Dell U3023E Review: 30″ 2560×1600 IPS USB-C Monitor

The Dell U3023E is a 30" 2560x1600 16:10 IPS monitor with a wide color gamut and rich connectivity options, such as USB-C (90W PD) and KVM.

Bottom Line

The Dell U3023E is an overall excellent monitor for office-related and color-critical work, however, it’s too expensive.

Design:
(5.0)
Display:
(4.5)
Performance:
(4.5)
Price/Value:
(3.0)
4.3

A lot of users prefer the 16:10 aspect ratio due to the extra vertical screen space it provides. Sadly, there aren’t many modern displays with this format, but the Dell UltraSharp U3023E might be just what you’ve been looking for!

Image Quality

The Dell U3023E is a 30-inch (29.77-inch viewable screen) display with a screen resolution of 2560×1600, resulting in a pixel density of 101.4 PPI (pixels per inch).

Basically, the monitor is as tall as a regular 32″ 16:9 monitor, but not as wide.

However, in comparison to a 32″ 2560×1440 monitor, the extra 160 pixels provide you with ~10% extra vertical screen real estate, as well as a higher pixel density for a bit sharper text and fine details.

The pixel density is right in between that of 27″ 1440p and 32″ 1440p displays.

Moving on, the Dell U3023E uses an IPS panel with 178° wide viewing angles, dithered 10-bit color depth support (8-bit + FRC) and a wide 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for accurate, vibrant and consistent colors.

There’s a dedicated sRGB mode that clamps the display’s native gamut down to 100% sRGB for accurate SDR color output. Moreover, it’s factory-calibrated at Delta E < 2, making it fit for color-critical work right out of the box.

The monitor has a strong 350-nit peak brightness, so it will be able to get more than bright enough to mitigate glare in well-lit rooms. For those who like to work with dim screens, the Dell U3023E can go as low as ~35-nits at its lower brightness.

As expected from an IPS panel display, the static contrast ratio amounts to ~1,000:1, which results in grayish blacks in comparison to VA (~3,000:1) and IPS Black panels (~2,000:1). IPS glow is also present, though it’s manageable.

It’s worth noting that the Dell U3023E uses the common RGB subpixel layout, resulting in sharp text without any fringing.

Performance

Next, the monitor has a 5ms GtG pixel response time speed, but it’s limited to 60Hz without variable refresh rate support.

There’s no prominent trailing behind fast-moving objects; just make sure you’re using the Normal response time overdrive mode as ‘Extreme’ adds too much overshoot.

Input lag amounts to around 10ms, which makes for imperceptible delay at 60Hz. Although not a gaming monitor, video games will still look and run great, but you will need to resort to V-Sync in order to prevent screen tearing.

The Dell U3023E monitor uses a flicker-free backlight with a low-blue light filter (hardware solution), ensuring a comfortable viewing experience even after prolonged use.

Features

Dell UltraSharp U3023E Monitor OSD Menu

At the rear of the monitor, there’s a power button and a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.

Alternatively, you can use the Dell Display Manager desktop application.

Useful features include PiP/PbP support, integrated KVM functionality, automatic input detection, various picture presets (including sRGB and DCI-P3 color modes) and image adjustment tools, including 6-axis hue/saturation and sharpness.

Design & Connectivity

Dell UltraSharp U3023E Monitor Design

The monitor’s design features ultra-thin bezels at all four sides of the screen and full ergonomic support with up to 150mm height adjustment, -5°/21º tilt, +/- 30° swivel, +/- 90° pivot and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Further, the screen has a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options are abundant and include HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.4, DisplayPort output for daisy-chaining, USB-C with DP Alt Mode and 90W Power Delivery, RJ45, a headphone jack, four USB-A downstream ports with 10 Gbps, a USB-C upstream port and a USB-C downstream port with 15W PD.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Dell U3023E price ranges from ~$450 to $580, which is quite expensive.

For instance, the LG 32UP83A is a 32″ IPS monitor with a higher 4K UHD resolution and USB-C with 60W PD for only $400. It doesn’t have as many features, but it provides you with a lot more screen space and sharper details.

If you’re looking for something with as many features as the Dell U3023E, we recommend investing in the Dell U3223QE with a 4K UHD resolution and an IPS Black panel.

Conclusion

While it’s great to see more 16:10 monitors, the resolution of the U3023E is simply too low for such a high price considering that you can just get a 32″ 4K IPS monitor for less money.

Specifications

Screen Size29.77-inch
Resolution2560×1600 (WQXGA)
Panel TypeIPS
Aspect Ratio16:10
Refresh Rate60Hz
Response Time5ms (GtG)
PortsDisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 1.4,
USB-C (DP Alt Mode, 90W PD)
Other PortsDisplayPort-Output, Headphone Jack, RJ45,
4x USB-A (10 Gbps),
2x USB-C (upstream, 15W PD)    
Brightness400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (static)
Colors1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC)
95% DCI-P3
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • Accurate, consistent and vibrant colors; wide viewing angles
  • Plenty of useful features
  • Fully ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options, including KVM and USB-C with 90W PD

The Cons:

  • Expensive
  • IPS glow and inferior contrast ratio to VA panels (as expected from an IPS monitor)

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.