Today at CES, Dell unveiled a slew of new UltraSharp monitors, which is its branding for its high-end pro-level color accurate displays. The star of the new lineup is the UP3017Q UltraSharp 30 Ultra HD 4K OLED monitor, the first Ultrasharp to use this kind of panel technology. In fact, OLED computer displays seem to be a theme this year at CES, with a number of other OEMs already announcing notebooks with OLED displays. Before we get into more details, we do want to say upfront that there is also one other significant aspect of the UP3017Q – its price. It’s an eye-watering $4,999! Yes, you read that right, five thousand dollars for a monitor. And people were complaining about the price of the Rift!
The two other UltraSharps announced are more traditional affairs. There are new 24- and 27-inch models that both use standard display tech and consequently cost a lot less. Both, however, use Dell’s InfinityEdge technology and thus have razor-thin bezels surrounding the panel, and both have 99% sRGB color coverage and come pre-calibrated out of the box. They are also available bundled with a monitor arm instead of a regular monitor stand, which according to Dell maximizes your “workspace and productivity.”
Dell UltraSharp 30 Ultra HD 4K OLED Monitor with PremierColor (UP3017Q)
We were able to see all these models at a recent briefing, and the 30-inch OLED model certainly has a stunning display. Nothing can compare to OLED when it comes to black reproduction, and colors almost seem to leap off the screen at you, as you can see in the image at the top of this post. OLED displays also cover a wide gamut of colors, and the UP3017Q is 100% AdobeRGB with 1.07 billion color depth, and as a PremierColor monitor, it is factory calibrated. OLED panels have incredibly fast response times -- 0.1 ms for this monitor -- and have superior grayscale performance and less motion blur than LCDs. OLED panels are also thinner, so the UP3017Q is a very slim display.
Specifications
| Model number | UP3017Q |
|---|---|
| Diagonal size/resolution | 30”/Ultra HD 4K 3840 x 2160 |
| Panel technology | OLED |
| Color depth | 1.07 billion |
| Color gamut | 100% AdobeRGB, 97.8% DCI-P3 |
| Contrast ratio (typical) | 400,000:1 |
| Response time | 0.1 ms |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C with power delivery (Thunderbolt 3) |
The UP3017Q does not have the super InfinityEdge bezels of the other models, but they are still narrow, and it is available with either a monitor arm or traditional stand. Its connectivity options were not elaborated on at this time, but it does use USB Type-C, and we were shown it connected to Dell’s new Thunderbolt Dock, so clearly Thunderbolt 3 tech plays a part here.
One issue that affects OLED display is burn-in (you may remember this from the days of Plasma TVs), so Dell has “incorporated a pixel shifting algorithm to prevent image burn-in.” OLED panels also have a shorter lifespan than LCDs, so the UP3017Q has a presence sensor feature that extends panel life by automatically turning off the monitor when you're not using it.
At $4,999 who is this monitor for? Certainly not the average PC enthusiast – at this price it is strictly aimed at creative professionals in content creation industries who work on “color-critical projects.” The UP3017Q will be available March 31, 2016.
Dell UltraSharp 24 And 27 InfinityEdge Monitors (U2717DA/ U2417HA)
After the preceding excitement about a $5,000 OLED monitor, the two other UltraSharps are positively pedestrian in their features and specification -- other than the InfinityEdge technology. This does significantly reduce the bezel size to where they are almost invisible, which will benefit multi-display setups immensely. Even though they are both LCD displays, they are color accurate and have 99% sRGB color coverage at deltaE<2 right out of the box.
Specifications
| Model number | U2717DA | U2417HA |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal size/resolution | 27”/QHD 2560 x 1440 @ 60 Hz | 23.8”/Full HD 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz |
| Color gamut | 99% sRGB at deltaE<2 | 99% sRGB at deltaE<2 |
| Design | Thin borders 7.3 mm (left, top, right), 8.3 mm (bottom) | Super thin borders 5.3 mm (left, top, right), 8.3mm (bottom) |
| Connectivity | HDMI 1.4 (MHL 2.0), DP 1.2, mini-DP 1.2, DP-out, USB 3.0 x 4, Audio line-out | HDMI 1.4 (MHL 2.0), DP 1.2, mini-DP 1.2, DP-out,USB 3.0 x 4, Audio line-out |
| Extras | Zero bright pixel promise with Premium Panel Guarantee | Zero bright pixel promise with Premium Panel Guarantee |
The main difference you can see then between these two models is the screen size and respective resolution. Other than that, they are basically the same, with similar connectivity and the option to buy them with a stand or monitor arm to free up desk space.
The Dell UltraSharp 24 InfinityEdge monitor will be available February 25, 2016, starting at $349, and the 27-inch InfinityEdge monitor will be available February 25, 2016, starting at $719.
Update: 01/06/16 1:50 PM PT: Availability date for UltraSharp 24 InfinityEdge monitor corrected.
