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Dell C1422H Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Reviewed Dec 16, 2021 at 10:47 am
Dell C1422H Picture
6.5
Mixed Usage
7.0
Office
6.2
Gaming
6.5
Multimedia
6.5
Media Creation
4.8
HDR Gaming

The Dell C1422H is a 14 inch portable monitor with a 1080p screen designed for productivity, and it's the first portable monitor released by Dell. Visibility isn't an issue in brighter environments, thanks to its decent peak brightness and good reflection handling. It has limited connectivity, with two USB-C ports that both support DisplayPort Alt Mode but no DisplayPort or Mini HDMI inputs, so you'll need to buy an adapter if your computer doesn't support USB-C. It also doesn't have a built-in battery, but it can be powered by your computer if it supports USB-C Power Delivery; otherwise, you'll need to buy a wall adapter for it, which is a bit disappointing. Unfortunately, it has almost no extra features, and it's mediocre for gaming, with a slow response time and no support for advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate technology.

Our Verdict

6.5 Mixed Usage

The Dell C1422H is an alright portable monitor. It's best-suited for mobile office use, increasing your productivity when working on a laptop, as it has excellent text clarity, good visibility in bright rooms, and excellent gray uniformity. It's also alright for media creators or for watching videos. Sadly, it's not as good for gaming, as it has a slow response time, terrible overshoot, and it doesn't support any advanced gaming features like FreeSync.

Pros
  • High pixel density results in crisp images and text.
  • Image remains accurate at moderate angles.
  • Good reflection handling.
Cons
  • Slow response times makes motion look blurry.
  • Blacks look gray in a dark room.
  • Bad ergonomics, as expected for a portable monitor.
  • Small screen size isn't ideal for some uses.
7.0 Office

The Dell C1422H is a decent portable office monitor. It has excellent text clarity, and good visibility in a bright room, with decent peak brightness and good reflection handling. It has excellent gray uniformity, the image remains accurate at an angle, and it has good gradient handling. It's also good for color-accurate work, as it has good accuracy out of the box and an excellent SDR color gamut. Unfortunately, it has terrible ergonomics, as expected for a portable monitor, and it's small for multitasking.

Pros
  • High pixel density results in crisp images and text.
  • Image remains accurate at moderate angles.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Good accuracy out of the box.
  • Excellent SDR color gamut.
Cons
  • Bad ergonomics, as expected for a portable monitor.
  • Small screen size isn't ideal for some uses.
6.2 Gaming

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H is mediocre for gaming. It has superb low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, and it has good bright room visibility, with decent peak brightness and good reflection handling and it can easily overcome glare. Sadly, it has a low refresh rate, a slow response time, and terrible overshoot, resulting in very blurry motion. It also lacks any advanced gaming features like FreeSync or G-SYNC to reduce tearing.

Pros
  • High pixel density results in crisp images and text.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • No VRR support.
  • Slow response times makes motion look blurry.
  • Blacks look gray in a dark room.
  • Bad ergonomics, as expected for a portable monitor.
6.5 Multimedia

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H is okay for watching videos on the go. The small size is great for portability, but it's hard to share the screen with someone else, and it isn't very immersive. It has good visibility in bright rooms, though, with decent peak brightness and good reflection handling. It also has excellent gray uniformity, good accuracy out of the box, and an excellent color gamut. Sadly, it doesn't look as good in a dark room, as it has low contrast and only passable black uniformity.

Pros
  • High pixel density results in crisp images and text.
  • Image remains accurate at moderate angles.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Good accuracy out of the box.
  • Excellent SDR color gamut.
Cons
  • Blacks look gray in a dark room.
  • No HDR support.
  • Bad ergonomics, as expected for a portable monitor.
6.5 Media Creation

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H is okay for media creation. The image remains accurate at an angle, and it has excellent gray uniformity and good accuracy out of the box. It has an excellent SDR color gamut, but it has limited coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. Unfortunately, as expected for a portable monitor, it has terrible ergonomics, and the small size isn't ideal for full-time work, but it's okay for quick edits on the go.

Pros
  • High pixel density results in crisp images and text.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Good accuracy out of the box.
  • Excellent SDR color gamut.
Cons
  • Bad ergonomics, as expected for a portable monitor.
  • Small screen size isn't ideal for some uses.
4.8 HDR Gaming

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H doesn't support HDR.

  • 6.5 Mixed Usage
  • 7.0 Office
  • 6.2 Gaming
  • 6.5 Multimedia
  • 6.5 Media Creation
  • 4.8 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Dec 16, 2021: Review published.
  2. Updated Dec 14, 2021: Early access published.
  3. Updated Nov 26, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Nov 24, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  5. Updated Nov 20, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 14 inch Dell C1422H, which is only available in this 14 inch size. It's also Dell's first portable monitor. If you notice that your C1422H is different from ours, let us know, and we'll update the review. Keep in mind that some tests, like gray uniformity, can vary between units.

Our unit was manufactured in August 2021, and you can see the label here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Dell C1422H is an okay portable monitor. It's Dell's first portable display, and it performs nearly identically to the Lenovo ThinkVision M14. It suffers from the same shortcomings as most portable displays, but it's not a bad choice overall, and it's better than most portable monitors we've tested to date, but it's also more expensive.

See our recommendations for the best portable monitors, the best office monitors, and the best monitors for a dual setup.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14 and the Dell C1422H are nearly identical, and we suspect they share the same panel. The differences between them are mainly due to panel variance. The Lenovo can be mounted on a 100x100 VESA mount, but other than that, these two displays are basically the same.

espresso Display 15 Touch

The Dell C1422H and espresso Display 15 Touch are portable monitors with a similar focus. The espresso is available with a stand that's sold separately and offers better ergonomics, making it easier to adjust. It's ideal if you also spend a lot of time at the office, as it's more versatile than the kickstand on the Dell. However, the Dell has the edge when you work in brighter environments since it handles reflections better and gets brighter.

ASUS ROG Strix XG16AHPE

The ASUS ROG Strix XG16AHPE is much better than the Dell C1422H. The ASUS has a much faster refresh rate, significantly better motion handling, and better gaming features, including support for variable refresh rate technology. The ASUS also has a larger screen, built-in speakers, and an HDMI port, as well as two USB-C ports.

Lepow Z1 Gamut

The Lepow Z1 Gamut and the Dell C1422H have different strengths and weaknesses, so the best one depends on your needs. The Lepow has a much better color gamut, and it supports HDR. On the other hand, the Dell is a lot brighter, and it's more accurate out of the box, so it's a better choice for a bright environment or if accuracy is important to you.

Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0)

The Dell C1422H and the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) are very different monitors with different target audiences. The Gigabyte is a full-size desktop monitor with a high-resolution screen and a fast refresh rate. The Gigabyte delivers much better gaming performance, with a significantly faster response time and FreeSync support. The Dell is a compact portable monitor designed for increased productivity on the go.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG258QM

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG258QM and the Dell C1422H are two very different monitors with different intended uses. The ASUS is a medium-sized desktop monitor designed for gaming, with an extremely fast refresh rate and support for Adaptive Sync variable refresh rate technology. The Dell, on the other hand, is a compact portable monitor designed for improved productivity on the go.

ASUS ProArt PA148CTV

The ASUS ProArt PA148CTV is a bit better than the Dell C1422H, but the differences are minor. The ASUS has a faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur behind fast-moving objects. There are also some design differences between them, as the ASUS has a full-featured on-screen display, with a great selection of picture settings, making it easier to fine-tune the display to your preferences. The ASUS also has an HDMI input as well as two USB-C ports.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 14"
Curved No
Curve Radius Not Curved
Weight (without stand)
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)
Weight (with stand)
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)

The Dell C1422H has a stylish, modern design. It looks a lot like the Lenovo ThinkVision M14. Designed with portability in mind, it has very thin bezels on three sides and a built-in kickstand that also houses the monitor's inputs.

Design
Stand
Width
12.7" (32.3 cm)
Depth
3.7" (9.3 cm)

The base of the monitor serves as a counterweight, and it also houses the monitor's inputs and controls. It supports the monitor extremely well, with no wobble at all.

1.4
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -10Ā° to -90Ā°

Unfortunately, as expected for a portable monitor, the Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has terrible ergonomics, making it hard to place it in an ideal viewing position.

Design
Back
Wall Mount No Mount

The back of the monitor is smooth and plain, with a simple Dell logo etched into the back. It looks a lot like some of Dell's XPS laptops. As expected for a portable monitor, there's no cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.2" (0.6 cm)
Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
3.7" (9.3 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
0.6" (1.5 cm)
7.0
Design
Build Quality

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has decent overall build quality. The base/stand feels fairly solid and supports the display well. The panel is thin and made of plastic, and there's some flex to the panel, but it's not too bad.

Picture Quality
6.4
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,275 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

As expected for a monitor with an IPS panel, the Dell C1422H has mediocre contrast, and blacks look gray in a dark room. These results are much higher than the typical contrast ratio of 700:1 advertised by Dell, but this can vary between individual units. We expect that our unit is better than most units.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

This monitor doesn't support local dimming. We still film the video so you can see how the backlight performs versus other monitors.

7.3
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
278 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
279 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
296 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
297 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
297 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
297 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
278 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
296 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
296 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
297 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
297 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.004

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has decent peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome glare in most indoor settings, but it's not bright enough for use outdoors. There's very little variation in brightness with different scenes, but small windows are dimmed by the display. This isn't really noticeable with real content.

Note: We measured the peak brightness after calibration, with the brightness set to max. This monitor has no picture settings, meaning these are also the brightest results possible for it.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

6.8
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
26Ā°
Color Washout From Right
25Ā°
Color Shift From Left
53Ā°
Color Shift From Right
55Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
28Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
28Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
70Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
70Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
28Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
27Ā°

The Dell C1422H has an okay horizontal viewing angle, but it's slightly worse than most monitors with IPS panels. Although black levels remain accurate at a wide angle, colors washout and shift at a moderate angle. These results are nearly identical to the Lenovo ThinkVision M14, which appears to use the same panel.

7.3
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
27Ā°
Color Washout From Above
30Ā°
Color Shift From Below
68Ā°
Color Shift From Above
70Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
28Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
30Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
70Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
70Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
31Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
35Ā°

This monitor has a decent vertical viewing angle. Again, black levels remain accurate at a wide angle, but colors look washed out at a moderate angle. There's less color shift, though, and gamma remains accurate to a slightly wider angle.

8.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.342%
50% DSE
0.094%
5% Std. Dev.
0.351%
5% DSE
0.072%

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has excellent gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are darker than the center, but there's almost no dirty screen effect. Near-dark scenes look much better, with no noticeable issues. This can vary between individual units, but gray uniformity is rarely an issue on recent monitors.

6.4
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.733%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has passable black uniformity. The entire screen is cloudy due to the low contrast ratio, and there's some noticeable backlight bleed, especially along the bottom bezel of our unit. Note that the black uniformity can vary between individual units.

7.5
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
No Setting Options
Luminance
308 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
100
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Controls
Default
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
7,335 K
White Balance dE
3.42
Color dE
2.55
Gamma
2.31

The Dell C1422H that we bought has good accuracy out of the box, but this can vary between individual units. Colors have great accuracy, with few noticeable issues, but the white balance is off, especially in brighter shades of gray. Gamma doesn't follow the sRGB target curve, though, and most scenes are darker than they should be. The color temperature is very cool, giving everything a bluish tint.

9.7
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
No Setting Options
Luminance
101 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
24
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Controls
No Color Settings
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
6,486 K
White Balance dE
0.54
Color dE
0.28
Gamma
2.17

After calibration, the Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has fantastic accuracy. There are no noticeable issues in the white balance or color accuracy, and gamma is very close to the sRGB curve. The color temperature is nearly perfect. Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't have any picture settings, and the only way to achieve this level of accuracy is through calibration.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit due to manufacturing tolerances, even for the same model.

8.7
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
98.8%
Adobe RGB xy
73.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
No Picture Modes
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
No Picture Modes

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has an excellent SDR color gamut. It has nearly perfect coverage of the sRGB gamut used by most current desktop and web content, including games. Sadly, it can't display colors wider than the sRGB primaries in the Adobe RGB color space, disappointing for professional content creators.

8.7
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
96.4%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
78.0%
sRGB Picture Mode
No Picture Modes
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
No Picture Modes

This monitor has amazing color volume in SDR. It fills out the sRGB color volume well, and colors are bright and vibrant. Due to the low contrast ratio, it can't display saturated colors at low luminance levels.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
N/A
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

9.7
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR After 0 Min Recovery
0.10%
IR After 2 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 4 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 6 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 8 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 10 Min Recovery
0.00%

Unfortunately, there are some signs of temporary image retention on our Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H. They disappear quickly, though, and it's not really noticeable with real content. Note that this can vary between individual units.

7.9
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has good gradient handling. There's some banding in all colors, and it's especially noticeable in darker shades. There's also noticeable 8-bit banding, but this is expected, as it can't accept or display a 10-bit signal.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.001%
Pixel Column Error
0.003%

There are no noticeable signs of color bleed on our unit. Again, this can vary between individual units, but it's rarely noticeable, even on monitors that perform poorly on this test.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.2%
Indirect Reflections
3.0%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.3%

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has good reflection handling. It has a matte anti-reflective coating that significantly reduces the intensity of direct reflections but also spreads them out on the screen.

8.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB

Thanks to its relatively high pixel density, the Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has excellent text clarity. The hazy screen coating reduces text clarity, but it still looks excellent, even in apps that don't support Windows ClearType (bottom photo).

Motion
4.1
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
No Overdrive
Rise / Fall Time
6.5 ms
Total Response Time
28.4 ms
Overshoot Error
30.6%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
5.9 ms
Dark Total Response Time
34.3 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
58.5%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
NoneChartTablePhoto

Unfortunately, the Dell C1422H has a bad response time. There's significant blur behind fast-moving objects, which is especially noticeable when gaming. There's also terrible overshoot, causing a long trail of inverse ghosting, and unlike most monitors, there are no overdrive settings.

4.1
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
No Overdrive
Rise / Fall Time
6.5 ms
Total Response Time
28.4 ms
Overshoot Error
30.6%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
5.9 ms
Dark Total Response Time
34.3 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
58.5%

Since this is a 60Hz monitor, the results are the same as its response time at the max refresh rate.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The backlight is completely flicker-free at all brightness levels, which is great, as it can help reduce eye strain. There's some noise at the minimum backlight setting, but this isn't flicker, and it's not noticeable at all.

0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No BFI
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A

Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion, to improve the appearance of motion.

5.9
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
No VRR
Native
60 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC
No
VRR Maximum
N/A
VRR Minimum
No VRR
VRR Supported Connectors No VRR

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, and it doesn't support any advanced gaming features like FreeSync or G-SYNC.

Inputs
9.0
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
8.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
8.6 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
N/A
10 Bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has superb low input lag, resulting in a very responsive desktop and gaming experience.

6.8
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 2.1 MP
Pixel Density
158 PPI
Screen Diagonal 14.0"
Screen Area 84 inĀ²

The relatively small size of this monitor is great for portability but only okay for regular work and multitasking.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort No
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI No
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB No
USB C 2 (2x DP Alt Mode 1.2, PD)
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm No
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply Internal

The Dell 14 Portable Monitor C1422H has two USB-C ports, both of which support DisplayPort Alt Mode and up to 65W of power delivery when connected to a powerful enough adapter (at least 90W, not included). It can also be powered by the source directly if it supports power delivery.

Features
Features
Additional Features
RGB Illumination
No
Speakers
No
HDR10 No
Multiple Input Display
No

This is a very bare-bones monitor with almost no additional features. The biggest additional feature advertised by Dell is their ComfortView mode, which reduces the amount of blue light the backlight emits. Most modern operating systems can do this already with any display.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)

Unlike most Dell monitors, the on-screen display is basically non-existent, as you can only adjust the brightness.

Features
Controls

The controls are very basic. There's a rocker switch that adjusts the backlight and a toggle for the ComfortView feature. There's also a physical power button on the other side.

Features
In The Box

  • USB-C cable
  • Protective sleeve
  • Documentation