Switching from Dual LG UltraFine 5K Displays to the LG 32U990A-S 6K

I recently switched my desk setup to the LG 32U990A-S 32-inch UltraFine 6K. For years, I’d been running two of the now-discontinued LG 27MD5KL-B UltraFine 5K monitors, built specifically for Mac. Those displays had excellent macOS integration, so I was curious how the new 6K model would compare. Overall, it’s been great. It doesn’t get quite as bright as Apple’s Pro Display XDR, but for coding, it’s been excellent, plenty sharp, lots of space, and a really nice single-display setup after years of running dual monitors. It fits two browser windows side by side, each ~1530px wide. Best of all, I have one screen right in front of me, no more tweaking my neck all day long looking side-to-side.

There are a couple of things to be aware of, though.

First, the macOS shortcut integration isn’t quite the same as those older Mac-focused LG panels. In particular, LG Switch (LG’s utility for managing monitor settings, screen layouts, and audio through macOS) can get in the way more than it helps. If you let it manage the monitor’s audio, it can take over volume controls and prevent you from adjusting the macOS system volume for headphones and other devices. That’s not ideal. I’ve found it better to keep LG Switch uninstalled, and to use tools like Lunar for brightness and display control.

Another difference from the old UltraFine 5K is that there’s no built-in webcam, so you’ll want to add one separately. On the connectivity side, I use a CalDigit TS5 for all my peripherals, but I learned the hard way that the 6K can’t share a Thunderbolt link with the dock — running the monitor through the CalDigit caused the screen to flicker, the 6K needs more bandwidth than the daisy-chain leaves behind. The fix is to plug both the CalDigit and the monitor directly into the Mac on their own Thunderbolt ports. With that split, everything is rock solid.

Overall, after a few weeks with the new setup in a developer environment, I'm pleased.