Dell UltraSharp U4924DW review: curved ultrawide monitor offers more screen than most will ever need

There are big monitors, then there are huge monitors, and then there is the Dell UltraSharp U4924DW. This super-ultrawide monitor (that is the official description, yes) is quite simply the biggest monitor I've ever had on my desk, and after wondering for a bit about who could ever need something as ludicrously big as this to work on, it clicked. But as I'm not an air traffic controller, I questioned why I should need one. 

But after a couple of weeks of using this 49-inch behemoth from Dell, I had started to uncover other uses apart from running a small airport. And as any of our avid followers of the best ultrawide monitors may already know, a fair few will apply to creatives. So the question is, does the Dell UltraSharp U4924DW fill those needs as effectively as it filled my desk space? Well, the answer is yes and no.

Dell UltraSharp U4924DW review: Key specifications

Dell UltraSharp U4924DW review: Design and build

With the easy-to-assemble-and-attach VESA-mounted stand hooked up to the back of the massive display, the Dell UltraSharp U4924 weighs over 16 kilograms, and with the unwieldy width of the curved screen (122cm, the same as the height of my seven-year-old kid), having a second pair of hands to help you set the monitor up on your desk is advised.

The gently curved LCD screen has thin bezels, and the stand is fairly adjustable too, with a 170-degree swivel available on the stand, plus I found I could pivot the bottom of the stand too, so placing the monitor at a slight angle so I could also fit my laptop next to it on my desk wasn't too hard at all. 

Alongside the two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 slots is a large number of USB ports, turning the screen into a USB hub as well as an enormous display. This includes a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 upstream port, four USB_A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream ports and two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 downstream ports. 

They, along with the power slot, are slightly notched into the back, but aren't unreasonably hard to get to when attaching and detaching - as long as you have space to rotate the screen around a bit to get around the corner. 

The OSD control button is on the back, and acquainting yourself with where exactly you'll find it when you need to slide your hand behind the monitor to navigate the on-screen control menu is advised, because otherwise you could be fumbling around there for an embarrassing amount of time...

Dell UltraSharp U4924DW review: Features and performance

Of course, the important bit is the front, where you'll find a curved IPS Black panel that offers a Dual QHD max resolution of 5120x1440 pixels, which is equivalent to two 27-inch QHD monitor side-by-side, for a rather good pixel density of 109PPI. It produces a max brightness level of 350 nits, which isn't spectacular, but good enough for a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and a factory certification for 100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3 and 98% P3 colour coverage, making good use of the 1.07 billion colours on offer.

While I do wish the max brightness was a little higher, it more than did the job for any creative tasks I needed to perform, including photo-editing and working on some graphic-design apps. The colour reproduction felt natural, while not mind-blowing, and the image felt really sharp too, producing very little graining even when zoomed in, although of course it won't compete with the brightness or perceived sharpness of an OLED panel.

The refresh rate maxes out at 60Hz, however, which limits the scope of use for the monitor somewhat, especially when it comes to animation, video-processing or gaming. Games like NBA 2K and The Witcher 3 looked smooth, but when it came to high-speed racing and action, it started to struggle a little, where I saw the motion wasn't as smooth and slick as on dedicated gaming monitors (including the impressive Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 that preceded this one on my desk). 

And for the first time ever, I found myself wishing for more curve, because with 49 inches and even a fairly deep desk, I really struggled to take in the entire width at once, needing to literally turn my head to swap my focus from the left side to the right. During day-to-day work, I frequently left the far-right quarter of the screen entirely unoccupied, with my main workspace taking up the centre half (the equivalent of a 27-inch monitor on its own) and a supporting space (such as my work-communication platform, file folders or other supporting elements) on the left quarter of the screen. It was quite simply more screen real estate than I needed, which is a first for me.

However, I know that a lot of professional creators will find a use for every square inch of this massive screen, and as such, the size is a massive asset. Just don't expect it to match the absolute range-toppers among the super-ultrawides out there.

Dell UltraSharp U4924DW review: Price

The Dell UltraSharp U4924DW retails for $1,359.99 in the US and £1,291.20 in the UK on Dell's own website. Four figures are to be expected for a 49-inch Dual QHD monitor with an IPS panel, but do keep in mind that you can get similar monitors with gaming credentials on top of the massive real estate on offer here for a similar price (even the Samsung Odyssey Neo most of the time), if that's a dealbreaker for you. Be on the lookout for discounts too, as you might be able to bag it for under a grand during peak trading events as it gets superseded by newer models.

Should I buy the Dell UltraSharp U4924DW?

If what you need above everything else, is seemingly limitless screen real estate, then the Dell UltraSharp U4924DW will do very nicely, thankyouverymuch. It doesn't come cheap, though, and there are some higher-specced rivals available for a similar price as this one's RRP of £1,300/$1,350, especially if you have aspirations for some intensive gaming on this monitor alongside your space-intensive creative work. The 60Hz refresh limits this to casual work and play when it comes to moving images, but as for the still ones, it's plenty sharp and just about bright enough for most photo and graphic work.