Dell The quality of its displays has long been valued and that hasn’t changed with the newer models. What has changed is that more and more people are looking for external monitors to complement their work laptops when they move to remote work – and are opting for more permanent configuration options for the home office. Dell’s 32-inch UltraSharp U3219Q 4K resolution monitor may be the best mix of quality, screen real estate, and connection flexibility you can get, assuming your budget is in the mid to high range.
The basics
The U3219Q has a screen with a diagonal of 31.5 inches, an IPS display and a matte surface that is ideal for preventing glare. The maximum resolution is 3840 x 2160 with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 and the refresh rate is up to 60 Hz. It’s a very large display, but it feels a lot less large than it is, in part due to the extremely thin eels that are surround the screen, and a relatively shallow depth. The display only weighs 30kg, which is extremely light considering how much space there is on the screen.
It comes with a stand that allows it to be adjusted up or down over a range of approximately six inches. It can be tilted up to 21 degrees or swiveled 30 degrees in either direction. You can also rotate it from landscape to portrait. This is a handy feature for coding or reviewing documents. With the integrated stand, your desk will still be free. The stand is also easy to remove and includes a standard 200 × 200 VESA mounting point for attaching to monitor arms and wall mounts.
Credit: Darrell Etherington
The U3219Q has 1 for display connections DisplayPort 1.4 and 1 HDMI 2.0 (both support HDCP 2.2 for playback of copyrighted content). There’s also a USB Type-C port that offers DisplayPort 1.4 connectivity as well as Power Delivery and USB 2.0 data connectivity. A DP cable and a C-to-C cable are included. The monitor also has a USB 3.0 cable and a port to connect to your computer as a hub. It offers 2 USB 3.0 ports for accessories and 2 USB 3.0 ports on the side of the display. Two of them are also included charging power. While there are no built-in speakers, there is a 3.5mm audio output for connecting headphones or external speakers.
Dell touts the accuracy and quality of the panel, which supports the display of DisplayHDR content, and a factory color calibration that offers sRGB color accuracy of 99% as well as 95% DCI-P3 and 99% ready-to-use. Rec. 709 color for video. The display also offers a brightness of 400 nits and a color depth of 1.07 billion as well as an impressive contrast. In short, it’s more than capable of handling even the most demanding video and photo editing tasks.
Design and performance
The Dell U3219Q keeps its promises in terms of video and image quality. Once plugged in, it looked fantastic when plugged into both a MacBook and Mac mini, and delivered great color reproduction, contrast, brightness, and blacks without tuning. This is definitely a remaining brightness screen that is useful when working in a bright room with lots of natural sunlight, or when you need to increase the brightness for certain tasks while editing photos or videos.
While image quality is definitely a huge plus if you are a multimedia pro, that’s not the limit this screen should address. The large size and relatively small footprint, as well as the 4K resolution, mean you can set it up to have enough screen space depending on the resolution you choose. It’s easily able to handle multiple browser windows and applications arranged side by side in a variety of configurations, while keeping the text reasonably sized so that you don’t have to strain to read something as if you were at the same resolution run a smaller version. but still 4K, screen.
Credit: Darrell Etherington
60 Hz means that you have a display that is fast enough to enable smooth desktop computing and even edit videos at 60 frames per second. However, this doesn’t quite match the high-speed standards that gamers are looking for today. If you’re not very resinous about this, the refresh rate is perfect for just about any other use.
By adding USB-C connectivity with a cable, Dell is an ideal companion for modern Mac notebooks, making it easy to move from your couch to your desk. Three total inputs via HDMI / USB-C and DisplayPort also mean you can connect it to multiple devices at the same time, which can be useful for taking some breaks from gaming on the desktop console during your lunch break.
The video looks amazing on this display too, either for editing or just watching Netflix. And at 32 inches, it’s capable of duplicating tasks in a home office / guest room where you also want a TV but don’t want to invest in a second device. In that case, you’d have to find an audio solution, but Dell makes a monitor soundbar that you can add for $ 69 that attaches to the monitor stand.
Bottom line
Credit: Darrell Etherington
Office upgrades are almost a must, depending on where you work and how the guidelines for working from home compare to carefully reopening offices. The Dell U3219Q normally costs $ 1,049 but is available for sale $ 839.99 through Dell right nowThat’s a lot to spend on a screen – but it’s also a device that you use every day and that you want to get the most for your money and potential longevity. I currently use two Dell P2715Q monitors for my work setup, and both early generation 4K monitors are still going strong half a decade after I first bought and used those monitors.
Dell also just released a 32-inch 4K monitor (S3221QS) and a 27-inch 4K monitor (S2721QS) that offer many similar features, but at lower prices depending on your budget. However, the company’s reputation for high-quality displays is well deserved and will serve every home office well now and in the future.