With a budget of 3000 yuan, how can you build an "Apple monitor" by yourself?

Most people have heard of building their own computers. They can buy computer components according to their own needs to assemble desktop computers, and the cost can vary according to personal preferences.

Among them, many people complain that the monitor is one of the components with the most "opaque" prices. For 4K monitors, the prices range from just over a thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan.

Actually, monitors can also be "built". If you can build a monitor worth tens of thousands of yuan for less than half the price, would you be tempted?

It's just a monitor. Easy to build

The monitors we commonly use are mainly composed of four major components: the panel, the driver board (which is responsible for processing the data input from the host into images that the panel can display), the power supply, and the casing (in addition, there are also physical buttons for adjusting the monitor's parameters).

The main price difference lies in the panel and the driver board.

On the premise of the same resolution, most inexpensive monitors use ordinary LCD panels with smaller sizes and color gamuts, lower refresh rates, and relatively average parameters. At the same time, the driver boards of these monitors may have fewer interfaces or may not support the USB - C "single - cable solution".

High - priced monitors use more advanced substrates, larger sizes, higher resolutions or refresh rates, and panels with wider color gamuts, such as the 4K OLED monitors from LG and Samsung priced over ten thousand yuan.

Of course, the driver boards of these monitors also use better materials, have rich interfaces, and can even support ultra - high - speed protocols like Thunderbolt, such as Apple's Studio Display, which costs over ten thousand yuan.

Actually, just like building a computer, these components are similar to the motherboard, CPU, and memory of a computer. Most of them can be bought separately, and then you can build an inexpensive and high - quality monitor by yourself.

Select the right panel

The first thing is to choose the panel.

Apple's Studio Display has a 5K resolution, a maximum brightness of 600 nits, a P3 wide color gamut, and is priced over ten thousand yuan. The panel LG LM270QQ2 used in the previous iMac 5K has highly consistent parameters with the Studio Display, only with slightly lower brightness. You can buy it on Xianyu for less than 2000 yuan.

4K panels are even cheaper. For example, the same panel LM315WR2 as the LG 32UL950 (priced over 8000 yuan) only costs about 1500 yuan on Taobao.

If you don't know the specific panel model, you can select a currently popular monitor and then query its panel model on the Screen Library Network (a database where you can find various monitor panels).

It's very important to clarify your needs. For me, since my work mainly involves writing and designing, it's suitable for me to choose a panel with a larger size and a wider color gamut. If you use the monitor for gaming, you can choose a panel with a slightly lower resolution but a faster refresh rate and screen response speed.

If you're not sure about the panel model, you can start with the driver board.

You can search with keywords like "resolution + refresh rate + driver board". For example, if you enter "5K 60Hz driver board", you can find many universal driver boards that support various 5K 60Hz panels and multiple video input interfaces.

After determining the driver board, it is recommended to buy the power supply and the button board as a complete set. The total cost should not exceed 2000 yuan.

For more specific needs, for example, if you use a Mac and want a tidy desktop, you can spend a little more money to choose a driver board with a USB - C single - cable solution interface. But if you don't care about these, a driver board with only DP and HDMI interfaces will do.

After getting the driver board, directly ask the seller about the specific panel models that the driver board supports.

In contrast, the casing is a troublesome thing. It's almost impossible to find the original - factory monitor casing. Many third - party universal casings are quite ugly and may not be fully compatible with the display panel. So, some minimalists choose to use the monitor without a casing.

However, since 3D printing has become widely popular in recent years, many people choose to use 3D printing to make the casing.

There are many options for the monitor stand. Generally, you can just find one that supports the VESA interface.

After receiving the goods, you just need to assemble the four major components like building Lego according to the driver board manual and panel information provided by the seller.

Most of the wiring is quite simple, and the corresponding sockets and pins are clear.

First, there are the backlight cable and the power cable on the monitor. The cables have a single - sided anti - misplug design. According to the data provided by the seller, connect them to the corresponding sockets on the driver board. Don't force them in.

The more complicated part is the connection between the driver board and the display panel. They are mostly connected by an eDP cable. You need to carefully open the buckles on the driver board and the panel, gently push the cable in, and then press it tightly.

Don't be like me. The first time I operated it, I didn't understand well. I used too much force and cracked the cable, and the cable socket was also damaged... Fortunately, I could ask the seller to send a new cable, and then I bought an eDP cable socket on Taobao and spent 20 yuan at the local computer city to ask a master to solder it on for me.

The eDP interface used to transmit video signals and connect the panel and the driver board | Provided by the author

Some driver boards need a separate power board for heat dissipation and cost reasons (for example, in the picture below, the left one is the power board, and the right one is the driver board supporting the USB - C single - cable solution). In this case, you need to connect an additional power cable. Be sure not to connect the positive and negative poles wrong.

Since it's a self - assembled monitor, you don't have to be too fussy. I just used tape to fix some of the wires | Provided by the author

After assembling, don't rush to install the casing. You can first connect the monitor to the computer and the power supply to see if it can be turned on. Generally speaking, if it can be turned on, it basically means success. When installing the casing, be sure not to tighten the screws too tightly and also be careful not to press on the screen.

Don't be over - enthusiastic. Be cautious

Although you can buy the same panel, you can't 100% reproduce the experience of the original - factory monitor.

It's certain that the appearance and workmanship won't be as good, but these are not the main problems.

First, the panel quality. Monitor manufacturers have stricter quality control over the screens. The panels we buy from other sources may be of lower quality, with shorter service lives and poorer heat control than those from manufacturers. The probability of problems such as aging, screen flickering, and redness after three or four years of use is higher.

At the same time, manufacturers also have the ability to develop special driver boards for the panels to achieve advanced functions such as HDR, blue - light protection, and eye - care. These driver boards are basically not sold separately. You can only try your luck in the second - hand market or choose a universal driver board.

A universal driver board, as the name implies, is not developed specifically for a certain panel but can drive a type of panel. It can ensure basic use, but the advanced functions mentioned above are not available.

Second, just like installing an operating system on a computer after building it, you also need to calibrate the color of the installed monitor. This step cannot be ignored, even if you buy a screen with a very high color gamut. Professional color - calibration instruments are not cheap, so it is not recommended to buy one. You can rent one from the second - hand market.

Of course, the most troublesome problem is the lack of after - sales service. These "hidden costs" cannot be ignored either.

An alternative approach

Take the LG LM270QQ2 mentioned above as an example.

The "budget - version Studio Display" costs less than a quarter of the price of the original - factory monitor but offers about 80% of the experience (it has the same 5K 60Hz resolution and refresh rate as the Studio Display. The brightness is 100 nits lower than the original 600 nits, and the color gamut is the same. So, there won't be a huge difference in the core experience. Of course, you can forget about the Studio Display's person - centering camera, speakers, Thunderbolt 3 interface, and beautiful appearance). In my opinion, it's worth it.

If you're a little tempted but worried about the problems I mentioned above, here's an "alternative approach". You can buy a branded DIY monitor.

There are some experienced players in building monitors or former industry practitioners who have founded their own brands, such as Kuyouke, POLARFIELD, Geekon, etc. They purchase panels, develop driver boards and appearance components by themselves, and entrust factories to produce complete monitors for sale.

Actually, these are branded products, so they all come with one - year after - sales service.

Just like the "Studio Display - style" monitors that have emerged like mushrooms after rain in the market. For just over 3000 yuan, you can get a monitor with a mirror - like screen and a 5K resolution almost the same as the Studio Display. You know, if you stick an Apple logo sticker on it, it's really hard to tell the difference between it and the real Apple monitor.

Even some brands have started to expand overseas. After receiving the review units, many YouTube tech bloggers have exclaimed that these monitors are almost on a par with Apple's original Studio Display in terms of design and parameters...

These domestic branded DIY monitors have already produced 6K monitors. Their appearance is almost the same as the Pro Display XDR, and the price is only a quarter of the XDR | Oliur/Ultra Linx

Now netizens will probably advise Cook to buy monitors from Pinduoduo.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Guokr" (ID: Guokr42). Author: Wantong, Editor: Shen Zhihan. Republished by 36Kr with permission.