HP's new Thunderbolt 4 monitor uses contrast-rich IPS Black technology

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HP today announced a 31.5-inch monitor at its Amplify partner conference for workers with data-heavy setups and high image quality needs. The 4K resolution HP Z32k G3 claims to be the first monitor to use an IPS Black panel with a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port.

Dell pioneered IPS Black, leveraging LG Display technology for 27-inch and 31.5-inch UltraSharp USB-C monitors. IPS Black is a type of IPS panel said to double the typical contrast ratio of traditional IPS by providing darker black levels. LG Display claimed that the black levels of IPS Black are "35% deeper than existing IPS products".

HP's Z32k G3 claims a 2000:1 contrast ratio, compared to the standard IPS monitor, which is typically around 1000:1, with high-end IPS examples reaching around 1300:1 . Assuming HP has shared a specific figure, it should be noted that the specification is not for a powerful VA monitor or, compared to the contrast offered by displays with more expensive backlight technology, Mini LED or OLED.

Enlarge / There's also HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, four 5Gbps USB-A ports, RJ45, and even USB-B. resume

We tested IPS Black on the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE and saw impressive contrast ratios of up to 1977:1 with contrast settings maxed out to the point where small black text was more difficult to read on a white background, but darker and lighter colors showed details more clearly. Even with the default contrast settings, the monitor achieved 1873:1 and showed significantly more vivid image quality than a typical IPS monitor. HP's Z32k G3 likely uses the same 31.5-inch black IPS panel used by Dell's UltraSharp 32 (U3223QE).

HP's display claims up to 400 nits of brightness and backs it with VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification. color should not be visible to the naked eye. These claims are close to what we found when testing Dell's 27-inch UltraSharp IPS Black monitor.

HP also claimed that its IPS Black monitor can deliver more accurate colors at lower brightness settings than traditional IPS monitors.

Unlike Dell's IPS Black monitors, which can connect to PCs via DisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C for a maximum transmission rate of 32.4Gbps, HP's IPS Black monitor uses Thunderbolt 4 at 40Gb /s (the monitor, according to HP, will not work with computers that do not support Thunderbolt 4 or on a 20Gbps USB-C port). This makes the display a potential choice for power users managing up to two 4K displays at 60Hz, a Thunderbolt 4 docking station, external storage and external graphics cards.

The monitor also charges PCs up to...