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U2311H or 2209WA for gaming

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E_Cartman

Junior Member
After almost an entire month of endless searching (getting google page to 50+) and asking around, while changing my mind a hundred times over which monitor to choose, I have reached the conclusion that getting an IPS panel will be best for me.

Take into consideration a few facts:
1. as far as my budget go and the monitors we have here that's as good as it gets.
2. Prices are almost identical.
3. I am going to use this monitor for at least the next 5 years.

To the best of my understanding (I could be wrong because as far as it comes to monitors i'm only a layman that can read English) comparing the two is something like this:

U2311H
- Higher resolution (don't know how much that is relevant because I don't watch movies and games today don't go up to 1080p)
- Better contrast
- An extra inch (I don't know how much that is important because even though there is a general saying that bigger is usually better, if trying to decide between 2 good monitors, I only sit about 22" from my monitor and don't know how much benefit i'll get out of it)
- Excellent stand (less relevant as there is only one position that I sit in in-front of the monitor).

2209WA
- 16:10 (I understand that many users find it significantly better than 16:9)
- Can get up to 75Hz refresh rate (with the right drivers, which is important to reduce tearing and also very important for games generally)
- Picture and color quality ever higher than the-already-high standard that the U2311H presents
- Wider viewing angles (also less relevant as, again, I only sit in one position in front of the monitor)
- No full-HD support (don't know how much that is relevant as I don't watch movies and games don't get to 1080p)
- Even less input lag than the already-low input lag the U2311H has (don't know if it is noticeable though)
- Credible with high game performance overall

I'm sure that there are mistakes up there, but as I said, when it comes to monitors, I am a layman that reads what people write, and just trying to find which will give me the best gaming experience.

I would also like to know which of the two presents a better overall experience with it's "out of the box" setting, as I don't know if I can calibrate it properly (or at all for that matter).

I would be happy to hear your opinions on the issue, thank you in advance.
 
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U2311H every day of the week!

16:9 is much more suitable for gaming and when you get higher resolution and bigger size with 16:9 as well this question is a nobrainer!
 
I have the U2311H and it is a very nice IPS monitor indeed :wub:. The 2209WA is better if you are concerned over the response time and also 16:10 ratio is a lot better than 16:9 on the U2311H if you are less into gaming and movies but more into work and normal use.
 
I would never even consider a 16:10 monitor 2011. That aspect ratio belongs to the history. Basically everybody buy 16:9 monitors nowadays and it is the standard. Therefor you will get alot of problems using 16:10 monitors. I have a 16:10 monitor my self and I am so tired of it.

You can only use 1680x945, 16:9. The remaining section of the screen goes black. What is the Mirror's Edge, Assassins Creed, etc. Others)
mirrorsedge200903031637qp9.jpg



Or it could also be that you get squashed image with 16:10.

What takes place in The Hunter and Others Others

16:9
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2657/hunter1600x900.jpg

16:10 is squashed. Notice the wrong dimensions. Round compass? D:
hunter1680x1050.jpg



In the games that actually supports the 16:10, you get smaller field of view, like in Starcraft 2.
StarCraftRatios.gif
 
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The only time I can think of games not working properly with 16:10 is when dealing with piss poor console ports. I have been using 16:10 for years across multiple monitors and have no had any issues with games and I play a lot of games. The FOV issue is however correct with games that properly support widescreen, 16:9 does indeed show more of the world than 16:10.
As for the OP unless you're hooking up a console to your monitor I fail to see how games today don't go to 1080p? In any case I'd go with the U2311H, it's bigger, higher res and honestly I've heard nothing but good things about it. That's not to say the 2209WA but if the price is similar why would you get a smaller size/res older model than a U2311H? Only thing to look out for is the monitors Revision as the older ones had some QC issues such as tinting, not sure whats the deal with that these days though.
 
Thanks everyone for their comments here and in the previous post. You were very helpful and got me in the right direction. and I wanted to get the 2209WA but they could only supply it to me at the end of the week, and I didn't know if my old monitor will last until then so I ended up buying the U2311H.

Overall it's a very good monitor for it's price.
There are minor issues such as the the 16:9 aspect that i'll have to get used to (which is pretty terrible when it comes to the surfing the net) and the 23" which has me moving my neck a bit, but i'll hope i'll get used to it too.

BUT, there are a few major issues with the thing that is pissing me off:
- At higher black levels there is significant tinting issue in the bottom right corner, regardless of viewing angle (unless I sit in front of the bottom right corner). It presents a noticeable grey area (and also slightly red) at that portion of the screen
- It has big trailing issues (hopefully I won't get it in games, haven't tried out yet).

But as far as i've read around that's as good as it gets and no monitor is perfect.

So, overall, it's a great choice for the casual user with a budget.
 
Tinting issues are not unheard of especially with the older revisions. I saw in your previous thread you're from Israel (me too, hi there!) and I know from experience it can be difficult to get any of the newer revision monitors here. I suppose you could always try and get it replaced, I know Dell have a great return policy in the US not exactly sure how it works around here though.
As for the streaking you can try and change the preset mode to Gaming if that's an option on the U2311, I know you can do that on the U2410 but not sure about the 2311 but its worth a try.
 
E_Cartman said:
(don't know how much that is relevant because I don't watch movies and games today don't go up to 1080p)
- Better contrast
Click to expand...

Huh? Do you mean you can't with your videocard? Sure they go up to 1080p and higher.

As for the tinting, my 2331H had it. I returned the monitor for a full refund for that reason. I went with the Alienware AW2310 instead - it's TN, but of pretty good quality...and it's 120hz.
 
supremor - there is a gaming mode, it doesn't matter much on windows itself, might be for games, didn't test it yet. As for replacing the monitor I know that the store that I bought it from has a no-return policy and I doubt whether Dell Israel will replace it (while there isn't something technically wrong with it) because I haven't encountered such a policy in all the documents I received when I bought the screen.

RampantAndroid - as I said I might be wrong in some of the things I mentioned. Again, I don't know why should Dell Israel replace it since there isn't something technically wrong with it.
 
Well the color isn't uniform (tinted as you said) which is a known problem for the entire UXXXX monitor line. I know in the states that would be reason enough to ask for a replacement but I'm sure that doesn't apply everywhere.
It's been a while since i read up on the tinting issue, I think if you calibrate the monitor is might be less noticeable but I'm not sure.
 
I have been reading on Dell's policy regarding a full refund or at least a replacement, and while Dell US are stating that this policy apply for most of their products, it is stated in the Hebrew Dell Israel page like this:

Full refund (US only)

So I really doubt if they would have put the "US only" if it applies here, but i'll give them a call tomorrow morning anyway to figure this out, although I don't expect much (and almost sure it's a no go).

Regarding calibration - I am not willing to pay 150$ on a calibration software, which might not even help me. I did however check online for this monitor's professional calibration software results and changed the settings accordingly (while I know that it's not the same as actually using one). That did not help anything however.

EDIT: supremor can you please write for me here in Hebrew how to say "tinting", as I don't know how it translates to Hebrew and I want to talk with Dell Israel about it (sorry guys in advance for the foreign language word).
 
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Short story of what happened to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HI5bazK7FE

Long story is that the screen was locked and didn't respond, while I tried to unlock it several times, it just got locked back again, and menu took about 60 seconds from the moment I clicked the button in the screen to the moment is shows and then when I chose "Menu" it just disappeared never to be heard from again. Any attempt to change resolution (both windows and games) resulted in a black screen that I needed to wait until the automatic reset to the previous resolution to see a picture. Turning the screen on took more than a minute until a picture was present and power button was responsive once every couple of minutes, even though I tried to turn it off or on many times between those couple of minutes to no avail. Computer restart did not help nor did reconnecting every possible cable on both ends.

After a couple of hours, the thing just went away, but i'm thinking that if that is what I see after just a single day, why shouldn't I encounter it again? I can't take the monitor to Dell because, now, there is nothing to show.

Resolution abilities are terrible, the only resolutions that the monitor can display properly are 1920 x 1080 and 1024 x 768 (for the latter - as good as a 16:9 can preset a 4:3 resolution). 1600 x 900 present a very blurry picture while the 1280 x 1024 preset a squashed, unusable experience.

My conclusion is: While i'm stuck with this crap, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM IT!
 
Sorry to hear about all these issues you're having with it and obviously the crap return policy. You must have gotten one of the early revisions. Also I'm not sure myself how to translate tinting for you but you should just say that color isn't uniform and that some areas of the monitor overly saturated by a single color.
Honestly though if the tinting is very obvious shouldn't that be enough to get you a warranty replacement from the store itself without involving Dell into it? A monitor should not be tinted in any way and if its that obvious tell them it's not working as advertised and try to get it replaced, preferably with a more recent revision.
 
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all revisions of the U2311H have tinting issues as far as i've read.

While I was provided with a spec it did not state whether I should expect tinting issues or not (like backlight bleeding is not shown in specs, you can't determine a yes or no answer on those things) and as a result, they will claim that there is nothing wrong with the monitor.

Do not forget that we are talking about Dell Israel and not Dell US (you are from Israel so you probably won't forget) and Dell doesn't give a crap about us. As for an example, the Dell Israel website provides only the index page in Hebrew while all others lead to English versions (euro or US). While there is a full refund policy on most of dell products, if you look very closely at the manual that came with the disk in Hebrew you will find that it's US only, so i'm virtually stuck, if you have any ideas I would appreciate it.
 
His issue is not color accuracy, its the fact the monitor is tinted in some areas i.e has a red/green/blue hue that shouldn't be there. He can calibrate it all he wants and it MIGHT make the tinting less noticeable but it will always be there. And yes I imagine you're screwed since Dell Israel couldn't care less and unless you can prove to the store its actually damaged they wont give a rats ass either. It's a shame really since its a great monitor but looks like you got a lemon. Might just have to get used to it.
 
What that'll happen is that, after hearing my complaints, Dell will want to take the monitor to their lab to test it, and since there is nothing wrong with it, they'll say that it's fine, and i'll end up wasting my time and with a monitor for a couple of days.
While there is a very, very slim chance that they'll find anything, I don't think it's worth not having a monitor and being unable to use the computer for a couple of days.

It is starting to display gray with moving pixels on solid white background.
Also happening on a white background, I don't know what is the term for that, but the monitor is showing small areas flashing that is followed by those pixels described above (the best way I can think of to describe the flashing is that it reminds me of what you see when you refresh a CRT and the whole image is shaking and flashing).

While these sounds as an excellent reason to demand a replacement, the issues are hardly noticeable and i've asked 2 people in my house that I trust their eyes, and they did not see anything wrong, so why should Dell's representative?

I am hoping that those problems will get more serious and hard to ignore (so, but so sad), so I can actually get another monitor from Dell.

Also a large thing which I was very disappointed from is that the only resolution that the monitor can display properly is 1920 x 1080 (any other will result in a blurry and/or distorted image either way it's not usable), while I know that the best resolution display of a monitor is its native, it doesn't seem right that it is the only usable resolution.
Is it just me and means that that the monitor I bought is screwed or that's just how the monitor is?

supremor, do you have any experience with Dell Israel? So i'll know what to look for...
 
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^Pretty much any LCD will not look very good outside of it's native resolution. My 2209WA looks very blurry at 1440x900 and doesn't even show the right aspect ratio at 1280x800. Luckily there's no reason for running a monitor outside of it's native res. Mine stays at 1680x1050 and I don't mind at all.
 
Nope I don't have any experience with Dell Israel but I do have experience trying to get shops here to repair/replace something and i know the whole warranty thing can be a mess especially with the sort of problem you're having. I was considering getting a U2410 a couple months back and I almost pulled the trigger on it until I came across the tinting issues people were having with it. From what I know the larger models don't seem to have these issues it seems to be restricted to the smaller models.
As for displaying non native res that actually varies from monitor to monitor and also from person to person. For example i can happily use any lower res my 1920x1200 Samsung TN can display and it looks pretty decent to me.
 
After a few tiering days, I was finally able to contact Dell Israel technical support, and to my great surprise I was not disappointed.

Dell's representative told me that a tech will call me next week to coordinate his time of arrival at my house.

He also said that he'll come with the same monitor and replace it on the spot, without me having to show or prove anything to him.

It was a very pleasant major surprise for me and i'm so happy to see the end.

On the other hand though, words are only words and it remains to be seen if what he told me is entirely true.
The tech for example can tell me to turn it on and say nothing is wrong (because the problem doesn't present itself now, if you read my previous posts), he could come with a different monitor or a monitor that isn't new. I don't know how Dell works back in the states, but here those things happen.

I hope everything will go through as he said it would and I can finally put this behind me.

The only last thing I have to say is - "please mighty lord, please, make the product he brings an issue free one"

I will report as to the final result of this scene...
 
The technician called me today at noon and was at my house within 10 minutes.

He brought a new monitor of the same model, and the same revision and date manufacturing date (REVA02, Mfg: Feb 2011) which was the same as the one I bought and seems to be the latest.

The monitor was replaced because of the initial issue but didn't change anything else, which I considered to be a problem. It turns out that is just how the monitor is - tinting issues are still there for example. But don't get me wrong i'm far from disappointed with it.

The monitor was brand new and came out of the box in front of me.

One thing however is that the new monitor had a slight issue with the power button, that in order for it to work you have to press it a little harder. The tech saw that and ordered another monitor which should come tomorrow. But regardless I can stay with this one it's just a minor issue, more of my pettiness and less of an issue actually.

In conclusion, I am amazed by the level of support that Dell gave me (although it is refereed to as "Dell Israel" it's actually another company, which is originated at Israel, who takes care of Dell's warranty). The tech didn't even check the screen at all and i'm delighted by the speed it went down, and the level of support I received.

I think Dell deserves a big praise for that because it seemed too good to be true, and I owe it to Dell.

Things worked out great in the end and I do want to write about my very positive experience with their technical support. I will be doing that in the appropriate place and in Hebrew as I cannot speak for other countries.

A big thanks to the community for their help.
 
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