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Dell 6K U3224KB Monitor
- Thread starter enc0re
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Monitor got delivered today (west Europe), and man is it Good. So crisp and the perfect light matte I was hoping for. The 16:9 form factor is great for lightroom, and with all these pixels photos look natural. The sharpness can be judged without going to 100% zoom, it's honestly crazy coming from a 34" 3440x1440. It exceeded my expectations.
Well, if they are 10 then thats an extra reason to not give it to them. Sorry but a 10 year old doesn't need a $1600 display. Regardless of how rich you are ;-)
I noticed this monitor does not have an audio out port. Assuming I would like high-quality audio (for music), I’d like to be able to connect good external speakers. In my current setup, I actually have an AV receiver, which I use to select an HDMI input (PC or old Intel MacBook), forward video to monitor, and amplify audio for my speakers. Now I am upgrading my Mac to an M2 MacBook Pro, which I’d like to connect to my monitor using a single USB-C cable, which should provide video, audio, power, USB, and network (PC will still be connected using HDMI or DisplayPort). For this setup, the AV receiver solution is no longer relevant (It would also not support the higher resolution). How would I go about getting the audio from the current video source to external speakers, without requiring extra cables being connected to the MacBook?
An unrelated question - given previous reports of questionable compatibility between Apple Silicon MacBooks and the Dell monitors, has someone used this monitor with an M2 MacBook Pro, and able to report on any issues or lack thereof?
An unrelated question - given previous reports of questionable compatibility between Apple Silicon MacBooks and the Dell monitors, has someone used this monitor with an M2 MacBook Pro, and able to report on any issues or lack thereof?
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yep, that's what I'm currently using. Have had the itch to get my desktop to "retina" pixel density for a while now, but not quite ready to pull the trigger (don't have a machine that can drive it yet, still using the 2018 Mac mini!)
Some other thoughts/questions regarding usability when paired with a MacBook.
There is a notion circling around the Internet, that the optimal PPI for an external monitor when paired with a MacBook is 110 or 220. The rationale for this is that traditionally retina displays on MacBooks have had 220 PPI and that UI elements were designed to look best using this PPI value. However, I am slightly skeptical of this idea. First, the newest MacBook Pros have a display with 254 PPI. Second, it seems to me that viewing distance for an external monitor is slightly larger then for the built-in monitor, which would actually require a lower PPI value to achieve the same perceived size of a given element. Given all of these unknowns, perhaps MacBook owners can report on the perceived size of text and UI elements on this screen, compared to the built in MacBook display. If you do report, please specify which MacBook device you’re using (as PPIs vary), resolution on the Dell (hopefully native) and viewing distance from built-in display and the Dell.
Another line of thought, Dell also recently released ultrawide monitors: the U3423WE (34 inch, 3440x1440, 109 PPI, 21.5:9 aspect ratio, 1900R curved) and the U4924DW (49 inch, 5120x1440, 109 PPI, 32:9 aspect ratio, 3800R curved). What are your thoughts about these monitors compared with the U3224KB (32 inch, 6144x3456, 223 PPI, 16:9 aspect ratio, flat). My main use case is reading/writing text (web/docs/code). Do you think the twice higher PPI of the U3224KB makes a difference on an external monitor for this use case? Any thoughts about using a wider monitor (good for multi-tasking, but perhaps this can be over-done)? Any thoughts about using a curved monitor (seems like a good idea for a wide monitor to avoid looking at the edges from an oblique angle)? How much curvature is reasonable?
There is a notion circling around the Internet, that the optimal PPI for an external monitor when paired with a MacBook is 110 or 220. The rationale for this is that traditionally retina displays on MacBooks have had 220 PPI and that UI elements were designed to look best using this PPI value. However, I am slightly skeptical of this idea. First, the newest MacBook Pros have a display with 254 PPI. Second, it seems to me that viewing distance for an external monitor is slightly larger then for the built-in monitor, which would actually require a lower PPI value to achieve the same perceived size of a given element. Given all of these unknowns, perhaps MacBook owners can report on the perceived size of text and UI elements on this screen, compared to the built in MacBook display. If you do report, please specify which MacBook device you’re using (as PPIs vary), resolution on the Dell (hopefully native) and viewing distance from built-in display and the Dell.
Another line of thought, Dell also recently released ultrawide monitors: the U3423WE (34 inch, 3440x1440, 109 PPI, 21.5:9 aspect ratio, 1900R curved) and the U4924DW (49 inch, 5120x1440, 109 PPI, 32:9 aspect ratio, 3800R curved). What are your thoughts about these monitors compared with the U3224KB (32 inch, 6144x3456, 223 PPI, 16:9 aspect ratio, flat). My main use case is reading/writing text (web/docs/code). Do you think the twice higher PPI of the U3224KB makes a difference on an external monitor for this use case? Any thoughts about using a wider monitor (good for multi-tasking, but perhaps this can be over-done)? Any thoughts about using a curved monitor (seems like a good idea for a wide monitor to avoid looking at the edges from an oblique angle)? How much curvature is reasonable?
I have a USB DAC that I use for powered speakers. I plan to connect that to the monitor. You should be able to use a USB DAC to connect to a receiver.
Thank you. Would the USB DAC “migrate” to the other computer when I switch input sources? Will a Mac or PC automatically switch to using the DAC? It seems like a lot of things have to work just right for the experience to be good. Has anyone tried this solution out?
Yes, it will switch with the built in KVM between a TB device and another device connected to the USB-C upstream when you switch inputs. I had mine connected to a U3818DW for a few years and it worked great. Both my MacBook and PC automatically connected to it when switching.
Let me know when you get it. I ordered mine on 5/10 and it’s been delayed twice. Not until the 29th now.
Speaking for myself as a programmer, ultrawides don't work all that nicely with my workflow.
I like to instead have main nice center screen and a second screen off to the side. The second screen doesn't have to be massive or high spec, just whatever's handy. The reason for this is because it enables me to have two separate sets of spaces that can be swapped out quickly. So for example, my IDEs, editors, and primary browser windows live on spaces on my "main" screen, and auxiliary windows like documentation, git client, secondary editor windows, chat, music, mail, etc can live on spaces on my second screen.
This reduces manual window management to almost nothing. Windows mostly stay in one spot and to say look up docs for a class or google for something I just flip to the appropriate space on the second monitor while my the IDE window on my main monitor remains undisturbed. It works really well for me, particularly with a Magic Trackpad to swipe between spaces to the left of my keyboard.
As far as PPI goes, it depends on the viewer's eyes and preferences, but I prefer crisper text where I can get it. It makes for less eyestrain and looks nicer.
That's where I was, but I got an M2 Mini Pro as part of my 60th birthday upgrade, the monitor completes that setup. No regrets with either purchase, it's transformed my set up completely. IT's got to last a lot of years though!
I would think so since at HiDPI (Retina) resolutions, text should appear significantly sharper.
The 220 ppi ppi consistency also goes out the window when you start doing fractional scaling i.e. "More Space" setting in display resolution.
i wonder how many people with a LG Ultrafine 5K actually stick to the 2x scaling so you get the equivalent of a 2560x1440 display. On my Ultrafine 4K I went straight to "More Space" (1.75x scaling). I cannot tell a difference in general sharpness, and get more usable screen area for free! Very high dpi monitors are much more tolerant to fractional scaling. I suspect with the Dell 8K (275 ppi) you could probably do any scaling you like and not notice any bluriness.
I received the monitor today. I've only had it hooked up for about 30 minutes, but here are some preliminary thoughts.
- The increased contrast ratio is noticeable and appreciated, compared to my ASD.
- It's still an IPS screen, and there is some clouding/bleed at the top corners of the screen, in addition to the normal glow. I'll get a better feel for it after the sun goes down.
- System Information reports the resolution as 6144 x 3456, unlike a previous screenshot someone shared that showed it as 8K.
- The matte screen seems more aggressive than the M32U I sold earlier this year. It definitely decreases the sharpness of the pixel density with text in comparison to my ASD. It's still better than a 4K display, but it's not as sharp as a glossy screen. I still think I prefer this over the glossy coating on the UP3218K, though. (Edit: After spending some more time with it I don't notice it, but my initial impression was the coating was noticeable.)
- KVM works great with my USB DAC.
- As someone else reported, it works at only 30Hz with my 2019 Intel MBP. My M1 Pro works at 60Hz as expected.
- The bezels don't bother me. The screen is so large that they fade away into the background when looking directly at the screen.
- I haven't tested the built-in speakers or webcam yet.
- Elder Scrolls Online and World of Warcraft stay above 60Hz at native resolution with my RX 7900 XTX -- at least during the limited time I spent running around to test it. For more demanding games I would probably play at 3072 x 1728 with Integer Scaling enabled. That would provide the same pixel density as a 27" 1440p monitor. I haven't tested that yet.
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A little disappointing to hear, wonder how much this varies between units. One of the things I've liked about the panels in iMacs and Thunderbolt Displays is how they have little to no bleed. Not really a problem as long as it's not readily evident during normal usage though, and probably better than the problem iMacs are notorious for where the system's fans suck dust in between the layers of the panel which causes dark blotches on the bottom corners.