TechRadar Verdict
HP's latest 30-incher is a masterclass in image quality. It's also expensive to the point of near irrelevancy.
Pros
- +
Fabulous IPS panel
- +
Impeccable build quality
Cons
- -
So very expensive
- -
Black levels could be better
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Think about computing giant HP and we suspect images of corporate cubes leap to mind more readily than sexy screens. But there's no doubting the new HP ZR30W is an absolute stunner.
It's a 30-inch monster with a high-quality IPS panel and a monster resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. It comes with a massive price tag to match, of course. But if you want a large, high resolution screen with impeccable colour accuracy, you're going to have to pay for it.
The only problem for the HP ZR30W is Dell's U2711. Admittedly, it's three inches smaller. But it packs very nearly as many pixels, offers similar IPS technology and can be yours for over £400 less than the ZR30W. What's more, when it comes to usability and visual ergonomics, there is such a thing as a monitor that's too big. For some users, a 30-inch panel is precisely that.
Power consumption
Watts: maximum / approx 170cd/m2 – lower is better
HP ZR30W: 160W / 65W
Dell Ultrasharp U2711: 130W / 80W
Hanns.G HZ281: 79W / 32W
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR STAFF'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.