Dell U4919DW  Monitor Review

Reviewed Jan 25, 2019 at 09:15am
Tested using Methodology v1.0 
Dell U4919DW
7.5
Mixed Usage 
7.9
Office 
7.7
Gaming 
7.4
Multimedia 
7.4
Media Creation 
5.5
HDR Gaming 
 0

The Dell Ultrasharp U4919DW is a good 49" IPS monitor with wide viewing angles, and an excellent Dual QHD resolution. The high native resolution is excellent for multitasking, and offers a more immersive gaming experience, and like many Dell monitors, it has great accuracy out of the box. Unfortunately, it is limited to a 60 Hz refresh rate, and it doesn't look as good in a dark room. When displaying non-native resolutions, the input lag is very high, which is disappointing.

How We Test Monitors

We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.

Our Verdict

7.5
Mixed Usage 

The Dell U4919DW is a good monitor for most uses. It has great wide viewing angles, good peak brightness, and an excellent color gamut. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as good in a dark room, and gamers may be disappointed by the 60 Hz refresh rate, and lack of variable refresh rate.

Pros
  • Lots of screen real-estate, great for multitasking
  • Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle
  • Excellent out of the box accuracy
Cons
  • High non-native input lag
  • Mediocre dark room performance
7.9
Office 

This is a great monitor for office use. It has wide viewing angles, and the high resolution, large screen is excellent for multitasking. Like the U3818DW, it allows you to work on two computers at once, great if you have a work and personal computer.

7.7
Gaming 

Overall, the U4919D is a good monitor for gaming. It has a great response time and low input lag at the native resolution, but the 60 Hz refresh rate may disappoint more serious gamers, and it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technologies.

7.4
Multimedia 

Decent monitor for multimedia. The high resolution 32:9 screen is great for watching movies, and it has a fast response time, with little blur trail behind fast moving objects. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as good in a dark room.

7.4
Media Creation 

Decent monitor for media creation. The large, wide format screen allows you to see more of your project at once. It also has excellent wide viewing angles, great for sharing your work with a nearby colleague.

5.5
HDR Gaming 

The Dell U4919DW does not support HDR. For a decent HDR monitor, check out the Samsung CHG90.

  • 7.5
    Mixed Usage
  • 7.9
    Office
  • 7.7
    Gaming
  • 7.4
    Multimedia
  • 7.4
    Media Creation
  • 5.5
    HDR Gaming
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Jan 25, 2019: Review published.
    2.  Updated Jan 23, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
    3.  Updated Jan 23, 2019: Early access published.
    4.  Updated Jan 21, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.

    Check Price

    49"U4919DW
    B&H
    49"U4919DW
    BestBuy.com

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We tested the 49" U4919DW, which is the only size available, but there are other Dell Ultrasharp monitors, some of which are listed below.

    If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Ultrasharp 49 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.

    Model Size Resolution Refresh Rate Notes
    U4919DW 49" 5120x1440 60 Hz USB-C
    U3417W 34" 3440x1440 60 Hz DisplayPort Out, no USB-C
    U3818DW 38" 3840x1600 60 Hz USB-C

    The U4919DW we reviewed was manufactured in October 2018.

    Popular Monitor Comparisons

    Comparison picture

    Left: Dell U3818DW. Middle: Dell U4919DW. Right: Samsung CHG90.
    Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

    The Dell U4919DW is an impressive Ultrawide monitor that is great for office use. It doesn't come cheap, but when you consider that it replaces two 1440p monitors it is an interesting model. See our recommendations for the best monitors for MacBook Pro, the best Ultrawide monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 4k gaming monitors.

    Samsung C49RG9/CRG9

    The Samsung CRG9 is a bit better than the Dell U4919DW, depending on your needs. The CRG9 has much better gaming performance, with a faster refresh rate, better response time, and support for FreeSync variable refresh rate, and the CRG9 supports HDR. The U4919DW has better viewing angles and might be a bit better for office use for some people, as it can connect to two displays at once with a single keyboard and mouse.

    LG 49WL95C-W

    The LG 49WL95C-W and the Dell U4919DW are extremely similar overall. The LG has slightly better ergonomics and it supports HDR, although this doesn't add much as it can't display a wide color gamut, and can't get very bright in HDR. The LG has lower input lag when displaying a non-native resolution, which is better for gaming if you want to run your games at a lower resolution for better performance.

    Samsung Odyssey G9 C49G95T

    The Samsung Odyssey G9 C49G95T and the Dell U4919DW have the same size, aspect ratio, and resolution; however, they're intended for different uses. The Samsung is a gaming monitor with faster response time, lower input lag, and a much higher refresh rate. On the other hand, the Dell is an office monitor with much wider viewing angles, better reflection handling, and better color accuracy out of the box.

    Dell UltraSharp U4021QW

    The Dell U4919DW and the Dell UltraSharp U4021QW are both ultrawide monitors that are unique in their own ways. The U4919DW is a super ultrawide with a 32:9 aspect ratio that's like having two full monitors in one. It's great if you need a ton of screen real estate and don't want a dual monitor setup. The U4021QW, on the other hand, has a more manageable 21:9 aspect ratio, but it has a 5120x2160 resolution and greater pixel density that produces an exceptionally sharp image.

    LG 43UD79-B

    The Dell U4919DW is a bit better than the LG 43UD79. The stand on the Dell U4919DW has an adjustable height, and wider tilt range, whereas the LG 43UD79 has a small tilt adjustment and no height adjustment. The Dell is also completely flicker-free and a bit brighter, which is great.

    Samsung C49HG90/CHG90

    The Samsung C49HG90/CHG90 and the Dell U4919DW each have their benefits. The CHG90 has a faster refresh rate, and it supports FreeSync VRR, great for gamers. The CHG90 also looks better in a dark room, and it supports HDR. The U4919DW has better wide viewing angles, and a higher native resolution, which is better for multitasking.

    Dell U3417W

    The Dell U4919DW is slightly better than the Dell U3417W. The U4919DW has a larger screen and higher native resolution, which is great for multitasking. The U4919DW also has less input lag at the native resolution, and slightly better black uniformity. The U3417W has better ergonomics, thanks to a better height adjustment, and the stand can swivel.

    Dell U3818DW

    The Dell U3818DW and the Dell U4919DW are very similar. The larger screen on the U4919DW is easier for multitasking and offers a more immersive gaming experience. The U3818DW has a better stand, with a better height adjustment, and it can swivel.

    Test Results

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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    Size49"
    CurvedYes
    Curve radius3800R
    Weight (without stand)
    24.7 lbs (11.2 kg)
    Weight (with stand)
    36.8 lbs (16.7 kg)

    The design of the Dell Ultrasharp 49 is very similar to the Dell U3818DW, but with a wide aspect ratio. The stand is solid and supports the monitor well, and it has a good height and tilt adjustment, but it can't swivel. Like most Dell monitors, the U4919DW has great build quality and shouldn't cause any issues. The overall design is very clean and professional, and looks great in any setting.

    Stand
    Width
    15.0" (38.1 cm)
    Depth
    13.8" (35.1 cm)

    The stand is well built, solid, and doesn't take up too much space. It is quite thin, so you can still place small objects on it. Given the size of the monitor, it still wobbles a bit, but this isn't too distracting.

    4.2
    Ergonomics
    Height Adjustment
    3.6" (9.1 cm)
    Switch portrait/landscapeNo
    Swivel RangeN/A
    Tilt Range-20° to 5°

    The U4919DW has a mediocre height adjustment, but a great tilt range, so it is easy to place it in a comfortable viewing position. Unfortunately, it doesn't swivel, and naturally it can't rotate to a portrait orientation.

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 100x100

    Like the majority of Dell monitors, the back is plain, with no extra design flair, and no bias lighting feature. There is only basic cable management, but it is good enough to keep your desk free from cable clutter.

    Borders
    Borders
    0.4" (1.0 cm)

    The borders are quite thin compared to the overall size of the monitor, and there is no noticeable gap between the borders and the first pixels.

    Thickness
    Thickness (with stand)
    8.1" (20.6 cm)
    Thickness (without stand)
    4.1" (10.4 cm)

    Due to the large size and gentle curve, the U4919DW is quite thick. The stand leans back a bit, but the base can still be placed flush with the wall behind it.

    8.0
    Build Quality

    The Dell U4919DW has great build quality, very similar to the Dell U3818DW. The stand is very solid and well built, and you shouldn't have any issues with it.

    Picture Quality
    6.3
    Contrast
    LCD Type
    IPS
    Native Contrast
    1,184 : 1
    Contrast with local dimming
    N/A

    The Dell U4919DW has a mediocre native contrast ratio, much worse than the CHG90. Blacks look gray in a dark room, similar to the U3818DW. There is a uniformity feature that can be enabled to improve overall screen uniformity; when activated, the contrast ratio drops to 690:1. Unfortunately, there is no local dimming feature to improve the contrast ratio.

    0.0
    Local Dimming
    Local Dimming
    No
    Backlight
    Edge

    There is no local dimming feature on this monitor. The video is for reference only.

    8.0
    SDR Peak Brightness
    SDR Real Scene
    338 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 2% Window
    352 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 10% Window
    353 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 25% Window
    353 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 50% Window
    354 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 100% Window
    354 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 2% Window
    351 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 10% Window
    352 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 25% Window
    353 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 50% Window
    353 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 100% Window
    353 cd/m²
    SDR ABL
    0.000

    Great peak brightness in SDR, brighter than the U3818DW. There should be no issues using the U4919DW in a bright office. When the uniformity feature is activated, the peak brightness decreases significantly.

    0.0
    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

    HDR is not supported on this monitor.

    7.3
    Horizontal Viewing Angle
    Color Shift from Left
    37°
    Color Shift from Right
    39°
    Brightness from Left
    46°
    Brightness from Right
    47°
    Black Level from Left
    75°
    Black Level from Right
    75°
    Curve Radius3,800R

    Like most IPS monitors, the Dell U4919DW has decent horizontal viewing angles. When sharing something with someone sitting off-center, the image appears dimmer, and colors lose accuracy, but the blacks levels remain constant, unlike with VA monitors.

    8.0
    Vertical Viewing Angle
    Color Shift from Below
    27°
    Color Shift from Above
    27°
    Brightness from Below
    33°
    Brightness from Above
    33°
    Black Level from Below
    75°
    Black Level from Above
    75°

    Great vertical viewing angles. When sharing something on screen with someone standing beside you, the image is only a bit darker, and colors lose some accuracy, but there shouldn't be any issues.

    8.4
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    3.628%
    50% DSE
    0.123%
    5% Std. Dev.
    0.414%
    5% DSE
    0.048%

    The Dell Ultrasharp U4919DW has great gray uniformity, with very little dirty screen effect, which is great. There is a uniformity feature that can be enabled from the monitor's internal menus; we found that it doesn't improve the uniformity much, but causes a significant decrease in native contrast and brightness, so we don't recommend using it.

    5.8
    Black Uniformity
    Native Std. Dev.
    2.158%
    Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
    N/A

    The monitor has disappointing black uniformity, similar to the U3818DW. There isn't much noticeable flashlighting, which is good, but there are bright bands across most of the screen.

    8.2
    Pre Calibration
    Picture Mode
    Standard
    Luminance
    306 cd/m²
    Luminance Settings
    75
    Contrast Setting
    75
    RGB controls
    N/A
    Color Temperature
    6,778 K
    White Balance dE
    2.66
    Color dE
    2.02
    Gamma
    2.26

    The monitor has great accuracy out of the box. Both color and white balance dE are low enough that most people won't notice any inaccuracies. Gamma does not completely follow the target sRGB curve, and the color temperature is a bit cool. The 'Standard' Picture Mode is the most accurate out of the box, but does not allow you to adjust the RGB controls.

    9.3
    Post Calibration
    Picture Mode
    Custom Color
    Luminance
    100 cd/m²
    Luminance Settings
    19
    Contrast Setting
    75
    RGB Controls
    94-98-100
    Color Temperature
    6,431 K
    White Balance dE
    0.98
    Color dE
    0.78
    Gamma
    2.17

    After calibration, the monitor has excellent accuracy. Any remaining color and white balance inaccuracies can't be seen without specialized equipment, and the color temperature is closer to the calibration target of 6500 K. Gamma follows the target curve almost perfectly.

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

    8.6
    SDR Color Gamut
    sRGB xy
    96.6%
    Adobe RGB xy
    74.7%

    s.RGB Picture Mode: Custom Color (calibrated)
    Adobe RGB Picture Mode: Custom Color

    Excellent SDR color gamut. The U4919DW covers the s.RGB gamut almost perfectly, but can't reproduce the full range of greens. Coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space is only decent, which isn't ideal for professional photo editing.

    8.8
    SDR Color Volume
    sRGB in ICtCp
    95.9%
    Adobe RGB in ICtCp
    79.5%

    s.RGB Picture Mode: Custom Color
    Adobe RGB Picture Mode: Custom Color

    Excellent SDR color volume. The color volume is limited by the mediocre native contrast ratio, which prevents the monitor from producing dark saturated colors, and by the limited Adobe RGB color gamut.

    0.0
    HDR Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    No
    DCI P3 xy
    N/A
    Rec. 2020 xy
    N/A

    HDR is not supported on this monitor.

    0.0
    HDR Color Volume
    DCI-P3 in ICtCp
    N/A
    Rec. 2020 in ICtCp
    N/A

    HDR is not supported on this monitor.

    10
    Image Retention
    IR after 0 min recovery
    0.00%
    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%

    There are no signs of temporary image retention on the U4919DW, even immediately after displaying our high-contrast static test image for 10 minutes.

    9.7
    Gradient
    Color Depth
    10 Bit

    Outstanding gradient performance. There is no noticeable banding in most colors, which is great.

    10
    Color Bleed
    Pixel row error
    0.001%
    Pixel column error
    0.002%

    There is no significant color bleed, which is great.

    8.0
    Reflections

    The Dell U4919DW has great reflections handling. The curved screen tends to distort reflections a bit, which can be distracting in some occasions, but overall there shouldn't be any issues.

    Motion
    8.2
    Motion Blur
    80% Response Time
    5.5 ms
    100% Response Time
    16.7 ms
    Best Overdrive Setting
    Normal

    Response Time Normal
    Response Time Fast

    The Dell U4919DW has a great response time, and the blur trail behind moving objects is very short. There are two selectable overdrive settings: 'Normal' and 'Fast'. We recommend the 'Normal' setting, as 'Fast' has more overshoot but isn't much faster. In either mode the overshoot is relatively minor, and shouldn't cause any issues. This is much better than the U3818DW, which had noticeable motion smearing.

    7.5
    Image Flicker
    Flicker-freeYes
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    0 Hz
    Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
    N/A
    BFI Maximum Frequency
    N/A
    BFI Minimum Frequency
    N/A

    The monitor is completely flicker-free at all backlight settings, which is great. Unfortunately, there is no option to introduce flicker in order to reduce persistence blur.

    6.7
    Refresh Rate
    Variable Refresh Rate
    No
    Native Refresh Rate
    60 Hz
    Factory Overclock
    N/A
    Variable Refresh Rate
    No
    G-SYNC Compatible
    No
    VRR Maximum
    N/A
    VRR Minimum
    N/A
    VRR Maximum With OC
    N/A
    VRR Supported ConnectorsN/A

    The Dell U4919DW has a standard 60 Hz refresh rate, with no option for a factory overclock. It also doesn't support any variable refresh rate technology like FreeSync or G-SYNC.

    Inputs
    8.7
    Input Lag
    Native Resolution
    9.1 ms
    Non-Native Res @ Native Refresh
    40.7 ms
    Native Resolution @ 60 Hz
    9.1 ms
    Variable Refresh Rate
    N/A
    10 bit HDR
    N/A
    Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
    N/A

    The Dell U4919DW has excellent low input lag when displaying at its native resolution of 5120x1440. Unfortunately, when the monitor is sent a non-native resolution the input lag is very high.

    9.3
    Resolution and Size
    Native Resolution5120x1440
    Aspect Ratio32:9
    Megapixels7.4 MP
    Pixel Density109 PPI
    Screen Diagonal48.8"
    Screen Area623 in²

    The monitor has an outstanding native resolution of 5120x1440, which is the equivalent of two 1440p monitors placed side-by-side. This provides a huge amount of screen real-estate to work with, and is excellent for multitasking.

    We have received multiple reports of Mac users being unable to select the full native resolution on the U4919DW. It appears to be a limitation with some Apple hardware.

    Inputs
    Total Inputs
    DisplayPort1 (DP 1.4)
    Mini DisplayPortNo
    HDMI2 (HDMI 2.0)
    DVINo
    VGANo
    DisplayPort OutNo
    USB5 (USB 3.0)
    USB C1 (USB, USB PD, DP Alt Mode)
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mmNo
    Microphone In 3.5mmNo
    Digital Optical Audio OutNo
    Analog Audio Out RCANo
    Power SupplyInternal

    The Dell Ultrasharp 49 has a good selection of inputs, including two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DP port, and one USB-C port. The USB-C port supports DP Alt Mode, and DP power delivery with a maximum power delivery of 90 W, so you can easily keep your laptop charged while working, with only one cable.

    Features
    Additional Features
    Speakers
    No
    HDR10No
    Multiple input display
    PBP

    The Dell U4919DW has a few extra features, including:

    • Picture-by-Picture: You can display the input from two sources at once. With the included KVM functionality, this allows you to work on two computers at once, with only one keyboard and mouse.
    • Uniformity Compensation: A factory calibrated mode that is supposed to correct for any uniformity issues. As the U4919DW already has great uniformity, this mode doesn't improve uniformity in any significant way, but causes a reduction in brightness and native contrast.
    On-Screen Display (OSD)
    Controls

    Standard Dell control scheme, but the buttons are small and provide very little tactile feedback.

    In The Box

    • Manuals
    • HDMI Cable
    • USB-C Cable
    • USB 3.0 Type B Cable
    • DisplayPort Cable