The Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED Monitor (S3225QC, $499.99) feels like several monitors rolled into one. It has the screen size, resolution, color coverage, and pixel density for creative work, a refresh rate and adaptive sync suitable for casual gaming, and a magnificent OLED screen and powerful sound system that make it an attractive choice for movie night. It's surprisingly cheap for what it offers, and earns our Editors' Choice award as a mainstream entertainment monitor.

Design and Specs: The Swivel Support You Need

The white-framed S3225QC measures 19.8 by 28.2 by 8.8 inches and weighs a hefty 22 pounds. Its heart is the 32-inch QD-OLED panel, with 4K UHD (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) resolution. A monitor with its screen size (31.6 inches, measured diagonally) and resolution has a pixel density of about 140 pixels per inch (ppm), which is more than enough for photo editing and working with intricate diagrams.

The S3225QC's 120Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro adaptive sync should reduce screen tearing and suffice at least for casual gaming.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The stand supports the standard ergonomic adjustments that we expect in a 32-inch monitor. You can adjust the monitor's height up to 4.3 inches, swivel the screen up to 30 degrees in either direction, and tilt the top of the screen up to 5 degrees toward you or 21 degrees away from you.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Although the S3225QC can't pivot all the way from landscape to portrait mode, it does offer slant adjustment—the ability for you to pivot either side of the monitor up to 4 degrees from horizontal. The S3225QC also supports VESA wall or arm mounting, with a square grid of holes spaced 100mm apart in the back.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Connectivity and Audio: Power for Peripherals

The S3225QC has a modest selection of ports. Facing downward in the back are an upstream USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Over USB Alternate Mode and up to 90 watts (90W) of power delivery, one HDMI 2.1 port, and a downstream USB-C port that can supply up to 15 watts to power peripherals. A second downstream USB-C port that can also provide 15W of power is in a retractable front-facing bay. The monitor lacks a dedicated DisplayPort connector.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The S3225QC's sound system, consisting of five 5W speakers set behind a fabric strip below the screen, employs 3D spatial audio.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Performance: Near-Infinite Contrast, Full Color Coverage

I tested the S3225QC's brightness, contrast ratio, and color-gamut coverage using our standard test gear: a Klein K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G 8K test-pattern generator, and Portrait Displays' Calman for Business calibration software. Dell rates the S3225QC's SDR brightness at 250 nits (candelas per meter squared) and peak HDR brightness at 1,000 nits; I measured its SDR brightness at 236 nits, and HDR at 954 nits. While its SDR brightness may seem low in an absolute sense, note that OLED screens can maintain contrast at lower brightness levels, so the picture will always look vibrant in low ambient light, as was the case in our experiential testing.

Dell rates the S3225QC's contrast ratio at 1,500,000:1. Because each pixel in a QD-OLED monitor can be turned off, creating a true black, and because contrast ratio represents the ratio in brightness between the brightest white tone and darkest black, its contrast ratio is essentially infinite. We measured the S3225QC's contrast ratio at 234,225:1; although exact readings have little practical impact, such a high value reflects the display's ability to produce deep blacks alongside bright whites, resulting in improved image quality in both light and dark scenes. Its contrast is markedly superior to IPS Black or VA panels, which at best can muster contrast ratios in the 3,000:1 to 4,000:1 range.

(Dell S3225QC sRGB chromaticity chart)

The S3225QC's panel supports 10-bit color, providing a wide color gamut, especially in the sRGB space, the industry standard for web-based art and websites. In our testing, the monitor covered the full sRGB color space, 154% by area (see the chromaticity chart above). Such a reading indicates bright, well-saturated colors, with the potential for oversaturation, although that did not appear to be the case with this panel.

Dell rates the S3225QC's coverage of DCI-P3, the standard color space for digital cinema and video, at 99%, and the display effectively matched that, covering 98.7% of the space (see the chart below). The monitor also covered 98.5% of Adobe RGB, a color space used for preparing art for print publication.

(Dell S3225QC DCI-P3 chromaticity chart)

For my experiential testing, I viewed photos from our test suite as well as selected video clips. In both cases, colors were rich and well saturated, and the S3225QC brought out detail well in both bright and dark areas.

The S3225QC's sound system ranks among the best in the displays I have reviewed. In testing monitor audio, I play a selection of music videos. Its five 5W speakers churned out decent-quality audio, even at higher volumes. Bass response, though acceptable, seemed a little bit weak at times, but this is still well above your average monitor-audio experience.