The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE features a new IPS panel with better contrast and overall image quality, just like the U3223QE. It’s also equipped with USB-C connectivity, so it’s highly suitable for workstations or business setups. It is quite pricey for a business ultrawide, so let’s check it out to know if it’s a solid investment
Dell UltraSharp U3423WE Specifications
- Screen Size: 34Inches
- Resolution: 3440 x 1440 UW-QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching(IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Response Time: 5ms
- Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 300 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 5 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB-C PD90W x 1, USB-C PD15W x 1, USB 3.2 x 4, RJ45 x 1, 3.5mm Audio Jacks
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 32″ x 15.5″ x 9.3″
- Weight: 25.22 lbs
Design and Features
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE starts with a crisp and simple exterior, just like the other UltraSharp monitors. It has a silver shell and base, so it looks suitable next to premium workstation devices like Macs. The display has thin bezels all around, so the monitor looks cleaner and more sophisticated than some competitors.
It’s a large monitor, so you must scope out how much desk space you have left before pulling the trigger. This monitor is almost 30 inches wide, so it can displace other large peripherals like bookshelf speakers if you have any. It’s also quite heavy for a 34-inch ultrawide, so it would be wise to ask for help with setting it up.
Its build quality did not fall short of our expectations for a premium monitor from the brand. The plastics used are thick and sturdy with plenty of reinforcement, plus everything looked perfectly molded, so there are no gaps or uneven seams. The included stand is firm and stable, so the screen will only wobble if you accidentally hit the cabinet’s edges.
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE has an OSD joystick at the back for easy access to its rich feature set. You won’t see it directly, but it’s within reach since it’s close to the edge of the cabinet. You can also use Dell’s Display Manager app to access some of the monitor’s features easily.
The stand included in the package offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments, so it’s easy to get a comfortable viewing angle. Most curved ultrawides are limited in this regard since they are meant to be centered on your seat. You can also use VESA mounts, but that’s mostly unnecessary unless you have limited desk space.
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE’s connectivity layout includes DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and a 90-watt USB-C port with DP Alt Mode. There is another USB-C slot under the bottom bezel, but it’s limited to 15 watts. You also get four USB 3.2 slots, KVM functionality, an RJ45 LAN port, and a 3.5mm jack for audio.
There is also a pair of 5-watt speakers on this model, unlike its 4K siblings, who were designed to be used with a separate mini soundbar. We like innovation in monitor designs, but it’s usually frowned upon if something as common as audio is locked behind a paywall. The included set is good enough for basic applications like media consumption, so they are a welcome addition.
Display and Performance
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE boasts a 34-inch 1900r curved IPS panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution, a 60H refresh rate, and a 5ms response time. The backlight has a 300 cd/m2 maximum, while the contrast is listed at 2000:1, just like all IPS Black panels in the market. This model doesn’t advertise HDR, but it does put emphasis on wide gamut coverage and accuracy.
1440p ultrawides are great for productivity and business use, thanks to the extra horizontal space. You can line up several apps at a time while enjoying the extra sharpness and detail versus a regular 1080p display. It’s not going to be as sharp as a 4K screen, but that’s a minor sacrifice for that extra peripheral view.
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE covers 100% of the sRGB gamut, but its DCI-P3 coverage falls short at 93%. It’s not as accurate as its 4K siblings since the default settings have a deltaE average of 2.47. That’s reasonable for business monitors, but customers who go for premium models demand better out-of-the-box performance
Calibrating it reduced that dE average to 0.86, making it suitable for content creation and editing use. The downside is that you need a colorimeter to achieve the same result instead of simply copying settings from reviewers or other users. However, we can only recommend the purchase if you are into color-critical work.
Its backlight reached 304 cd.m2 at 100% brightness, while its contrast ratio reached 1703:1 at 50% brightness. It’s capable of better black luminance than its predecessors, so that is something worthy of consideration if you are paying the IPS Black premium. It’s not yet comparable to VA alternatives, but you are getting better color quality with this panel type in exchange.
Panel uniformity for the test sample had some brightness issues since the top edge of the screen was brighter than the bottom edge. It’s not noticeable under normal circumstances, but black or dark backgrounds will reveal the variance. Note that this can vary between every monitor made due to tolerances, so better units are out there.
This model’s response time isn’t the strongest characteristic since it was not designed for gaming use and is limited to 60Hz. Blurring can happen in fast-paced scenes, but maxing out the overdrive doesn’t help since it adds overshoot. We can only recommend this monitor for casual gaming since anything that entails fast-paced action will reveal this limitation.
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE also doesn’t have FreeSync or G-Sync compatibility since it’s not a gaming variant. That’s understandable, but adding Adaptive Sync to a monitor at this price range should be easy. Input lag sits at 10ms at 60Hz, so there is no need to worry about delays or a sluggish sensation while using the monitor.
Thoughts on the Dell UltraSharp U3423WE
The Dell UltraSharp U3423WE is an excellent choice if you want a high-quality display for your workstation at home or in the office. It’s built like one of the best, with plenty of features that can satisfy particular requirements. The extended contrast ratio is a great improvement for the panel tech, and we think it should spread out toward other models in the future.
However, the Dell UltraSharp U3423WE is quite pricey for a 60Hz product with middling color quality out of the box. It’s marketed for professionals, so it could use better factory tweaking for users who don’t have a colorimeter. We’d also like to see conferencing hardware for the price instead of adding them to a spin-off like with the U3223QE and U3223QZ.
Pros:
- Great Calibrated Accuracy
- Robust Build Quality
- Extended Contrast
- Plenty of Features
Cons:
- Expensive
- No Adaptive Sync
- Middling Default Accuracy
About the Author: 
Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations and he believes that it’s every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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