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I remember it like it was yesterday. I received an email in my inbox with a link to preview an unreleased Dell display. The moment I saw the specs, I thought I was dreaming: 52 inches, 6K display, Thunderbolt dock, fast response time. And from one of the largest display manufacturers in the world, if not the largest.
I've said for years that Dell monitors are a workspace staple; However, this is nowhere near the norm or typical for the average workspace. Most people who have seen this monitor on my desk, in the background of photos, or in virtual meetings assume it is a TV mounted on my wall. Some have even thought that it is a window, depending on the content in it.
Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: Unboxing and first impressions
Keep in mind that I also review an incredible amount of desks, and I regularly come home or check my cameras and see huge boxes on my porch when this monitor was delivered, I saw it as I was getting to my house and immediately assumed it was a desk I was waiting for. In fact, as I write this, I realize that one of my regularly used desktops that I'm currently testing is actually smaller than this panel – crazy.
Dell sends all the freebies it normally ships with its monitors in the box, including cables, power supply, and a stand that I love to hate a little. Just to test it out, I initially put this model on the stand and then realized that the stand is also significantly larger than others to hold this gigantic panel.
So I quickly took it off and put it on the monitor arm and realized that my nice monitor arm couldn't support the incredible weight of this panel on its own. I resorted to resting my weight on my desk shelf made by Grove and using the monitor arm to route the cables to keep the monitor from falling back and forth.
Once I connected my first machine to test this panel, it took me about two minutes to set my display preferences correctly on my machine and make sure all my devices were connected to the different ports; then I got to work.
Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: Design and build quality
I've mentioned it a bit, but this monitor, in addition to being huge in size, actually retains a pretty standard aspect ratio. It really feels like a properly enlarged version of a standard monitor, unlike an ultrawide, where you clearly get some extra width on the side, or a 16:10, where you clearly get some extra height. This one looks pretty standard aspect ratio wise.
That's not to say you'll probably ever use anything full screen on this screen, unless it's for a movie, potentially a big virtual main movie or content presentation. If you're really using this as a productivity machine, chances are you'll have a lot of open windows spread throughout this, some in the corners that are just reference materials, others that are in the center, and the like.
The panel itself still maintains the quality of a standard Dell monitor, which I have talked about many, many times. I feel like it will last a lifetime and I will never have any problems with it as long as I treat it with basic decency.
One thing that is glaringly obvious when you have a giant screen like this is the depth of the desktop. Because it's so large and only has a slight curve, you'll need to make sure you're sitting far enough from the desk to be able to use the entire screen without straining your neck to see the edges.
The ports remain in the center of the back of the monitor, which is phenomenal once you have everything plugged in and placed where you want it. To change things up, if you have this monitor tucked away on the edge of a desk, potentially against a wall, it will be a little difficult to move around since your arm can't reach the edges like a standard monitor. If you can get on and off the monitor from the front, you can do so and find the port if necessary.
Originally, I was planning to put this on a very heavy monitor arm like the one I have for my main display, which is very large (large is now a relative term, as the Dell display dwarfs my BenQ MA320U).
However, after placing my monitor on top of my shelf, supported by a tilted monitor for a medium to normally large size, I fell in love with the sleek, floating look and decided to keep it and am now delighted with it. Keeps my cables clean. It goes as far as I can rotate the monitor to connect test machines and swap out docking stations I'm testing, all while looking fantastic and highly functional.
Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: In use
I have tried to use this monitor every day since I installed it about a hundred days ago. If this were a YouTube review, I'm sure it would have a hundred day trial somewhere in the title or metadata, like all YouTubers do. At that point, I really feel like I've found a cheat code that gives me the ability to have multiple monitors, all without having the hassle of bezels or managing multiple monitors on whatever operating system I'm working with.
There are times when I don't even use more than two-thirds of the available property. I've learned to understand that that's 100% okay and doesn't mean I'm not fully utilizing what I have in front of me.
There are other times where I have been working on large research projects, working an incredibly busy day and having a thousand things to do at once and having to triple up on tasks. Or other days when I'm in large meetings while giving presentations and I can fit everything on one screen without even needing to have my laptop open.
In my other desktop setups, I'm used to switching between desktops a lot on my Mac or context switching with multiple windows open and hidden, and having to remember what's on the other screens when I can't fit it all in. In this one, I can keep everything open and then all I have to do is remember what zip code it is in (well, it's not THAT big).
I will say that if you have the money for it, this is an easy option over an ultrawide, as you still have that vertical space that you don't have in an ultrawide.
While using this monitor, I tested every computer that came through my studio. I have run game systems just for fun and laughs. I've worked on it as many days as possible and I've had it in the background of almost every virtual meeting I've ever had, just as an incredibly cool background that people think is fake or a window.
At all times, I have an Apple TV, two docking stations, a display dock connected to whatever desktop I'm testing at the time, and HDMI connected to any additional devices I want to connect on the fly. For the two docking stations, I rotate the different laptops I have, test between them, and I can open them in the panel or run picture in picture or picture by picture.
I was testing some laptops and some desktops that were cheaper and not as high performing as the others. I was able to quickly spot which ones had the cheapest or lowest performing graphics cards as they couldn't scale to the high resolution and size of this panel. This made it evident which ones had greater graphical output.
If there is an endgame monitor, this would probably be it. While it may not be best for gamers, I'm sure there won't be companies buying this for cubicles. When it comes to overall productivity and business performance, I'd be willing to bet that this monitor can outperform almost all of them.
Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: final verdict
This monitor has officially entered a class of its own. I know a lot of people who don't even have TVs this size, and most people certainly don't have monitors with these kinds of specs.
For the size of a TV and specs that surpass even some of the best monitors on the market, this monitor is in a class of its own. As I said before, it really transcends the idea of what a monitor can be and turns an expansion of your laptop into a true productive domain environment on whatever you're working on.
While I can't say this scientifically, I would also be willing to bet that this monitor makes you smarter, more productive, better at your job, and whatever else it takes to be able to try to convince your boss to let you buy one for the office.
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