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I’ve been on something of an OLED binge lately, and I challenge you to fault me for that obsession.
That doesn’t mean I can’t fall in love with monitors and displays of all kinds, though, and this offering from Dell has captured my heart enough that I’m genuinely reluctant to let it go after the conclusion of this review.
The Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is exactly what its name would suggest: a 27-inch, 4K display with a built-in Thunderbolt USB hub, falling under Dell’s productivity, enterprise, and prosumer-focused UltraSharp branding.
A comfortable display with surprisingly deep blacks and that aforementioned Thunderbolt hub elevate this monitor above its competitors, though, and help make it one of the top monitors I’ve reviewed in quite a while.
If you need a monitor that will tie together your devices, help you get your work done in comfort, and can even play your games afterward… Well, have I a monitor for you.
Unsurprisingly, my job constantly has me sat in front of a display (or two… or three), and I need those displays for writing, research, communication, and — yes — entertainment. I’m constantly evaluating the displays I use for image quality, performance, ease-of-use, and more.
This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Dell. Dell had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.
Dell U2725QE review: Pricing and specifications
- This monitor retails for $699.99, which does feel appropriate.
- There’s a 32-inch version for $950, which is identical apart from screen size.
- Not many monitors can claim this exact list of features.
There are countless monitors out in the world, but this display provides an uncommonly unique blend of features and capabilities.
Dell U2725QE Monitor
• Price: $699.99 at Dell
• Display type: 27-inch IPS LCD Black
• Display specs: 16:9 aspect ratio, 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 450nits max brightness w/ SDR, 600nits peak brightness w/ HDR, VESA DisplayHDR 600 support, 100% of sRGB and 99% of DCI-P3 color gamuts, 5-Star TÜV Rheinland EyeComfort rating, Dell ComfortView Plus support, hard anti-glare coating
• Display features: Built-in Thunderbolt 4 USB hub w/ 140W Power Delivery, KVM, PiP, & PbP support, daisy chain capable, VESA 100 x 100mm mounting support, ambient light sensor, Dell Display and Peripheral Manager support, built-in color calibration tool
• Ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.4 w/ DSC & DRR support, 1x DisplayPort 1.4 downstream (for daisy chaining), 1x HDMI 2.1 w/ VRR support, 1x Thunderbolt 4 upstream w/ DisplayPort 1.4 & 140W Power Delivery, 1x Thunderbolt 4 downstream (for daisy chaining) w/ 15W charging, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 upstream, 5x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x RJ45 Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, 1x Kensington Nano Security Slot
• Weight: 5.22kg (11.51lbs) w/o stand, 7.06kg (15.56lbs) w/ stand
Its 27-inch display uses IPS LCD Black technology for greater contrast, and a 4K resolution ensures a very sharp image. You still get a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, though, and full High Dynamic Range (HDR) support.
The standout feature for this monitor is the inclusion of a Thunderbolt 4 USB hub, allowing you to connect far more peripherals, accessories, and devices than most monitors can handle. You can even daisy chain other monitors.
The Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE) retails for $699.99 at Dell, which is a respectable price for this caliber of display. For those who need more screen real estate, there’s a 32-inch version of this monitor available for $949.99 at Dell, a sizeable upcharge for the larger display.
Finally, there’s the U2724DE from last year for $549.99 at Dell, which also packs a Thunderbolt hub behind its QHD, 120Hz display, but I can’t claim with confidence that it’s identical in all other ways (besides the resolution) to the latter two.
In the box, you’ll find the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE), the included two-piece stand (with toolless installation), a 1.8m DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable, a 1m USB Type-C to USB Type-A upstream data cable, and a 1m Thunderbolt 4 cable.
This monitor is covered by Dell’s 3-year limited hardware warranty, which includes Dell Advanced Exchange Service for next-day replacement shipping.
Dell U2725QE review: The good
- A practical design makes this monitor easy to set up and use.
- Image quality is also great, with good color accuracy and contrast.
- Having a built-in Thunderbolt hub is incredibly useful.
I wouldn’t describe the Dell U2725QE as “premium,” even if its pricing verges on that territory. This is a pragmatic, barebones design that gets the job done, and sometimes that’s all you need.
Thin enough bezels, a slim enough chassis, sturdy enough build quality — what more do you need?
Taking the U2725QE out of the box, and you’ll be met with a nice, compact two-piece stand that assembles without tools and neatly clicks into the back of the monitor. The stand’s cable management slot is basic, but you do get height, swivel, tilt, and pivot adjustability.
As the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor, this display is meant to act as the center of your setup, so its ports are neatly lined up on the back and out of sight. There are a lot of ports, and you even get three front-facing ports that can hide inside the monitor, ready to be released at any moment with a spring-assisted action.
Along the front, you’ll find the 27-inch display. Dell is using IPS LCD Black technology here, a variant of the traditional IPS panel that boasts far superior contrast ratios.
While obviously lacking the punch of OLED, this is nonetheless an excellent display. Color reproduction is practically flawless with excellent color accuracy for a productivity-focused monitor, and a color calibration tool is built in that syncs with X-Rite colorimeters.
Dell brags that the U2725QE is one of few to earn a 5-Star TÜV Rheinland EyeComfort rating alongside Dell’s improved ComfortView Plus technology, and this is a very comfortable display to look at for hours on end.
The hard anti-glare coating does a respectable job combatting reflections, and there’s practically no noticeable backlight bleed anywhere. Brightness is consistent across the panel, and this is all obviously built on top a 4K, 120Hz foundation.
Yeah, this monitor renders fine text with ease and can scroll through mountains of it smoother than silk.
|
Setting |
Brightness |
Black |
Contrast |
White point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0% |
38.6 |
0.01 |
2,840:1 |
6,100 (0.318, 0.344) |
|
25% |
90.8 |
0.03 |
3,320:1 |
6,200 (0.317, 0.342) |
|
50% |
141.8 |
0.06 |
2,580:1 |
6,200 (0.316, 0.340) |
|
75% |
192.4 |
0.07 |
2,800:1 |
6,300 (0.316, 0.339) |
|
100% |
487.6 |
0.18 |
2,720:1 |
6,500 (0.312, 0.334) |
Turning to the benchmarks, you’ll see the hard numbers for that color accuracy (100% of sRGB and 99% of DCI-P3 color gamuts), as well as the U2725QE’s level white balance, which does noticeably drift warmer as the brightness is lowered.
Contrast ratio is well above average for an IPS LCD display, although obviously still far short of any OLED panel. Still, blacks do look great, and that consistent backlight further helps.
The U2725QE surpassed the promised 450nits of brightness, but there is a pretty sizeable gap between 75% and 100% brightness, with Dell warning you of increased power consumption every time you go beyond 75%.
Peak brightness is higher with HDR enabled, and while this monitor won’t blow you away in that regard, it’s certainly not the worst display I’ve used for consuming HDR content.
Image 1 of 2
Finally, let’s talk about the headlining feature for this monitor: the Thunderbolt 4 hub. There are plenty of monitors that feature Thunderbolt 4 ports, but few are quite as impressively equipped as the UltraSharp U2725QE.
Five USB Type-A ports, 3 USB Type-C ports, Ethernet, a 3.5mm audio jack, the ability to daisy-chain monitors through Thunderbolt 4 or DisplayPort, 140W Power Delivery through the Thunderbolt 4 port, this monitor seemingly has it all.
Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM) support with Picture-in-Picture (PiP) and Picture-by-Picture (PbP) lets two of your devices take advantage of all those ports, too.
Connect one via Thunderbolt 4 and the other through DisplayPort or HDMI and the USB Type-C upstream port, and both devices can access all your connected accessories and peripherals.
I’ve connected my 4K webcam, high-resolution microphone, RGB-lit keyboard, wireless mouse with its wireless charging station, and my wireless gaming headset and its control hub. Oh, did I forget to mention I still have three USB ports left over? All of that, accessible to my desktop and whatever Thunderbolt-equipped laptop I’m using.
How many other monitors can be the hub for all your devices, additional monitors, peripherals, and accessories? The UltraSharp U2725QE’s KVM isn’t quite as slick as HP’s new OMEN Gear Switch, but it all works shockingly well. Enough that I’m properly spoiled by a monitor that can handle so much.
Oh, and its power supply is entirely internal, so it’s just a simple cable connecting this monitor to the outlet. That’s impressive.
Dell U2725QE review: The bad
- I do wish this monitor got brighter, and wasn’t so stingy with getting bright.
- The included cables are also too short, making part of the setup a pain.
- The OSD is only alright, too, and Dell’s optional software suite isn’t good.
Any criticisms I can levy toward the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor are largely minor, but there are criticisms.
For one, while the U2725QE certainly gets brighter than your average OLED monitor, it’s still outclassed by other premium IPS LCD panels. The monitor is also hesitant to get bright, with a warning every time you go above 75%.
There’s an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust brightness and color temperature, but I left it off for the former because it went far too dim, even on the “High” preset.
The Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-C upstream cables in the box are also incredibly short. As you can see in the images, the cable connecting the U2725QE to my desktop is practically stretched across — my monitor and desktop can’t be described as “far apart” under the loosest of definitions, and I still had to scoot everything closer to make it work.
Sure, Thunderbolt cables get prohibitively more expensive as they extend beyond a meter (all that data doesn’t do well over long distances), but this is too short.
Finally, there’s the On-Screen Display (OSD) and the new Dell Display and Peripheral Manager. I suppose I may have been spoiled by the smooth, intuitive OSD and dedicated button for enhanced KVM on the HP OMEN Transcend 32, but Dell fell short of my expectations here.
The OSD is fine, if clunky and awkward to navigate, but the DPPM software that you can optionally install to manage all your Dell accessories just isn’t good. The interface looks fine, but the app is incredibly slow, frequently forgot my settings, and didn’t seem to be fully communicating with the U2725QE on matters like KVM (I had already set it up, but had to go through the process again just in the app).
I could complain that the UltraSharp U2725QE lacks any integrated speakers or webcam, as my ideal “hub” monitor would boast those features, and you’re missing the proximity sensor for Human Presence Detection (HPD) that some newer premium monitors boast, but this monitor can already do a lot for $700 — I just wish Dell would make a flagship that can truly do it all.
Dell U2725QE review: Also consider
Dell U2725QE review: Final thoughts
You should buy this if …
✅You want a comfortable monitor with no flickering issue
OLED monitors are all the rage, but they can cause more eye strain and headaches due to flickering while dimming. IPS LCD monitors have no such issue, and the U2725QE is even more comfortable for long sessions thanks to EyeComfort and ComfortView Plus certifications.
✅You want one monitor to rule your setup
If you’re a multi-device user and want to condense your messy setup into one place, this monitor can handle it. KVM support for two devices, support for daisy chaining monitors, and enough USB ports for all your accessories makes managing your setup a cinch.
You should not buy this if …
❌You want the absolute best image quality or performance
A 4K panel with a 120Hz refresh rate is awesome, but the U2725QE can still be outdone by plenty of monitors with higher refresh rates, better adaptive sync support, faster response times, and superior image quality. OLED monitors, usually.
I’m constantly cycling through monitors, laptops, accessories. Products rarely stay on my desk for long, so I’ve gotten good at avoiding attachment to any one piece of tech.
It’s going to be difficult to let go of the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor, and I knew that when it was released.
It’s not the most premium, or the best-looking, or the most performant — far more expensive monitors have graced my desk before this one, and the U2725QE is hardly going to outperform them.
A very well-balanced blend of image quality, comfort, ease-of-use, and features make this monitor uniquely qualified to be the center of your setup, though, and is capable enough to extend beyond productivity for creating, gaming, and consuming media.
Not everyone needs a Thunderbolt USB hub baked into their monitor, but those who can find a use for all these USB ports and features won’t be able to use any other monitor after. The U2725QE is just that useful.
The Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE) is now available for $699.99 at Dell, and it does earn my recommendation at that price. Asking $949.99 at Dell for the 32-inch version is a tougher call, but it may be worth it to you for that bigger display.
Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE)
A great, balanced IPS LCD display with above average contrast, resolution, and refresh rate is awesome on its own, but it’s worth paying extra for that included Thunderbolt USB hub. This monitor can be the core of your entire setup, and it’ll spoil you for other monitors lacking such capability.
