Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Display
Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Display
Posted 01/21/2010 at 7:00pm
| by Michael Brown
24
Comments
Print
Sometimes you have to pay to play
At a time when you can buy a 24-inch LCD monitor for less than $300, why would you ever consider spending twice that much for Dell’s 24-inch UltraSharp U2410? Because the U2410 is a precision instrument; those $300 monitors are really just HDTVs sans tuners.
To be fair, those cheap monitors are a good deal if all you need is a display for watching movies, surfing the web, playing games, and editing snapshots destined for Flickr or grandma’s digital picture frame. But if your livelihood depends on factors such as visual accuracy and color fidelity—or if you’re just passionate about excellence—the U2410 is the better value.
The U2410 is based on an IPS (in-plane switching) LCD panel, which is considerably more expensive to manufacture than the more common TN (twisted nematic) panels you’ll find in inexpensive monitors. IPS panels, on the other hand, typically boast superior color reproduction and much wider viewing angles compared to TN panels. The U2410 not only delivers on both those counts, it also boasts a gray-to-gray response time of just six milliseconds, which is very fast for an IPS panel.
A proximity sensor in the UltraSharp U2410's bezel lights up its capacitive-touch controls when your finger approaches.
The U2410 delivers native resolution of 1920x1200 pixels (16:10 aspect ratio) with true eight-bit color depth, which means it’s capable of displaying 16,777,216 colors without resorting to dithering. It supports 12-bit color internally, imbuing it with a total palette of 1.07 billion colors. The display delivers 102 percent of the NTSC color gamut. TN panels, by contrast, are typically limited to six-bit color depth (262,144 colors) in order to achieve fast response times (some as low as two milliseconds); they use frame-rate control (dithering) to simulate 16,194,277 colors; and most deliver only 72 to 80 percent of the NTSC color gamut.
The U2410 boasts two DVI ports as well as one each of HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, component, and composite (leaving out only S-Video). There are no integrated speakers (no great loss as far as we’re concerned), but the monitor will accommodate Dell’s AX510 Sound Bar if you really need it. There’s a media-card reader and a four-port USB 2.0 hub, too. The display is mounted on a height-adjustable stand, and it tilts, swivels, and pivots so you can work in portrait mode.
Dell calibrates the Adobe RGB and sRGB modes for each U2410 before it leaves the factory, and we didn’t find any need to change the settings for either. The first thing we noticed when we began testing the display with DisplayMate Multimedia with Test Photos Edition (www.displaymate.com) was the total absence of leakage from the screen’s CCFL backlight: Gazing at DisplayMate’s Dark Screen test looking for stuck or discolored pixels was like staring at the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Color uniformity was fantastic and grayscale performance was exceptional.
Although the U2410 has a relatively slow response time and is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, we didn’t encounter any problems with motion blur or ghosting while watching movies or playing games. If you’re extremely sensitive to these phenomena, you probably won’t like the U2410 for those applications. But for everyone else, this is the 24-inch monitor to buy—if you can swing the budget.
Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch
Cheshire Cat
IPS panel; excellent color accuracy; ergonomic stand; integrated USB hub and media card reader.
Jabberwock
Expensive; slow response time (at least when compared to TN panels).
9
More like this
Tdba
January 10, 2012 at 5:13pm
Hey guys. I got 3 of those monitors and so far had no problems with them... stands are very strong. they color tested mine before the shipment and included the test page for each monitor, some slight differences in color representation but not enough to see it with the naked eye. Very bright, specialy if you have 3 monitor setup. Sometimes I would turn off 2of 3 to relax my eyes a bit. I use 2 ati 5870 in cross with i7 975 ssd 7-64bit.
Correct me if I'm wrong, dell fixed some early problems with the pink/green tints in 2010/11 production line.
paladinu
October 29, 2011 at 8:47am
I purchased one of these monitors based on this recommendation and I would say overall it performs quite well. Where it falls down in my opinion is that is has a grainy quality and excessive sparkle (rainbow effect) which I attribute to the Anti Glare coating. This effect is, I think, the source of the extreme eyestrain I experience with this display. After a long gaming session, my eyes hurt and are extremely bloodshot. I am shopping around for a replacement monitor now as I just can't stand the damage this thing is doing to my eyes. Just something to be aware of.
parkbo
January 10, 2011 at 7:43pm
Received my new Dell Ultra sharp 2410 direct from Dell and could not love it more. Fantastic color, picture, features, and quality. Packaged very well. The version I received was A05 built in early December 2010. I use it for general PC work, photo editing and gaming. I have not noticed any ghosting or input lag while gaming. I set the monitor to gaming mode and use that setting for almost everything. Blueray movies look fantastic. I shopped around a lot and kept coming back to the U2410. I am glad I did.
dieu
October 13, 2010 at 7:03pm
I am convinced that MaximumPC reviewed a different U2410. Based on all the complaints strewn across the Internet, there is no way the U2410 reviewed by MaximumPC, is the same U2410 that flooded the market. Two days ago, I purchased/connected the U2410 and became nauseous. The display is dull and grainy. The on-board presets make little difference and all retain the same dull and grainy effect. In fact, if I had to sum up my experience with the U2410, it would be akin to a cheap 10-year-old passive laptop display. Referencing the Internet, I have found no substantive posts that fail to mention the poor quality display. Sure, there are some rave reviews found here (MaximumPC) and there but it is unambiguously clear that the U2410 has major display flaws. Sometime between MaximumPC’s rave review of said monitor and its subsequent release into the market, the display changed. I often refer to MaximumPC for my computer purchasing decisions. However, this recent purchase is the only occasion where my reliance on said recommendation had ended in disappointment. MaximumPC needs to spend less time reviewing monitors through the “lens” of DisplayMate and a little more time through the eyes of the end-user.
FrigginPc
July 23, 2010 at 8:07pm
I have been researching my next monitor and have been favoring a 30" but the prices are crazy. This 24" must rock because I have the older version and love it. Is it worth the upgrade for nearly the same monitor??
Regards,
Enoch @ FrigginPC.com
lborie
June 27, 2010 at 8:16am
Are users still having problems with the green/pink tint issues with this monitor? I am considering purchasing one but am wary because of all of the reported problems. Perhaps Dell has addressed these issues?
eugeneeg
April 14, 2010 at 1:07pm
How can U2410 be the best of the best when it has so many quality issues? Besides, HP's ZR24W has been out for some time already, but you obviosly have not compared U2410 to ZR24W, its direct competition. Are you going to review ZR24W any time soon? Thanks.
mattchatwin
September 09, 2010 at 8:08pm
I couldn't agree more. I even bought THREE HP ZR24w monitors cause all the forums say it's better. Not to mention it's brother the ZR30w is YOUR best of the best....what the heck. Infact, I loved the 24 inch so much that I bought the ZR22w for work (the little 22 incher). The price is roughly the same as the Dell too....not bad for a good quality IPS panel with decent gaming performance (same as the 30 inch).
-SC-
March 28, 2010 at 5:00pm
I purchased the monitor just about 2 weeks after its release in the US, plugged it in via MDP to DP from my MacBook Pro, and i noticed that it has a severe green->pink color gradation issue. Apparently this is characteristic of a poorly assembled IPS panel. Note that this effect is only mind-blowingly apparent when viewing a blank white screen, however it does carry over to other applications such as photo editing. This can present a multitude of issues including the inability to determine an accurate white point, digital->print inconsistency, and maintaining sanity when viewing forums/news sites where the color white is prevalent in their layout.
Here is the official Dell forum thread for more details: http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19302919.aspx?PageIndex=1
Note: The most frustrating part of this ordeal is that though not all of the panels have this issue, the customers that do have that particular issue are out of luck because Dell (who calibrates/tests their monitors only at one point at the center of the screen) has deemed this issue "within manufacturer specifications"...
Disgruntled car owner: "Hey I just bought this sweet new Subaru STi, but whenever i shift to 4th gear, the car makes this disgusting grinding noise, and then engages"
Subaru: "Yeah, that happens. Unfortunately we only test gears 1-3. If those work, we pretty much assume that the rest should be fine."
...
chuckh89
February 05, 2010 at 3:16pm
Any word on Dell releasing a 27' or 30' version of this monitor soon, I really want a 30'...and want a S-PVA monitor.
Should I wait?
Also..Why does Dell not list whether a monitor is S-PVA or TN on their specifications. I got hoodwinked by the whole Samsung 245T (MPC test=S-PVA, when it really wasn't), I don't want to get burned again.
Veronique
February 05, 2010 at 10:50am
Does anyone know if this is really great for gaming? I just dropped a lot on a new rig and would really rather not spend this much more if I can avoid it. Thanks in advance.
My rig: Intel Core i7-965 OC@ 4.00GHz; EVGA X58 3X SLI mobo; 3x2GB Corsair DDR3-1600 RAM; 3x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 1GB;
Bean Bandit
February 03, 2010 at 7:08am
So what's the dot pitch and the response time for the monitor? If 60Hz is the highest it can get at the native rez what's the refresh rate at the next lowest setting?
Hella-D
January 27, 2010 at 6:19pm
I Love My Dell 2001FP, Its A 16ms S-IPS, Its Plenty Fast, And Blurs Less (Not That The Blur Is Bad Ither, I Notice These Things More Than The Average Person But It Dosent Bother Me) Than My Secondary 19" And It Rated At 6ms (TN+Film) So Yeah Im Sure The 6ms 2410 Is Plenty Fast.
If I had The $$ It Would Be The First Thing Id Buy, I LOVE IT. I Dont Even Do Anything Professional But Id Buy A S-IPS Based Panel Over A TN+Film Any Day, Theres Nothing That Bugs Me More Than Inncurate Color And Poor Veiwing Angles.
Ive Owned 7 Flat-Panels Over The Years Including MVA Panels, And Besides The SGI 1600sw (Witch I Loved Because Of The Insanely Tight Dot Pitch And EXCELLENT Responce Time) And Ill Finish With The Following: Ive Never See A Monitor That Ive Wanted To Buy More Than The 2410.
AMD Athlon X2 (2.3GHz Stock) @ 2.8GHz
4GB CAS4 DDR2-800
Nvidia Geforce 9600GSO 768MB
Windows7 RC 64-Bit
DiRTDOG
January 22, 2010 at 5:39pm
For the people that own this monitor.
I am thinking of getting this monitor. How does it stack up for the occasional FPS?
keithfreitag
January 23, 2010 at 7:28am
If it's anything like the 2407, very well. I'm getting a brand new 2410 replacement for my 2407 this Monday, I'll know more by then.
Steve Jobs is the Devil and hates me.
Keith
MY RIG
- Asus P7P55
- Intel Core i7-860
- 6GB Corsair XMS 3 DDR3 (dual channel mode)
- BFG 880GTS 640MB PCIe
- Creative X-Fi Elite Pro
- BLANK
whitneymr
January 22, 2010 at 12:01pm
I just bought an HP 2475, which I suspected is this ones sibling. I'm a pro photographer and I'm seeing this in the shadows of my photos that I never knew was there. If you're at all serious about imaging you need an IPS panel.
bjaworski
January 22, 2010 at 9:31am
Just got this display for my graphic designer/illustrator wife and no doubt the picture is amazing. The only issue so far is that it doesn't enter power save mode correctly with her Mac Pro. Instead it keeps trying to enter power save mode, cycling for several minutes, until it becomes unresponsive and needs to have the power cord unplugged before it can be turned on again.
unitymind
January 22, 2010 at 2:39am
At just over $500 for a photoshop/lightroom 24 inch monitor it is a steal. Ones I have been looking at are we over the Dell one and dont have the extras. There maybe a little better ones out there but really it is about time for the prices to come down on these. Thanks for the review - tax return going to Dell this year!
Justin.Kerr
January 21, 2010 at 6:34pm
I have the last generation 2407-WFP, and you really do get what you pay for.
Amazing picture quality.
keithfreitag
January 23, 2010 at 7:24am
I got a 2407 as well and man is it awesome. However, my power button got dislodged and doesn't always turn off without some jimmying. Dell didn't have a refurb model to send for a replacement and yesterday was informed I'm getting a brand new 2410. I can't wait. Plays HD movies, xbox360, FPS just fine.
Steve Jobs is the Devil and wished he had this quality in his big and useless iMac
Keith
MY RIG
- Asus P7P55
- Intel Core i7-860
- 6GB Corsair XMS 3 DDR3 (dual channel mode)
- BFG 880GTS 640MB PCIe
- Creative X-Fi Elite Pro
- BLANK
JohnP
January 22, 2010 at 5:02pm
and I have 3, one for me and my two sons. So why are we reading about this monitor? Heh. Lust is all...
dezellis
January 22, 2010 at 2:48pm
Hi,
I have just purchased this monitor Dell U2410 and it is as good as the review suggests. I have it set-up alongside my almost 2 year old Samsung SyncMaster 245T. I would have probably purchased another 245T but it appears that the S-PVA panel has now been changed in the 245T. The H-IPS of the Dell U2410 when the monitors are side by side does appear to be the better option. I am considering a Pantone Huey Pro to calibrate my monitors but would definitely use the Dell as reference.
My only issue with the U2410 is the inability to upgrade the firmware. Dell sorted a few issues; the newer monitors appear to be perfect, unfortunately there is no way to upgrade earlier monitors other than arranging a warranty exchange. My particular problem is the monitor occasionally fails to switch on if it is switched off between sessions with the PC still running. The only way to sort the issue is to power off reset the monitor, I normally supply my monitors via the UPS but the monitor has no physical isolation switch; therefore, a power off / on reset requires the cable pulling out and re-insertng after a minute or so.
Regards
Dez Ellis
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
We introduce Intel's latest class of tablet killers and review 4 of the first Ultra...
Where have all the memorable videogame enemies gone?
This month's issue
Feature
11 Hardware Hacks
Feature
Overclock Your CPU
How-To
Supercharge Your Smartphone
Build It
A Powerful $830 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Analysts: 9-Inch Kindle Fire This Summer http://t.co/QDYApwCZ1 day 2 hours ago
- maximumpc: Micron: DRAM Prices Likely as Low as They're Going to Get http://t.co/fFUWuFOm1 day 5 hours ago
- maximumpc: Yar, Mateys! All Of Pirate Bay Made Available As A Single 90MB Zip File http://t.co/j5LHlXEZ1 day 6 hours ago
