The 5 most interesting computer monitors at CES 2024

Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show delivers so many new computer monitor announcements, it's often difficult to know what's worth paying attention to. When it comes to the most interesting models this year, there were two themes worth noting.

First of all, my complaint in 2022 about there not being enough OLED displays has been largely addressed this year. CES revealed several plans for OLED displays in 2024, with quite a few of those screens set to be sized for desktop computers. This includes the introduction of a 32-inch, non-curved screen QD-OLED options And other, smaller screens for people who have been waiting for OLED screens in more diverse forms.

Second, with more people blending their work and home lives these days, CES offered hints that the line between gaming monitors and premium displays used for general or even professional purposes will become even more blurred in the future. We're not at the point where the best productivity monitor and the perfect gaming monitor fit perfectly in one product. But this week's announcements have me imagining ways future moderators can better serve users through hard work And Playing interests.

For now, here are the most interesting displays from CES 2024.

Dell UltraSharps reach 120Hz

Dell UltraSharp monitors have long appealed to workers and creatives, as well as Mac users with their USB-C connectivity. The past few CES shows have shown that Dell is trying to improve its lineup, and the most notable innovation has been the introduction of IPS Black. With CES 2024, Dell has focused on improving video resolution.

The Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub (U4025QW), pictured above, is a 39.7-inch Full HD display with a 5120 x 2160 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Since most monitors are aimed at workers who still use 60Hz, this is a big step for people with systems capable of supporting 11,059,200 pixels at 120 frames per second. These speeds have been carried over to gaming monitors for a while, but as TVs move to higher refresh rates (encouraged by gaming consoles), more people are becoming accustomed to faster displays. And with other features, like the 2500R curve, we wouldn't blame workers for doing some light gaming on the U4025QW, either.

But Dell says the increased refresh rate is intended to increase eye comfort. The UltraSharp U4025QW is one of two monitors to be 5-star certified from TÜV Rheinland's new Eye Comfort program, which Dell helped create, a Dell spokesperson told me last month at a press event.

According to TÜV, the certification program “is no longer limited to the old low-blue light or flicker-free labels” and now “covers a broader range of safety indicators, such as ambient brightness, color temperature adjustment and regulation, and brightness.” “New requirements include controlling the brightness and color temperature of different ambient lighting, and Dell Ultra Wide technology covers this with the built-in ambient light sensor.

Certification also requires a refresh rate of at least 120Hz, which is likely where Dell gets the number. A Dell spokesperson confirmed to Ars that using IPS Black did not affect the monitor's ability to achieve TÜV certifications and that it would have theoretically been possible to get five stars with another type of panel, such as VA.

Dell announced bringing 120Hz to the UltraSharp lineup in November when it debuted two 24-inch and two 27-inch UltraSharp monitors with 120Hz refresh rates. At CES, Dell proved that this upgrade wasn't just a fluke that had been ported to the smaller UltraSharps, and went all in, bringing the refresh rate up to the 5K Thunderbolt 4 ultrawide display.

The U4025QW has an updated version of ComfortView Plus, which uses hardware to lower blue light levels. I've seen it work without making colors turn yellow, as some other anti-blue light technologies do. After not updating the ComfortView Plus significantly since its 2020 release, Dell now says it uses “more advanced LED backlighting” to reduce blue light exposure from 50 percent to less than 35 percent.

But the effects are minimal. Figures provided by Dell claim that reduced blue light exposure can reduce eye strain by 8 percent after 50 minutes, but we should take that with a grain of salt. It is almost impossible to determine how well blue light reducing techniques work from person to person.

The UltraSharp U4025QW will be released on February 27 with a starting price of $2,400.