LG’s revised UltraFine 5K display can now sit close to wireless access points

By Mark Coppock March 10, 2017

lg ultrafine 5k display fix 27 inch — Image used with permission by copyright holder

When Apple discontinued its Cinema Display with its ultra-high resolution, LG stepped in with its UltraFine 5K display to fill the void. Apple even promoted the display along with the new 2016 MacBook Pro machines and offered a special price on the LG displays through March 2017.

However, the display suffered a fatal flaw for many people — put it too close to a router, and it caused all kinds of problems from corrupted images to crashing systems. LG recently announced that it was shipping revised versions that resolve the issue, and the fix is apparently working, as 9to5Mac reports.

The problem was pretty simple. If your office setup is such that your Mac and your display are within a few meters of a wireless router or access point of any kind, the signal would render the LG UltraFine 5K display unusable. As 9to5Mac notes, high-bandwidth tasks could cause the issue to occur at even greater distances.

Obviously, not everyone can rearrange their working environments to accommodate such a flaw, and LG recognized that face. The company improved the hardware design of the displays, and the newer models are starting to show up to users.

9to5Mac did some testing of its own and confirmed that the new design solves the problem. The LG UltraFine 5K display can now be placed anywhere without causing any problems with either the display or the connected MacBook Pro. Testing with higher amounts of bandwidth also didn’t show any issues.

In short, you should now feel more confident in picking up the LG UltraFine 5K display for use in your own environment. Apple’s special pricing is still in effect, and so you have some time to pick one up without laying out quite so much cash. If you have the old model, then you need to contact LG for a resolution, although we’re not sure if that means a new display with the updated hardware or a fix.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Computing Writer

Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for…

Deals

ExpressVPN Deals: Save 49% when you sign up today

VPNs have become pretty important in the modern world, whether it's a matter of unlocking geo-blocked content or providing an extra layer of security to your connection when you're out in public. Luckily, one of the best VPNs on the market has a sale right now that will save you 49% on the regular pricing. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee to test it out, which is great because there isn't any Express VPN free trial you can take advantage of. That said, if the deal below doesn't quite tickle your fancy, or Express VPN is not the VPN that fits your needs, you can check out some of these other great VPN deals as well.

Today's Best ExpressVPN Deal

Computing

Save $100 on this Netgear mesh Wi-Fi system at Crutchfield

netgear orbi ax6000 tri band wi fi system deal crutchfield april 2024 lifestyle

If you want every corner of your home to have access to a stable internet connection, you're going to want to buy a mesh Wi-Fi system. There are lots of options out there among all the router deals online, but here's one that we recommend -- the Netgear Orbi AX6000 tri-band Wi-Fi system, which Crutchfield is selling at $100 off. Instead of $900, you'll just have to pay $800 for this mesh Wi-Fi system, but only if you hurry. The discount is expected to last for a few more days, but we're not sure if stocks will still be available by the end of the sale.

Why you should buy the Netgear Orbi AX6000 tri-band Wi-Fi system
The Netgear Orbi AX6000 tri-band Wi-Fi system includes a router module and two satellites to create a mesh network that supports Wi-Fi 6 and will provide coverage across 7,500 square feet. The router and the satellites will use a single network name for a seamless connection as you move around -- horizontally or vertically -- and MU-MIMO technology will allow for simultaneous streaming across multiple devices, so even if everyone in the family is connected to the mesh Wi-Fi system at the same time, nobody will experience any lag or buffering while watching streaming shows.

Computing

This popular Dell business laptop is discounted from $849 to $579

Dell Vostro 14 sitting on a table

If you're looking for a solid business laptop that's both portable and won't break the bank, then you'll be very happy with the Vostro 14. Not only is it highly rated, but it's still packed with features for being such a small device, and while it can be a little bit pricey at MSRP, you can get it for a steep discount. Dell has knocked an impressive $270 off the usual $849 price tag, bringing it down to a much more affordable $579, making it an excellent deal if you've been looking for a new device.

Why you should buy the Vostro 14
For being only a small 14-inch laptop, the Vostro 14 has some pretty good specs and a couple of ones that maybe should have been slightly better. For example, you get 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is really excellent, especially for a more business-oriented laptop, so you can open a lot of apps and tabs at the same time. On the other hand, you only get an Intel Core i5-1335U, which is a mid-range processor, and while it's absolutely fine for business work and productivity, it would have been nice to get the higher-end Intel Core i7-1355U for a bit extra power and versatility.