HP’S PRO LINE of “Z” monitors is bigger
than ever before. The HP Z43 clocks in at
a hefty 43 inches, but its size isn’t the only
way it differs from other HP Z screens. It’s
also more purely productivity orientated
than some of the other members of the Z
family, thanks to lower color fidelity.
At the core of the Z43 is a 42.5-inch IPS
panel with full 4K resolution and 60Hz
refresh. We’ve seen plenty of superficially
similar 43-inch class 4K monitors before.
But they’ve tended to have the feel of a
cheap TV rebadged as a monitor, maybe
with DisplayPort added for more PC-
centric connectivity. With that in mind,
it’s not surprising to find most of those
displays run VA panels, which is what
you’d expect in an affordable 4K TV.
Anyway, that’s not the case here. The
Z43 isn’t a quick-and-dirty TV adaptation
but is clearly a high-quality product. All
of HP’s Z screens have gorgeous, nicely
engineered enclosures and stands, and
the Z43 is no exception. That said, partly
as a consequence of the large 43-inch
format, the stand is a little more limited
than the HP Z norm, only offering tilt
and swivel adjustments. The addition of
height wouldn’t go amiss.
As for further features, all the relevant
input options are covered and each
supports the display’s full 4K@60Hz
capabilities. There’s both DisplayPort and
mini-DisplayPort, plus HDMI and USB
Type-C with DisplayPort Alt mode. The
latter also delivers up to 65W of power,
allowing for single-cable connectivity to
laptops. What’s more, with two USB-A
inputs on the rear panel, plus a USB-A
and USB-C located on the side, you have
full hub capability when driving this
monitor via USB-C.
But what about image quality? Overall,
the Z43’s panel specs are pretty modest
once you get past the huge size and
3,840x2,160 native resolution. Peak
brightness is 350 nits and there’s no HDR
support—this is a pure SDR panel. Static
contrast is pegged at 1,000:1, which is
fine, but not at the cutting edge, even for
an IPS panel, let alone VA.
Then there’s 60Hz refresh and 8ms
response, which might seem a little
sluggish, but is actually fine for a
productivity panel. Less impressive,
especially for an IPS panel, is the mere
96 percent coverage of the default sRGBProductivity on
a massive scale
HP Z43
8
VERDICT HP Z43SIZE MATTERS Really
nice build quality; great
connectivity; fab productivity.
OVERWEIGHT Mediocre panel quality;
low pixel density; pricey.
$1,099, http://www.hp.comSPECIFICATIONSPanel size 43-inch
Panel technology IPS
Native resolution 3,840 x 2,160
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Refresh rate 60Hz
Response time 8ms GtG
HDR No
Contrast 1,000:1
Color 96 percent sRGB
Brightness 350cd/m2
Video Inputs DisplayPort 1.2 x1,
Mini_displayPort 1.2 x1,
HDMI 2.0 x1, USB-C
with DP alt x1color space. All told, then, this is a slightly
old-school IPS panel on paper. And that’s
how the Z43 looks when you fire it up.
It’s a decent performer, to be sure.
But it’s not hugely vibrant and the
colors don’t especially pop. A little of
the characteristic “glow” that older
generation IPS panels tend to exhibit is
also visible. HP does include five levels of
pixel overdrive in the OSD, the top three
of which suffer from some pretty obvious
inverse ghosting. Below that, there’s
no obvious overshoot, but the response
is relatively tame. But then this isn’t a
monitor pitched at gamers.
Speaking of the OSD, it’s worth noting
that the color space presets available are
limited, so calibration is needed to set
most gamuts. The limited sRGB coverage
rating means you won’t get extensive
coverage of demanding gamuts such as
AdobeRGB or DCI-P3.
In that sense, this isn’t really a monitor
for pro content creation. It’s a big screen
with great connectivity designed for
maximizing productivity. And it does that
well, with one exception. At this size, even
4K makes for big pixels and a poor density
of 103dpi. If you want crisp and clean fonts
and lots of image detail at close quarters,
this isn’t the panel for you. Nor is it a great
choice from a value perspective. If you
can live without the USB-C hub, you can
have a 43-inch 4K monitor for less than
half the money. –JEREMY LAIRDin the lab
82 MAXIMUMPC FEB 2022