19:25Alex Finn · Tutorial
100 Hours of Hermes Agent Lessons in 19 Minutes
Nine habits from months of daily use with an AI agent, distilled into a 19-minute checklist.
July 8thThe argument in one line.
A bigger monitor only helps if your workflow actually fills the extra space, since past a certain width the far edges become uncomfortable to use and multi-computer features go to waste on a single-computer setup.
Read if. Skip if.
READ IF YOU ARE…
- You're weighing an expensive ultrawide monitor upgrade and want an honest comparison instead of a sponsored highlight reel.
- You work across many open apps and browser tabs at once and wonder whether more screen real estate actually fixes that.
- You're curious how multi-monitor features like KVM switching and screen partitioning behave differently on macOS versus Windows.
SKIP IF…
- You're shopping for a gaming monitor, this review covers zero gaming performance, only office and creative work.
- You already run multiple physical computers side by side day to day, the KVM and picture-by-picture sections won't tell you anything new.
The full version, fast.
A cloud software consultant borrows Dell's 52-inch U5226KW ultrawide monitor for a month to see if it beats her existing 40-inch model. The headline '6K' resolution is really closer to 4.5K, but she finds it still reads sharp once she sits further back. The Thunderbolt hub, KVM switch, and four-way picture-by-picture modes are genuinely strong, but only for people running multiple computers, which she isn't. macOS also can't natively split the screen into independent zones, so the much-hyped screen partition feature never worked for her. Her conclusion: past 40 inches, the extra width mostly goes unused, so she's keeping her smaller monitor instead of upgrading to the $2,300+ 52-inch version.
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00:00 – 01:17
01 · My New Productivity Monitor
Unboxes Dell's 52-inch 6K-class U5226KW, states upfront that the monitor was borrowed (not sponsored by Dell) and that she doesn't use AI on her channel, then sets up the comparison against her current 40-inch ultrawide.
01:17 – 02:42
02 · 6K Resolution and Pixel Density
Finds the '6K' label is really closer to 4.5K at 6,144x2,560 pixels, works out a lower-than-expected 129 PPI pixel density, but reports text and UI elements still looked sharp in daily use thanks to sitting further back.
02:42 – 02:56
03 · M5 MacBook Air External Monitor Support
Confirms her M5 MacBook Air fully supports the monitor's combined 6K-class resolution and 120Hz refresh rate without issue.
02:56 – 04:33
04 · Thunderbolt 4 Hub and Connectivity
Covers the Thunderbolt 4 dock's single-cable accessory passthrough, 140W charging, and built-in KVM switch, plus a new option to control which computer keeps the Ethernet connection that the 40-inch version lacked.
04:33 – 06:17
05 · Anker Smart Display Hub
Sponsored segment on Anker's USB-C hub with a built-in status display that shows live refresh rate, wattage, port status, and temperature, aimed at anyone using a separate hub instead of a monitor's built-in one.
06:17 – 07:04
06 · Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture Modes
Explains the monitor's 4-input picture-by-picture support, calls it one of the model's biggest selling points, then notes it's irrelevant to her because she only runs a single computer.
07:04 – 07:51
07 · Screen Partitions
Attempts the screen-partition feature that splits the monitor into two logical displays, but finds it only mirrors the same image on macOS no matter what firmware, drivers, or cable combination she tries, because macOS lacks native DisplayPort MST support.
07:51 – 08:20
08 · Dell Display and Peripheral Manager Application
Falls back to Dell's software utility and its Easy Arrange grid layouts as a workaround for the screen partitioning that didn't work natively, plus quick access to input switching and picture-by-picture modes.
08:20 – 09:05
09 · Size and Form Factor
Reports the monitor weighs 13kg/29lbs without its stand, heavier still with it, and required help to lift onto her desk, plus crowded out her laptop placement and speakers once installed.
09:05 – 10:27
10 · Did I Actually Benefit From a 52" Screen?
Compares daily use against her 40-inch monitor: more apps open at once and better video-editing real estate, offset by the far edges being too far away to read comfortably and a menu joystick that's a reach to access.
10:27 – 12:22
11 · My Overall Experience and Opinion
Concludes the 52-inch model is a good monitor at a premium $2,300-$2,700 price, but a niche upgrade that mainly rewards multi-computer users, and confirms she's keeping her 40-inch ultrawide instead.
Lines worth screenshotting.
- Dell markets the U5226KW as '6K,' but at 6,144 by 2,560 pixels it's really closer to 4.5K, since true 6K would need more vertical resolution.
- A lower pixel density of 129 PPI, well below a MacBook's 224 PPI, still read sharp in daily use because sitting further back from a bigger screen compensates for the lower density.
- macOS has no native support for DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport, so a single cable can't split one ultrawide monitor into two independent displays on a Mac, no matter what the monitor supports.
- Updating firmware, installing Dell's macOS drivers, and trying three different cable combinations still couldn't force native screen partitioning to work on a Mac, the limitation is Apple's, not Dell's.
- A 52-inch monitor weighs 13kg (29lbs) without its stand, heavy enough that one person struggled to lift it onto a desk alone.
- Past a certain monitor width, the far edges become uncomfortable to look at even with a curved screen, so those sections end up underused, roughly starting right where a smaller 40-inch monitor would have ended anyway.
- The headline features of a 52-inch display, like a 4-input KVM switch and picture-by-picture across four computers, are wasted entirely on anyone who only runs one computer.
- The reviewer's practical verdict: her existing 40-inch ultrawide covers nearly the same usable screen area as the 52-inch version, so the extra size mostly added cost ($2,300-$2,700) without adding usable space.
- The only app that used the full 52-inch width was video editing; every other workflow, including juggling 20-30 browser tabs plus Outlook, Teams, and Slack, didn't need the extra real estate.
- A third-party USB-C hub with a built-in display solves a real multi-monitor problem: standard hubs give no feedback on whether you're actually getting your monitor's full refresh rate or wattage.
Why a bigger monitor isn't always the better monitor
GEAR REVIEW
A 52-inch monitor delivers real gains in resolution and connectivity, but its biggest features only pay off for multi-computer setups, and past a certain width the extra screen becomes uncomfortable to actually use.
01My New Productivity Monitor
- Disclosing that a tested product was borrowed, not sponsored, and that no AI was used on the channel builds trust before any opinion is given.
- Starting a review by comparing a new product against the one you already use gives readers a more useful frame than specs in isolation.
026K Resolution and Pixel Density
- A manufacturer's marketing number like '6K' and a monitor's actual pixel dimensions can describe two different things, so check the raw resolution before trusting a round marketing label.
- Pixel density alone doesn't predict how sharp a screen looks in practice, because viewing distance compensates for a lower PPI number.
- Testing real text and UI elements you'll actually stare at all day is a better sharpness test than the pixel-density math alone.
04Thunderbolt 4 Hub and Connectivity
- A single Thunderbolt cable can carry display, data, accessory, and power connections at once, which is the actual value of a dock over a plain monitor cable.
- Losing control over which computer keeps an Ethernet connection is a real workflow cost when multiple machines share one hub, worth checking before buying into any KVM setup.
05Anker Smart Display Hub
- A generic USB-C hub that gives zero feedback about actual refresh rate, wattage, or port status leaves you guessing whether your setup is actually working at full spec.
- A hub with a built-in status display turns an invisible problem, like silently running at the wrong refresh rate, into something you can check at a glance.
06Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture Modes
- A feature being a genuine selling point for a product doesn't make it relevant to every buyer; matching features to your actual number of computers matters more than the spec sheet.
- Multi-input display modes like 4-way picture-by-picture only pay off for someone actually running multiple computers or consoles side by side.
07Screen Partitions
- A monitor's hardware supporting a feature doesn't guarantee your operating system does; macOS lacks native DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport regardless of what the monitor offers.
- Before buying hardware for a specific feature, verify your OS supports it, since firmware updates and official drivers won't fix an OS-level limitation.
- When a feature fails, isolate whether the fault is the hardware or the OS; this reviewer confirmed it was an Apple limitation, not a Dell defect.
08Dell Display and Peripheral Manager Application
- Manufacturer-provided software can offer a workable substitute, like grid-based layouts, when a native OS feature isn't supported, even if it's not a perfect replacement.
- Software-level input and mode switching that bypasses the physical monitor menu is a meaningful convenience add-on worth factoring into a buying decision.
09Size and Form Factor
- A monitor's weight without its stand can understate the real lifting challenge, since the stand itself can add significant additional weight.
- A bigger monitor has downstream desk-layout costs, like shifting your laptop and speakers out of the way, that are easy to overlook until it's actually installed.
10Did I Actually Benefit From a 52" Screen?
- More open apps and windows at once is a real advantage of a wider screen, but only for the specific apps, like video editing, that can actually use the full width.
- Past a certain width, the far edges of a curved ultrawide become physically uncomfortable to read, functionally shrinking the usable screen back toward a smaller monitor's size.
- A control you use often, like a brightness menu, becoming harder to physically reach is a real ergonomic cost of sizing up, not just a minor annoyance.
11My Overall Experience and Opinion
- A product can be genuinely well-built and still be the wrong buy for your specific use case; the verdict was 'good monitor, niche fit for me' rather than good or bad outright.
- The right upgrade size depends on which features you'll actually use, like multi-computer KVM or picture-by-picture, rather than defaulting to the biggest available option.
- Sticking with an existing, already-satisfying product is a legitimate review conclusion, not every upgrade opportunity needs to end in a purchase.
Terms worth knowing.
- KVM switch
- Hardware that lets one keyboard, mouse, and set of accessories control multiple separate computers, switching between them without unplugging anything.
- Picture by Picture (PBP)
- A monitor mode that displays multiple computers' video signals side by side on one screen at the same time, instead of one full-screen input.
- DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport (MST)
- A DisplayPort feature that lets a single cable drive multiple independent display outputs, used to split one physical monitor into separate logical screens; macOS doesn't support it natively.
- Pixel density (PPI)
- The number of pixels packed into each inch of a screen; higher PPI generally means sharper text and images at a given viewing distance.
- Thunderbolt dock
- A hub built into a monitor or external device that connects a laptop to multiple accessories and displays, plus charges the laptop, over a single cable.
Things they pointed at.
Lines you could clip.
00:00
“Wow, it's so big.”
01:32
“Turns out it's not actually a 6K resolution.”
07:45
“macOS does not natively support DisplayPort multi-stream transport for extending displays.”
10:25
“For me though this is where the advantages ended because I found the screen to be simply too big.”
11:41
“So for me, I'm sticking with my 40 inch ultrawide.”
Word for word.
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metaphor
Wow, it's so big. is what I said when my new ultrawide productivity monitor arrived. The screen is absolutely gigantic at 52 inches and the specs were just as impressive.
A 6K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate. A Thunderbolt 4 dock with built -in KVM switch for attaching accessories and other computers. And the support for multi -computer setups is incredible and is something I've never seen before and I've worked in IT for nearly a decade.
Anyway, hello! I'm Marina. I'm a remote cloud software consultant and last year I fully upgraded my desk setup and bought this smaller 40 -inch Dell UltraWide.
It was a huge improvement over my previous cheap 27 -inch monitor. But when I saw this new 52 -inch version, the Dell UltraSharp U5226KW, I really wanted to try it out and compare it to my current 40 -inch version and see if I was able to take advantage of that huge screen in my day -to -day workflow. I was also able to borrow this from someone I know.
So this video is not sponsored or endorsed by Dell in any way. It's entirely based on my own personal experience. And I also don't use any AI on my channel.
Everything you see here is based on my real human experience with these products. I wanted to start with that 6K resolution and the overall pixel density because this is one of the reasons why I upgraded from my previous monitor because it was too low. And on a 52 inch monitor, I was worried I'd have the same issue.
I stare at text and UI elements all day, so I don't want them to be blurry or pixelated. So first of all, turns out it's not actually a 6K resolution. It's 6 ,144 pixels wide, but 2 ,560 pixels vertically.
So it's kind of between 4K and 5K. The best way I can think to describe it is the resolution is 4 .5K. No idea if that's technically correct, but you get the idea.
I did some more quick math. and worked out the pixel density was 129 pixels per inch, which sounds low, certainly lower than my MacBook screen, which is 224. But when I was using this monitor and reading texts and looking at Salesforce UI elements, for example, everything seemed quite sharp.
And overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I'd say that the 4 .5K resolution plus me sitting probably a little further away than I would with my 40 inch screen is the reason for this. Overall, I didn't have any complaints about the pixel density.
I also wasn't sure if my M5 MacBook Air would be able to fully support this ultra wide 6K and 120 hertz resolution, but it worked perfectly. By the way, I just did a review on my new 15 inch MacBook Air that I upgraded to have 24 gigabytes of RAM. I'll link it down below so you can see why I selected it and how it handles my everyday workflow.
Moving on to the Thunderbolt 4 hub and connectivity. I won't spend too much time here because it's very similar to my U4025QW. Any accessories attached to the back, like my webcam or wireless mouse and keyboard dongle, are accessible on my MacBook, which is attached via a single USB -C Thunderbolt cable.
The monitor also provides up to 140 watts of charging. There's also the same built -in KVM switch, so I can use these accessories on different computers by simply switching between them in the settings. Here's a picture from Dell's website so you can see all the ports and their speeds.
I also noticed it has more DisplayPort and HDMI ports compared to the 40 -inch version. One minor update I really liked though was more control over the Ethernet connection. On the 40 -inch version the Ethernet connection automatically switched to whatever computer input I selected.
There was no way to change this which meant the other computer would lose Ethernet connection. Kind of annoying because up until recently I was using two separate computers my m1 macbook air for my personal stuff and my m1 macbook pro for work i wanted my personal macbook to always stay connected to the 2 .5 gigabit ethernet port because that's how i access the server in the garage which is where i store the footage for my youtube channel on the 52 inch version i can customize this ethernet connection and either switch it automatically to whatever computer i select via the kvm which was the default option on my or Lockit Thunderbolt.
This is not really relevant to me anymore though, because now I use a single MacBook. Now the monitors I've mentioned in this video already have a built -in USB hub, but if yours doesn't, you can pick up a separate one that sits on the desk. The problem of some of those hubs is that they tell you nothing.
For example, if my laptop is only outputting 60 Hertz on my high refresh rate monitor instead of 120 Hertz, or which ports are active or not. So Anker sent me their new smart display hub to play around with.
And big thanks to Anker for sponsoring this section of the video and supporting my channel. Anker is calling this the industry's first high refresh rate USB -C hub with a smart display. It's particularly useful for anyone who runs a monitor with a high refresh rate.
It runs a single monitor at up to 2K 240Hz or 4K 144Hz. As long as your laptop The laptop's USB -C port supports DisplayPort 1 .4 or 2 .1 with DSC 321.
Anker says that's up to four times the casting performance of a regular hub. So you'll always be able to take advantage of those higher refresh rates. And yes, it has a screen.
I can tap once to cycle through the refresh rate, wattage, port status, and even temperature. So I'm never guessing whether it's working. Or I can double tap and Tuanze shows up with a 25 minute focus timer.
and it even waves goodbye when I unplug. Plus, it's got 10 ports, SD and USB -C upfront, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and a USB -A round the back, with up to 80 watts pass -through charging to my laptop from my own charger. And it's , so it takes up barely any room on my desk.
If you want to learn more about the Anker Smart Display Hub, I'll leave a link in the description below. okay moving on to the picture in picture and picture by picture modes if you've never used these it's where you can show different inputs on the same screen so if i have two different computers for example a mac and a pc both can output an image to the screen at the same time the u5226kw supports up to four different inputs via picture by picture so four different computers or gaming consoles i've also never seen such an extensive list of layouts i can have pretty much any configuration i want this multi output support is one of the big selling points of the u5226kw because unlike many other monitors it's actually big enough where this is viable the issue is that this feature is not relevant to me at all i only use a single computer which is why i was really excited to try the screen partition feature where i can split the monitor and my computer views it as two separate screens this is really cool because it means that windows
snapping resizing and screen sharing is easier especially on the 50 50 screen partition option which acts essentially like a traditional dual monitor setup but i could not get this working on mac os it just mirrored the same display i tried everything updating firmware installed the dell mac os drivers even connecting my mac wire thunderbolt and also a usbc to display port cable simultaneously to try and force it to work well it turns out mac macOS does not natively support DisplayPort multi -stream transport for extending displays, which means the only option I had was using the Dell Display and Peripheral Manager's Easy Arrange feature to divide the screen into various grid layouts.
It worked okay, but I would have preferred native screen partition support. Also, this Dell software has some cool features. You can switch inputs and change different picture by picture modes, for example, without having to access the menu system.
Also, you're enjoying this video please consider subscribing if you want to see more I'd really appreciate it. Quick note on the size and form factor it is by far the biggest monitor I have ever used which means it's really heavy and bulky it weighs 13 kilograms or 29 pounds and that's without the stand so I didn't even attempt to attach it to my existing monitor arm.
With the stand it was significantly heavier to the point where I physically struggled to get it onto my desk and needed someone else to help me hey don't judge i'm tiny although you'd think i'd be stronger lifting up mr steve multiple times a day when i did manage to get it onto my desk it was so wide that i had to move my laptop way off to the side and also push back my speakers and my desk is already pretty big And if you want a full desk setup tool, I'll link it down below.
So how was the experience of using such a huge 52 inch screen? So some context first, as you know, I'm coming from the little brother of this monitor, the 40 inch Dell U4025QW, which was a huge upgrade over my previous 27 inch monitor. Full review of that monitor is linked in the description if you want to watch.
So what about going from 40 inches to 52? At first, I noticed some advantages, like the sheer number of apps or windows I can have open at the same time is mind -blowing. And unlike smaller ultrawide monitors, they're all large enough that I can fully use them without having to resize them.
I'm a cloud software consultant, so I have the usual corporate apps like Outlook, Teams and Slack running alongside probably 20 to 30 browser tabs and multiple other secondary apps like Excel. With this monitor, I can have almost all of those things open and usable instantly, all at the same time. Just note here that I have a bunch of random blank pages and apps open during these examples, because obviously I can't show any of my real work stuff.
Now I know everyone is sick of the whole tech youtuber doing video editing thing but it was the only app i use that takes full advantage of the entire 52 inch screen i'm still learning video editing but i found i actually preferred the larger size versus the smaller 40 inch monitor for me though this is where the advantages ended because i found the screen to be simply too big the biggest issue i had was that the size of the monitor was so far away that it was uncomfortable to look at things located there even with the slide curve so i found myself under utilizing those sections which ironically was roughly where my 40 inch monitor ended.
Whenever I had to access the menu the menu joystick was so far across to the right that was a pain to reach. Dell does have software to control most of these menu settings though so not a huge deal. Changing brightness is the main thing I do frequently.
Adding on to that like I mentioned before I really just couldn't take advantage of the things this monitor is designed for. Like the multi -computer KVM and picture by picture modes.
I just have a single computer and even if I end up buying a gaming PC or something I probably wouldn't use picture by picture. I'd mostly use one computer or the other. And on top of that the screen partition feature just doesn't work on macOS.
To be clear this is an Apple issue and not a Dell one. Apple just doesn't support it. The price is also quite premium at roughly $2 ,300 US dollars without the stand and $2 ,700 with it.
That's a lot of money and I think it is worth it for someone whose needs are different to mine. For example someone who enjoys having like six apps open at the same time or they use multiple computers.
Also someone strong enough to actually get the monitor on their desk. I think it's genuinely a good monitor. It's almost identical to my 40 inch version which I already love but this one is definitely more of a niche product in comparison.
So for me I'm sticking with my 40 inch ultrawide. I've been really happy with it and and I just don't see myself changing from it anytime soon.
Also, if you want to watch my full review of the 40 inch monitor, I'll link it here and also down below. Thanks for watching. Bye.
The Hook
The bait, then the rug-pull.
She opens by quoting her own reaction to unboxing a 52-inch monitor nearly double the size of her current desk setup, then spends the next eleven minutes finding out whether big actually translates into better.
How they asked for the click.
VERBAL ASK
04:33product
“Big thanks to Anker for sponsoring this section of the video and supporting my channel... If you want to learn more about the Anker Smart Display Hub, I'll leave a link in the description below.”
Mid-roll sponsored product section woven directly into the video's own connectivity/hub topic, framed as solving a real problem (hubs that give no feedback on refresh rate or wattage) rather than a hard pitch.
MENTIONED ON CAMERA
FROM THE DESCRIPTION
PRIMARY CTAWhere the creator wants you to go next.
OTHER LINKSAlso linked in the description.
- Buy on Anker.com ↗
- Learn more about Anker Smart Display Hub： ↗
- ⮕ Dell U5226KW 52" 120Hz Monitor ↗
- ↪ Dell U4025QW Ultrawide Monitor ↗
- ↪ Ergotron LX Premium Monitor Arm ↗
- ↪ Desk ↗
- ↪ Audioengine A2+ Desktop Speakers ↗
- ↪ Speaker Stands ↗
- ↪ BenQ ScreenBar Pro ↗
- ↪ Insta360 Link Webcam ↗
- ↪ MX Keys S Keyboard ↗
- ↪ MX Master 3S Mouse ↗
- ↪ Desk Mat ↗
- ↪ Laptop Stand ↗
- ↪ Philips Hue LightStrip Plus ↗
- ↪ Philips Hue Play Bar ↗
- ↪ Philips Hue Lamp Bulb ↗
Visual structure at a glance.