The 4 Best 4K Monitors of 2025
Top pick
This Dell monitor offers a sharp 4K display, top-notch contrast, and a wealth of ports.
The Dell Ultrasharp U2725QE is a productivity-focused 4K monitor that’s a bit more expensive than the competition, but it offers a superior image and connectivity options. The U2725QE functions best as the centerpiece of your desk, serving as the conduit between multiple computers, any peripherals you have set up, and the image being displayed. You can even connect a second monitor directly to the U2725QE, so with one USB-C cable, you can connect your laptop or PC to two monitors, your keyboard, mouse, and webcam, plus storage drives and other USB-connected devices.
It has outstanding contrast and image quality. The U2725QE’s 4K display has natural, accurate colors and much more contrast than other 4K monitors we’ve tested, due to enhanced IPS Black technology. Contrast is a measure between the whitest white and blackest black the monitor can produce, and more contrast means the monitor has a wider palette of light and dark to use on-screen. You notice this richer image quality immediately when using the Ultrasharp U2725QE — especially if you use dark mode — since elements on screen are immediately a bit more lustrous than you might find on other LCD displays. We measured the Ultrasharp U2725QE’s contrast at 2239:1, which is more than double the contrast of most of the competition.
It has a fast refresh rate for smoother motion. Like higher-end smartphones, TVs, and laptops, the Ultrasharp U2725QE has a 120 Hz refresh rate, which means the image on-screen is updated 120 times per second. This makes motion on-screen look smoother, whether you’re just opening and closing windows or doing some casual gaming. The Ultrasharp U2725QE isn’t designed as a high-performance gaming monitor, however; when we were testing faster-paced games at higher frame rates, we noticed some smearing and ghosting.
It’s usable even in bright rooms. We found that we could use the Ultrasharp U2725QE in a wide variety of spaces, due to its anti-glare finish and decently bright backlight. The matte, anti-glare coating on the screen spreads reflections across the display’s surface, making them softer and less distracting. We also measured U2725QE’s maximum brightness at 415 nits — bright enough for almost any indoor setup, except for use in direct sunlight. (The monitor will still work, but it will just look washed out.)
It can power nearly any laptop and run another display. The Ultrasharp U2725QE has so many ports that we need another paragraph to talk about them, but its most important is the 140 W USB-C port. It allows you to charge even the most demanding USB-C-powered laptops, while also receiving video information from the laptop and passing through any USB peripherals. The Ultrasharp U2725QE also has another USB-C port that can transmit data to a second USB-C monitor, so you don’t have to hook up a second monitor directly to your laptop.
It has enough ports to be your desk’s central hub. The Dell Ultrasharp U2725QE is built to be the conduit between all of your computers and devices. It has USB-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI inputs for hooking up multiple computers, and there are five USB-A ports and two USB-C ports for peripherals. Two of the USB-C ports and one USB-A port are forward-facing yet hidden when not in use. They’re located in a little spring-loaded block hidden on the left underside of the display. This is accessed by pressing up on the block slightly to release the mechanism.
It lets you use your accessories with multiple computers. Once your peripherals are plugged into the Ultrasharp U2725QE, the monitor will change which computer they’re connected to based on which input is currently being used. The U2725QE also has DisplayPort and USB-C outputs, which can be used to pass a video signal from your computer to a second monitor (this is called daisy-chaining). It even has an RJ45 ethernet jack.
It has a light sensor to automatically change brightness and color temperature. Like many smartphones and laptops, the Ultrasharp U2725QE has a light sensor on the top of its bezel that can change the display’s brightness based on the conditions of the room. This worked fine until we went to make a video call and turned on our Elgato Key Light, which tricked the sensor and lowered the brightness. Thankfully, you can change the range of the automatic brightness to make the display more or less reactive to light. We turned off this feature after testing it, but it might be nice for those who are constantly messing with monitor brightness, depending on the time of day.
You can change the monitor’s settings using an app. Dell offers software — for both Windows and Mac — that allows you to change the monitor’s settings, as well as preferences and shortcuts.
Dell provides a long warranty. Dell’s premium monitors come with its Premium Panel Exchange service, which allows you to get a replacement monitor if yours has just one bright subpixel, or more than six dark subpixels, within three years of purchase. This is one of the better warranties that we’ve seen from a monitor manufacturer.
The packaging is eco-friendly. Many manufacturers are moving away from Styrofoam packaging and toward newer, more eco-friendly ways of shipping their products. Dell, for one, packages Ultrasharp U2725QE entirely in cardboard, which helps the planet and saves you from having small foam bits lingering in your office for weeks.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It has a wobbly stand. Dell attached this fantastic monitor to a subpar stand. So if you’re a heavy typist or your desk already wobbles, we’d recommend getting a monitor arm to support the Ultrasharp U2725QE.
