Image: Matt Smith / Foundry
USB-C is the one connection to rule them all—literally, in many cases, thanks to a fresh law passed by the European Parliament. Its popularity has made USB-C a general glimpse on original monitors. A USB-C display screen can act as USB hub, giving you additional ports for connecting various USB gadgets, however the display screen’s USB-C port can also attend as a video-input alternative to HDMI or DisplayPort; and some USB-C monitors can even charge a related gadget while in spend.
The details of USB-C can be confusing, nevertheless, and pricing for USB-C monitors is typically greater than that for monitors that lack the interface. Witness our investors’ book beneath our recommendations to raised understand the nuances.
For even more display screen recommendations, test out our roundups of probably the most entertaining monitors and probably the most entertaining monitors for a residence place of commercial. And while you’re at it, test out our record of easiest display screen arms so that you can optimize the ergonomics and consolation of your desk setup while viewing that brand original display screen.
Updated March 25, 2024: If no longer for the extravagant label of over $2,000, Dell’s Ultrasharp U4025QW would have mass appeal thanks to its 40-hasten ultrawide IPS Black panel, its unparalleled 5K image clarity, its 120Hz refresh rate, and its beneficiant connectivity including Thunderbolt, Ethernet, and a USB-C hub. It’s suitably geared as much as attend productiveness and entertainment wishes with aplomb. As you can look in our record of recommendations beneath, there are many assorted USB-C monitors that fulfill that task at a way more palatable label. Nonetheless in case you crave decadence, the U4025QW has it.
Dell Ultrasharp U2724DE – Most entertaining USB-C display screen overall
Pros
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Attractive and functional gain
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Class-leading Thunderbolt and USB connectivity
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IPS Black improves contrast
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120Hz refresh rate
Cons
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Most opponents provide 4K decision
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No HDR back
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Adaptive Sync has some caveats
The Dell U2724DE Ultrasharp has exceptional connectivity that caters to a mix of place of commercial productiveness, gaming, and multimedia spend. It helps Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, and video-out. It also offers as much as 90 watts of Energy Beginning over USB-C for charging a related laptop or tablet.
Dell employs a original variety of display panel called IPS Black, which achieves a larger contrast than past IPS panels. It enhances the display screen’s depth and immersion which, though no longer able to triumph over OLED or Mini-LED, is larger than average for its category. The display screen scores high marks in shade accuracy and offers a huge, vibrant shade gamut.
Probably the most shocking feature is the display screen’s 120Hz refresh rate. Boosting the refresh rate improves movement clarity and fluidity in 3D games. It also makes the Dwelling windows desktop really feel more responsive. Fully a few competing USB-C monitors have a 120Hz (or larger) refresh rate, and these that achieve lack the U2724DE’s range of connectivity.
Dell makes a couple sacrifices to achieve a refresh rate of 120Hz. It sticks to a modest display decision of 2560×1440 instead of 4K (3840×2160). HDR is lacking, too. Those prepared to sacrifice the 120Hz refresh rate for 4K decision and HDR may serene take demonstrate of the U2724DE’s predecessor, the U2723QE.
Dell’s U2724DE carries a reasonable MSRP of $649.Ninety nine which, though no longer cheap, is appropriate value for the display screen’s many features. It’s a great USB-C display screen for work and play.
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Dell U2724DE assessment
BenQ GW2790QT – Most entertaining value range USB-C display screen
Pros
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Attractive and ergonomic gain
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Sharp, gleaming image
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Involves USB-C and DisplayPort-out
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Acceptable built-in speakers and microphone
Cons
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Mediocre image quality
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No HDR
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No Adaptive Sync
Trace When Reviewed:
$299.Ninety nine
The BenQ GW2790QT is an cheap display screen that doesn’t skimp on USB-C. Though priced at accurate $300 (with occasional drops to $280 on Amazon), it features a USB-C port with 65 watts of Energy Beginning and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, which makes it attainable to join and charge a laptop or tablet.
It also has HDMI, DisplayPort, three USB-A 3.2 downstream ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It even contains DisplayPort-out, a rare feature that simplifies cable management by enabling daisy-chaining to a 2nd display screen.
That’s no longer all. The GW2790T has built-in speakers and a microphone, which makes it an all-in-one video conferencing display. The microphone admittedly isn’t probably the most entertaining, but it absolutely’s graceful for video conferencing.
BenQ throws in an ergonomic stand with adjustments for height, tilt, swivel, and pivot. The stand’s sturdy base ensures the display screen remains securely in place in your desk. It also has a abnormal carve-out that can be dilapidated as a smartphone or tablet stand.
The GW2790T’s many strengths are offset by a couple downsides. It lacks gaming-oriented features fancy AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync, and it doesn’t back HDR. These lacking features make the GW2790T much less invaluable for entertainment, but it absolutely’s a drag-to opt in case you want an affordable USB-C display screen in your place of commercial.
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BenQ GW2790QT assessment
Viewsonic ColorPro VP16 OLED – Most entertaining portable USB-C display screen
Pros
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Versatile, invaluable stands
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Apt connectivity, cables integrated
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A large selection of image quality customization ideas
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High-tier image quality even at default settings
Cons
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Speakers are integrated, but weak
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Expensive for a portable display screen
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No HDR
Trace When Reviewed:
$399.Ninety nine
The Viewsonic VP16-OLED is a remarkable portable OLED display screen that brings collectively high-notch image quality, USB-C connectivity, and an innovative stand gain.
The display screen’s 15.6-hasten 1080p OLED panel delivers exceptional shade accuracy, gamut, and contrast. It surpasses many burly-sized OLED monitors and nearly all portable monitors. This makes it a great selection for productiveness, though it also appears to be like very ideally suited when viewing motion photos or playing games.
The VP16-OLED’s stand can be dilapidated as a kickstand or expanded to withhold the display screen suitable, making it ideal for professionals who want to maximize their workspace or need improved ergonomics. The stand contains two USB-C ports, both of which can present energy and video input to the display screen, and a micro-HDMI port for compatibility with non-USB-C gadgets. The display screen contains all the necessary cables as wisely as a USB-C energy brick.
There may be a drawback: the value. The Viewsonic VP16-OLED’s MSRP of $399.Ninety nine is costly for a portable display screen. Then again, in case you place a high value on image quality and want probably the most entertaining display screen in your portable place of commercial, the Viewsonic VP16-OLED is an very massive range.
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Viewsonic ColorPro VP16-OLED assessment
Asus ProArt PA348CGV – Most entertaining ultrawide USB-C display screen
Pros
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Exquisite SDR image quality
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Sturdy, hefty gain
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Broad range of customization
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120Hz refresh rate
Cons
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USB-C hub lacks video-out or ethernet
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HDR is merely passable
Trace When Reviewed:
729.Ninety nine
The Asus ProArt PA348CGV is a spectacular ultrawide USB-C display screen. It manages to attend a expansive range of folk, from gamers to prosumers and professionals, with out letting anyone down.
This display screen has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and as much as 90 watts of Energy Beginning, so it can charge a related laptop or table. The USB-C port can power as much as four additional USB-A ports, offering a huge range of physical connections. It doesn’t back ethernet or video-out, nevertheless, so some homeowners will serene need an additional adapter.
Image quality is awfully ideally suited. Color accuracy is awfully ideally suited, the shade gamut is huge, and maximum brightness is high. The display screen’s 34-hasten panel has a decision of 3440×1440, which is roughly equivalent to a 27-hasten 1440p display screen and appears to be like sharp in everyday spend. The display screen has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and helps AMD FreeSync Premium Professional, which is appropriate information for gamers.
The ProArt PA348CGV is reasonably priced, as wisely, at $729.Ninety nine—no longer a bargain, but lower than most ultrawide monitors with similar features. Its label, huge range of features, and very ideally suited image quality make the ProArt PA348CGV a great USB-C display screen for gamers and screech creators.
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Asus ProArt PA348CGV assessment
Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW – Most entertaining large-ultrawide USB-C display screen
Pros
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Exquisite manufacture quality and stand
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A whole lot connectivity including USB-C
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Easy-to-spend menu with a large selection of ideas
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IPS Black improves contrast ratio
Cons
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Image quality is mediocre overall
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No HDR or Adaptive Sync
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Expensive for its feature station
Trace When Reviewed:
$1599.Ninety nine
The Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW is probably the most entertaining large-ultrawide display screen with USB-C. It offers outstanding USB connectivity, functioning as a USB-C hub with a total of six downstream USB ports (four USB-A, two USB-C) plus Ethernet and audio-out. The USB-C port also helps DisplayPort Alternate Mode and offers 90 watts Energy Beginning, letting users join and charge a laptop or tablet over a single USB-C cable. This eliminates the need for a separate USB-C hub or dock which, in flip, reduces wire litter in the back of your desk.
Dell’s U4924DW is a twisted ultrawide but has a much less aggressive curve than alternatives centered on gaming, which in flip makes it more suitable for work tasks. It also advantages from a sturdy, elegant gain, a small but effective stand, and VESA mount compatibility for both 200x100mm and 100x100mm mounts. The display screen also helps describe-by-describe and describe-in-describe modes that let users learn about two input gadgets at as soon as. It’s ideally suited for spend in both a residence or corporate place of commercial.
Image quality is solid, however the display screen has a mediocre 60Hz refresh rate and lacks back for HDR. The lack of these features is shocking given its $1,999 label point. Detached, the U4924DW is a smart funding in case you care more about productiveness than gaming and entertainment.
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Dell Ultrasharp U4924DW assessment
LG DualUp 28MQ780-B – Most entertaining USB-C display screen for productiveness
Pros
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Uncommon aspect ratio is invaluable for photo, video enhancing
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Makes an awesome 2nd display screen
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Extremely adjustable stand
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Incandescent, accurate shade
Cons
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Sophisticated to slot in a small residence place of commercial
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USB-C port offers restricted downstream connectivity
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Can lack immersion in some screech
Trace When Reviewed:
699.Ninety nine
The LG DualUp 28MQ780-B is a USB-C display screen with a abnormal 16:18 aspect ratio that’s almost exactly square. It can rotate into a 18:16 aspect ratio in case you’d want. The display screen is way taller than most monitors and, as a outcome, has an adjustable stand that clamps to the rear of your desk instead of a normal desktop stand.
The display screen’s strange catch factor is ideal for viewing large, complex paperwork and can be invaluable for enhancing portrait or square photographs. It’s also fancy minded for spend as a 2nd display screen alongside a large 32-hasten display.
The DualUp 28MQ780-B has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts of Energy Beginning, so it can charge a related laptop or tablet. The USB-C port can lengthen connectivity to two additional USB-A ports. Unfortunately, the display screen lacks ethernet or video-out, so some homeowners may need an additional adapter.
What about image quality? It’s great. The display screen has great shade accuracy, a huge shade gamut, and respectable sharpness thanks to its decision of 2560×2880. Apt be warned: The strange aspect ratio makes it a strange match for gaming and motion photos. Here’s a display screen built for work, no longer play.
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LG DualUp 28MQ780-B assessment
What to search for in a USB-C display screen
Many features desirable in a USB-C display screen are the same as on any assorted display. A sharp, vivid, gleaming, and contrast-rich display conceal is easiest. Then again, purchasers who want to aquire a USB-C display screen may serene maintain an examine on details most entertaining relevant to USB-C.
Be aware, too, that a USB-C display can be dilapidated in two contexts. First, you can join your USB-C display screen to a desktop PC or laptop via a USB-C cable, and spend it fancy a traditional USB-C hub via the USB-C cable’s 20Gbps interface. That’s fairly straightforward.
2d, you can also spend the USB-C cable as a replacement for a display cable fancy HDMI or DisplayPort, especially for more moderen laptops that may perchance eliminate an HDMI or DisplayPort port.
It’s here that USB-C monitors can catch sophisticated. The traditional rule of thumb is that a USB-C port can back a 4K display at 30Hz decision. DisplayPort Alternate Mode (look beneath) increases that to 4K60, which is way easier on the eyes. More moderen laptops spend DisplayPort 1.4, which combines a high-bit-rate mode (HBR3) with a DSC compression mode that may serene allow for 4K60 video alongside the ability to spend USB 3.1 storage gadgets.
Be aware, nevertheless, that the USB-C cable’s 20Gbps throughput may no longer allow for video to be passed to top rate displays fancy the NZXT Canvas S27Q at its burly 1440p, 165Hz refresh rate. Those specifications probably assume that you’re utilizing a dedicated video port fancy DisplayPort, instead, as wisely as its separate video cable. You can certainly join the display to your laptop utilizing both a video cable and the USB-C cable simultaneously, nevertheless.
In case your laptop uses both Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 — all of which spend a 40Gbps data connection and a USB-C port in your laptop — you may serene probably have no disorders connecting your laptop to the display screen at the burly refresh rate utilizing a Thunderbolt cable. Apt consult your laptop’s specifications and/or manual to make clear.
Energy Beginning
USB-C Energy Beginning offers energy over a USB-C cable. It’s no longer part of the core USB-C specification, so gadgets with USB-C (including monitors) don’t always back it. Energy Beginning can pack as much as 240 watts, but most USB-C monitors present accurate 65 to 90 watts. It’s a ideally suited match for folks who absorb a skinny-and-light laptop, 2-in-1, or tablet.
Energy Beginning is inadequate for some gadgets, such as gaming laptops, which eat more energy than fresh USB-C monitors can present. These laptops may serene charge when left at slothful but will charge slowly (and even discharge the battery) when in spend.
Ethernet
Wired ethernet is a desirable feature in a USB-C display screen. Many fashionable laptops lack a physical Ethernet port, so its inclusion on a display screen is convenient. It can pork up the pace and reliability of a related gadget’s web connection.
While invaluable, here is an pricey feature available most entertaining on top rate objects. The Dell U3223QE is the suitable USB-C display screen on this record with ethernet back.
DisplayPort Alternate Mode
DisplayPort Alternate Mode is a feature available to USB-C that handles video as if the USB-C cable was a DisplayPort cable. It helps all the features you’d request from DisplayPort including high refresh rates and adaptive sync.
A display screen with out this feature won’t accept video over USB-C, meaning you’ll have to join both USB-C and a separate video input. All the monitors on this record back DisplayPort Alternate Mode.
How we test monitors
PC World’s display screen guides are the outcome of unbiased assessments by PC World staff individuals and freelance technology journalists.
We test each display screen with a Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra shade calibration gadget. This gadget can measure a display screen’s brightness, contrast, shade gamut, shade accuracy, uniformity, gamma, shade temperature, and assorted important aspects of display quality. The usage of a gadget that measures goal quality helps us objectively compare dozens of monitors.
Our assessments of USB-C monitors also take demonstrate of the range of USB-C connectivity and features available. We want to tag a USB-C display screen with a total range of physical connectivity including ethernet and at least 90 watts of Energy Beginning, but these desirable features are balanced against the display screen’s label.
FAQ
1.
Enact I really need a USB-C display screen?
A USB-C display screen is a great way to expand your computer’s connectivity with out the added litter of a USB-C hub or dock. It reduces the wires fresh in your desk, freeing up space for assorted uses. PC World’s book to USB-C hub monitors has the burly fable.
USB-C monitors are very ideally suited when dilapidated with a USB-C laptop that consumes much less than 90 watts of energy at load. Docking a laptop at a desk can be annoying in case you make spend of a wired keyboard, wired mouse, and external display screen. A USB-C display screen can consolidate all your wired gadgets to a single USB-C cable.
If these advantages sound appropriate, then a USB-C display screen may be for you. If no longer, you may catch more value from a conventional display screen.
2.
Are USB-C monitors pricey?
Yes, USB-C monitors are more pricey. Basic monitors with out USB-C retail for as cramped as $100, while similar monitors with USB-C start around $150.
That label top rate persists thru all label categories. You can request to pay around $50 to $100 more for a USB-C display screen than you perchance can for a similar display screen with out it.
Premium productiveness and professional monitors are an exception. Nearly all monitors in these categories provide some catch of USB-C back. They remain pricey, though, and are typically priced between $500 to $1,000 (and generally more).
3.
Are USB-C monitors appropriate for gaming?
Technically speaking, USB-C monitors can be great for gaming. USB-C video is handled over DisplayPort Alternate Mode, which preserves all the usual advantages of DisplayPort. This contains great back for prime refresh rates, high resolutions, and adaptive sync.
Nonetheless there’s a catch: Many monitors that have a USB-C port don’t back important gaming features fancy an enhanced refresh rate, low pixel response occasions, or adaptive sync. The Asus ProArt PG348CGV, our opt for easiest ultrawide with USB-C, and the NZXT Canvas 27Q, our easiest value range opt, are two notable exceptions. Apt make clear that you’re connecting to them with a dedicated DisplayPort or HDMI video cable, and no longer utilizing the USB-C cable as the video cable, too.
Author: Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith is a freelance technology journalist with 15 years of ride reviewing individual electronics. In addition to PCWorld, his work can be came upon on Wired, Ars Technica, Digital Trends, Reviewed, IGN, and Lifewire. Matthew also covers AI and the metaverse for IEEE Spectrum and runs Computer Gaming Yesterday, a YouTube channel devoted to PC gaming historical past.