Dell U4025QW curved Thunderbolt hub monitor review

There are a lot of monitor companies out there. If you are in the market for a monitor, odds are you have half a dozen or so phenomenal options that you could choose for just about any scenario. Our expert reviews of the best business monitors should be a testament to that very fact -- there are some incredible displays out there. Notably, in the world of the best ultrawide monitors, a gaggle of options still skilfully serve their purpose at your desk.

The Dell Ultrawide U4024QW monitor is yet another Ultrawide monitor; this one is a 5K2K panel with a built-in Thunderbolt hub, some impressive onboard software, and outstanding ports. It's not great for gamers or those who want just a casual monitor; this is far too much of a screen for that, but for those who need an acre of screen real estate, need it to be crisp and clear, they want the simplicity of a hub built-in (Thunderbolt at that), and they don't mind paying for it, this is a phenomenal option, with very few drawbacks.

Dell U4025QW: Unboxing & first impressions

The Dell U4025QW comes well-packaged in an eco-friendly, 100% recyclable box. Inside, you'll find the monitor, a sturdy stand, power cable, DisplayPort cable, USB-C to USB-A cable, HDMI cable, Thunderbolt 4 active cable, a quick setup guide, and the standard documentation. Right off the bat, Dell includes everything needed to plug the monitor into your laptop or computer and get to work. There is no need for extra steps or accessories -- plug and play at its most basic. 

Setting up the Dell U4025QW was straightforward. I chose to pop this on my monitor arm, adding the Vesa mount on the back and the mounting plate on the arm bracket. The 40-inch curved screen immediately impresses with its immersive size and sleek design. Admittedly, I was shocked by how vast this screen was after it was plugged in. 

Dell U4025QW: Design & build quality

Dell's U4025QW fits the design language I have come to expect from Dell monitors. I could line up nearly every Dell monitor side by side, and they would all look almost the same, less the screen resolutions and sizes, etc. The silver color, simple border, minimal Dell badging, and screen coating are all the same. The default basic stand was the same, so I wasn't worried about testing that and jumped right to my heavy-duty monitor arm.

Like other Dell monitors, most of the ports are on the back lower half of the monitor. What's great about this one is that it has a pop-out hub on the bottom bezel on the left half of the monitor. This allows for easy access to the built-in hub without having cables dangling weird or oddly placed ports that are hard to reach for some.

Dell U4025QW: In use

For everyday use, the Dell U4025QW is a master at productivity tasks. The extra screen real estate from a more traditional monitor layout and size is incredibly noticeable in any application. I found myself spreading my entire workflow across 40 inches of pixels, where I usually have two virtual displays that I swipe between depending on the type of task, and I utilize my iPad for even more screens. 

However, I didn't need multiple displays with this display. I could fit everything comfortably on this screen, all at once, or I could still focus on something in the middle and minimize everything else. Perhaps it was a comfort or what I am used to, but I did find myself overwhelmed at some points with just how much I had on the screen. This issue, of course, is a personal flaw and not one of the monitor, as the monitor is only doing what I tell it, but it is worth noting too that if you are someone who struggles with focus or can get easily overwhelmed, this may not be for you.

While working on this screen, the 120Hz refresh rate delivers smooth scrolling and highly responsive performance. It's worth noting that you'll need a beefy graphics card to push this thing to its highest performance. I even noticed my M2 MacBook Pro lagging if I had too much going on. Further, the image is clear and crisp while staying bright and color-accurate, making this great for business and creative professionals using photo or video editing monitors.

The built-in Thunderbolt dock works excellent and allows me to plug in cameras, a light bar, a mic, Ethernet, extra computers, and devices through the other IO; it allows me to charge my MacBook and run a dongle for even more responsive mouse and keyboard experiences, making it a strong contender for best monitor for MacBook Pro at the least.

Dell U4025QW: Final verdict

The Dell U4025QW is an impressive monitor for professionals needing a large, high-resolution display for productivity or creative work. The color accuracy is excellent, boasts a robust feature set, and has a fantastic array of inputs, making it a true jack of all trades regarding workspace additions. It may not be the best 5K monitor for you - the high cost and need for a powerful graphics card to utilize this display fully make this unattainable or unreasonable for most. Still, for those who need an enormous screen with all the features, this monitor is literally, exactly that.

Looking for more monitors? We reviewed the best monitors for photo editing and best monitors for video editing.