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DisplayPort has a higher bandwidth and refresh rates, so you can have multiple displays with a high resolution on one single port. HDMI is basically one Monitor per port. DisplayPort is also Royalty Free, so manufactures don't have to pay a licensing fee for each device. HDMI had ARC / eRC Tech, which is why you see them on TVs and they can not only transmit video, but also audio. Display Port has a more robust connector, usually with a release latch. HDMI is more universal because it's been around a lot longer. Basically, it's two technologies that are similar but have their own strengths. For me, I'd use a DisplayPort over a HDMI with a computer. 4K Resolution and DisplayPort just seems to "work" better, but this is due to the higher bandwidth with that technology type. For my Home Theater Setup, it's HDMI all the way. The choice for @KimMoore is based on WHAT she is using. If her Computer Monitor(s) are hooked up with a HDMI cable, then select HDMI. Likewise, if she is using a DisplayPort...then it's DisplayPort for the selection. Many higher end cards, like the NVIDIA RTX 4070 or RTX 4080 have both ports on them and it really depends on what you are using with your monitor.

Woohoo! It worked. Thank you!

Hi Brian. I have set up the Dell UltraSharp 27/32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor. I actually am very intimidated by this monitor! I don't fully understand All the ports. Anyhow, I have a Datacolor spyder X Elite calibrator. I was reading what calibrators Damien recommends, and saw there is a Spyder X 2 Elite. To calibrate the Dell monitor, which calibrator do you recommend?

That display should work.

Thank you Brian, great information. I have my prints back, re-calibrated my screen 6250k & they match much better. I do think my lights are a little yellow in my office, but until I can change them this works. I took my prints outside & there were still on the warm side. Santa has ok'd a new monitor for xmas & wanting to check this looks like a good option. https://www.amazon.com/Dell-S2721QS-Ultra-Thin-DisplayPort-Certified/dp/B08DQWG3JG/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_2_t_1?pd_rd_w=vj1KU&content-id=amzn1.sym.9cb932c3-e29e-44db-929c-bdc1460b3774&pf_rd_p=9cb932c3-e29e-44db-929c-bdc1460b3774&pf_rd_r=QW1X5CKEEN0T80WYS0BT&pd_rd_wg=oZxPt&pd_rd_r=7f1caa45-8511-49d1-a39b-478a2d487b3e&pd_rd_i=B08DQWG3JG&th=1 I really only want to do it once Thank you for all your help.

Nevermind Damien. I've been trying to solve this problem for days now and suddenly I have my answer as soon as I ask you.

I think DisplayPort supports higher resolution, doesn't it?

You can get one of each. I'd recommend finding a Thunderbolt 3/4 or even Thunderbolt 5 if they exist, and I'd start off with one that will live on your Desk. Keep in mind, that not all Thunderbolt Ports on your MacBooks are the same, it's usually the ones on the left side tend to be the fastest. You want to use a 40Mbps or better Thunderbolt Port on your laptop.

Okay.

If you are using external IPS monitors for editing in both locations, then get whatever. That Dell Alienware is fine. I thought you were editing solely on the Laptop's Display. The only thing you will need to worry about is calibrating both Displays and then making sure the correct profile is loaded for the particular Monitor.

You're the best! Thank you so much. This is exactly what I needed to help me make this decision. ❤️

THE BIGGEST THING WITH A LAPTOP USED FOR PHOTO EDITING IS A IPS DISPLAY PANEL. That alone is damn near impossible to find in a lot of laptops. So while your IT guy might push Dell, which is fine...it's the stupid IPS Display that you NEED. What's so important about IPS? An IPS Display has consistent colors, contrast, brightness from corner to corner. Plus it has a better Viewing Angle. All of these things are kinda important for PHOTO EDITING WORK. I do not care how "great" a particular Dell Laptop is, if you are using it to edit photos, IT NEEDS TO HAVE A IPS DISPLAY PANEL. Period. See this? No mention of IPS. Most laptops use a TN Display Panel, which is great for everything else BUT Photo Editing. IF THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT MENTION IPS, SKIP-IT!! The other thing you need to look for is a robust video card with at least 8GB dedicated Video Memory. I like NVIDIA RTX 4070 and RTX 4080 with 8GB - 12GB of dedicated Video Memory. Photoshop has become bloated with fancy tools, AI Crap amongst other things...all use the Video GPU in order to function. So if you get a Laptop that doesn't have a high-end video card, the current version of Photoshop CC will complain and sometimes flat-out not work. Basically, you need a Gaming Laptop with a IPS Display. That Dell Alienware Laptop almost checked all the boxes, and would be "fine" if you were using an External IPS Display. But since you need to be portable, your needs are a bit different.

There are several methods. Here's one I'm fond of: Duplicate the Background layer Go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Begin with the Radius at 0, and slowly take it up and find the sweet spot where the freckles are being exaggerated the most (the whole image will be grey at this point). As you play with the slider, you'll see that if you go too low, the freckles won't be getting their maximum punch, but if you go too high, the freckles won't be getting any additional punch, all you'll be doing is exaggerating other things. Find that sweet spot. After pressing OK to perform the High Pass filter, change the layer's blend mode to "Hard Light". Finally, add a mask to the layer and mask it to the freckled part of the face only. By the way, if you want an even stronger result, you can duplicate that High Pass layer. Heck, I suppose you could duplicate it as many times as you want, but it would start to look a bit weird. Oh, also by the way, you can use "Overlay" blend mode for a slightly gentler result than Hard Light gives. Here's my play with the above method: