The HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor ($1,099), a 45-inch business-centric ultrawide monitor, is a good substitute for two individual QHD monitors while retaining some of the benefits of multiple monitors via unique virtual dual-display and KVM features. Its image is bright, with full sRGB color coverage. The E45c has good ergonomics for an ultrawide, too, and a range of connection choices that you'd expect from a separate laptop docking station. It is an easy pick for an Editors' Choice award for large-screen ultrawide business monitors.
The Design: A Deskful of Ultrawide Magic
Matte black with a silver-colored stand, the E45c G5 measures 20.5 by 42.7 by 12.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 32 pounds. Ultrawide displays, especially those with 32:9 aspect-ratio screens, are not known for their ergonomic adjustments, but the E45c does better than many. You can raise or lower the height of the chassis as much as 5.9 inches, swivel the screen up to 10 degrees to either side, and tilt the top of the monitor up to 5 degrees toward you or 20 degrees away from you.
The HP E45c G5 has a 45.5-inch (measured diagonally) vertical alignment (VA) screen with 5,120-by-1,440-pixel native resolution—the equivalent of two 24-inch QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) monitors placed side by side. (The DQHD in the product name stands for "dual quad high definition.") This makes for a 32:9 aspect ratio, sometimes referred to as "super ultrawide." The screen's pixel density is 120 pixels per inch (ppi), which should render an image easily sharp enough for photo and diagram editing (assuming the source is sufficiently sharp).
(Credit: Molly Flores)A refresh rate of 165Hz and support for AMD FreeSync Premium adaptive sync allows for fluid video rendition, and it even lets you get in some enjoyable gaming. Although the E45c otherwise lacks gaming-centric features, the 32:9 screen is a good fit for racing games and flight sims.
The E45c is a better fit for tight spaces (such as many home offices) than a 49-inch ultrawide business monitor such as the Philips Brilliance 499P9H, the LG 49WL95C-W, or the Dell UltraSharp 49 Curved Monitor (U4919DW). I prefer its slightly smaller screen to those behemoths.
The E45c's screen has a relatively sharp 1500R curvature, which means that if you were to arrange enough E45c monitors edge-to-edge to form a circle, its radius would be 1,500mm (1.5 meters). The E45c's curvature is much more pronounced—and provides a more immersive experience—than the shallower 3800R-rated curve of the Dell U4919DW, and a bit more so than the Philips 499P9H and the Dell 34 Curved USB-C Monitor (S3423DWC), both of which have 1800R curvatures. The latter is a standard ultrawide monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, which is taller for its width than the HP E45c and the aforementioned 49-inch displays, all of which have 32:9 aspect-ratio "super-ultrawide" screens.
Connectivity and Controls
Inputs include an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, and a pair of USB-C ports that support DisplayPort over USB Alternate Mode and provide up to 100 watts (100W) of USB power delivery (USB PD). There is also a hub of four downstream USB-A ports for attaching peripherals, and an RJ-45 jack that supports gigabit Ethernet speeds. In short, this monitor has all the ports you might expect to find in a laptop docking station, and can serve as a substitute for one.
(Credit: Tony Hoffman)The onscreen display (OSD) is controlled by the Joypad, HP's take on the mini-joystick, a four-way switch with a central button. It was easy to use in testing, and HP's menu system is intuitive. More settings adjustments are available via downloadable software, including the HP Display Center app, which lets you access an Ergonomic Setup Guide to assist in adjusting the monitor to your liking, in addition to letting you tile windows, download firmware, and more.
(Credit: Molly Flores)Speaking of comfort, the monitor also features HP Eye Ease, an always-on, built-in filter that reduces blue light exposure without impacting color accuracy, according the company. And an ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the screen's brightness depending on the lighting in the room you're working in.
The E45c's built-in pair of 3W side-firing speakers provide sound of moderate volume and decent audio quality. HP provides a three-year warranty for the E45c, a mostly standard length for ultrawide monitors.
New Dimensions in Screen Sharing
A couple of features take full advantage of the E45c's ultrawide screen to show off this business monitor's capabilities.
The Virtual Dual Display feature in effect splits the monitor down the middle, partitioning it into two side-by-side 16:9 windows that appear to your PC (it's a Windows-only feature) as separate screens (Display 1 and Display 2). You can, for example, screen-share a presentation that everyone can see from one window, while showing your speaker notes or interacting with your audience through video chat in the other window. This arrangement prevents the letterboxing (large black bars above and below the screen image) that occurs when viewing the shared screen of an ultrawide monitor that lacks this feature on a widescreen laptop.
(Credit: Molly Flores)HP's Device Bridge 2.0 takes KVM switches to a new level, letting you connect two different computers (Windows and/or Mac) to the E45c via USB-C, each displaying its content on a separate 16:9 window, and control them with a single keyboard and mouse. You can transfer files from one PC to the other by dragging and dropping them between the side-by-side windows. Moving the mouse cursor across the central divide between the windows switches control from one computer to the other.
The E45c lacks an integrated webcam; HP says that a centered webcam would make you appear off-center to other videoconference participants when you're using split-screen applications like these.
Testing the HP E45c G5: Bright, With Proper sRGB Color Accuracy
I measured the E45c's brightness, contrast, and color coverage using a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and Portrait Displays CalMAN for Business software. The monitor's luminance (brightness per unit area) is rated at 400 candelas per meter squared (nits); in our testing, it was even brighter, at a brilliant 510 nits. (As usual, we did our testing with the E45c's brightness set to 100%, and we tested with the ambient light sensor turned off.) The contrast ratio came in at 2,700:1, which although less than its 3,000:1 rating (which is standard for VA panels) is still very good and far better than any in-plane switching (IPS) panel offers.
HP E45c sRGB Chromaticity Chart in Native Mode (Credit: Portrait Displays)HP rates the E45c's sRGB color coverage at 99%. It did even better in our testing, providing full (100%) sRGB coverage (see the chromaticity chart above). The sRGB color space is used for online art prep and numerous other applications.
In addition to our quantitative testing, I viewed images from our photo test suite as well as selected video clips. Our test video clips showed bright, well-saturated colors and vibrant contrast in both bright and dark areas. Images from our photo suite were also bright, with realistic-looking colors.
Verdict: A Near-Perfect Ultrawide Business Monitor
The HP E45c G5 is a great fit for either a traditional office setting or a home office. Its super-ultrawide 32:9 screen renders a very bright, color-accurate image with good contrast. Its stand provides as much ergonomic flexibility as you can expect from such a wide monitor. The E45c's screen isn't quite as wide as the more common 49-inch monitors we have reviewed, but its size is more manageable, particularly for home offices or other tight spaces.
(Credit: Molly Flores)An array of ports—including HDMI, DisplayPort, two USB-C ports, a hub of four USB-A ports, and Ethernet—provides your laptop with the sort of connectivity you'd get from a standalone docking station. And with tools like Virtual Dual Display and Device Bridge 2.0 to work split-screen magic, you're not likely to regret opting for one ultrawide display instead of two separate ones. Put all these features together, and the HP E45c G5 earns our Editors' Choice award as the best large-screen ultrawide business display you can buy.