[Discuss] 4K (or 5K) resolution for Linux desktop

[Rich Braun]

For a bit over a year, Apple has been shipping its 5K iMac with a 27" retina
display; last month they added their second-gen product in that line.

A couple weeks ago, I spotted the HP Envy model 34-a010 which has a 34"
monitor (funny aspect ratio, 3440x1440) and an NVIDIA graphics chip which
probably works out-of-the-box with Ubuntu and other distros. But at $1700 for
either of these two products, Apple's got by far the better hardware specs.

What's happening in the graphics-display industry? Suddenly Linux on the
desktop is losing the price competition, for probably the first time ever
since I started using it in 1992.

There's an all-out price/specs war going on among the panel manufacturers, and
there just doesn't seem to be a way I can plunk down $1500 to $2500 for a new
Linux-based computer with turn-key 4K+ 120Hz graphics.

Should I bite the bullet and go Apple, or wait a while longer for Linux to
catch up?

Have any of you built a DIY 4K display system that you're happy with, yet?
Life's too short to spend a weekend fiddling with X11 display settings,
swapping hardware, and returning stuff to Amazon.

-rich