The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U3225QE) ($949.99) is the latest in the growing family of Thunderbolt 4-equipped Dell elite productivity monitors. It distinguishes itself from similar displays by its unusually high contrast ratio—even for an IPS Black panel—and its exceptionally generous downstream port selection. Dell seems on a perpetual quest to up the ante by adding new ports and features to its high-end business monitors, and the Editors’ Choice-winning U3225QE continues in that tradition.
Design: A Thunderbolt/USB Mega-Hub
The U3225QE measures 24.4 by 28.1 by 8.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 20.6 pounds. It has a 31.5-inch screen at 4K UHD (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) resolution and a 16.9 aspect ratio. A screen of that size and resolution has a pixel density of 140 pixels per inch (ppi), which should be more than adequate for photo or video editing. The screen uses LG’s IPS Black technology, which offers deeper contrast than standard in-plane switching (IPS) panels. Until now, IPS Black monitors have had maximum rated contrast ratios of 2,000:1, but the U3225QE and the Dell UltraSharp U2725QE (another Thunderbolt hub monitor that was released concurrently with it) are the first IPS Black monitors with 3,000:1 contrast ratios.
IPS Black panels offer the same wide viewing angles as standard IPS screens: up to 178 degrees for both vertical and horizontal. You can look at the U3225QE’s screen nearly edge-on from the side or above without notable degradation in image quality. A 120Hz pixel refresh rate helps smooth the monitor’s image and reduce artifacts and screen tearing, and makes this panel a good choice for game designers.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The U3225QE’s silver-hued chassis attaches to a slender shaft, which has a hole near the bottom through which you can snake cables. The shaft is anchored by a base with a fairly small footprint but a sturdy feel. This monitor has good ergonomic cred. In addition to having an array of holes in back spaced 100mm apart to fit a VESA bracket (not included) for arm or wall mounting, this monitor has a generous 5.9 inches of height adjustment, swivel adjustment of 45 degrees to either side, 90 degrees of pivot adjustment in either direction, and tilt adjustment of up to five degrees toward or 21 degrees away from the user.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The U2725QE has all the connectivity and power to substitute for a laptop’s docking station, connecting to (and charging or powering) the computer via a Thunderbolt cable while also providing Ethernet connectivity, several video inputs, and a mega-hub of downstream ports. Its Thunderbolt 4 upstream port provides power delivery of up to 140 watts, the most I’ve seen in a monitor, and supports DisplayPort over USB alternate mode. A downstream Thunderbolt 4 port that can be used for daisy-chaining a second monitor to the setup is included, too.
You’ll also find two full-size DisplayPort 1.4 connectors and one HDMI 2.1 port. The U3225QE’s seven downstream USB ports include two USB-C ports and five USB-A ports; the two USB-C ports and one USB-A port—each of which supports power charging—are forward-facing and can be accessed by pushing on a spot on the bottom of the monitor.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The U3225QE’s RJ-45 Ethernet jack can provide connectivity when your laptop’s Wi-Fi is spotty or nonexistent, and also supports Wake on LAN (WoL), PXE boot, and Mac address pass-through functions. Dell includes three cables in the box: Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, and USB-A-to-USB-C.
The monitor lacks built-in speakers but has a 3.5mm audio-out port that can support headphones or powered external speakers.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
You navigate the U3225QE’s on-screen display (OSD) and change settings using a small four-way joystick controller with a central button, a configuration that is easy to use and has become commonplace on productivity, professional, and gaming monitors.
Testing the Dell U3225QE: Exemplary Contrast and Color
I measured the U3225QE’s brightness, contrast ratio, and color-gamut coverage using our standard test gear: a Klein K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman for Business calibration software.
The U3225QE and its 27-inch Thunderbolt sibling, the $700 Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE), are the first two monitors to use the latest iteration of LG’s IPS Black technology, which boasts a 3,000:1 contrast-ratio rating, up from the 2,000:1 ratio found on previous IPS Black panels. In my testing, the U3225QE tallied a 2,577;1 ratio, which, although well short of its rating, is still considerably better than typical IPS Black panels, not to mention the 1,000:1 contrast ratio of standard IPS.
Dell rates the monitor’s luminance at 450 nits (candelas per square meter), and I measured it at 375 nits in my testing. Although short of its rating, that’s more than bright enough for any business use, including photo and video editing, as well as gaming. The monitor also has a VESA DisplayHDR 600 rating; we have not yet tested its HDR luminance.
(Credit: Portrait Displays)
According to Dell, the U3225QE covers 100% of the sRGB color space. In my tests using the default standard mode, it outdid that with 158.3% coverage by area (see above). The panel also covered 99.4% of DCI-P3, a color space geared to digital video, even better than Dell’s claim of 99% (see the chart below). Dell does not rate its Adobe RGB coverage, but it covered 95.3% of that space in our test.
(Credit: Portrait Displays)
In the subjective, ad-hoc portion of our testing, we view a select group of test-standard photos and video clips. Still images looked sharp, with rich and accurate colors and a wealth of detail in both light and dark areas. Videos also looked great—bright and colorful without being oversaturated; the U3225QE did particularly well in handling detail in dark scenes.
Verdict: A Formidable, Feature-Packed Productivity Panel
Dell calls its UltraSharp U3225QE a Thunderbolt hub monitor, but in addition to its downstream Thunderbolt 4 port (to go with an upstream one), this display is a formidable USB hub, too. It has no less than seven USB ports (two USB-C and five USB-A). It can substitute for a laptop docking station, providing power, Ethernet, and all the ports you could hope for, plus a few extras.
Oh, and let’s not forget you get a magnificent screen in the deal! It’s an exemplary 32-inch panel with UHD resolution and a high pixel density, great sRGB and DCI-P3 color coverage, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, its 3,000:1 rated contrast ratio is the new vanguard for IPS Black. The U3225QE has all the ergonomic features you would expect from a high-end productivity monitor. It’s a great pick for managers and elite workers, especially ones who occasionally work with photos and graphics.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
You do pay a premium for the Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and the rest of this goodness, though. So cheaper options might be worth a look; for instance, the non-Thunderbolt Dell UltraSharp 30 USB-C Hub Monitor (U3023E), which has 1440p resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio, now sells for barely half the U3225QE’s price, as does the Editors’ Choice-winning Dell UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Hub Monitor (U2723QE), which also lacks Thunderbolt connectivity and has a smaller screen.
Still, what you pay for the U3225QE is money well spent, and it easily earns our Editors’ Choice award as an elite productivity monitor.
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About Tony Hoffman
Senior Analyst, Hardware
