Dell's latest 31.5-inch pro monitor goes extra-large on performance, and price

Dell UltraSharp 32 HDR PremierColor UP3221Q
(Image credit: Dell)

There's no shortage of great monitors for photo editing and video editing, but Dell is out to create a new benchmark for display quality. The UltraSharp 32 HDR PremierColor UP3221Q is targeted at professional and enthusiast content creators, and especially video editors. Its 31.5-inch 4K (3849 x 2160) display has a respectable pixel density of 140 ppi, but it's the panel's exceptional contrast and brightness that really make this monitor special.

(Image credit: Dell)

VESA Display HDR 1000 certified, max brightness is a retina-searing 1,000 nits, meaning this monitor is capable of displaying true HDR content. Assisting with this huge dynamic range is the panel's highly advanced backlighting technology. 2K mini LED direct backlit dimming zones enables highly precise localized backlight dimming to produce stunning contrast - 1,000,000:1 in HDR mode, and 1300:1 typically.

(Image credit: Dell)

The UltraSharp 32 HDR PremierColor uses an IPS panel with typically wide 178°/178 viewing angles and excellent color space coverage. With 99.8% DCI-P3 coverage, it sets a new record for the widest coverage of this popular video standard. 83% BT.2020 coverage and 93% Adobe RGB coverage are also very impressive. Dell claims out-of-the-box color accuracy to be Delta-E <1 for DC-P3 and BT.709 and sRGB.

(Image credit: Dell)

Of course if you're serious about color accuracy, frequent calibration to ensure color consistency is a must. Not only does the PremierColor UP3221Q feature hardware calibration, it also boasts its own built-in Calman Powered colorimeter and embedded calibration software, so the monitor can calibrate itself with no extra hardware or software required - an incredible feature for color purists. And if you'd rather uses your own trusted colorimeter instead, there's an external USB-A port to connect it.

(Image credit: Dell)

Other connections include two Thunderbolt 3 ports, with the upstream port capable of supplying 90W of power delivery to power a connected laptop. The Thunderbolt 3 Downstream port can supply 15W of power, plus there are 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, along with DisplayPort and HDMI.

(Image credit: Dell)

Another clever feature offered by the PremierColor UP3221Q is Dell's Picture-by-Picture function. This enables two different input sources to be viewed alongside each other, with each able to different color spaces, allowing you to directly compare what your content will look like when exported.

Rounding out the package is an included hood to help keep ambient reflections off the screen, and there's an included stand with 160mm of height adjustment, -5° to 21° tilt, -30° to 30° swivel, and -90° to 90° of pivot adjustment.

The only downside is, predictably, cost. At $4,999.99 it's over double the price of a typical high-end 32-inch 4K display. Expect availability from November 5th.

(Image credit: Dell)

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Ben Andrews

Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.