48 PCWorld JUNE 2022REVIEWS DELL U3223QE
minor blotches of brightness, a problem
typical of IPS monitors.
To its credit, the IPS Black panel seemed
to make these spots dimmer and less
distracting, but they’re still there. This is an
area where Mini-LED and OLED (fave.
co/3rDPT6T) alternatives will put the
U3223QE to shame.
The U3223QE is an excellent performer
by the numbers. It’s also a subjectively
fantastic experience out of the box. The
combination of a wide color gamut, accurate
color, and above-average contrast creates a
lavish, vivid experience with a wonderful
sense of depth. Feed it high-quality content,
such as uncompressed 4K or a cutting-edge
3D game, and you’re in for a treat.HDR QUALITY
Okay, so the Dell U3223QE is a superb SDR
monitor. HDR, though? Forget about it.
Yes, the monitor can achieve an excellent
maximum brightness of 507 nits. And yes, it has
the color gamut to provide some extra oomph
to HDR content. The IPS Black panel’s added
contrast should also, in theory, be helpful.
It’s not enough. Though bright, the
U3223QE’s edge-lit backlight can’t handle
variations in luminance well enough to make
HDR stand out. It can sometimes look less
attractive than SDR, even when displaying
bright scenes.
I also noticed odd behavior in the
U3223QE’s backlight. It seemed to ramp upnoticeably in brightness when fed a bright
full-screen image but then settle back down
over several seconds. This was distracting and
also caused my SpyderX colorimeter to report
major color errors in HDR testing.
Don’t buy this monitor for HDR. For now,
those who want great (or even decent) HDR
(fave.co/3qP3f19) must turn to a more
expensive Mini-LED monitor like the Asus
ROG Swift PG32UQX or Viewsonic
XG321UG.MOTION PERFORMANCE
The Dell Ultrasharp U3223QE is not meant for
gaming and has a mundane 60Hz refresh
rate. Fast motion looks okay and games
capable of hitting a consistent 60 frames per
second feel smooth enough, but it’s no
comparison to even a 144Hz monitor, never
mind 240Hz and beyond. Adaptive Sync
support is missing, too.
That’s a bummer, though not as much of
an issue as it seems. Competitive gamers
don’t use a large monitor, anyway, as they
prefer smaller 24.5-inch screens. Driving 4K
at a high refresh rate is also a challenge, so
most competitive gamers stick to 1080p. Still,
hardcore Valorant and Counter-Strike players
should make no mistake: This isn’t the
monitor for you.
If you prefer more atmospheric games,
however, or titles with limited fast movement,
the U3223QE is a decent pick. The monitor’s
exceptional color, good contrast, and sharp