Dell UltraSharp U4320Q review

The UltraSharp range of business monitors from Dell Technologies are built with designers and content creators in mind, but pretty much any professional set-up will benefit from the high levels of performance on offer.

The 42.5-inch U4320Q is the largest flat-screen display in the range, and it’s exactly as imposing as it sounds. Even despite the lack of curvature, this truly massive monitor feels like it wraps around your workstation, helping to tune out any distractions.

The display offers 4K resolution, excellent color quality and range, USB-C connectivity with power delivery and it’s also height-adjustable, which Dell claims is a first for a monitor of this size.  

A decent range of connectivity options and generous screen real estate also mean you can view content from up to four different devices at once using picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture (PIP/PBP) options.

However, while it’s nice to have plenty of screen to play with, the assumption that bigger is always better doesn’t necessarily stand up when it comes to desktop monitors. Naturally, the distance you can put between yourself and the screen is limited by the depth of your desk, which could be a problem for those working out of a modest home office.

• Here’s our list of the best 5K and 8K monitors available

Price and availability

As you might imagine, a display of this size and quality doesn’t come particularly cheap. It’s currently available for £811.20/$934.99, although that’s at 20% off an MSRP of $1,149.99.

In Australia, the U4320Q is not currently available at a discount and comes in at AU$1,414.

Design and features

The U4320Q combines a slate grey base and slim black bezel for a smart and professional aesthetic that is typical of Dell. The understated design and color scheme means this monitor will look at home in pretty much any office setting.

One of the most valuable aspects of the design is the monitor’s range of motion. The U4320Q boasts height adjustability up to 60mm, tilt from -5° to 10° and swivel from -20° to 20°.

The weight of larger displays means many manufacturers forgo height adjustability entirely, so the ability to reposition the U4320Q at the most comfortable height and tilt is to be celebrated. The generous swivel also makes collaboration with colleagues a little easier, for if and when you make a return to the office.

That said, this 42.5-inch display can sometimes feel a little too big, especially if your desk isn’t deep enough to accommodate its size. To make use of the screen’s full range, you’ll often find yourself craning your neck to and fro, which isn’t ideal.

The build quality of the U4320Q is largely excellent, save for a few small gripes. Although vigorous typing causes a bit of jiggle when the monitor is extended to its full height, this movement is largely imperceptible. And at any other height, the screen remains level at all times.

The square base is both small and sturdy, although this does come at the expense of maneuverability. With a weight of 17.6kg, the U4320Q is no joke to shift, so you may need to enlist the help of a partner or friend.

Our main issue with the design is that getting to the majority of the ports is a bit of a nightmare. Although downstream USB-A and USB-C ports are positioned on the side for easy access, the rest of the connectors sit at the back in a downwards-facing orientation. Given the size of the display, you’ll need to pull it quite a distance away from the wall before the swivel will give you proper access to the ports.

The four buttons on the underside of the monitor also feel too small and a touch cheap, which can make navigating the menus a little clumsy. We often found ourselves accidentally falling out of the menu system with a press of the wrong button.

Performance

The U4320Q duly delivers on its core promise; to provide a crisp and gorgeous display that’s ideal for long sessions and tasks that demand precision, like photo and video editing.

The color quality is superb, with a depth of 1.07 billion colors and sRGB coverage of 96%, and the 3,840 x 2,160px resolution is startlingly sharp, despite the size of the panel.

Although the display is quite clearly not designed for gamers, it will still do the job in a pinch. Its performance as a gaming monitor is limited by its low 60Hz refresh rate, so you won’t want to use it if you’re serious about competitive multiplayer, but the quality of the display will still make your games pop.

Thanks to the accompanying software, Dell Display Manager, changing the layout configuration is also extremely simple. The bajillion available presets allow you to divide up your screen in whatever way you like, but you can also create a custom layout if your needs somehow aren’t already catered for.

This feature is particularly useful if you have applications that thrive in a particular orientation. For example, you could be writing code in a thin and tall segment of the screen, with other areas assigned to your email inbox, Slack window and social media feed.

The U4320Q also allows you to view content from up to four different devices at once, thanks to picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes. This could be particularly useful for streamers and editors that might benefit from making full use of the performance of two or more devices.

The main problem here is that you obviously can’t operate all devices with the same set of peripherals, unless you’ve got a Logitech MX Master 3 or another similar wireless product that allows you to switch quickly between devices.

From within Dell Display Manager, you can also manage inputs, assign keyboard shortcuts, tweak the brightness, change resolution and more, which is much easier than making the same alterations using the physical buttons.

The U4320Q is equipped with a blue light filter, which could be a lifesaver if you struggle with headaches (like this reviewer) or sit at your desk for hour-upon-hour each day. Dell’s particular brand of eye-saving technology, named ComfortView, is said to filter out 60% of harmful blue light and we found it helped to fend off headaches and eye fatigue to good effect.  

However, ComfortView does give the display quite a strong orange tinge. Although this is relatively normal and you get used to it after a while, the difference is more stark here than with other blue light filters we’ve sampled. We also found that rapid scrolling leaves behind an unsightly white trace with this mode activated.

Verdict

The U4320Q is a stunning display that anyone with deep enough pockets and sufficient desk space should consider. This 4K panel is seriously crisp, with a deep color range and relatively high pixel density, which makes it ideal for tasks like video or photo editing.

However, one of this monitor’s standout attributes, its size, can also count against it in some scenarios. If you’re not able to position yourself far enough away, you’ll find yourself craning your neck from left to right to access the full range of the screen, which could well give rise to problems in the long run.