, Smart-TV Apps, Gaming Hub, LS27C900PANXZA

I got this monitor to bolster my home office setup. I am running a MacBook Pro with a Sonnet Echo 20 docking station. I wanted a monitor that would support daisy chaining in the future however, so that meant thunderbolt compatibility or USB connectivity. I found this monitor with Thunderbolt 4 support and 5k resolution instead of "just" 4k. I've always had good experiences with Samsung displays, TV's and monitors. Anyway, the closest competition I could find really were the Apple displays themselves, which, while VERY nice are just hugely more expensive. I didn't want to spend that kind of $$ right now. The monitor arrived and literally took 5 minutes to fully assemble. I set it up and it went thru an initial configuration process that was easy and step by step. The included remote feels nice and not cheap as well. Bottome line, this display is fantastic. Everything is easy on the eyes and the picture is so sharp and detailed. I was also impressed with and surprised by the built in speakers the monitor has. I feed my computer audit through some Apple HomePod speakers so won't be using the built in speakers but during the initial setup, audit played thru those speakers and was nice and clear, with surprising range and bass for "built in" speakers on a monitor. Overall, I'm very happy with this monitor and if I do add the second monitor soon, I'm pretty much certain I'll be getting another of these to link up!

Overall, the monitor worked poorly with Mac. I had an M3 MacBook Pro, and M1 Mac mini that I connected it to. Neither of them worked well with the connections. It would wake up randomly and go to a count down screen for one minute that was very bright. Also, there is an issue with connecting devices with the USB-C in the back and I had to send it back for warranty. I should’ve just returned it. The warranty takes Forever with Samsung. I don’t think I’ll buy a Samsung again for any product line if I can help it. The money saved was not worth it. They’ve had it for a month, finally said they couldn’t fix it, and they were gonna procure a new one, and then after a few weeks they said they didn’t have one. I will never use Samsung warranty again. I did like how the monitor looked while I was actively using it so I thought I would try and go through the warranty. Big mistake.If you’re buying a 5K monitor, this one is really not worth the money that you save. It’s also filled with Samsung‘s bloatware that their smart TVs are filled with, so it makes no sense to the user that they would install that junk on a work oriented monitor. Switching inputs is difficult as well if you have multiple devices connected. Sometimes the other devices inputs disappear from the UI. So you have to completely power off and power on the monitor to switch devices sometimes.Overall, a big mistake ordering this, if you’re looking to save some money from the Apple studio monitor I would look at some of the other alternative such as Ben Q now has a 5K, or Asus has one as well.

Be aware that if you buy this "open-box, excellent condition" you will likely not receive the webcam. I did get the remote though--which is CRITICAL for using this monitor unlike other monitors.Some annoying quirks--controlling brightness is a real pain in the behind. Macs can control non-apple monitors' brightness with software tools like Monitor Control....but NOT THIS ONE. I can't explain why, as I've used 4 other monitors whose brightness controlled over DDC but this S9 will not respond.So your best bet is to use the automatic brightness control, which helps. But when you first use your machine in the morning the monitor will wake up to FULL daylight-by-the window brightness and I have to look away or leave the area for about 90 seconds for the monitor to realize and dial it down. Otherwise, it is good at reading the room's brightness through a sensor on the bottom beneath the "chin."The remote may be nice to have for watching tv on the built-in operating system but I don't let the monitor connect to my wifi. But I keep the remote on my desk to tweak brightness now and then, and THAT IS FRUSTRATING because even after firmware updates, the monitor's menu interface is SLUGGISH and moves between pages like a burner android phone from 2018.So because I got this monitor at 55% off by using open-box I didn't get the webcam, and the controls for even basic brightness are annoying beyond what I read and expected. I am keeping it because 5K screens are rare but work fantastically with Mac, and this monitor's screen panel is absolutely great. It's just quirky to control and my purchase experience is marred by missing accessories. I considered sending it back to exchange but I suspect I'd likely get a replacement without a webcam again so I gave up on that. Good luck. If I could have gotten an Studio Display open-box with the same savings, I definitely would have preferred that.