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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #477) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DOROTHY
• ROAM
• ROSE
• STEAM
• VANILLA
• SOPHIA
• SHAGGY
• BLANCH
• CHARLIE
• BOIL
• КЕТО
• MUSK
• AMBERGRIS
• WALLACE
• SOUL
• POACH

NYT Connections today (game #477) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Stove-top cooking
• Green: Smells good
• Blue: Pet parents
• Purple: Sounds like somewhere

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #477) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #477) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #477, are…

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER BLANCH, BOIL, POACH, STEAM
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS AMBERGRIS, MUSK, ROSE, VANILLA
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS CHARLIE, DOROTHY, SHAGGY, WALLACE
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES KETO, ROAM, SOPHIA, SOUL

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Fail

This is my first Connections fail in a month, but I'm not devastated – because this is a tough one. That said, I'm annoyed that I didn't solve blue or purple, because once I saw the answers I realized that I knew them both and could have got them; I'm less bothered when the answer is revealed and I think 'Well, fine, I had no idea about that!'

This wasn't the case here: I've heard of all four CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES – KETO (Quito), ROAM (Rome), SOPHIA (Sofia), SOUL (Seoul) and have watched all four shows/movies for the CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS group – CHARLIE (Brown, Snoopy), DOROTHY (Wizard of Oz, Toto), SHAGGY (Scooby Doo), WALLACE (and Gromit). Clever stuff by the NYT, but a little too clever for me today.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 29 September, game #476)

• YELLOW: MAKE GOOD ON, AS A PROMISE FULFILL, HONOR, KEEP, UPHOLD
• GREEN: BEDDING BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW
• BLUE: ACTIONS IN CARD GAMES DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY
• PURPLE: CABINET DEPARTMENTS ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR, STATE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Words with weight

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• METER
• CUTER
• SLATE
• STALE
• FLEA
• EXIT

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Pugilism

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: right, 4th row

Last: left, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #211) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #211, are…

• HEAVY
• MIDDLE
• FEATHER
• LIGHT
• WELTER
• BANTAM
• CRUISER
• SPANGRAM: BOXING

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

I've marked this one as moderate rather than easy, despite the fact that I solved it with no issues, because if you don't watch or know about BOXING you'll probably have found this a lot harder than I did. I'm not a massive fan these days, but I used to watch it a lot in my youth, back when the likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield dominated the HEAVYweight division.

HEAVY is one of the easier words here; you might well have struggled far more with something like BANTAM, CRUISER or worst of all WELTER. So I suspect today's game will see plenty of easy solves like mine, and plenty where people either needed lots of hints or failed outright.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 29 September, game #210)

• SQUASH
• PUMPKIN
• ONION
• APPLE
• RADISH
• KOHLRABI
• SPANGRAM: FALLHARVEST

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• T

• T

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #980) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #980, are…

• CRUSH
• TARDY
• TEACH
• STUMP

Today's Quordle was a very easy one for me, and probably for you too. My three set start words, STARE, DOILY and PUNCH, gave me all five letters for three of the quadrants and four for the other one, so my task was simply a matter of solving three anagrams and then adding one more letter to the bottom right. The Daily Sequence was just as straightforward; a stark contrast to yesterday's game.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #980) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #980, are…

• SNAKE
• BULKY
• BUDDY
• CHART

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
• Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
• Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
• Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
• Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
• Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
• Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
• Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
• Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE
• Quordle #970, Friday 20 September: ELIDE, DITTO, SHAWL, BONUS
• Quordle #969, Thursday 19 September: MARRY, OWING, DICEY, LUCKY
• Quordle #968, Wednesday 18 September: CEDAR, VENOM, MIGHT, MEDIC
• Quordle #967, Tuesday 17 September: ETHOS, COUNT, PRINT, THREE
• Quordle #966, Monday 16 September: ROUGE, SWAMP, FUGUE, UNDUE
• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET

The measure, known as SB 1047, was one of the nation’s most far-reaching regulations on the booming AI industry. It would have held AI companies legally liable for harms caused by AI and enabled a "kill switch" if systems went rogue.

(Image credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

NPR steps back and takes a closer look at the days leading up to the killing of Hezbollah's leader. Experts say this development has transformed an already complex and deadly conflict.

(Image credit: Mahmous Zayyat)

Get your new mattress delivered straight to your door, with the best bed-in-a-box options, tested by our experts.

US trade restrictions have created significant obstacles for Chinese companies, limiting their access to advanced AI hardware needed to remain competitive globally.

Nvidia’s H20 GPUs, scaled-down versions of the powerful H100, were developed to meet export control requirements but still come with a hefty price tag of around $10,000 per unit.

Even at that price, the availability of these GPUs is limited, compounding the difficulties Chinese companies face. This shortage has fueled a thriving black market for Nvidia’s high-end chips, such as the H100 and A100, where prices continue to rise due to overwhelming demand. However, global companies, particularly ByteDance - the parent company of TikTok, already under intense scrutiny in the US - cannot afford the legal and reputational risks associated with engaging in such illicit markets.

Two AI chips

ByteDance has made significant investments in AI, reportedly spending over $2 billion on Nvidia's H20 GPUs in 2024, and now according to The Information, the company is looking to develop its own AI GPUs to reduce dependency on Nvidia.

The report adds these chips will include one designed for AI training and another for AI inference, and both will be produced using TSMC’s advanced N4/N5 process, the same technology used for Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs.

Broadcom, recognized for its AI chip designs for Google, will reportedly lead the development of these GPUs, which are expected to enter mass production by 2026. While several Chinese companies have developed their own AI GPUs to reduce reliance on Nvidia, most still depend on Nvidia’s hardware for more demanding tasks. Whether ByteDance can fully transition to its own hardware - and whether it would want to - remains to be seen.

The move will certainly not be without challenges. As Tom's Hardware notes, “The company now relies on Nvidia's CUDA and supporting software stack for AI training and inference. Once it goes with its AI GPUs, it must develop its software platform and ensure its software stack is fully compatible with its hardware."

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Upload speeds affect a variety of internet activity including video calls and online gaming. Here's how to boost your upload speeds to meet your needs.

Made of premium and all-natural materials, the Avocado Green bed sets the bar high in the mattress world. Read on to discover if it's the right bed right for you.

TerraMaster has launched its latest storage solution, the F8 SSD NAS, as part of its 2024 fall product lineup. This NAS device provides up to 64TB of storage across 8 NVMe M.2 SSD bays, making it ideal for data-intensive tasks such as 4K video editing, large-scale backups, and business operations requiring fast access to large datasets.

There are two versions available: the F8 SSD, with a regular price of $599.99, and the F8 SSD Plus, priced at $799.99. However, as part of a limited-time promotion, they are currently being offered at discounted prices of $499.99 and $699.99, respectively. Both models run on TOS 6, TerraMaster’s operating system, designed to optimize performance and offer efficient data management.

The F8 SSD is powered by an Intel N95 processor with 4 cores, while the F8 SSD Plus is equipped with an Intel Core i3-N305 processor with 8 cores, providing enhanced performance for more demanding workloads. Both models include 8GB of DDR5 memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB.

10GbE LAN port

With eight drive slots for 2280 NVMe M.2 SSDs, the F8 SSD and F8 SSD Plus both support up to 64TB (8x8TB) of raw storage capacity. Internal drives use file systems like EXT4 and BTRFS, while external systems can utilize EXT3, NTFS, and others.

A key feature of the F8 SSD series is the 10GbE LAN port, allowing for fast data transfers, which is essential for applications requiring quick access to large files. Both models offer three USB ports and at just 177x60x140 mm they are well-suited for environments where space is limited.

The TerraMaster F8 SSD NAS is designed for users who require a compact, high-performance storage solution, making it an ideal choice for home offices, small businesses, and content creators.

Both F8 SSD models are now available for purchase globally, through the TerraMaster site and Amazon, and we’ll have a comprehensive review of the F8 SSD Plus soon.

More from TechRadar Pro

• These are the best NAS devices around
• We've also rounded up the best cloud storage platforms on offer
• And these are the best wireless drives available today

Take a close look at the press releases for the brand new Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, or Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra, and you'll notice a footnote pointing to a future where some Galaxy AI features require a payment.

As spotted by SamMobile, the exact text reads: "Fees may apply to certain AI features at the end of 2025." That's not particularly specific or definitive, but it does suggest that the Galaxy AI experience isn't going to be completely free beyond the end of next year.

This isn't new: the same disclaimer was included in the information we got alongside the Samsung Galaxy S24 series at the start of this year. This isn't a surprise then, but it shows Samsung hasn't changed its plans for charging for AI.

We don't yet know which features might come with a price tag attached, or what that price tag might be – Samsung hasn't said anything about that yet, but has gone on the record to say more Galaxy AI features are on the way.

The cost of AI

ChatGPT has a paid-for tier (Image credit: OpenAI)

It's not a huge shock that Samsung wants to start making some money from all the AI tools it's stuffed into its devices: generative artificial intelligence requires a huge amount of computing power, and a huge amount of energy to run.

Both Google and OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, offer users more advanced features and more powerful AI models for $20 (about £15 / AU$29) a month – although there are rumors that the price of ChatGPT Plus could more than double in the next five years.

Then there's Apple: Apple Intelligence is rolling out over the next few months, free of charge, but there has been talk that more advanced features are eventually going to have a price attached, perhaps as part of an Apple One bundle.

For now, you can still use the AI features – covering image editing, live translation, note summaries, and plenty more – free of charge. If you start to reply on them regularly though, bear in mind that there might eventually be a cost attached.

You might also like

• Samsung exec predicts AI in "every corner of life"
• 10 incredible AI photo edits made with Galaxy AI
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After Israel killed Hezbollah's leader, the U.S. says it wants to stop Iran from "exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict."

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Kansas City travel to the West Coast as they look to maintain their perfect start to the season.

Want to watch the Commanders play the Cardinals? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET game on Fox.

Want to watch the Patriots play the 49ers? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET game on Fox.

Roku TVs are already affordable smart TVs, but Best Buy's Member Deals Days offer discounts of up to $400 until the end of today.

Sometimes, a tiny change can make all the difference. So it is with the Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN. It's a large, 32:9 aspect ultrawide productivity monitor with a native resolution of 5,120 by 1,440. The difference is that it measures 45 inches where 49 inches has typically been the norm for the best ultrawide monitors we've reviewed.

That makes it a touch more ergonomic in terms of desk space. But it also improves the pixel density by a small but arguably critical quotient. To that you can add VA panel technology with strong all-round specifications, including 165Hz refresh and sub-1ms claimed response, plus excellent connectivity including USB-C with 90W of power delivery and a KVM switch.

All told, this new Iiyama amounts to a single monitor with the desktop real estate of dual 1440p panels, plus good connectivity. It's a very appealing proposition for anyone who needs one of the best business monitors to multitask, view several applications in parallel and generally have plenty of on-screen elbow room.

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN: Design & features

(Image credit: Iiyama)

• Needs lots of desk space
• Excellent connectivity
• OSD could be more intuitive

Specs

Panel size: 45-inch

Panel type: IPS

Resolution: 5,120 x 1,440

Brightness: 450 cd/m2

Contrast: 3,000:1

Pixel response: 0.8ms MPRT

Refresh rate: 165Hz

Colour coverage: 100% sRGB

HDR: DisplayHDR 400

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.0 x1, USB-C with 90W power delivery x1

Other: USB-A hub, LAN, KVW switch

Iiyama doesn't traditionally go in for aesthetic theatrics, and that's no different for the Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN. Sober suited, you could say anonymous, albeit with slim bezels on three sides that add a contemporary air, it's nevertheless well-built and has all the features you'll likely want for a high-spec productivity monitor.

The stand offers a good array of adjustment, including height and tilt, plus a touch of pivot to help get the horizontal level just right, though the lack of swivel is a disappointing omission. Still, it's good to have decent adjustability on a 45-inch panel like this where the sheer size alone makes for challenging ergonomics.

On the subject of size and scale, this is a curved panel but courtesy only of a relatively gentle 1500R arc. With such a large wide-aspect format, a little more curve would arguably make viewing the furthest extremities a bit more comfortable.

As for connectivity, that's the real highlight. For starters, you get USB-C with 90W of power delivery for effortless single-cable connectivity of a laptop. There's also a triple-port USB-A hub. Thus with the single cable you can not only drive the display and keep a laptop charged, but also connect peripherals like keyboard, mouse and external storage.

Even better, there's a LAN port, too, enabling comprehensive connectivity through that single port. Once you've gone single-cable, you won't want to go back to that old rat's nest of cables. The USB hub also allows for support for KVW switch capability, so you can easily share this display and any connected peripherals across two PCs.

Those highlights aside, the rear of the display also includes a pair of HDMI ports and DisplayPort, all of which support the full 5,120 by 1,440 resolution at 165Hz. The catch? All these various connectivity features are harder to set up than need be.

Iiyama has chosen some suboptimal default settings, for instance, which means you'll have to spend a fair amount of time in the unfriendly OSD menu just to get this monitor running at the right resolution and refresh over various inputs. Once you've got everything configured correctly, it's all good from there. But Iiyama would do well to look again at the OSD and default settings.

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN: Performance

(Image credit: Iiyama)

• Punchy, quick VA panel
• Decent pixel density
• Limited HDR support

We've seen plenty of 49-inch panels with the familiar if still spectacular 5,120 by 1,440 pixel native revolution. The difference here is that the Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN is a 45 incher.

That obviously makes it a touch smaller while still being a very expansive display. It also bumps the pixel density up from 108 DPI to 118 DPI compared to those 49-inch panels. That isn't a dramatic improvement. But it's just enough to make a visible difference to the crispness and quality of fonts.

For sure, a 27-inch or even 32-inch 4K monitor has much better pixel density again. But the increase to nearly 120DPI definitely helps and is particularly noticeable in MacOS, which arguably benefits even more from the DPI bump than Windows. That detail aside, this is a very nice example of the VA breed of LCD panel. It's very punchy, with a brightness rating of 450 nits, and boasts excellent contrast.

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(Image credit: Iiyama)

It's nicely calibrated, too, albeit this isn't a panel aimed at content creation pros and doesn't offer pre-calibrated Adobe RGB or DCI-P3 modes. Overall, this is a really vibrant, pleasant display. OK, it's no OLED panel. But then you'd be looking at far, far more money for an equivalent OLED monitor.

Speed-wise, this panel will almost certainly be plenty quick enough for most users. The 165Hz refresh ensures nice, low latency and the 0.8ms response spec is impressive. That said, there is some noticeable overshoot with the response-accelerating overdrive feature set to one of its more aggressive modes. It's not a huge problem, but if you're sensitive to that kind of thing, an IPS panel remains a better option.

Another relative weakness is HDR support. For starters, this isn't a true HDR panel. It offers basic HDR signal processing. But there's no local dimming, so the ultimate dynamic range is limited. Iiyama likewise hasn't done a great job of calibrating SDR content in HDR mode. So, you'll really need to jump between SDR and HDR modes depending on content types, which is a bit of a pity.

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN: Final verdict

(Image credit: Iiyama)

The Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN doesn't do anything radical. However, the large panel and ultrawide format makes for an extremely effective productivity tool. For sure, it's an intriguing alternative to a pair of 1440p monitors.

The 45-inch as opposed to 49-inch diagonal also makes for slightly improved pixel density and font rendering. That also applies to the comparison with more conventional 27-inch 1440p monitors. This Iiyama is just that little bit crisper while still providing a huge canvas for multitasking.

The actual panel quality is good, too, with a slick 165Hz refresh and fairly speedy responses for a VA panel. Factor in the 450 nit brightness and basic HDR support and this panel is well up for some multimedia and games on the side.

Connectivity is another strong point, with USB-C, LAN and a KVM switch. All told, this is a genuine productivity powerhouse and the only obvious snags are a slightly frustrating OSD menu and some poorly chosen default settings, none of which are enough to spoil what is otherwise a strong overall package.

For more pin-sharp displays, we tested the best monitors for MacBook Pro.

The BenQ MA32OU is one of those monitors, and the moment I connected to it, I knew there was something special about this display. I rotate monitors like some people rotate their socks. I've gotten pretty good at knowing if any of the best business monitors will be a hit after only spending a little bit of time with it. The BenQ MA32OU is from BenQ's line of monitors specifically designed for Mac users. It's sleek, white, minimal, seamless MacOS integration and incredibly similar color profiles to the MacBook.

The BenQ MA32OU is packed with color calibration and integration software with Mac, solving the color inconsistency between MacBook displays and larger external monitors.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) BenQ MA32OU: Pricing & availability

The BenQ MA32OU is a premium external display option for MacBook users at $600. While it's more affordable than Apple's Studio Display, it still holds plenty of advanced features tailored to MacOS users. As of September 2024, BenQ has made the MA32OU available for pre-order with a general release slated for later this year.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) BenQ MA32OU: Unboxing & first impressions

Like every other monitor I tried from BenQ, unboxing the MA32OU was straightforward and clean. The monitor was securely packed alongside essential accessories including a USB-C cable, HDMI cable, power cord, and necessary documentation. Setting up the monitor itself is super easy, and it took only a few moments. The MA32OU was up on my desk and operational moments after arrival, fitting beautifully on my monitor arm.

The overall design language fits the Apple ecosystem, with simplified ports on the back, much like an Apple monitor. However, what is remarkable is that, unlike an Apple monitor, this display has an HDMI option.

BenQ MA32OU: Design & build quality Specs

Screen size: 32” IPS panel
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD)
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Peak brightness: 600 nits (HDR)
Color accuracy: 99% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB-C (90W/15W), USB-A hub
Contrast ratio: 1300:1
Speakers: 2x 3W
Adjustments: Height, tilt, swivel, pivot
Response time: 5 ms
Eye-care tech: Low Blue Light, Flicker-Free

Whether this is the best monitor for MacBook Pro is a matter of taste. But the BenQ MA32OU features a MacBook-like inspired design with a sleek white chassis and slim bezels, making it a stylish addition to any workspace. The Ergonomic stand offers essential height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustments, making for a great and highly customizable viewing angle. However, my preferred use case for monitors is to put them on a monitor arm for aesthetics. The ports are great, just enough to give me everything I need. It has USB-C with PD charging, another with charging capabilities, a USB-C port, and two HDMI Ports. These ports were able to get me set up for success without much work at all. Lastly, I appreciate that this monitor doesn't use any barrel connector but uses IEC, making it easy to power.

The build quality is solid, and the picture quality is gorgeous. Plugging into this monitor makes my MacBook display feel monstrous, thanks to the high resolution and clean 16:9 aspect ratio, and since the port offering is simple, it works excellently alongside my Thunderbolt Dock.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) BenQ MA32OU: In use

I've had the opportunity to use the BenQ MA32OU monitor as my primary display for a couple of weeks now. Over this time, I have been thrilled with the performance of this screen. It shines with vivid color accuracy and high resolution, allowing for even more content on the screen at once, 99% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3 coverage, and proprietary Mac color-tuning technology. When I move between my MacBook Pro's screen and the MA32OU, I can't tell the difference between the two color-wise. This is a huge win, especially if I'm working on creative projects or just for my sanity of moving between displays constantly throughout my day.

Depending on my working setup, I try to balance simple, minimalist, and frictionless. What I mean by frictionless is that it doesn't take a long setup time or any time for me to get to work. When I used to do a lot of voiceovers and vocal work, I had a mic on my desk; now that I don't do that as much, my mic is still in my home office but not as readily accessible. I treat my entire setup with this same logic. Simple and minimal-ish while keeping frictionless. The MA32OU is that kind of monitor to me. It doesn't mess around by adding what could be in a dock, if needed, somewhere else. But it also hasn't minimized so far that it only has Thunderbolt. At my setup, in particular, I have (as you can see in the picture with the ports) the main computer Thunderbolt plugged into a Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Dock, giving me a few more ports to run to my MacBook Pro. However, I also have the HDMI running to an HDMI cable that can be used to plug into another laptop or desktop I am testing, and I am using the other USB-C ports to keep things tidy and run my BenQ monitor lightbar and my Insta360 Link.

Continuing down the line of frictionless work, Display Pilot 2 software makes using this monitor as seamless as if I were working with a first-party Apple monitor. I can sync brightness and volume controls in a way I cannot do with any other monitor. While it sounds small, it has been super handy to adjust to. For those working long hours, BenQ’s eye-care features, such as Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free technology, help reduce eye strain, making it suitable for extended use. The HDR performance is good but not exceptional, with the 600-nit brightness providing decent contrast but not technically being as bright as I would like it if I weren't in a basement dungeon of a home office (only one tiny window)

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) BenQ MA32OU: Final verdict

The BenQ MA320U is an impressive external monitor that excels at delivering a seamless MacBook experience with stunning color accuracy, flexibility, and frictionless usability. While it may not have the absolute best HDR performance or audio capabilities, it remains an excellent choice for creative professionals seeking a reliable, MacBook-optimized display at a competitive price. If you're a MacBook user looking for a great monitor, you must check this out. If you don't use a MacBook but want a reasonably priced monitor, the MA32OU may still be a great option.

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