PC Monitor

D'Artagnan

I am looking to get a monitor to be used as an external display for my laptop and later it will be used as part of a new desktop I plan to build. I've been looking around the internet for a while now at reviews and my head is wrecked from it!
I wanted to get people's opinion's here on what is a decent and reliable monitor.

First off I have Dell U2410s at work and really like them. My parents have a Dell ST2410 (standard 24" Dell monitor) which I am also impressed by for a supposedly low end monitor.

So I'm looking at the Dell U2412M but I am seeing some negative comments about them. It seems they just stop working and there are enough people complaining about this (including on Dell's Irish site) that it might be a serious issue.

My typical usage will not involve photo editing or heavy graphics work so I don't think I need something like a U2410 or something like the Asus PA246Q. I'll be using the monitor to game on a bit, watch some movies, and general PC usage (internet, Excel, etc).

Does anyone have experience with the U2412m? Is it worth getting and is it reliable? Is it worth paying extra for IPS or am I better off saving money and going with a standard monitor like the ST2410? Or is the U2410 or Asus worth the extra money? Lets assume I can afford any price point at the moment.

Serephucus

I can't speak to the U2412, but I'm using the U2410 as well myself, and I love it. I upgraded from a 2208WFP, which is - as TNs go - a very good monitor in and of itself, and the difference to me (someone who is visually impaired) was ridiculous.

The one thing I won't like about the U2410 is that in games I've noticed a bit more tearing than with my 2208, but I'm happy to accept that given all the positives, which I'm sure you've noticed if you're using them yourself.

If the ST2410 is anything like my 2208, then I'd vote for the 2410/2412. Had the 2412 been available when I was upgrading my monitor, I probably would have gone for two of those though. I've been wanting to run dual monitors for a while now, and it's expensive to do with 2410s. I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit in the quality department, if it meant I could have a second display.

Hope my €0.02 helps.

Hayte

U2412 is a very different display to U2410. Its 16:9 instead of 16:10, gamut is standard rgb rather than adobe rbg (with standard rgb emulation).

U2412 has more in common with the U2312 which is very similar to the U2311. Basically Dell have homogenized their range of 1080p lcd displays so that they are all standard gamut and 16:9.

As for getting a dud display. You do not need to worry about this. I got a dud U2311H first time around and Dell's small business after sales support is legendary. They shipped me a replacement within 2 days and collected the old one after I tested the replacement. No charge. No interrogation (just a brief phone questionnaire which they said was for quality control purposes so this sort of thing never happens again).

I don't want to just give anecdotal evidence but I post on SA.com and theres a long thread for monitor recommendations. Its got hundreds of posters all across the US and Europe with glowing testimonials citing trouble free replacement until they got a monitor that they were happy with. I have no idea how much it costs Dell to do that but its gotten to the stage where the U2312 has become the default 1080p display recommendation because even if you lose, you kind of win.

D'Artagnan

Having two people praise Dell is certainly re-assuring and I suppose it is true that if there is an issue that Dell will replace it straight away.

@Serephucus - the U2410 is a really nice monitor but since I don't need the special capabilities it offers I cannot see the point in paying extra for it. However if I came across a special offer that would be a different story...

@Hayte - according to Dell's website the U2412 is also 16:10 and not 16:9 as you say. But either is not an issue for me though I understand that most movies are 16:9 so I suppose I would see some black bars on a 16:10 screen. Again its not an issue.

Its looking like a U2412 then unless someone else comes along with a reason not to get one or suggests a better brand that they use.

Serephucus

The U2412 is 16:10. It was thought for a while it would be 16:9 because that's the way a lot of their monitor were going, but they stuck with the taller resolution in the end.

zilog_jones

I've heard a lot of complaints about poor backlight uniformity with the U2412M, but it really depends if that kind of stuff bothers you. The U2410 is much better specced in terms of this and colour performance, hence the higher price (or maybe it's just because it's out of production).

@Serephucus: Not sure how a different monitor could affect tearing unless they're running at different refresh rates, or do you mean ghosting? IPS panels are generally worse than TNs for response times but I'm not sure if the current stuff is much better.

Personally I'd go for an IPS panel (been using them at work for over a year now) but the uneven backlighting of the U2412M (depending on how unlucky I get) would annoy me.

D'Artagnan

Well I decided to go for the U2412 so just placed my order with Dell after finding a voucher code for 20% off. Lets hope there are no issues! Will up hooking it up to a 5 year old Dell laptop so I am sure, issues or no issues, it will look better than what I've been used to.