Review on 🖥️ HP U28 4K HDR Monitor with Calibration, Blue Light Filter, Anti-Glare Coating, Swivel Adjustment, and 3840X2160P Resolution by Chris Vazquez

TL; DR: A good entry-level 4K semi-pro monitor that supports 65w USB-C laptop charging, the color is one of the best out there right now, no backlight and an excellent build quality that rivals my old Dell can. HDMI-only HDR and a USB-C dock weren't always perfect. Overclocking the refresh rate is not possible with this monitor. Price is the current killer but can be competitive if the price is right. It's currently 4 out of 5 because of the cost and issues. This can change slightly depending on what else is on the market. Please let me know if you have any questions! Full Review: The HP U28 is an instant delight if you don't have a quality IPS display, 4K is great for work but the colors are out of this world. I bought a 4K display earlier this year but returned it due to poor viewing angles and terrible color accuracy as I often confused green with brown when making color choices. It obviously doesn't boil down to these problems. My old monitor setup was 2 x Dell U2410 which would have been this type of consumer/manufacturer display in 2011 which is what I base most of my comparisons on here. The monitor has the following connections: Displayport, HDMI, USB-C that only supports 4k 60Hz with PD 65W + USB 2.0 (according to HP website), 3 USB-A ports and a headphone jack. At the time of writing this review, the HP website claimed that this monitor has 2 USB-C inputs, but I couldn't find the second one, other websites also claim only one. With a traditional desktop connection, you can use regular USB-C to USB-A for your computer and have access to those 3 rear USB ports as a hub. Otherwise you could connect your laptop and also get the video feed power through the cable. It's worth noting that all cables come with it, so there's no need to search for HDMI or USBc compatibility. According to HP's website, DisplayPort 1.2 is the maximum specification for USB-C and DisplayPort, meaning HDR isn't supported on these connections. So if you want HDR you'll need to use the provided HDMI 2.0. Build Quality: This was a particular concern, my old Dells were built like tanks but thankfully HP thinks the same way. It's noticeably lighter than the Dell, but the plastic is high quality, doesn't creak under hand pressure that heavy Dells struggle with. The stand is great and with the smart hinge it offers multiple different angles without compromise. Vesa worked great with the screws preconfigured for you, here's how I ended up installing it. The HP U28 feels cool after running all day. The device doesn't have an internal power supply, so make sure you have room for a massive power supply. They have a second monitor next to it, but that can be used. The options are conveniently arranged, giving the user ample opportunity to change settings. This monitor offers PIP and side-by-side features, but they're not a replacement for KVM, but could be great for testing. Laptop Docking: I wanted to use this monitor with USB-C but unfortunately decided against it. In this case, the monitor failed to lift my laptop several times after I plugged it back in. It could have been my laptop but I figured it wasn't worth the hassle and opted for HDMI and a plain old dock instead. Desktop Use: Connected to my GTX 970 with DisplayPort with no issues, programs are noticeably more difficult to run at 4K compared to 1200p, so check this out if you have an older system. Gaming: While not the primary use of this monitor, when running a game like Counter Strike or Dirt Rally 2.0 I didn't notice anything other than the need to upscale to 1080p, which this monitor does very well. Response time can be changed, it's set to the slowest option but can be adjusted (expected to be up to 4ms). It is worth noting that the fastest level leaves traces on fast-moving objects, level 3 was the fastest setting without this trace. Overclocking: As with any monitor, trying to go beyond 60Hz is beneficial. The bandwidth should be enough to run at 69Hz, but I couldn't get anything above 62Hz. I lowered the resolution to 1080p for review, but I'm still missing frames. I wasn't expecting anything here, just wanted to point out that it's not possible. Color/Brightness: The monitor comes from the factory with a color calibration notice, which is always easy to see, and found the default settings to be fine. Compared to my U2410 at 80-90% brightness, the U28 only ran at 45% to keep up with older Dell models. I can switch to the Theme for Web or Gaming color presets to try them out, but the Photo preset works fine for my work. FYI: I'm a web designer, but I need to edit photos for work (and in my free time). Is it worth? Dell offers comparable solutions at roughly the same price as the Ultrasharp range, but with more input. This can be a hard sell for some, as HP only offers a standard 1-year warranty, while the competition offers a standard 3-year warranty. Compared to lower end 4K monitors, the panel is much better, with virtually no backlighting in my case and exceptional colors with great viewing angles. So the 4K panel on this model is worth it, but the extra inputs and lack of warranty might put you in competition, but in the sub-$500 range you have a lot more arguments between models.