CES 2021: Dell Introduces 40-Inch 5K2K Ultrawide Monitor With Thunderbolt 3 Connectivity for Macs

[MacRumors]

Dell this week unveiled a series of new monitors, and there is one in particular that stands out for Mac users: the UltraSharp 40 Curved WUHD Monitor.

A recipient of a CES 2021 Innovation Award, the UltraSharp 40 or "U4021QW" is the world's first 40-inch ultrawide curved monitor with a 5120×2160 resolution, also known as 5K2K or WUHD. This is not a true 5K resolution and instead works out to around 140 PPI, which is equivalent to a 32-inch 4K display, but with 33% more viewing space.

With a 21:9 aspect ratio, the UltraSharp 40 is ideal for users who want lots of screen real estate within a single display, but without compromising on resolution. Along with LG's ultrawide 34-inch 5K2K monitor from 2018, the UltraSharp 40 is one of the only ultrawide monitors with a "4K" resolution, with most having a lower QHD resolution of 2560×1440.

A built-in Thunderbolt 3 port allows the UltraSharp 40 to be connected to a compatible Mac with a single cable, and the monitor can power a MacBook Pro with up to 90W of pass-through charging. Other connectivity includes two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, three 10Gbps USB-A ports, one USB Type-B upstream port, an Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone/audio jack on the back of the monitor, plus one 15W USB-C port and another 10Gbps USB-A port on the bottom of the monitor for quick access.

Dell says the UltraSharp 40 is a 10-bit display that covers 100% of the sRGB and 98% of the DCI-P3 color spaces, producing 1.07 billion colors. However, for a high-end monitor, peak brightness is relatively low at 300 nits. Other specs include a fast 5ms response time, a 60Hz refresh rate, 2500R curvature, built-in KVM functionality, and integrated 9W speakers. Dell did not indicate whether there is HDR support, so it should not be expected.

The UltraSharp 40 is intended for content creators, creative professionals, data analysts, and coders. A picture-in-picture mode allows the UltraSharp 40 to mimic two displays side by side, and a so-called "ComfortView Plus" feature reduces blue light.

Dell says the UltraSharp 40 will be available beginning January 28, with pricing starting at $2,099.99 in the United States.

Article Link: CES 2021: Dell Introduces 40-Inch 5K2K Ultrawide Monitor With Thunderbolt 3 Connectivity for Macs

 

[zorinlynx]

Ugh this would be amazing if it weren't curved.
At least they put in HDMI and DP inputs, unlike LG's monitors which only work on Macs.

 

[Brookzy]

Dear manufacturers,

Mac users want 200+ pixels per inch.

Sincerely,

Mac users.

Every. Damn. Year.

 

[sdiori]

Ugh this would be amazing if it weren't curved.
At least they put in HDMI and DP inputs, unlike LG's monitors which only work on Macs.

Having owned 38” and 49” displays, I’d argue curvature is a necessity at this size for long term ease of use.

That said, I’m thinking hard about this monitor; the two additional years of warranty vs any LG future equivalent is enticing too.

 

[Rudy69]

Ugh this would be amazing if it weren't curved.
At least they put in HDMI and DP inputs, unlike LG's monitors which only work on Macs.

I really really hated curved TVs.... but I own a 49” ultra wide that has a curve.... and I actually wish the curve was BIGGER. It works really good when there’s a single expected viewpoint (unlike a tv)

 

[TheDailyApple]

The low brightness and lack of HDR is a deal breaker for me. With most phones and TVs supporting HDR these days, color editing with that in mind is a must.

 

[DesertNomad]

I still think my XDR was worth it - even at the crazy price Apple gets for them.

 

[robbieduncan]

Wow! I use a 2x28” 4K setup. I could see an advantage in a single screen that had the same total resolution. But $2k? And not even 2x4k?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Imagine if Mac came out with this screen ratio.

 

[Jarman74]

Ugh this would be amazing if it weren't curved.

This is what I used to think before getting my current Samsung CRG9 - a 49" curved monitor. You barely notice it is curved as soon as you sit in front of it and it looks great.

 

[Ivanovitchk]

Ugh this would be amazing if it weren't curved.
At least they put in HDMI and DP inputs, unlike LG's monitors which only work on Macs.

The LG 5K2K mentioned in the article is 34in, not curved, has TB and DP 1.4 and works perfectly on non-macs.

 

[FilmIndustryGuy]

I have the 32 inch 4k LG ultra fine and its too wide to do any work on. I end up putting windows in the middle. The PPI makes me desire more. I'll wait for the new iMac with AS. everything else is half baked and im tired of buying monitors.

 

[carlos700]

140 PPI is rough in 2021. macOS looks worse and worse by the year on low-DPI monitors.

 

[kiranmk2]

If nothing else I hope this signals the start of more brands offering 5k2k ultrawides. I'd be in the market for a 32-25" screen but don't fancy paying £1500 which LG can charge by being the only supplier.

 

[dogslobber]

Can you rotate this 90 degrees?

 

[UK-MacAddict]

Just need Apple to announce the rumoured half size Mac Pro now.......

Alternatively they should start putting the iMac guts back into a base unit like the G4 or have it packed into a smaller bump on the back of the display. With this they could make a 40 inch curved iMac.

 

[4jasontv]

I use the odyssey g9, with a 109 PPI. If you were doing pixel sensitive work I could see how this would be sub-optimal, but from a content consumption perspective my overclocked, liquid cooled 1080 TI chokes at about 45-50 FPS. Increasing the PPI would probably kill it.

I love the 32:9 aspect ratio, and can't see myself ever going smaller, but support for this aspect ratio is pretty hit or miss right now on PC. Software is steadily getting support, but hardware is nearly absent. Eye trackers really struggle to understand what to do with this aspect ratio so I am curious how they would handle it if there was increased vertical resolution.

 

[biffuz]

That's the monitor I've been waiting for! Solllll.... ahem, call me when price goes down a bit. Also, I must buy a computer that's powerful enough first...

For the guys who wants more DPI, do your math and consider the viewing distance. I'm on a 27" 4k and above this we go into the diminishing returns.

 

[xxray]

140PPI, no HDR, 300 nits of brightness, and $2100? 🤨

 

[Moonjumper]

A recipient of a CES 2021 Innovation Award, the UltraSharp 40 or "U4021QW" is the world's first 40-inch ultrawide curved monitor with a 5120×2160 resolution, also known as 5K2K or WUHD. This is not a true 5K resolution and instead works out to around 140 PPI, which is equivalent to a 32-inch 4K display, but with 33% more viewing space.

​

I see it not as a 4K display with more pixels on either side, instead it is a 5K screen (such as the iMac one I am currently looking at) with pixels missing at the top and bottom.

I would rather see more vertical height (great for coding, word processing, browsing many websites, etc.) I'd love a large 3:2 ratio screen, as seen on the Microsoft Surface Studio.

 

[Okasian]

Dear manufacturers,

Mac users want 200+ pixels per inch.

Sincerely,

Mac users.

Every. Damn. Year.

I’m not a fan of High DPI screens for development work / raster assets that require pixel-perfect precision etc.

Scaling Windows and the UI at anything other than 100% is a crime against taste and decorum IMO.

I can see why this monitor would be attractive.

But for OSX, and it’s superior but potentially more GPU-intensive (depending if ‘looks like’ scaling option is 4:1 w/ absolute device px vs logical px) High DPI philosophy. I agree, retina all the things!

 

[dguisinger]

I really really hated curved TVs.... but I own a 49” ultra wide that has a curve.... and I actually wish the curve was BIGGER. It works really good when there’s a single expected viewpoint (unlike a tv)

I've been considering the re-released Samsung G9...with its R1000 curve. I haven't seen very many discuss whether its good for productivity and creative use, with just a small handful of people mentioning it in reviews since its targeted at gamers.... But having two monitors side-by-side, I've been considering it as I can use the center of the screen and my eyes should have an easy time with the farthest corners...I'm just worried maybe its too tight of a curve.

 

[carlsson]

Nice! I currently have a Benq 35" curved and it's wonderful. Wouldn't go back to a smaller screen, and definitely not a flat screen.
I have looked at Dells 49" U4919DW but this looks interesting.

 

[Okasian]

140 PPI is rough in 2021. macOS looks worse and worse by the year on low-DPI monitors.

I use Big Sur in @1x mode and it still looks great. But yes, Retina is nice also.

Only thing I’ve noticed is that they’ve changed how font rendering works in @1x to make it less blurry and more ‘hammer the glyph into the device pixel’ per-se.

So they are accommodating to non-Retina screens in that regard.

 

[ght56]

This looks like an attractive option for the folks wanting a display that does everything in one location, does not want dual displays, and specifically looking for widescreen and curved-so likely a very niche market, and likely for those with a pretty potent GPU. An issue with my Ultrasharp USB-C 4K displays with a built-in hub is that when using them at 4K, 60 Hz, 10-bit, it forces USB data transfer speeds to the 2.0 protocol (I assume because the DP stream is occupying the Superspeed lanes?) They have like 3 USB-A ports on them along with a USB-C port, and it is laid out very well, but if someone wants to use it as their sole hub, those data speeds could be an issue. Having Thunderbolt on this Dell solves that, but almost certainly drives the price up substantially.