CONS

• Skimpy one-year warranty

DELL 34 CURVED USB-C MONITOR (S3423DWC) SPECS

The Dell 34 Curved USB-C Monitor (S3423DWC) straddles the line between the business and entertainment worlds, offering ample screen real estate for organizing app windows, showcasing large spreadsheets, or engaging in flight simulations or racing games. MSRP, this ultrawide 34-inch display is versatile enough to enhance any setting, whether it be a home office, a study, or a living room. Serving as both a work tool and a gaming hub, the S3423DWC may not be the top choice for productivity or gaming alone, but its vibrant colors and excellent contrast ensure a satisfying viewing experience in any scenario.

The Wide Curved VA Panel Offers an Expansive Viewing Experience.

The standout characteristic of the Dell S3423DWC is its 34-inch display (measured diagonally) featuring native UWQHD (3,440-by-1,440-pixel) resolution, resulting in a 21:9 aspect ratio. With a pixel density of 109 pixels per inch (ppi), this monitor is typical of ultrawide displays and offers ample sharpness for everyday photo and video editing tasks.

The display utilizes vertical alignment (VA) technology, recognized for its capability to display rich blacks. VA panels are commonly found in gaming monitors, as their high contrast ratio improves players’ capacity to spot adversaries hiding in dark areas. While Dell does not market the S3423DWC as a gaming monitor specifically—such models are typically branded as Alienware or include gaming in their product titles—its exceptional contrast, ultrawide aspect ratio, AMD FreeSync compatibility, and 100Hz refresh rate make it well-suited for occasional gaming.

Typically, ultrawide monitors like the Dell model come with a curved screen that enhances the viewing experience by providing a more immersive display compared to a flat screen. The Dell monitor specifically has a 1800R curvature, indicating that if you were to align multiple S3423DWC monitors together in a circular formation, the radius of that circle would measure 1,800mm (1.8 meters). While this curvature is significant, it is still more moderate in comparison to the ultra-tight 1000R curvature found in monitors like the Samsung Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor.

Dell’s Easy Arrange functionality enables users to efficiently organize numerous application windows on their screen and effortlessly snap them into a preferred template.

The S3423DWC’s ergonomic capabilities are quite restricted, similar to other ultrawide displays. It is supported by a compact and robust base, accompanied by a stand that allows for a 3.9-inch height adjustment. Additionally, you have the option to tilt the top of the monitor up to 5 degrees towards or 21 degrees away from you. In case you prefer to wall-mount the unit, there are VESA bracket-compatible holes available at the back of the cabinet (VESA bracket not included).

The Dell features a single upstream USB-C port that supports DisplayPort over USB Alternate Mode and can deliver up to 65 watts of USB power. This allows for powering or charging a connected laptop. Additionally, there is an upstream USB 3.2 Type-B port, along with two downstream USB 3.2 Type-A ports. One of the Type-A ports can provide up to 10 watts for charging handheld devices. With a pair of HDMI ports and the primary USB-C port, users can connect the monitor to three input sources and switch between them using a single keyboard and mouse, a setup known as a virtual KVM switch by Dell.

In addition, the display is equipped with a security lock slot and a headphone jack. The ports are all positioned facing downwards within a recessed area at the back, with the exception of a single USB-A port located at the bottom, which is comparatively more accessible. Consequently, in the absence of the display’s pivot feature, one would need to lean over or relocate to the rear of the cabinet in order to connect or disconnect cables.

Dell offers a relatively short one-year warranty for the S3423DWC. While many monitor manufacturers provide three years of coverage, Dell extends this to several of its other displays. Philips stands out by offering an additional fourth year of support.

Dell offers a somewhat limited one-year warranty for the S3423DWC. While most monitor manufacturers provide three years of coverage, Dell extends this to many of its other displays. Philips goes above and beyond by including a fourth year of support.

Evaluation of the Dell S3423DWC: Exceptional Contrast, Superior Brightness, and Extensive Color Range.

I conducted an evaluation of the Dell S3423DWC’s luminance, contrast ratio, and color accuracy by utilizing our standard testing equipment, which includes a Klein Instruments K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and Portrait Displays’ CalMAN 5 calibration software.

Dell has specified the luminance of the monitor to be 300 nits (candelas per square meter), but upon measurement, I found it to be slightly higher at 313 nits. This level of brightness is more than sufficient for various office tasks, as well as photo and video editing. The S3423DWC, being a VA panel, boasts a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 according to the rating, but it actually exceeded expectations with a score of 4,185:1. (Refer to our monitor testing methods for more details.)

Dell claims that the display encompasses 99% of the sRGB color space. In our evaluations, it exceeded expectations by reaching 99.8% of the gamut. Additionally, it was found to cover 88.3% of DCI-P3 and 87.8% of the Adobe RGB gamut, which are commonly utilized color spaces in digital video and professional photography, respectively.

In addition to our objective testing, we conduct ad-hoc assessments of monitors’ image and video quality by examining selected content from our photo and video-clip libraries. The colors in the photos appeared vibrant and lifelike. Similarly, the colors in our test videos appeared accurate, and the S3423DWC monitor effectively handled details in both dark and bright areas. It is important to note that most movies are designed for widescreen (16:9) displays and may have black borders when viewed on an ultrawide monitor. Therefore, while the Dell monitor offers good video quality, only a portion of the screen can be utilized to display such content.

The S3423DWC is equipped with a pair of 5-watt speakers that deliver satisfactory volume and sound quality.

An Ultrawide Display for Both Work and Play in a Hybrid Setting.

The Dell 34 Curved USB-C Monitor (S3423DWC) performs admirably as a versatile monitor for both productivity and gaming purposes. However, it is worth mentioning that if your primary objective is solely focused on one specific task, there are superior alternatives available.

The HP E27m G4 QHD USB-C Conferencing Monitor, on the home-office front, may not have a wide screen, but it compensates with an extensive range of ports. These include Ethernet, DisplayPort-in, and DisplayPort-out for connecting multiple monitors in a daisy-chain configuration. Additionally, it features a hub with four USB-A ports for connecting peripherals. The monitor’s stand offers enhanced height adjustment and includes swivel and pivot options. In addition to stereo speakers, the E27m G4 is equipped with teleconferencing capabilities such as a 5-megapixel webcam and dual microphones.