Dell U3219Q in test

What is the U3219Q? A 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) IPS monitor with a 31-inch screen diagonal that advertises VESA Certified DisplayHDR™ 400i on the packaging. The street price (as of May 2019) is an affordable €830 on Amazon – the RRP is €990.

Delivery and feel

So we have requested a test device that has survived the usually rough treatment by the logistics company (don’t laugh, this happens more often than you might think …), and set about unpacking it: The box is Styrofoam-free and instead sturdily filled with solid cardboard trays. The screen is a vivid stone grey, surprisingly light and comparable in volume to much inferior devices. A factory calibration report and the necessary cables are included.
As usual, the Vesa mount is present and stable. The housing did not make a sound during practical use, and no fans or similar could be heard. The Dell screen communicates with the various signal transmitters via HDMI (2.2) and Displayport (1.4), as well as an audio output, USB upstream & downstream and a USB-C port. But more on that later.

Panel & colour

The panel is extremely stable in terms of viewing angle and is more than sufficient for 3D and engineering tasks. The integrated HDR 400i support works with the various test signals, but it is only HDR 400 – to what extent this is real HDR is up to you to decide. However, it is certainly sufficient for everyday use. What is flawless is the anti-reflective coating – it can easily keep up with its Eizo colleagues.
The colour measurements (4 weeks apart, the drift was negligible) were okay – not excellent, but okay. The factory calibration to sRGB was spot-on – set it up and get to work.

Other features

The menu is easy to understand, and neither the placement of the connections nor anything else struck us as negative. Picture in Picture also works, but what about the advertised feature, the USB-C function? According to the promotional material, you can use the screen as a USB hub and not only transfer the image to the laptop, but also work comfortably while the laptop’s battery is charging. Sounds strange at first, but it worked – our test device was connected for a full working day, and while its battery normally dies after about 3 hours, we were on 100% battery until the end of the working day. That’s nice! But that also gives us a clue to the idea behind the screen.

Conclusion

So, what do we have? A monitor with excellent colour gamut, contrast and colour fidelity, with slight weaknesses in terms of luminance and colour homogeneity, but not a dealbreaker. Anyone who occasionally works in true colour will be well served by it, and the Ultrasharp is a welcome addition to any multi-monitor setup thanks to its narrow bezel. It’s still a long way from being a Class A broadcast monitor, but that’s all you can expect at this very civilised price. However, if you are looking for an extension for modern laptops that is not only easy on the battery but also on the wallet, the Dell U3219Q – despite its awkward name – is a good choice.