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I've reviewed tons of great monitors, but one of my favorites was the Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Video conferencing monitor. It's not traditional by any means, but it has a lot of what I look for in an excellent productivity display, including built-in speakers, 4K resolution, and even a built-in 4K webcam. I always wondered though if Dell could possibly make this great product better. Enter its follow-up, the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor.

Compared to its predecessor (which will still be sold), the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor (U3224KB) has the same great IPS black technology for excellent color reproduction, but will now come with a few extras. There's an even crisper 6K resolution, a newly improved pop-out front-facing port, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity that can charge your laptop with up to 140W of power, and the ability to tilt it vertically.

However, all of this comes at a high price and a hefty weight. You also won't get high refresh rates past 60Hz, but this isn't a gaming monitor, even though it has HDMI 2.1, so that's to be expected. But for creative folks with a great Dell laptop or any other excellent laptop in search of a new monitor, this is the one that should go at the top of your wishlist.

About this review: Dell sent us the UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor for review. The company didn't have any input in its contents.

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Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor U3224KB
Recommended
8 / 10

The Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor U3224KB is a killer monitor. It has a very high price, but it packs a crisp 6K resolution, a 4K webcam built-in, and great 14-watt speakers. It also has joystick controls and can be used vertically. 

Brand
Dell
Resolution
6144x3456
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Screen Size
31.5 inches
Ports
HDMI 2,1, mini DisplayPort 2.1, Thunderbolt 4 downstream, USB-C upstream, Thunderbolt 4 with 140W PD, USB-A, RJ45 2x USB-C 15W PD, 1x USB-A 10GBPs.
Display Technology
IPS Black
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Brightness
450 nits
Display Size
32 inches
Mounting Options
VESA
Sound
Dual 14W speakers
Tilt
-5 to 21 degrees forward. 90 degrees vertical, 30 degrees side to side
HDR
yes, HDR 600
Adjustment
160mm up and down
Pros
  • Crisp 6K resolution
  • 4K webcam built-in
  • Has dual 14W speakers
  • IPS black technology produces color-accurate images
Cons
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Very expensive

Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor U3224KB: Price and availability

The Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor U3224KB is available for purchase today at Dell.com for $3,200. That's a lot of a monitor, but you need to keep in mind that this is a 6K resolution monitor. These high-resolution displays typically carry a high price.

Take, for example, the Apple Pro Display XDR, which comes in at $5,000 without the stand. There's also the more affordable Apple Studio Display. which has a 5K resolution and costs $1,600. And if you want another 5K monitor, there's the LG 34BK95U-W which is $1,022. Dell's monitor is separate from the competition though since it has an IPS black technology, 6K resolution, a 4K webcam, and dual 14W speakers.

Design: Big, bold, and different

The back of the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor

As usual, it's simple to get started with Dell's monitors and there's a lot to admire. Just slide the arm into the base and screw it into place. Then, attach the arm to the back of the monitor. However, do not that it's pretty heavy once it's all together, even though it's primarily made of plastic. It was a pain to carry it up the stairs to my room, and even setting it on my desk took some extra muscle. It also has a big base, measuring 8.5 inches long and 10 inches wide. That's going to take up a lot of desk space.

But once you get it on the desk, the monitor looks great. It has a sleek white finish on the back, which just looks so clean. You even have a lot of control over how you position it. You can move it up and down 160mm, to the left and right 30 degrees, and tilt from -5 degrees to 21 degrees forward and back. If you want, you even can fully rotate it vertically 90 degrees. As far as I can remember, this wasn't possible on the older 4K model, and it's a welcome change for those who read web pages and social media feeds.

Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor in veritcal orientation

The Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor features other bold design choices. Similar to its 4K predecessor, the bezels around the display are slim (Dell removed the branding from the bottom bezel this year), and there's a speaker bar with dual 14W speakers along the top. There's also the 4K webcam, which can pivot down to 65 degrees, 78 degrees, or 90 degrees. Most other monitors I've used have the speakers integrated at the bottom or tuck the webcam behind the top bezel, so this definitely is a unique look, which I'm glad Dell kept between product generations.

The speakers are great quality, above the 5-10W speakers on cheaper monitors, but not as good as the quad speakers with spatial audio on the Apple Studio Display. It won't be great for music, but I still enjoyed how accurate my family's voices called during a video chat. It was like they were in the room with me, and the dual echo-canceling microphones next to those speakers had me sounding just like I do in real life.

Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor top bezel

In other design elements, there are joystick controls on the back for the menu system, which is simple to navigate. Switching inputs or the brightness just takes a few clicks. Dell has always been a leader when it comes to simplifying monitor menus, so this isn't too surprising.

And I can't forget the new feature: the pop-out front-facing port. Connecting my Surface Laptop Studio straight to the monitor via Thunderbolt 4 was super easy here. When I needed to plug a USB drive into my Surface, I just popped it out and used that USB-A port. And the ports are front-facing, so you don't need to run your hands down the bottom bezel to find the port you need.

Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor  pop out ports

Next to that port are the controls for the microphone, volume, and answering calls. It's nice to have touch controls for the volume since it avoids making you touch the joystick button. The call button, though, wasn't too useful for me as it didn't work with Google Meet. Microphone mute and webcam-off buttons are always appreciated for that extra sense of privacy.

Ports and connectivity: Thunderbolt 4 for the win

Dell Ultrasharp 32 6K Monitor ports

As to be expected, connectivity is great here. There's HDMI 2.1, mini DisplayPort 2.1, a Thunderbolt 4 downstream port for connecting to the webcam and speakers over the other inputs, a USB-C upstream port, a Thunderbolt 4 port with video and power of up to 140W, four USB-A ports for accessories, and an RJ45 Ethernet jack. Interestingly, the mini DisplayPort has a screw hole, so you can secure your cable to the monitor. I've yet to see this on other displays.

It's hard to complain about this port selection, but I would have liked to see DisplayPort over MiniDisplay Port, and an additional HDMI port. I still had no issues hooking up this monitor to the devices I own, however. I used the straight Thunderbolt 4 connection to my Surface Laptop Studio for charging and video, and the HDMI port for a connection to my Mac Mini. The monitor supports Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture, too, so you can have multiple inputs open at once. Even KVM is supported, so you and connect to two PC sources and have the monitor switch to the right one as needed.

Integrated webcam: A crisp 4K webcam with a ton of features

Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor webcam

The webcam atop this monitor is crucial to the experience, so it deserves extra mention. I used this monitor in my living room as a video conferencing hub for a bit when on calls with family, and I really loved how the 4K webcam made me look on calls. It lit up the surrounding room and enhanced the colors, making the wooden vanity behind me look vibrant. My family on the other end of the call even commented on my extra bushy facial hair.

Sample image from the Dell Ultrasharp webcam

The 4K dual gain HDR CMOS sensor and multi-element lens really deliver clear images and excellent low-light performance. There are also full controls over the webcam like pan, zoom, noise reduction, and HDR in the Dell Peripheral Manager that will make you look even better. The sky is the limit with this webcam when it comes to tweaking your video feed.

The webcam even has Windows Hello support. You can configure this on Dell PCs with Dell Express Sign-in so that your PC will lock when you step away. On other PCs, you can disable the webcam and microphone with the dedicated button on the front. The webcam has a privacy shutter that clicks when it's turned on and off.

Image quality: IPS Black and 6K resolution product great-looking image

Image of a bird on the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor

The image quality on this monitor really had me shaken. I usually suggest OLED monitors for creative folks, or anyone who wants a color-accurate display, but the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor looks almost as good. IPS black technology (which LG developed) lives up to the hype. As a bonus, the 6K resolution is so sharp that you can point out a ton of detail in images on the screen. They just look so much brighter here than they do on a standard IPS monitor. The monitor really lives up to its name by producing deeper black levels.

A 6K resolution monitor can also really be life-changing when it comes to productivity since you get extra pixels to play with. After adjusting scaling, I was able to stack almost every app I use daily on the monitor at once (that's Microsoft Edge, Photoshop, Slack, Telegram, Google Meet, Sticky Notes, and Chrome). 6K resolution means I can adjust the scaling all the way down and make the text smaller to fit these windows on the screen at once. I just wish the refresh rate was higher than 60 Hz, so things would look smooth.

The monitor really lives up to its name by producing deeper black levels.

Even without the scaling set that low and at the default levels, I fired up a YouTube video of a Safari Expedition and got great results. When watching a clip of a bird hunting, I noticed the finest details, like the shadows and fluff in its dark brown feathers and the realistic shine on its beak. It's incredible to see what 6K resolution can do for you when paired with IPS Black technology.

You can see this in the results I got with my colorimeter when testing the monitor in the standard color mode, with 75% brightness and 75% contrast. We usually look for numbers above 80% when suggesting monitors for content creation, and this monitor obliges in all areas. For IPS monitors, 70% is usually the sweet spot.

Dell 6K monitor spectrums

I recorded 100% sRGB, 88% Adobe RGB, 91% P3, and 83% NTSC in my testing. Contrast came in at a maximum of 2,000:1 and maximum brightness was 450 nits. OLED monitors tend to score above 90% in all these categories, but the more important ones are sRGB and Adobe RGB for online media creation. This monitor pushes close to OLED quality, but not quite, falling a few percentages short of what we look for.

All in all, this is a great-looking monitor, especially with high contrast levels. The only bummer with image quality is the HDR mode. I tested it with a maximum brightness of 600 nits. Creative types might be after higher brightness of around 1,000 nits or more. There's also some slight bloom effect on really dark content (like when I watched a video about outer space), but this is only occasional

Should you buy the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor?

You should buy the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor if:

  • You want a monitor with a really high resolution
  • You want a monitor with a great integrated webcam and speaker
  • You want a color-accurate monitor

You shouldn't buy the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor if:

  • You're on a budget
  • You need a high refresh rate monitor or a monitor with brightness past 1,000 nits

There's no doubt about it. While $3,200 is a lot to spend on a monitor, this will be the only monitor you ever need. It's not a practical price for most people, but for designers, artists, or anyone who needs a color-accurate monitor for content, the Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor is a real winner. The monitor sports color accuracy almost on par with OLED displays, it has a useful pop-out hub of ports, and the 4K webcam and speakers will make you look great and take in the sounds of whatever you're watching or working on. This is the best monitor for those who need every pixel they can get.

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Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor U3224KB
Recommended

The Dell UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor U3224KB is a killer monitor. It has a very high price, but it packs a crisp 6K resolution, a 4K webcam built-in, and great 14-watt speakers. It also has joystick controls and can be used vertically. 

Brand
Dell
Resolution
6144x3456
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Screen Size
31.5 inches
Ports
HDMI 2,1, mini DisplayPort 2.1, Thunderbolt 4 downstream, USB-C upstream, Thunderbolt 4 with 140W PD, USB-A, RJ45 2x USB-C 15W PD, 1x USB-A 10GBPs.
Display Technology
IPS Black
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Brightness
450 nits
Display Size
32 inches
Mounting Options
VESA
Sound
Dual 14W speakers
Tilt
-5 to 21 degrees forward. 90 degrees vertical, 30 degrees side to side
HDR
yes, HDR 600
Adjustment
160mm up and down
Pros
  • Crisp 6K resolution
  • 4K webcam built-in
  • Has dual 14W speakers
  • IPS black technology produces color-accurate images
Cons
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Very expensive