Dell U2713HM - Unbeatable performance out of the box
by Chris Heinonen on October 4, 2012 12:00 AM ESTDell U2713HM Brightness and Contrast
Last review I changed how I measured brightness and contrast to use a 5x5 ANSI grid instead of solid black and white screens in order to provide more accurate data. I wasn’t sure how this would impact screens, making comparisons between models harder. Measuring the center square of the 5x5 ANSI grid, the maximum brightness I could obtain from the U2713HM is 343 nits, which is very close to the 350 nits listed in the specs. With the backlight set to minimum that drops down to 28 nits, giving you a wide range of brightness levels to choose from.
Black levels are where I expected the most impact with the new testing, since an ANSI grid prevents LED systems from going to full black. Preventing these systems from kicking in gives a much better real-world idea of the contrast ratio for a monitor. The U2713HM does a good job with the new measurements, as seen in the chart below.
Figuring out the contrast ratio from the avove data is simple. There’s some slight rounding, but otherwise we see contrast ratios very close to 1000:1 for the display at both maximum and minimum brightness. This stacks up very well compared to all the other 27” displays that have been tested, and using a more stringent standard. The contrast numbers from the Dell are very good overall,
With a good foundation of brightness and contrast levels, it’s time to see how the Dell performs with color.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
101 Comments
View All Comments
blackmagnum - Thursday, October 4, 2012 - link
I find Dell's monitors have good price/ performance ratio. They might not be as cheap as the Koreans, but last a while longer and have better support. When will they have 4K monitors...p05esto - Thursday, October 4, 2012 - link
Agreed, if you are doing professional work and using the monitor day in and day out what's a couple hundred extra dollars? For gaming and casual stuff, then sure....take a chance.rs2 - Thursday, October 4, 2012 - link
A couple hundred? Probably nothing. But when you can get a roughly equivalent monitor from Korea for ~$320, the extra $380 dollars is enough to buy a second 2560x1440 display and run them in a dual-monitor setup.hrrmph - Saturday, October 6, 2012 - link
First 27" with an all-USB 3.0 Hub. That alone is worth something.Amazon has them available for pre-order at $705:
http://www.amazon.com/Dell-U2713HM-CVN85-27-Inch-L...
I've got one on order and I hope these are going to last as long as the several HP LP2465 monitors that I've been using for most of a decade. The USB hubs in those were incredibly reliably as well, and I'm hoping that the all-USB 3.0 hub in this Dell 27" model is up to the task.
As far as value goes, sure the Korean models might be good for a second or third monitor, but with the Dell you *should* get grade A quality (at least for an enthusiast, if not for the professional), under a fairly full kit of options and functionality.
For something that I'm hoping might last 10 or 15 years, like my other monitors, the probable annual amortized cost difference is fairly negligible.
Too bad they had to drop to 24-bit (from 30-bit) to get the cost under control. Still, if the USB 3.0 hub can handle everything I throw at it and the monitor can still offer up better resolution than my existing 1920 x 1200 monitors, then its a great value.
-
sonny73n - Sunday, October 7, 2012 - link
The Korean monitors (Achieva, Yamasaki... just to name a few) you're talking about use LG eIPS display. Actually those LG displays are rejects or did not meet quality requirements for Dell or HP. You'll probably get at least a couple dead pixels on those Korean monitors. Who knows what other defects they might have. That's why they're much cheaper.Ever heard of Dell Zero dead pixel policy?
Stealth Pyro - Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - link
Not accurate it in the slightest. A lot of them actually have perfect pixels without you even buying into the perfect pixel markup scam. When Dell/HP/etc. reject the displays, it doesn't at all mean that they had dead pixels. There might have been other defects with DELL'S PCB's or other internal components, and then these Korean manufacturers buy all those monitors deemed as defective and pull the panels (that are just fine) to put into their own monitors.TheJian - Monday, October 8, 2012 - link
ROFL@anyone willing to give their CC# to a Korean company from ebay etc. Even the ones on Amazon have 1 review, a Gmail address for returns/help, no about page, a blank faq page, no phone# to call etc. How dumb can you be to buy one of these? If you don't even own a domain I can't be bothered to even think about your company as relevant to my purchases...LOL.The only way this would be an option is if I WAS IN KOREA and down the street from your company :)
Dell is the wiser choice here (or any other US based company with an actual website and a phone#).
Stealth Pyro - Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - link
-_- eBay sellers don't get your credit card number when you buy from them. Money is transferred via PayPal.Deo Domuique - Thursday, October 4, 2012 - link
How do you know the Dell lasts a while longer? Like we know everything about the Korean monitors.It's double price. If it was 100 or 150$ more, we could talk, but double price? Certainly I'd prefer a Korean monitor, but unfortunately a little hard to find in my country, yet...
Stealth Pyro - Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - link
Doesn't last shit longer. I've had my Crossover going just fine for over a year and I don't even turn it off (something a lot of paranoid owners do to increase its lifespan).