Dell UltraSharp Dell - UltraSharp 23.8" IPS LED FHD 120Hz Monitor Review

The Dell UltraSharp 23.8" Hub Monitor is a connectivity and ergonomics champion with a just-okay screen. Its brilliant USB-C hub and fully adjustable stand make it a perfect one-cable docking station for work laptops. But the 1080p resolution and dim 250-nit panel hold it back for anything beyond office tasks. At $280-$350, it's worth it if you need the hub, but look elsewhere for a better picture.

The Dell UltraSharp 23.8" Hub Monitor is a bit of a puzzle at first glance. It's called an UltraSharp, which is Dell's premium line for creators, but it's rocking a 1080p panel and 250 nits of brightness. That tells you right away this isn't for the color-grading pros. Instead, think of it as a high-quality office hub. It's for the person who wants a clean, adjustable, single-cable setup for their work laptop without breaking the bank.

What makes it interesting is how it splits the difference. It takes the excellent ergonomics and connectivity of a business-grade monitor—landing in the 88th and 86th percentiles, respectively—and pairs it with a fairly basic display. You get a full USB-C hub with power delivery, height/tilt/swivel adjust, and VESA mounting in a compact package. But you're trading away pixel density and peak brightness to get there.

So, who's it really for? Based on our scoring, it's strongest for office work (53/100) and weakest for anything portable or professional color work. If your day is filled with spreadsheets, emails, and video calls, and you just want a tidy, one-plug docking station for your laptop, this monitor has a clear purpose. If you're editing photos or craving immersive gaming, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Let's talk numbers. The 1920x1080 resolution on a 23.8-inch screen is fine for text and general use, but it's not sharp by today's standards. Our database puts its display quality in the 24th percentile, which means most monitors are crisper or brighter. That 250-nit brightness is the real limiter here. It's enough for a typical office with overhead lighting, but if you have a bright window behind you, you might struggle with glare.

The 5ms response time and 60Hz refresh rate (the specs say 120Hz, but the detailed description clarifies it's 60Hz) are perfectly adequate for office tasks and casual use. You won't see ghosting in your spreadsheet scrolls. But this isn't a gaming monitor, and it's not trying to be. The performance here is about consistency and reliability for work, not pushing frames. It does that job without fuss, which is why it scores a middle-of-the-road 56th percentile for performance in our tests.

Priced between $280 and $350, the value proposition is all about the hub features and ergonomics. You're not paying for the panel. For that money, you could easily find a 1440p monitor with similar size and better brightness, but you'd likely sacrifice the full USB-C hub and the premium adjustability. Dell is charging for the convenience factor and the build quality of its UltraSharp line.

It's a specific kind of value. If you value a clean desk and a monitor that can physically adapt to you over having the absolute sharpest image, then the price makes sense. If the hub isn't a must-have, you can get a better standalone display for less.

Compared directly to other monitors in its price range, the trade-offs become clear. A similarly priced ASUS ProArt or a Dell UltraSharp 27" 4K model will demolish it in screen quality and resolution, but they often lack the integrated USB-C hub or might have more basic stands. You're trading pixel real estate for convenience.

Then look at budget office monitors from brands like Acer or HP. You'll find 1080p panels for $150-$200, but they'll have wobbly, tilt-only stands, plasticky builds, and no USB-C. The Dell justifies its premium by bundining the good stand, the good build, and the hub into one package. It's not the best at any one thing, but it's a very competent package for a specific, cable-weary user.

Creative professionals should steer clear. The color gamut and brightness aren't sufficient for accurate photo editing, video color grading, or design work. Gamers should also skip it—the 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time are a bottleneck for fast-paced games. Finally, if you just want the biggest, sharpest screen for your money and don't care about USB-C docking, you can get a larger or higher-resolution monitor for a similar price. In those cases, you're paying for features (the hub) you won't fully utilize. Instead, look at 27-inch 1440p IPS panels or dedicated gaming/creative monitors that excel in those specific areas.

We'd recommend the Dell UltraSharp 23.8" Hub Monitor wholeheartedly for one person: the hybrid office worker with a modern laptop. If your priority is minimizing desk clutter with a single USB-C cable that charges your laptop and connects everything, and you want a sturdy, highly adjustable stand for all-day comfort, this is a great buy. The display is good enough for work.

We'd tell you to skip it if you care about screen sharpness, work in a very bright environment, or do any kind of color-sensitive work. Also, if you don't need the USB-C hub features, you're paying a premium for something you won't use. For those folks, a standard 1440p monitor will be a better experience for the same money or less.