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U2410 vs. U2412M; also, SALE price now vs. Labor Day

G

ghoti

Member
Hi all,

Have decided I'll buy either the U2410 or U2412M. I do no graphics work, don't need the extended color gamut. I like to game, but don't do a lot of FPS games. I read the reviews of both on
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews.htm

Both monitors got very good reviews. For my purposes, the 6-bit depth issue doesn't sound like a big deal from the review. I don't think I'd miss the card reader. The lack of an HDMI input is not insurmountable either; there are low-cost adapters, right?

Either way, I doubt I'll ever calibrate whichever monitor I buy, and it seems the U2412M out of the box is about as good (perhaps a tad better than the U2410). On a related note, I WONDER IF ONE CAN EFFECTIVELY USE THE CALIBRATION SETTINGS THEY GIVE IN THE REVIEW, or whether, because each unit differs somewhat (due to differing runs of electrical components, etc.), the settings are not useful for all units of this run of U2412M?

So, I'm leaning toward saving the $150 price difference and going for the U2412M. Comments?

Pricing: The U2412M is $329 today @ Dell.cpom. Don't know for how long that sale price ($70 off the usual $399) will last. The U2410 is on sale today for $479 ($120 off), again I don't know for how long. I gather Dell usually has Labor Day sale, but I have no experience as to how much they discount for that. Wait six days or jump? Comments?

Thanks for reading and for any help!

73,
-Ghoti
 
If you have time and don't mind doing a ton of reading, there is a 50+ page thread on the U2412m monitor on Hardforum: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1615513

There's tons of info on the monitor, as well as some comparison between the U2412M and the U2410. One of the posts that summarizes the comparison can be found here: http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037582160&postcount=362

I bought three U2412M monitors last week. They should be arriving in two days so I'll let you know how it goes.
 
ghoti,

u appear to be a good candidate for a u2412 vs the 2410 as the wide gamut color seems to cause problems as well as the increased anti glare coating on the 2410. It looks like there have not been too many problems w/bad pixels, but there are some yellow tint and edge bleed problems on some 2412s.

My recommendation would be to buy (2)or (3) 2412s, then return the worst 2 in terms of picture quality, or just keep a 2nd for your inevitable dual monitor setup and return the worst one. It seems like a much better option than just buying one and having to return it multiple times to get one that works well. As a cheap IPS option it's a good option, but since it's not an expensive NEC or Nanao unit, quality control won't be topnotch.

I have read the entire 50+ page thread on the 2412 @ hardforum, and this is a pretty new monitor so there will be plenty of opportunites to buy it at it's current sale price, or lower, in the future...imo
 
I'd be worried that they have the same problems as my U2709. :\ My monitors will randomly drop their picture and pick it back up a second later. It freaked out last night, and literally alternated between red, blue and green screens. Sometimes my second monitor will be all black with a single red line across it. The latter two issues are fixed by simply turning the monitor off and on.

My past experience prior to these Dell monitors was really good, which is why I went with them. However, these are just awful, and no one commented on these issues in reviews, but they're easy to find with a specific search term on Google.
 
I have the 2412M, and I love it. From what I gathered from that HardOCP thread, they tested it as having less input lag than the 2410:

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037575075&postcount=321

Tester's recommendation:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037578606&postcount=349

For gaming, computer-based work and movies from a PC I'd take the U2412M due to the low input lag and better black levels/contrast.

For console use and wide gamut work, the U2410 is better because it supports 16:9 aspect ratio and aRGB.
Click to expand...
 
I jumped on this. Thanks.

$330 was too hard to ignore 🙂

I need to replace my FP2001 and this is a "low-risk" option, especially for an IPS panel.
 
Yep, I jumped too. Figured that whatever discount they might offer on Labor Day isn't likely to be much better, and maybe none at all on this model.

I'm tired of waiting. I'm presently using a ViewSonic VX2250wm-LED (21.5" diag, 16:9, 1920 x 1080), which is okay, but a bit too small for my aging, deteriorating eyes, and I don't like having to scroll down so often to see the whole page. Got my fingers crossed I get one with no issues. I don't really have the $$ for the luxury of buying two and returning the lesser-performing one (15% restock charge plus cost of shipping back, insured).

Thanks again for the input, and GL to others who have or will jump on this!

73,
-ghoti
 
Oh, it occurs to me to wonder what one does if an application (e.g., a game) does not offer an option for 1920:1200, the native resolution for this monitor. I see 5:4 and 4:3 are options provided by the monitor for external devices and games, but it strikes me that the time may soon come when all that is commonly offered will be 16:9.

Also, what happens when you want to watch a video that is recorded for 16:9? When you watch on the monitor's 16:10 resolution is there a bit of shape distortion, or simply black bars top and bottom (no big deal to me)? Sorry if this seems an ignorant question, but I'll cop to it. : )

Thanks again,
-ghoti
 
ghoti said:
Oh, it occurs to me to wonder what one does if an application (e.g., a game) does not offer an option for 1920:1200, the native resolution for this monitor. I see 5:4 and 4:3 are options provided by the monitor for external devices and games, but it strikes me that the time may soon come when all that is commonly offered will be 16:9.

Also, what happens when you want to watch a video that is recorded for 16:9? When you watch on the monitor's 16:10 resolution is there a bit of shape distortion, or simply black bars top and bottom (no big deal to me)? Sorry if this seems an ignorant question, but I'll cop to it. : )

Thanks again,
-ghoti
Click to expand...

My 2709s are 16:10 (1920x1200) and 1080p content plays just fine on it. It's really up to the player's settings to define what happens when the media's ratio is not equivalent to the monitor's. I typically use Media Player Classic - Home Cinema on my computer, and it has options to define how to stretch content. Given most movies aren't in a 16:9 ratio anyway, you're going to have black bars. So with a 1920x1200 screen, you'll just have 120 extra black horizontal lines.

I'm not too sure about games. A game that defines the resolution in full-screen mode will actively change the monitor's resolution. So that will be up to the monitor on how to handle it, but I'd imagine that most will stretch it properly and use black bars if necessary.
 
Received my 2412M in only four days and loving so far.

Can't beat it for $330.

The HP ZR24w is also no doubt fabulous but from what I have read the DELL has the edge when it comes to response time/ghosting for gaming.
 
I'm trying to decide. I don't care about the price. I don't do games. Once, about 2 years ago, I did an advertising brochure where the final output is PDF. The only reason I need a good monitor is to develop web sites. Even though web surfers don't have monitors that display the right colors, I need to know where the middle of the road is. I designed with a laptop and a "Dell 2401FP" until it croaked. I was never really able to dial it in with my "Eye-One display 2" anyway due to inadequate brightness. I have other new off-the-shelf monitors, but the brightness cannot be turned down enough to be able to dial them in. My CCFL 17" laptop has always been hopeless to try to calibrate. You can design beautiful pages on it, and they will look terrible on the run-of-the-mill desktop monitor. I need one good monitor I can calibrate and trust the color on. I've been following the U2410 since it came out. There have been massive problems with color consistency across the screen, which is standard for the 2401FP as well. You have to move the image to a certain point on screen to see what it will look like. I don't want to deal with that anymore. It appears "wide gamut" doesn't buy me anything, other than for a digital darkroom, and not always there as the U2410 seems to have more issues with black than the U2412M. CCFL are constantly dimming and shifting toward the red end to where after awhile you cannot adjust them in anymore. At this point, it seems like the U2412M with LED and 6 bit color is a better choice than the U2410 with CCFL and 8 bit color at any price. Other than for ports, can anyone really make an honest case for the U2410?
 
Well, I've had the U2412M for about a week now. In short, I'm very pleased.

I did an advance exchange on the first one I got. Dell was VERY quick about it, though it was difficult to find the right place to talk to without a 'serivce tag' number (which Dell does not give for a mere 24" monitor).

The first monitor had apparently been damaged, though I did not have any indication of this until I tried it out. I noticed a conspicuous blue/purple blotch (with some striation) on the lower left part of a dark screen. It was too irritating for me to live with. I examined the screen (turned off), viewing it an an angle in bright light and noticed a faint marking on the surface of the screen in the same location as the 'blotch' had appeared, and with the same striation. Dell gave me NO trouble about the exchange: I wasn't happy; that was good enough. They did not want the photo of the 'blotch' I offerred to e-mail them.

The second unit has been great (at least as far as I've been able to observe); no problems so far. No stuck pixels. There is a slight bit of what is either IPS glow or backlight bleed (I can't say which), but it is minimal and does not trouble me at all in my use of the monitor. I turned the brightness down to between 35 and 40, and the piccture is great. The colors look GOOD. I doubt I will ever calibrate the monitor; I do no photo work (beyond casual photos, which look GREAT. I've noticed no blur or lag, though as I said in my first post, though I like to game, I do not play FPS games.

I like the 24" 1920:1200 screen: plenty of real estate to work with, and what's on the screen (print and icons, etc.) is big enough for my aging eyes. Much better than the 21.5" 16:9 monitor I was using previously.

GL with whatever you decide to get, and thanks for the replies and comments, which helped me in my decision process.

73,
-ghoti
 
ghoti said:
Oh, it occurs to me to wonder what one does if an application (e.g., a game) does not offer an option for 1920:1200, the native resolution for this monitor. I see 5:4 and 4:3 are options provided by the monitor for external devices and games, but it strikes me that the time may soon come when all that is commonly offered will be 16:9.

Also, what happens when you want to watch a video that is recorded for 16:9? When you watch on the monitor's 16:10 resolution is there a bit of shape distortion, or simply black bars top and bottom (no big deal to me)? Sorry if this seems an ignorant question, but I'll cop to it. : )

Thanks again,
-ghoti
Click to expand...

Games have supported 16:10 on the PC for longer than they've supported 16:9. I've yet to find a game that supports 1920x1080 but not 1920x1200. If you're hooking up a game console, then you will have to choose in the monitor's settings if you want to have small black bars on the top and bottom (dot-for-dot mode) or stretch it a bit (fill screen). I had my PS3 hooked up to my monitor for about a month, and I really couldn't decide what I liked better - a slightly deformed picture that takes up the full screen, or a nicer looking image with those weird horizontal bars that feel unnatural for gaming.


As for 16:9 video on the screen - it displays with black bars by default.

Remember, lots of movies are still filmed in 2.35:1, so those have black bars even on a 16:9 TV/monitor; on a 16:10 screen, 2.35:1 movies just have slightly larger black bars on top and bottom.
 
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Aikouka said:
I'd be worried that they have the same problems as my U2709. :\ My monitors will randomly drop their picture and pick it back up a second later. It freaked out last night, and literally alternated between red, blue and green screens. Sometimes my second monitor will be all black with a single red line across it. The latter two issues are fixed by simply turning the monitor off and on.

My past experience prior to these Dell monitors was really good, which is why I went with them. However, these are just awful, and no one commented on these issues in reviews, but they're easy to find with a specific search term on Google.
Click to expand...

By U2709 I assume you mean the 2709W (the same screen that I have btw), not the U2711. There was no Dell U2709 to my knowledge.

As for the dropping the picture issue -- I have had that issue a couple of times on my screen too, but it would only happen maybe once for two seconds in one week. I think it has to do with a loose or low-quality cable.

I had no issues whatsoever going to my PC by DVI before, but I switched to Display Port a year ago. Once a week or so I'd get the same thing - picture cutting out for one or two seconds.

However, since I moved a month ago, and reconnected the DP cables snugly, I don't seem to have any more issues whatsoever. I'd check to make sure your cables are connected snugly.
 
The only way you're really going to take advantage of the U2410 is if you calibrate it.

Otherwise save your money and get the U2412M.
 
jiffylube1024 said:
By U2709 I assume you mean the 2709W (the same screen that I have btw), not the U2711. There was no Dell U2709 to my knowledge.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's the 2709W. I usually tack the 'U' on there to show that it's an Ultrasharp monitor.

jiffylube1024 said:
As for the dropping the picture issue -- I have had that issue a couple of times on my screen too, but it would only happen maybe once for two seconds in one week. I think it has to do with a loose or low-quality cable.

I had no issues whatsoever going to my PC by DVI before, but I switched to Display Port a year ago. Once a week or so I'd get the same thing - picture cutting out for one or two seconds.

However, since I moved a month ago, and reconnected the DP cables snugly, I don't seem to have any more issues whatsoever. I'd check to make sure your cables are connected snugly.
Click to expand...

My cables are definitely pretty tight. I'm not sure where I got the one DVI cable from, but the other one is a fairly decent dual-link DVI cable from Monoprice. Both monitors have the drop picture issue.

I would use HDMI or DisplayPort, but I don't like the fact that when you turn off a monitor that is connected via HDMI or DisplayPort, the source (computer) essentially doesn't see it anymore. If I turn off my second monitor, the computer will shift everything over to the first monitor, because I cannot have an extended desktop without having a second display device.

None of that really explains the other issues that I've seen. The RGB one was really weird, and I thought it was my PC at first. What happened was I started up Bastion on my PC, and I realized that I had my headphones set as my primary audio device. So, I switched it to my speakers, but I realized that I would need to reload the game to get it to recognize the change. So I closed the game and quickly reopened it. It seems to have screwed up when it performed the resolution change (Bastion seems to change to some resolution and then to the resolution that I set -- 1920x1200). I know the game was working fine because I could hear the menu SFX.

I've also had an issue where the entire monitor will act incredibly distorted. There's a single vertical red line on the right side, and if you put any windows or the cursor over there, the image will look incredibly grainy and stretched across the entire screen. I believe I took some video of this, but I haven't uploaded it anywhere.

Both problems are fixed by turning the monitor off and back on. :\
 
Aikouka said:
I'd be worried that they have the same problems as my U2709. :\ My monitors will randomly drop their picture and pick it back up a second later. It freaked out last night, and literally alternated between red, blue and green screens. Sometimes my second monitor will be all black with a single red line across it. The latter two issues are fixed by simply turning the monitor off and on.

My past experience prior to these Dell monitors was really good, which is why I went with them. However, these are just awful, and no one commented on these issues in reviews, but they're easy to find with a specific search term on Google.
Click to expand...


Sounds like either bad cables, wack drivers, video card doing odd things, or most likely a bad monitor. Never had any of these issues with my Dell monitors. My current u2410 has been perfect for about 2 years now.
 
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