Dell UltraSharp U3226Q 4K 32-inch QD-OLED monitor review: Pro-grade with reference-level color

Dell delivers a reference display with the UltraSharp U3226Q.

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Dell UltraSharp U3226Q
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(Image credit: © Tom's Hardware)

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Maximum Backlight Level

· Maximum White Luminance Native Mode – 290.1133 nits

· Maximum Black Luminance Native Mode – 0 nits

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· Maximum Contrast Ratio Native Mode – Unmeasurable

· ANSI Contrast – Unmeasurable

The U3226Q has a brightness slider marked in nits. However, it is a bit off the mark. My sample wouldn’t quite reach 300 nits, and the control is about 10 nits off across its range. There is no variable brightness available in SDR mode, so window and field patterns measured the same. Not to worry, HDR includes a toggle for constant or variable brightness so you can get up to the advertised 500-nit peak. More on that on page five. No configuration allowed me to measure black levels as the OLED layer was shut off. That means static and ANSI contrast can’t be measured either.

Test Takeaway: The U3226Q isn’t super bright for SDR content but it doesn’t need to be given that it will be used primarily in a light-controlled environment. The brightness slider is precise though with one-nit clicks but it’s off from the actual value by around 10 nits. Like any OLED, its black levels and contrast are unmatched by any LCD panel variant.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

3 Comments Comment from the forums
  • wakuwaku
    No ULMB option
    We all know now that even this "veteran" reviewer now uses AI!
    Why? Because AI says OLEDs have ULMB, which obviously they don't. Backlight strobing cannot exist on a display that does not use a backlight.... OLEDs use BFI or black frame insertion. And BFI is pointless on a creator or productivity monitor. Why do you want to increase costs for creators to get their gear?
    Reply
  • BillyBuerger
    Above it, on the bezel, are three touch-sensitive buttons that light up when your hand gets close. I enjoyed waving at the screen like Harry Potter to make them appear.
    Oh gawd no. I thought Dell finally stopped with the terrible touch buttons on their monitors.I'm still using some old Dell U2415 monitors which are still great, but the touch buttons are such a terrible interface. Especially for the power button. This is similar to using touch buttons for the function row on the XPS laptops. It's especially terrible for the Escape key. Buttons need to have a tactile feel so you can tell where they are and when you've pushed them. Touch buttons have none of this and are super awkward to use.
    Reply
  • Dementoss
    Why criticise the 120Hz max refresh rate, when this monitor is not aimed at gamers?
    Reply