Dell U2711..is it worth the money?

[crinkleshoes]

I think i will be taking the plunge soon, which gfx card are you using

Single GTX580 - overclocked to 960Core, 4800Mem

In BF3 - It struggles if turning AA on, however FXAA works well without much of a performance hit.

I'm eagerly anticipating Kepler... although BF3 is the only game I've played that cripples the 580 - you just get so used to playing everything with copious amounts of AA, when you have to turn it off, it's noticeable.

 

[reddev85]

Well, I've made my decision. I've been able to actually get a quick use of a 1080p 27" monitor with a TN panel and that resolution at a 27" screen size would simply be unacceptable to me. I had a long think about it and came to the conclusion that downgrading panel type (S-PVA to TN) and resolution (1200p to 1080p) while at the same time increasing panel size would be madness.

The TN panel also made the colours look a bit bland compared to my 2407WFP not to mention the crappy viewing angles. The 2407WFP also has a much crisper image, and I suspect it will be even nicer on the 1440p 27".

Input lag has concerned me slightly, though I suspect I just worry too much, I don't even notice the 20ms lag on this, so I doubt an extra 10 will make the slightest difference to me personally.

I was also put off because the U2711 was not LED. I had erroneously thought that they were somehow higher quality. Now I realise that they just allow for thinner panels, and lower power consumption.

So I'm gonna pull the trigger on the U2711 on friday hopefully (pay day) and it's gonna be paired up with a 7970, should have plenty of grunt at that resolution yes?

 

[crinkleshoes]

There's no need to laugh at people for being more sensitive to something than you. I could frequently get 'in the top 3' most of the time on Battlefield 3 with the SA850. But funnily enough the K/D was lower than with for example the SA750 or SA950. But yes this does have to be assessed by each individual, and that is indeed where DSR comes in useful.

Just saying that the difference is so small it's negligible...

I don't see how such a small improvement in latency could make me a much better player... maybe a little as every ms helps in seeing the enemy quicker... it's just so tiny that the difference isn't worth worrying about - compare the other features of the screen. This should not really be considered as a deciding factor of whether to buy the screen or not, let alone be referred to as an "issue".

I used to play A LOT, I was in a relatively high ranking counterstrike clan - played in Earls court and at a few other events. At that level, if I was aiming for a prize, then yes - I'd go for the lowest latency / highest hz monitor I could get my hands on. But even then, I don't think it would give you the biggest advantage.

I'm now, and have been for a long time, a recreational player and I would most definitely take the improved eye candy over a minutely faster response time.

Ultimately, it's down to the individual - however I believe most would regret their purchase of a 120hz TN panel or the Hazro if they saw a U2711 in action at a later stage... I have a 60Hz TN 1920x1080 screen sitting next to my U2711 & the difference is immense - before this thing arrived, I had forgotten just how much nicer IPS screens are to look at.

Especially when you consider it's your only visual representation of your computer - you'll be staring at it a lot, even when not gaming - wallpapers look so much better.

The contrast ratios seem that much better too, which I find really useful in BF3 - more useful than -15ms input lag.

Then when you compare the latency between the Dell and the Hazro, the almost inevitable issues just aren't worth the cost saving (I swear they're using apple/dell rejected screens).

 

[.:SAmSuNG:.]

Please post back your views.

 

[crinkleshoes]

Can people really tell the difference between 1/30th of a second lag and 1/60th of a second? Does seem pretty incredible.

You can, yes... you can easily tell the difference between a game running at 30fps and 60fps and higher...

The real question is... does that small improvement in lag warrant a degradation in screen quality? To me, the answer is a resounding no.

 

[masscrazy]

Really like the u2711. Though i didnt like the AG coating as most people point out. Now im fine with it. Its a really solid monitor, colours look great, movies (less grainy the better) look great, games look even better.

 

[crinkleshoes]

Well, I've made my decision. I've been able to actually get a quick use of a 1080p 27" monitor with a TN panel and that resolution at a 27" screen size would simply be unacceptable to me. I had a long think about it and came to the conclusion that downgrading panel type (S-PVA to TN) and resolution (1200p to 1080p) while at the same time increasing panel size would be madness.

The TN panel also made the colours look a bit bland compared to my 2407WFP not to mention the crappy viewing angles. The 2407WFP also has a much crisper image, and I suspect it will be even nicer on the 1440p 27".

Input lag has concerned me slightly, though I suspect I just worry too much, I don't even notice the 20ms lag on this, so I doubt an extra 10 will make the slightest difference to me personally.

I was also put off because the U2711 was not LED. I had erroneously thought that they were somehow higher quality. Now I realise that they just allow for thinner panels, and lower power consumption.

So I'm gonna pull the trigger on the U2711 on friday hopefully (pay day) and it's gonna be paired up with a 7970, should have plenty of grunt at that resolution yes?

Good choice, IMO

Yes - the 7970 will run everything beautifully at that resolution, crank BF3 up to ultra and smile

A lot of people seem to have this mis-conception about LED lately... LED leads to substantially worse image quality (I'm talking about backlighting here, not local dimming tech in TVs - it's two completely different things).

I really dislike the "cool" colour saturation caused by LED backlights which tints all colours. The most accurate/best colour reproduction comes from CCFL (as in the U2711).

Personally, I find LED backlights give me eye strain after extended periods of use, almost feels like being back in the days of low frequency CRT screens after a while.

With the cold and snow, I spent all this past weekend playing and doing things + for the previous week I had been working from home for the whole week - using the U2711 as my main monitor... so a good 7 days straight of minimum 8 hours use per day & no eye strain at all.

Don't worry about the input lag, I don't think you'll notice the difference and even if you do - you can always return it. That is exactly what the DSR is there for, so you can trial a product to see if it lives up to your expectations.

 

[PCM2]

Really like the u2711. Though i didnt like the AG coating as most people point out. Now im fine with it. Its a really solid monitor, colours look great, movies (less grainy the better) look great, games look even better.

A lot of people I have spoken to who have used the U2711 are quite put off by the high haze antiglare. I have actually had to replace a number of these in one of the labs where I work (with Apple Cinema Displays) because the relative lack of clarity clarity makes them unsuitable for the type of modelling work that they are needed for. If this clarity is a benefit but not a requirement then some people can learn to accept it and once you look past that kind of thing you are greeted with a rich and rewarding experience. It is certainly a criticism Dell and LG are aware of (having given the 'right people' an earful about it on the phone I know this all too well) and is something that I'm sure will be rectified in time. Especially with the direction Samsung are pushing things in and receiving positive feedback for doing so. The U2711 is also one of a dying breed of CCFL backlit monitors - and the broad colour gamut can come in very useful. Some people just like it to make games appear richer and in some ways it helps overcome the heavy diffusion from the screen surface in way of enhancing the apparent vibrancy.

 

[masscrazy]

I also plan to couple my u2711 with a 7970.

Also regarding the u2711, try dell themselves, i got mine under around £460 (+quidco) from them direct.

 

[crinkleshoes]

A lot of people I have spoken to who have used the U2711 are quite put off by the high haze antiglare. I have actually had to replace a number of these in one of the labs where I work (with Apple Cinema Displays) because the relative lack of clarity clarity makes them unsuitable for the type of modelling work that they are needed for. If this clarity is a benefit but not a requirement then some people can learn to accept it and once you look past that kind of thing you are greeted with a rich and rewarding experience. It is certainly a criticism Dell and LG are aware of (having given the 'right people' an earful about it on the phone I know this all too well) and is something that I'm sure will be rectified in time. Especially with the direction Samsung are pushing things in and receiving positive feedback for doing so.

Yes - it's the one criticism I'd have about the screen, the AG could be better...

It's not a deal breaker for me though.

It also seems that some are worse than others

The U2711 is also one of a dying breed of CCFL backlit monitors - and the broad colour gamut can come in very useful. Some people just like it to make games appear richer and in some ways it helps overcome the heavy diffusion from the screen surface in way of enhancing the apparent vibrancy.

One of the main reason I like Dell monitors - they've persisted with CCFL long after other manufacturers have switched to LED and it really pays off for me. I never want to go back to LED backlighting... eventually I will have to, it seems... but hopefully by then it'll have evolved to a state that doesn't hurt.

I also plan to couple my u2711 with a 7970.

Also regarding the u2711, try dell themselves, i got mine under around £460 (+quidco) from them direct.

Wow!

With full warranty, or is that after reducing the warranty to 1 year?

 

[masscrazy]

Yes - it's the one criticism I'd have about the screen, the AG could be better...

It's not a deal breaker for me though.

It also seems that some are worse than others



One of the main reason I like Dell monitors - they've persisted with CCFL long after other manufacturers have switched to LED and it really pays off for me. I never want to go back to LED backlighting... eventually I will have to, it seems... but hopefully by then it'll have evolved to a state that doesn't hurt.



Wow!

With full warranty, or is that after reducing the warranty to 1 year?

Full three years and that 1 dead pixel replacement warranty thing included.
You just have to wait for their deals. On Jan 4, it was 20% (or around that) off all monitors, plus 15% off for any orders over £599 plus 10% quidco.

 

[crinkleshoes]

Nice

 

[reddev85]

Good choice, IMO

Yes - the 7970 will run everything beautifully at that resolution, crank BF3 up to ultra and smile

A lot of people seem to have this mis-conception about LED lately... LED leads to substantially worse image quality (I'm talking about backlighting here, not local dimming tech in TVs - it's two completely different things).

I really dislike the "cool" colour saturation caused by LED backlights which tints all colours. The most accurate/best colour reproduction comes from CCFL (as in the U2711).

Don't worry about the input lag, I don't think you'll notice the difference and even if you do - you can always return it. That is exactly what the DSR is there for, so you can trial a product to see if it lives up to your expectations.

Yeah I just weighed up all the options. This dell monitor has been superb for 5 years, I just feel it's time to update it.

I don't think the AG will bother me in the slightest. I dislike glossy panels, or anything really approaching glossy.

And yeah, if the worst happens and I don't like it, the good old DSR has my back covered.

 

[two00lbwaster]

A lot of people I have spoken to who have used the U2711 are quite put off by the high haze antiglare.

A lot of people complain about input lag too, and then other people don't see the problem. I absolutely can't use glossy screens. A fine example of the problem of ACDs is in this photo:
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/cinemaimpressions.jpg
All glossy screens make it impossible for me to use them unless I'm in a fairly dark room...and I'm not a dwarf, which I think all glossy screen users must be.

I don't think the AG will bother me in the slightest. I dislike glossy panels, or anything really approaching glossy.

I can't say when I saw a large bank of them at a show that Dell were exhibiting at that I even noted the AG.

 

[crinkleshoes]

I don't think the AG will bother me in the slightest. I dislike glossy panels, or anything really approaching glossy.

Best way to describe it is a "glossy haze"... yet it's not particularly reflective - it's quite hard to describe.

In less than a week I barely noticed it any more - it's something I've adjusted to quicker than I expected. The only gripe is, it feels like it shouldn't be there, even if it is easy to get used to.

 

[crinkleshoes]

A lot of people complain about input lag too, and then other people don't see the problem. I absolutely can't use glossy screens. A fine example of the problem of ACDs is in this photo:
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/cinemaimpressions.jpg
All glossy screens make it impossible for me to use them unless I'm in a fairly dark room...and I'm not a dwarf, which I think all glossy screen users must be.



I can't say when I saw a large bank of them at a show that Dell were exhibiting at that I even noted the AG.

Sounds like you're expecting it to look different than it is... it's not a gloss finish of any sort... it's a haze that seems to be generated by the panel.

I imagine a result of the way it diffuses reflected light that's refracting the output light (a guess).

So reflections in the screen are actually minimal... it's something that would be more noticeable in a dark room than a brightly lit office/show environment. In fact, ideal for use in brightly light environments that can generate a lot of reflections.

 

[reddev85]

Best way to describe it is a "glossy haze"... yet it's not particularly reflective - it's quite hard to describe.

In less than a week I barely noticed it any more - it's something I've adjusted to quicker than I expected. The only gripe is, it feels like it shouldn't be there, even if it is easy to get used to.

Yeah I think I know what you are talking about, I've seen it on other monitors.

It sort of looks almost glossy, but nowhere near as reflective.

Even If it does bother me to begin with, I have patience to give it time and get used to it.

And tbh, a dead/stuck/bright pixel would bother me a LOT more, and the Dell warranty makes that a non-issue, so I'm sold.

 

[andyr]

I have seen Rev A09 advertised as the latest , are these the ones to go for ?

also what lead do you need for a HD6970 mini display port, i havent seen any mini to standard size leads

 

[crinkleshoes]

Anything newer than A01 I've read...

Does your 6970 not have DVI? You get a cable in the box...

 

[masscrazy]

Yes i believe I have the A09 revision which i bought in Jan and I believe that it is the latest revision.

You'll get dvi display port vga cables. Not sure about mini to standard. You could buy a display port to hdmi adapter.