Apple finally answered the prayers of many when it announced the all-new Apple Studio Display. This is the first new monitor to come from Apple since the Pro Display XDR, but there are a few key reasons why you might want to consider it. The first of which is the fact that it features a 5K Retina Display panel with a 5120 x 2880 resolution.
The Studio Display also features a built-in 12MP Ultra-Wide camera hidden in the top bezel, so you can jump on those video calls without needing to connect anything else. Apple also packed its most impressive sound system into the Studio Display, as there are a total of four tweeters and two force-canceling woofers. As for connectivity, the options may seem limited to those outside the Apple ecosystem, but there is a single Thunderbolt 3 port along with three USB-C ports.
There are quite a few out there who use both Windows and macOS on a regular basis. So this poses the question of whether you can use Apple Studio Display with Windows PC. At first glance, the answer is pretty obvious, as this is really just another (extremely impressive) monitor.
In order to use Apple Studio Display with Windows, you’ll need to make sure that your PC has a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 port. Then, it’s just a matter of connecting the cables and firing up both your computer and the Studio Display. You might need to configure some of the display settings on your Windows PC if things don’t look as they should when you first connect the two devices. But other than that, you shouldn’t run into many problems when using Apple’s Studio Display on a Windows computer.
Are There Limitations?
Shortly after Apple announced the Studio Display, there were plenty of questions about compatibility with non-macOS computers. Apple finally provided a bit of insight, and it’s not all great news for the Windows side of things.
While you are still able to use the 12MP Ultra-Wide camera for video calls and recordings, Windows users will not be able to enjoy Center Stage. This is a feature that is designed to automatically adjust the framing of your video calls, ensuring that you are always front-and-center, even if you’re moving around. And if someone else enters the frame, then the camera will pan out to ensure that everyone can be seen.
Other features that you’ll miss out on include support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and “Hey Siri”. The latter should come as no surprise, as Siri is not presently available on Windows computers. But the former is a bit of a bummer considering that Spatial Audio is pretty incredible, and it poised to be even better thanks to the new and improved speaker system.
Should You Buy Apple Studio Display
If you were to look around at the market for a 5K monitor that even offers some of the features that the Studio Display includes, you would be hard-pressed to really find much. The Apple Studio Display is an incredible piece of technology that, when paired with macOS, works flawlessly. So we would give this a resounding “yes” recommendation if you own a Mac and want a new 27-inch display.
The answer gets a bit murkier if you are considering pairing the Studio Display with a Windows computer. Missing out on features like Center Stage and Spatial Audio may not sound like awful trade-offs. However, another question that we have is what are you supposed to do when a software update arrives? If you don’t have a Mac at all, you likely won’t be able to install it right away, but Apple hasn’t provided any insight as to what the case will be. For the time being, we would recommend holding off if you are planning to use the Studio Display with a Windows PC.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
Hmmm – been reading a lot about people needing a Thunderbolt port on their PC so I took my work Surface Laptop (clearly not a gaming machine and only has a USB-C and USB-A ports other than the dock port) and connected it with the supplied Apple cable to the Studio display. Worked straight away with just a minor adjustment on the resolution to fill the screen.
Anyone else achieved this without jumping through hoops?
I used a thunderbolt add on card.
Gigabyte Titan ridge version 2.0
My motherboard is the gigabyte x570s AORUS MASTER.
My 3090 gpu comes too close to the pcie 8x slot, so I purchased a pcie 3x extension cable for the titan ridge. This way the titan Ridge doesn’t block the gpu fans.
A 3090 cards displayport can handle 5k, so only connect one Displayport cable from the 3090 to the titan ridge.
Monitor is operating at 5k, but I need a software workaround to control brightness. Default is max brightness and it’s unbearable.
Nvidia control center app allowed me to add a Gray screen filter to help with the brightness a little. It’s a temporary solution.
Did you need any additional drivers for audio and webcam via the Studio Display. I have installed GC TR 2.0 and get native video which works but don’t seem to be able to get audio or webcam… any USB really… from the Studio Display.
I predominantly work on a Mac, and have an LG Thunderbolt Display. So when I decided to build a gaming PC, I researched this topic quite a bit. When using a thunderbolt display, you can’t just jerry-rig some adapters and cords together to make them work for a discreet GPU. You need to get a PC mother board that has Thunderbolt out. I found the only real option is an ASRock Phantom gaming-ITX TB3 Mini ITX Thunderbolt AMB Motherboard.
I plug my GPU into my motherboard with a short cable, and then plug the thunderbolt out into the display, and it works perfectly.
TY for the review! I have a 3090 Nvidia on my pc and tried a whole bunch of connections to the New Display. DP to /Usb c. Dp to DP /dp/usb adapter and even an Hdmi to USB c ( I assume that’s thunderbolt 3 !?).
The apple Studio display didn’t seem to budge- it didn’t turn on.
Did a windows update – figured maybe new drivers needed. Nada.
Does it have to be Graphic card that has a USB C outlet for it to work the Display?
Thank You 🙂
Hmmm – been reading a lot about people needing a Thunderbolt port on their PC so I took my work Surface Laptop (clearly not a gaming machine and only has a USB-C and USB-A ports other than the dock port) and connected it with the supplied Apple cable to the Studio display. Worked straight away with just a minor adjustment on the resolution to fill the screen.
Anyone else achieved this without jumping through hoops?
Steve.
I used a thunderbolt add on card.
Gigabyte Titan ridge version 2.0
My motherboard is the gigabyte x570s AORUS MASTER.
My 3090 gpu comes too close to the pcie 8x slot, so I purchased a pcie 3x extension cable for the titan ridge. This way the titan Ridge doesn’t block the gpu fans.
A 3090 cards displayport can handle 5k, so only connect one Displayport cable from the 3090 to the titan ridge.
Monitor is operating at 5k, but I need a software workaround to control brightness. Default is max brightness and it’s unbearable.
Nvidia control center app allowed me to add a Gray screen filter to help with the brightness a little. It’s a temporary solution.
Did you need any additional drivers for audio and webcam via the Studio Display. I have installed GC TR 2.0 and get native video which works but don’t seem to be able to get audio or webcam… any USB really… from the Studio Display.
Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI
RTX3080 Ti
Ay other tips?
I predominantly work on a Mac, and have an LG Thunderbolt Display. So when I decided to build a gaming PC, I researched this topic quite a bit. When using a thunderbolt display, you can’t just jerry-rig some adapters and cords together to make them work for a discreet GPU. You need to get a PC mother board that has Thunderbolt out. I found the only real option is an ASRock Phantom gaming-ITX TB3 Mini ITX Thunderbolt AMB Motherboard.
I plug my GPU into my motherboard with a short cable, and then plug the thunderbolt out into the display, and it works perfectly.
So, the SD will only work with PCs that have Thunderbolt? Lol, so no one with a work PC can actually use a SD?
TY for the review! I have a 3090 Nvidia on my pc and tried a whole bunch of connections to the New Display. DP to /Usb c. Dp to DP /dp/usb adapter and even an Hdmi to USB c ( I assume that’s thunderbolt 3 !?).
The apple Studio display didn’t seem to budge- it didn’t turn on.
Did a windows update – figured maybe new drivers needed. Nada.
Does it have to be Graphic card that has a USB C outlet for it to work the Display?
Thank You 🙂
Hey Ned, did you figure it out? I have the EXACT same issue. Connecting an Nvidia 3090 RTX PC directly to the Mac Studio Display and nothing happens.