Dell’s new UltraSharp monitor is a 6K powerhouse for pros [Updated]

Today, Dell announced a beefed-up monitor to expand the limited options available to creative professionals who want more pixels. With 6144×3456 resolution, the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor (U3224KB) places itself firmly in the professional category, right alongside the likes of Apple’s 6K Pro Display XDR. We briefly checked out the U3224KB in person in New York, and it showed strong contrast through IPS Black technology, plus several built-in extras that help it stand out. And we’re not just talking about the graciously included stand.

6K resolution

Dell’s U3224KB is a 31.5-inch monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 60 Hz refresh rate. When we saw it at a press event, a company spokesperson said the monitor’s form factor is based on power users’ preference for 220–260 pixels per inch (ppi) in high-end notebooks. Dell wanted to incorporate that same level of pixel density in a 32-inch-class screen, a popular size among its users.

The U3224KB has a pixel density of 223.79 ppi, to be precise, making it noticeably more pixel-dense than a 31.5-inch, 4K (3840×2160) monitor like the Dell UltraSharp U3223QZ (139.87 ppi). The Dell monitor also gets you more pixels per inch than a 27-inch, 5K (5120×2880) monitor like Apple’s Studio Display (217.57 ppi), and even the Pro Display XDR monitor. Apple’s display is a hair bigger, at 32 inches, with a slightly lower resolution of 6016×3384, giving you 215.7 ppi.

Dell’s 6K monitor has Auto KVM and supports picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture.

Credit: Scharon Harding

With 21,233,664 pixels, the U3224KB occupies an elite class of UltraSharps that go beyond the Dell monitor lineup’s typical lure of sleek designs and strong port selection, including USB-C connectivity. Offering 44 percent more screen real estate than a 5K monitor like the Studio Display, Dell says this monitor is for creators, like designers and engineers. The vendor sees professionals using the monitor for tasks such as making fine details in illustrations and UI or working with high-resolution photos or videos while having pixels remaining for additional windows and tools.

That niche category means things like image quality and accuracy are of the utmost importance, and it also means the U3224KB faces stiff, reference-level competition.

Betting on IPS Black

And to take on that challenge, Dell is betting on IPS Black, a type of IPS-technology LG Display introduced in early 2022. IPS Black differs from standard IPS LCDs by claiming 35 percent deeper black levels. As such, the U3224KB is supposed to have twice the contrast of an average IPS monitor, at 2,000:1. It also claims a typical max brightness of 450 nits with SDR content.

So far, IPS Black has been relatively successful at delivering contrast and image quality that’s noticeably improved from a quality monitor using traditional IPS. We’ve tested two IPS Black monitors before, also from Dell. The UltraSharp U3223QZ showed 1,860:1 contrast with max brightness and default settings, and the smaller UltraSharp U2723QE hit 1,873:1. Higher contrast on those 4K monitors made content like movies and photos appear to have more depth while looking more detailed and realistic, especially in darker areas. Shadowy scenes in 4K movies, for example, had more variation in shades of gray, and we also saw lively looking skin tones.

For comparison, we recorded a contrast of 1,040:1 with the 5K Studio Display set to 200 nits versus 1,504:1 for the U3223QZ and 1,760:1 for the U2723QE.

But while IPS Black contrast is impressive for IPS, there are prosumer monitors delivering even greater contrast levels. For comparison, PCMag reported an SDR contrast of 12,460:1 when testing the Pro Display XDR in SDR mode, and MonitorNerds reported the monitor surpassing 10,000:1. And you can find VA monitors delivering contrast in the 3,000:1 range.

Targeting professional workers, the bar for the U3224KB is even higher than it is for Dell’s other IPS Black, UltraSharp monitors. In other specs, Dell claims the U3224KB covers 99 percent of DCI-P3 and Apple’s Display P3, 100 percent sRGB, and 100 percent of Rec. 709. However, the company hasn’t provided any color accuracy claims for the monitor yet, and that will be critical for many creatives.

Hands-on

Our time with the 6K monitor was brief, but we quickly noticed vibrant colors and sufficient brightness in a decently lit room. This included when viewing the display from different side angles. Dell’s blog post on the U3224KB today claimed that the monitor’s IPS Black panel has a contrast ratio 1.4 times greater than standard IPS when viewed from a 45-degree angle.

The blog also claimed that IPS Black monitors—citing the 4K U3223QZ as an example, rather than the 6K U3224KB—have up to 41 percent deeper black levels at a 45-degree horizontal viewing angle compared to a 31.5-inch competitor using a standard IPS monitor. According to Dell, an IPS Black monitor could also have up to 1.2 times better color accuracy than a regular IPS monitor at that angle, “especially in displaying low grays.”

A detailed illustration of a robot that Dell showed on the screen looked extremely lively on the U3223QZ. Its rounded head had a lot of depth, thanks to varied shades of gray leading into a deep black background. The many skinny lines in the illustration seemed to pop with sharp precision.

In other images, speckled colors on black backgrounds popped without overtly visual artifacts at first glance. And a video-editing demo showed the benefits of having extra pixels to work with when it comes to heavy workloads and multi-tasking.

Competitive port selection

Ports on the backside.

Credit: Dell

Port selection is a low point for Apple’s professional displays, but the U3224KB doesn’t disappoint. Most interesting is the Thunderbolt 4 port with 140 W power delivery (PD). This is the third monitor we’ve heard of coming out this year to bring USB-C PD up to that level, with Lenovo’s upcoming 27-inch ThinkVision P27pz-30 and 31.5-inch P32pz-30 Mini LED monitors being the first two. With prior monitors tapping out at 100 W, these monitors bring greater potential for one-cable setups with workstation-level systems.

You’ll also be able to connect to the U3224KB via Mini DisplayPort 2.1, another technology set to become more available this year. Additionally, the monitor has a Thunderbolt 4 downstream, USB-C upstream, four USB-A ports, and RJ-45 on the back.

The monitor’s chin also has a bank of more easily accessible ports in a hub that you push in to make it pop out.

Three ports are in a pop-out hub on the monitor’s chin.

Credit: Scharon Harding

That hub has two USB-C ports at 10 Gbps with 15 W power delivery, plus a USB-A port supporting up to 10 Gbps and BC 1.2 power charging.

One potential disadvantage: HDR

When in HDR mode, the U3224KB’s peak brightness increases to 600 nits, as per VESA DisplayHDR certification. That’s a bit dim for creative professionals like video editors, who will likely need DisplayHDR 1000 and beyond for effective performance. [Update: The monitor also has 12 dimming zones, which is better than the eight found in the U3223QZ, but still scant compared to the hundreds found in other premium monitors.]

Apple’s Pro Display XDR claims up to 1,600 nits in HDR mode, with reviewers like PCMag and MonitorNerds reporting contrast in the 39,000:1 range. The Pro Display XDR also has 576 local dimming zones, leading PCMag to compare it to more expensive Mini LED technology.

But while the Pro Display XDR looks like it may have the advantage in this area, both monitors are still expected to be subject to the flaws of LCD panels that OLED monitors avoid, such as the potential for blooming around light areas on dark content.

Webcam and speakers

The Dell’s U3224KB looks like it’ll have steep competition from other displays targeting pro creatives, but it will attempt to make up for any shortcomings with integrated video-conferencing features, starting with a massive 4K webcam that’s hard to miss.

A Dell spokesperson told us that compared to the 4K webcam we tested in the U3223QZ, low-light performance had been boosted with a larger HDR CMOS sensor.

Running at up to 4K at 30 frames per second, the integrated webcam on the U3223QZ made the image, particularly the background, look distinctly sharp, giving us hope for the U3224KB camera’s image quality. The U3224KB is physically adjustable within its frame from 0 to 20 degrees.

And like the webcam on the U3223QZ, the 6K U3224KB’s camera will have a physical shutter that you can set to automatically open when using a program that leverages the camera and automatically shut when you exit the app.

Dell is also including AI-based features that can feel superfluous. The camera can perform auto-framing to keep you centered and perform lighting adjustments.

Additionally, the monitor has a chunky black strip housing a pair of 14 W speakers. You can expect the U3224KB to look dominating atop desks, with a strong outline and massive top border. There is also a pair of integrated echo-canceling microphones.

The 6K monitor also inherits the U3223QZ’s touch sensors on the bottom bezel’s left corner that you can use to disable the camera, mics, and/or speakers.

Controls on the bottom-left corner light up when it senses a hand nearby.

Credit: Dell

These features will be distinct considerations for shoppers pitting the U3224KB against other professional monitors, like the Studio Display XDR and Studio Display. The former doesn’t have any integrated camera, speakers, or microphones. Apple’s Studio Display has a 12.1 MP camera with auto-framing of its own, plus six quality speakers that also support Spatial Audio, and three microphones.

Price and release date

The U3223QZ will come out in the “first half of 2023,” Dell’s blog said.