Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW review: A super-ultrawide in a suit

Best Prices Today: Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW

Most super-ultrawide screens have an excessive curve for optimum immersion, however that curve is usually a distraction when it’s time to clock in. The Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW is a sensible different with a much less aggressive curve, extra restrained picture high quality, and tons of connectivity. It’s a stable choose if you happen to want a super-ultrawide for work.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best ultrawide monitors to find out about competing merchandise.

Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW specs and options

The U4924DW’s show specs are typical of a 49-inch super-ultrawide monitor, with one exception: It has an IPS Black panel. This comparatively new panel, produced by LG, guarantees higher distinction and improved darkish scene efficiency.

• Display measurement: 49-inch 32:9 super-ultrawide
• Native decision: 5120×1440
• Panel kind: IPS Black LCD
• Refresh charge: 60Hz
• Adaptive-Sync: None
• HDR: None
• Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts Power Delivery, 4x USB-A, 2x USB-C, USB-B, 2x HDMI, DisplayPort, audio line-out, Ethernet
• Stand adjustment: Height, tilt
• VESA mount: Yes, 100x100mm
• Speakers: Yes, 2x none-watt
• Price: $1599.99

But it’s arguably the monitor’s connectivity that deserves heart stage. The monitor acts as a USB-C hub that gives a complete of six downstream USB ports (4 USB-A, two USB-C) plus Ethernet and audio-out.

Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW design

The Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW’s design is uncommon for a easy motive: It’s curved, however solely simply. It’s a stark distinction in opposition to widespread super-ultrawide gaming screens just like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, which appear to wrap across the consumer’s area of view, and extra much like the LG 49WL95C-WE, a aggressive super-ultrawide productiveness monitor.

Toning down the curve has perks. An extraordinarily aggressive curve can appear extra immersive in video games but in addition distorts the picture. Lines that seem straight could as an alternative appear curved, which isn’t preferrred when picture accuracy and consistency issues. Aggressive curves additionally amplify glare, particularly from mild sources straight behind the consumer. The Dell U4924DW will nonetheless present some glare, however the much less aggressive curve and anti-glare end are an efficient mixture.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Curve apart, the U4924DW adopts the same old Dell Ultrasharp design language. That means skinny black bezels and silver faux-metallic plastics throughout many of the rear show panel and stand, though the stand base appears to be actual steel. The monitor is noticeably extra strong than aggressive super-ultrawides from LG and Samsung which, in my expertise, are inclined to creak and groan when dealt with.

The sensible stand is hefty and retains the monitor planted but doesn’t take up extra house on a desk. This, too, is a bonus over Samsung and LG options which use large, beefy stands that go away giant parts of your desk unusable. The U4924DW helps each 100x100mm and 200x100mm VESA mount patterns, offering a variety of choices for third-party monitor stands and arms. The monitor’s panel is heavy at 27 kilos, nevertheless, so that you’ll want a top-tier monitor arm to assist it.

Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW options and menus

Dell’s Ultrasharp U4924DW boasts a powerful array of connectivity surpassing different super-ultrawide screens presently obtainable.

The spotlight is the USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and a powerful 90 watts Power Delivery, which lets homeowners join and cost a laptop computer or pill concurrently. The USB-C port additionally acts as a hub for entry to 4 USB-A, two USB-C ports, and an ethernet port. The monitor can fully exchange most USB-C hubs and midrange USB-C docks.

Those who don’t wish to connect with the monitor over USB-C can as an alternative use a USB-A to USB-B cable to entry the monitor’s connectivity.

Additional video connectivity comes from two HDMI inputs and a single DisplayPort enter, bringing the entire variety of video inputs to a wholesome 4. The monitor is lacking a second DisplayPort-out port for connecting a second monitor on to the U4924DW, which I discover odd: Less costly screens on this mannequin line, just like the Dell U3223QE, have that characteristic. I can’t be too harsh about its exclusion, although, as I can’t consider a competing super-ultrawide that provides it.

Dell’s menu system is managed by a joystick on the monitor’s proper decrease flank. It’s logically organized and simple to navigate due to responsive controls, comparatively giant font sizes, and clear menu labels. Image-quality choices embody colour temperature presets that focus on particular colour temperature values, colour hue, achieve, offset, and saturation adjustment, and a number of other modes that focus on a selected colour gamut, similar to sRGB and DCI-P3. There’s no gamma adjustment, nevertheless.

Like most super-ultrawides, the U4924DW presents a buffet of picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes. Users can cut up the display in half or divvy or entry quite a lot of picture-in-picture modes that place the PIP picture in several places on the show.

The U4924DW contains two 9-watt audio system that ship acceptable quantity. The lack of low-end oomph and typically harsh high quality of highs makes them a poor alternative for music, however they’re nice for podcasts, video calls, and most YouTube content material. Most super-ultrawides don’t have audio system or, in the event that they do, use weak audio system that may be tough to listen to even at most quantity.

Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW picture high quality

The Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW just isn’t a cheap monitor, so it’s cheap to count on top-tier picture high quality. It delivers, although maybe not within the methods show lovers would count on. It’s an unapologetic productiveness monitor.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Brightness is available in at a most of 333 nits. As the graph reveals, there’s an especially big selection of brightness amongst immediately’s high-end ultrawide and super-ultrawide screens, and the Dell U4924DW lands smack within the center. It’s brilliant sufficient to be used in almost all conditions, although it might sound a bit dim in a room lit by floor-to-ceiling home windows on a sunny day.

Matt Smith/Foundry

The U4924DW has a brand new kind of IPS panel known as “IPS Black” which guarantees an improved distinction ratio due to decrease luminance in darkish areas of the picture. It delivers a distinction ratio of 1,510:1, a lot increased than typical panels, which vary between 800:1 and 1200:1, relying on the show. The monitor’s decrease minimal luminance helps to rein within the dreaded “IPS glow,” or hazy grey sheen current in darkish scenes on most IPS shows.

With that stated, the U4924DW’s distinction is behind options with a Mini-LED backlight, such because the Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K or Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. They serve up a superior sense of depth in video games and flicks.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Color gamut efficiency is a tad underwhelming, spanning 94 % of DCI-P3 and 88 % of AdobeRGB. That’s adequate for many customers and likewise above common for a monitor, but it surely’s the worst efficiency on this aggressive set.

Interestingly, the U4923DW ships with a default colour gamut setting that spanned solely 89 % of DCI-P3 and 88 % of AdobeRGB. This seems to be an sRGB mode that goals to offer a extra correct look in on a regular basis use and keep away from oversaturated colours. It’s profitable and is sensible given the monitor’s give attention to workplace productiveness, however would-be homeowners ought to make be aware of this quirk. The monitor must be manually set to DCI-P3 or Custom Color mode to realize the widest potential colour gamut.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Color accuracy is best than it seems within the graph. The monitor’s colour error is the best of this bunch, however all of those screens carry out effectively and are unlikely to current any drawback in real-world use. The picture seems sensible, nice, and lifelike. Also, as talked about, the monitor has in depth colour calibration choices that assist customers change any facet of colour presentation they dislike.

The monitor’s default colour temperature got here in at 6900Ok, a tad cooler than the goal of 6500Ok, and the gamma curve got here in at 2.1, which signifies content material could seem a bit brighter than it ought to. Neither variance is drastic although, at this worth, I did count on to see a spot-on colour temperature studying of 6500Ok.

Sharpness is great. The monitor’s 5120×1440 decision is equal to a 27-inch 1440p monitor and packs roughly 109 pixels into every inch. A 27-inch 4K monitor is far sharper at 163 pixels per inch, however this comparability is a bit tutorial, as no super-ultrawide bought immediately beats a vertical decision of 1440p. This is as sharp because it will get at this measurement and facet ratio.

The U4924DW’s picture high quality is mediocre total however effectively suited to its supposed job. It’s brilliant sufficient to be used in most places of work and gives a pointy, correct picture with good distinction. The monitor lacks the hyper-realistic, oversaturated look frequent to high-end screens, and that can disappoint these trying to play video games or watch films.

Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW HDR picture high quality

The Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW doesn’t assist HDR, which can come as a shock given its worth. However, the monitor’s give attention to productiveness makes the absence of HDR comprehensible. Office duties and Windows desktop functions hardly ever profit from the improved colour vary and distinction supplied by HDR. Choosing to omit HDR presents customers with a straightforward alternative: If you need HDR, don’t purchase the U4924DW.

Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW movement efficiency

The movement readability of the Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW is passable for its 60Hz refresh charge, however not higher than rivals. Fast-moving objects are noticeably missing intimately and scrolling throughout a picture or webpage will make most content material illegible.

The absence of Adaptive Sync makes it lower than preferrred for gaming, as display tearing or micro-stutters could seem when a recreation’s framerate deviates from 60fps. Gamers will wish to use a V-sync choice in video games which give it.

Games may be loved regardless of these flaws, however rivals just like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, which has a 240Hz refresh charge and helps each AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, are superior in video games.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Is the Ultrasharp U4924DW value it?

Dell’s Ultrasharp U4924DW is a super-ultrawide constructed for a selected demographic. It drops options that focus on video games and leisure like an aggressive curve, enhanced refresh charge, and HDR, in favor of a easy, practical show that’s comfy and engaging when utilizing primary productiveness functions.

The monitor additionally delivers excellent USB connectivity that may exchange a standalone USB-C hub or dock. The U4924DW pairs effectively with a USB-C laptop computer, as it may possibly cost the laptop computer whereas enhancing its connectivity.

Pricing is an impediment, as Dell prices a stiff MSRP of $1,599. That’s equal to different screens with higher picture high quality just like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 and Corsair Xeneon Flex. Still, the U4924DW is an efficient alternative if you happen to plan to spend extra time in Microsoft Excel than League of Legends.