Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor, Black

This Dell monitor was purchased for a 13 macbook pro retina late 2013 (latest model as of this date) set-up. The retina screen on macbook pro is sharp, clear and easy to read. I wanted to an external monitor that was visually exciting like the thunderbolt apple display. However, I believe that the thunderbolt apple display is due for updating soon (hopefully thinner, lighter, with thunderbolt 2.0 connectivity and with USB 3.0 integrated) and did not want to purchase the current model at a whopping $999. This Dell U2412M seemed a reasonable compromise albeit smaller screen, but at much more reasonable price point. This Dell monitor was shipped very quickly from Amazon, and packaged sturdily. The set-up of the Dell monitor out of the box was easy. This display connects to the macbook pro with an mini-display port to DVI adapter (purchased separately) and by using the DVI cable supplied from Dell. I decided to just get a mini-display port to display port cable from Amazon instead. This cable cannot be found ANYWHERE in the local stores and only from Amazon. So please be aware to purchase the cable with the Dell monitor. As Im sure everyone knows--this Dell monitor does not have a HDMI connection. This monitor does not have speakers either. So what do I think of the display? I admit my initial reaction was disappointment. Only because I compared it to my macbook pro retina screen or an apple thunderbolt display at the store. In my opinion, the apple displays are superior. There is no comparison. Dont get me wrong--the Dell visual display is beautiful, but I have been spoiled by the apple displays. I am now more sensitive to noticing the pixels on the Dell. I placed the display on its maximum resolution too at 1920 X 1200. The Dell display is matte and not glossy, which is fine. I believe that if one looks at the Dell screen for a long time, it will tire the eyes. The glare can be quite prominent even at brightness down to 27%. I could not find a Dell U2412M at a local store for me to gauge first and I bought this monitor based on reviews. For what it is worth, this monitor is more than decent and will work for me now. The price point is most excellent for the quality. However, I need to read and write constantly for work. Hence, in service of minimizing eye strain, I may take the leap to the new thunderbolt display when apple upgrades that monitor.

I bought this to replace a hand-me-down Dell monitor that had a band of discoloration. I looked online for magazine reviews of monitors and this one got high marks; after comparing several of the highest-scoring ones, I decided on another Dell because of the extra height. I didnt want to move from a 1920x1200 monitor to a 1920x1080 one and lose that extra inch or so after having been used to it for years. The colors look great, the resolution and size are what Im used to, and the anti-glare coating on this one seems better than the previous one. I sit with my back to a window and I cant see any reflections from all that light. I was concerned at first that there was not a button for switching between inputs because I have two computers hooked up to this monitor, but the buttons are customizable, so I was able to make one of them an input-switch button. Even if I hadnt done that, I could have gotten to that function fairly easily through the menus. Its slightly less convenient to not have the buttons labeled, but not enough to be annoying. I like the energy-saving features of the monitor as well. I have installed the PowerNap program that came with it on my main computer, and the screen-dimming when the screen saver goes on works just fine; there is a noticeable time for the screen to go back to full brightness after the mouse is moved/key is pressed to end the screensaver, but its worth it to me to save energy.

Im a photographer making the transition to video capture and editing (which will be my primary workflow). I shoot with Canon and exclusively use older Zeiss lenses. I process on a 2010 15 Macbook Pro duo-core i7 processor with 8gb ram. I recently purchased a Spyder 4PRO color calibrator for monitor calibration. Im not a video gamer, so monitor response time is not that much of a concern (if you primarily game, save $150 and buy a TN panel). Okay, with all that in mind: I researched monitors for a month prior to my purchase and decided that, regardless of the money, an IPS panel was critical for color gamut and angle of view. Of the IPS panels, Dell had the winning combination of video performance as well as physical ergonomics within a $500 budget. It became a question of the U2412 ($300 on Amazon) and the U2410 ($500 on Amazon): Both monitors had a well-built feel. They had heavy, solid bases that prevented tipping within reason. The menus were intuitive and easy to navigate. It wasnt until I calibrated the color with the Spyder 4PRO that I noticed a potential problem for photographers using the U2412. The Spyder 4PRO is such a dream to use in this system configuration, and will actually show you how your monitors color gamut compares within SRGB, NTSC, and ADOBE RGB color spaces. THE U2412 FALLS JUST SHORT OF AN SRGB COLOR SPACE, AND IS ONLY 77% OF AN ADOBE RGB COLOR SPACE. If you want the option of viewing your images in an ADOBE RGB colorspace, the U2410 is capable of that color gamut - not the U2412. The U2412 is a stellar in the image department, showing as much subtle mid-tone as my camera can capture. I will, however, note that blacks could be just a touch deeper. Again, its easy to get neurotic with exacting measurement. It must be put into perspective that, for my line of work, web-based media is the future, as broadcast network tv is becoming dead as dead. with this in mind, even if Im watching media on a prefect screen, the masses who will stream it are definitely watching it on wildly inaccurate monitors, so when alls said and done, where do you draw the line on critical performance perfection? Out of the box, both monitors need to be calibrated (previous reviews about a blue/red hue are right on). Dont rely on the pre-fab video options for games, movies, etc. - they are not accurate. I personally cant fault a monitor for not being accurate out of the box - I understand that proper monitor calibration is a step that must be taken and is dependent on specific variables regarding monitor location, workflow, etc. I found the Spyder 4Pro to be a 10minute process from start to finish and was dead on the first time... because exact directions were followed. Again, the U2412 is plenty of accurate monitor for the price. !!! ADD-ON COMMENT !!! THERE ARE NO HDMI INPUTS FOR THE U2412, ONLY THE U2410. IF YOU ARE ON A MACBOOK, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PROPER DVI INPUT. MY MACBOOK REQUIRES A MINI DVI - STANDARD DVI ADAPTER... NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A MICRO DVI - STANDARD DVI ADAPTER (EVEN SMALLER INPUT FOR IPADS). APPLE SELLS THE MINI FOR $40 AND THE MICRO FOR $20. AMAZON SELLS THEM FOR $5. *** 6 MONTH FOLLOW UP *** Monitor behaves just as it did out of the box. No problems of any kind to report.

Edit 08/15/16: Its been close to three years since I made this purchase and I have never regretted it for a second. Im actually kind of sad I didnt get two or three of them instead of one. Everything I said in the following review from 3 years ago is still true and I highly recommend this monitor to anyone who is looking for relative color accuracy. Arrived in perfect condition and was easy to calibrate. It looks so so much better than my low-end LED Asus. Im really glad I decided to spring for an IPS, this UltraSharp is everything I hoped it would be. Wanted to edit this to also say; Im somewhere between an amateur and professional graphics artist. I do make my living off my artwork but Im not doing big commercial projects or anything. This level of monitor has been perfect for me so far since I got it. I used to be working with an older LCD monitor and the difference to me is quite stunning. If youre into photography or graphic design, but not professionally enough that you need to buy a $600+ monitor, this is a good monitor to get, I think! Its good, better than a lot out there, but not so high end that it gets out of control expensive. It has good features, a large screen and looks great! I also recommend going to reviews.cnet.com and looking up the review for this specific monitor and maybe comparing it to others in its price range. Thats how I eventually decided to buy it! The reviews there are very thorough and all conducted in the same manner so its much easier to compare specs than looking at random Amazon reviews, though those are super helpful too! :) Happy hunting!

The quality of the monitor is excellent regarding functionality. It has the best controls that I have seen on monitors that I have used. The quality of the pictures is excellent (4 out of 5 stars), but the quality of the text is 3 out of 5 stars. I guess I got spoiled with the quality of retina displays on Apple products that is not available on PCs. My test consists of writing the word milling or optimum using Arial font. With anything at or below 7 pt. size, the i and the l become a blur. You could improve this by 50% spending $500 to $600 for a better monitor that also may require an upgrade on your video card depending on the capabilities of your current card. The only other negative that did not affect me much is the lack of HDMI port. For now I will keep the monitor and check the 4K resolution monitors once the prices come down since that move will require a video card upgrade. I bought the monitor from Amazon on August 10 2014 and the manufacturing date is June 2014, Revision A01. I have not seen any of the yellow tint mentioned by other reviewers. CORRECTION: I guess that is the problem with all the reviews. Many times what we report as a defective product is a result of our own mistakes. I connected the monitor to my laptop and the text resolution is much better. I have what is supposed to be a powerful video card on my desktop (Nvidia GTX 285) and the laptop is producing sharper text than the desktop. Tested with different cables and monitors and the result is the same. So My issue is with the video card. I increased the monitor rating from 3 to 4 stars. Is not 5 stars because I can see the granularity of the pixels. Something that could be better in more expensive monitors with pixel size of 0.23mm instead of the 0.27mm this monitor has. I am still keeping the monitor because of the price/performance ratio. I would recommend it if you want to stay under $275 for a 24 monitor. UPDATE 16 Sep 2014: Exactly a month and 10 days after purchasing the monitor the DVI-D input stopped working. I had one computer and two laptops each connected to one of the 3 inputs available in the monitor. The VGA and DisplayPort inputs continue working but the DVI-D does not work any more. Because it is over a month I cannot exchange it with Amazon. Called DELL customer support and they will replace it with a refurbished unit. My customer satisfaction is going down hill. I will not buy another monitor from Amazon unless I add an extended warranty which typically is not recommended to get anyway. I will think twice if I ever plan to purchase a large screen TV from Amazon since I will be running the same risk.

A few weeks ago an old ASUS 19-inch 16:10 Aspect Ratio monitor I had was dying so I decided to start looking for another monitor. I use my computer for work, audio-recording, general web browsing, and some gaming. The pros of this monitor are basically that it is a 16:10 monitor in a sea of 16:9 monitors. It had a good better than hd resolution at 1920x1200, and it was HUGE. The colors were very in-your-face making photos clear. Some of the cons are that it has only USB 2.0 ports in a hub on the monitor, a yellow tinting along the side that would not go away, and the glow (or backlight bleed whatever you want to call it). The glow is a big one. The previous monitor I had was a TN monitor. After considerable research I decided to buy this one since many of the reviews said it had good colors and good viewing angles because it is an IPS Panel. It did have good colors in the areas where the color wasnt tinted yellow. The left side had a strip of about one inch that was coloring everything yellow no matter what angle I moved to. However the biggest issue was the glow, which was present during the day (bright lights are in my home office so I can reduce eyestrain), but worse at night when everything was darker. Before I continue I will have to give a little background on myself. I suffer from Migraines with Aura, if you dont know what that is I urge you to look it up. Then look up a visual demonstration. I am extremely photosensitive and suffer from frequent headaches. All these issues are unrelated to my eyesight and I do get my eyesight tested regularly and have perfect vision. The major issue pointed out in the pictures is the Corner Glow. Reading the descriptions of other monitors and some input on forums I discovered that IPS glow is something that you have to live with. The problem is that I cannot live with it. At a distance the glow disappears...somewhat (the one with minimal bleed is the one taken furthest away from the monitor). I could place it further from my face, but in order to read the screen at a further distance I would need either computer glasses with a magnification or to set the text size a bit bigger. Setting the text size bigger somewhat defeats the purpose of having 1920x1200 monitor resolution as the enalrged text causes pages to take up just about as much space as a 1920x1080 monitor. Another issue is that I dont have a large enough desk to set my monitor more than 3 feet from my eyes. This edge glow was strange as I dont recall it ever being present on any of my previous monitors. If you research Migraine with Aura you will see that it causes a blind spot in the field of vision, the glow on the bottom edges triggered that as it washed out the colors on the lower corners. I can understand how some users can live with it if they dont have this issue, but I could not. Constantly seeing lighter spots in the corners of the screen was unacceptable. Another thing I must point out is that the monitor was bright as can be and lowering the brightness below around 90% caused this thing I learned to be called: PWM Flicker, which explains why I ended up getting a headache after using it for a while at 50% brightness. I dont recall where but it was noted that this monitor begins the PWM flickering at anything below 100%, if this is so I didnt really notice it until I hit 89% brightness. Also, I must note that lowering the brightness DOES NOT get rid of the glow. Some research on IPS Glow uncovered that pretty much the only way to avoid it is to shell out some cash for a high quality IPS Monitor with an A-TW Polarizer. So while the color was nice, Id rather have poorer colors in exchange for something that wont give me a migraine whenever I use it. I eventually went with a high-refresh rate, flicker free monitor that doesnt hurt my eyes or head. Overall: Your Mileage May Vary.

This is a review based on my experiences between the Asus PA248Q and the Dell 2412M monitors. I am focusing on the aspects that no specs webpage will tell you. Introduction: I started out with two Asus PA248Q monitors. One fell victim of the known flickering issue, so I returned it and paired it with a Dell U2412M with the intention of using both. However, I am now returning the Asus PA248Q mainly because I discovered that it has more input lag than the Dell. Input lag: I cloned both displays and started a timer which tests input lag and took a photo with a DSLR camera of both screens, and the Dell was clearly faster. I even hooked up my old Dell ST2010F TN monitor and compared it to the U2412M and they were equal with input lag. Apparently input lag is not a statistic that is advertised. At any rate, while the Dell U2412M may have a higher response time than the Asus (as a negligible difference), the Asus has more input lag. When dragging a window up and down, split between the bezels of the Asus and Dell, the Asus lags behind causing a kind of catapillar effect between the two. The adjustable stands: Both Dell U2412M and Asus PA248Q have adjustible stands, but the PA248Q is built far more solid. The base is larger and heavier and does not wobble. Both monitor stands, however, function normally on a stable desk with no difference after the designated adjustment. Color quality: The Asus PA248Q looks better out of the box. It is apparently pre-calibrated from the factory, even comes with a calibration certificate, and it shows; both Asus PA248Q monitors I had looked 100% the same. The U2412m allegedly has a possible yellow-tint problem, and while I feel I may have received such a monitor, I was able to adjust the yellow tint away (when comparing it to the PA248Q). Both monitors have color quality that I could consider completely equal, after adjustment. IPS glow: Both the Asus PA248Q and the Dell U2412M have equal amount of IPS glow, but the Dell has warmer glow on the left and cooler on the right. The Asus seems to be fairly equal on both left and right sides, but regardless, the glow is the same amount. There is a lot of glow, but that is to be expected from an IPS monitor of this price range. Anti-Glare Coating: both the Asus PA248Q and the Dell U2412M have negligible difference in terms of AG coating. Popular opinion claims the Dell has more but I cannot see that whatsoever. Physical Body: The Asus is far more rigid with sharp edges and is fully black while the Dell is smoother with more rounded edges, including the corners of the bezels, and has a gray accent color. The Asus looks more industrial overall. The Asus has some measurement indicators etched into the face of the monitor which I would consider useless considering you would be utilizing a programs on-screen measurements for measurements. This seems like a gimmick that exists solely for the ProArt name that the Asus wields. OSD Menu: The Asus PA248Q has a little joystick to use in the menu, and while that seems brilliant for navigation, it seems to be a needlessly complicated piece for such a simple menu. The Dell has unlabed buttons that are labeled once the OSD menu is open and on-screen and is extremely simple to navigate with no possibility of pressing the wrong button. For this reason I see the Dell having a much cleaner menu and physical set of buttons. Aspect ratio control: the Asus PA248Q has an ability to display 1:1 aspect ratio while the Dell U2412M does not. BUT THE QUALITY IN THIS SETTING WHEN ACTIVELY DISPLAYING A NON-NATIVE 1:1 RESOLUTION IS HEAVILY REDUCED ON THE ASUS PA248Q. When 1:1 is activated and the PA248Q is displaying as such, say 1920x1080, the monitor automatically loses the sRGB setting and defaults to Standard (and must be manually set back to sRGB when finished). In addition to this, the quality of the screen becomes blurrier and a little unstable. It is a complete joke of a 1:1 setting and is only useful if youre either sitting very far away from the monitor or simply dont care. I have had 1:1 aspect control on other monitors that did not have this loss of quality. For this reason, the fact that the U2412M does not have 1:1 aspect control is not a factor since the PA248Qs might as well not exist. Power-indicator. The Asus PA248Q has the option in the OSD menu to completely shut off the power-indicator light on the bottom-right corner of the monitor. The Dell does not have this option, but the light is not intrusive. I would still prefer the option, however. Conclusion: out of the better-packaged box, the Asus PA248Q offers a higher quality display in terms of colors and a more uniform IPS glow, at the expense of more input lag than the Dell U2412M. The Dell is better for gaming simply because of the lesser input lag and the Asus is better for accurate photography editing because of its pre-calibration from the factory, although you can calibrate the Dell as well if you have the hardware. The Asus PA248Q may have a flickering problem (search for this problem and youll see) which is a big defect while the Dell U2412M may have a yellow-tint problem which I seem to have yet to discover. Purchasing monitors is full of risks left and right, with advantages and disadvantages on various models and the possibility of stuck pixels on any of them. Good luck out there. UPDATE: I have purchased a second Dell U2412M; still no yellow tint but the monitors colors definitely do not match and require tweaking settings to get them similar. The Asus PA248Q monitors are pre-calibrated and matched absolutely perfectly out of the box.

I am a gamer and regular computer user and for me this monitor is just perfect. When I built my gaming rig I had to purchase a new monitor for it so had to get rid of my 24 iMac with IPS 1920x1200 resolution, I said oh well Ill just get this 1080p TN (I didnt do my research on TN and IPS before purchase) panel with 2ms response time ( since it was for gaming this was what I was looking at the most ). Well 1080p felt weird and cramped and the colors were different than my previous display (iMac 24) I thought oh well Ill get used to it, but no I didnt so I did my research and found out about IPS and TN panels. Armed with new info I set out to buy an IPS panel that wasnt too expensive and with decent response time for gaming and of course this new panel had to be 1920x1200. After searching the web and reading many reviews online many people seemed to suggest this monitor and pointed to a review on TFT Central, after this review I was hooked and went ahead and purchased it. If anyone is in doubt about buying this monitor go check out the extensive review over at TFT Central. Set up: I have this monitor connected to a Mac mini through display port and my gaming PC connected through DVI. Both work great with excellent color and image quality, the monitor wakes fast from sleep and goes to sleep fast when device is off compared to my previous panel. Pros: e-IPS Panel (Beautiful colors compared to TN panels) Price (Compared to other IPS panels this is a steal) Resolution (1920x1200 is simply better than 1080p, for TVs 1080p is fine but for computer monitors those extra 120 pixels do wonders) No ghosting or input lag ( I didnt see a difference in input lag between this and my previous 2ms response time TN panel) Adjustable ( This monitors adjusts up, down, tilt, swivel, etc.) LED ( Thinner, lighter, disperses less heat, consumes less power ) Cons: Small light bleed on one of the corners ( This is very small and noticeable only when the screen is completely dark, this may vary with each monitor ) No HDMI ( This monitor does not have an HDMI connection, so if HDMI is a must for you this may be a problem) Final thoughts: This monitor is good for someone that wants a monitor to game and regular computer use with great colors and quality. The price is really good for the quality and resolution that you get and I would definitely recommend this monitor.

So after weeks of watching, I went ahead and bought two of these monitors for 265 when a resaler (Triplenet pricing) was having a sale. First impressions were good, the monitors had a simplistic, utilitarian design I especially liked and the stands seemed solid (Im using a monitor stand so I cant comment on those). Upon installation I was blown away by the display quality and viewing angles. The rumors are really true about these monitors; even though its only a 78% gamut display, you wont know the difference unless you are a professional who relies on color accuracy. The display will blow you away if you are coming from a TN panel. I spent the afternoon looking at photos, admiring the quality of the color reproduction. Its actually much similar to getting a new pair of glasses. Also Id like to add that the input lag is minimal and I was able to play FPS games with no ill effect. However, a month into the purchase I noticed a small plastic plate in the rear had popped out. I had to use a knife to lift the plastic to pop it back in. It hasnt set properly and still pops out slightly. Now, I dont know if this was a defect or a shipping problem, but it is an issue that I believe has to do with the cheap plastic construction used on the monitor. On a related note, the (Amazing) panel feels cheaply constructed on a physical level. When you push in the panel, it has way too much play, going a few millimeters past its point. Now I know these seem like trivial, superficial problems, but I expected much more from such a highly regarded monitor that costs about $280 average (at the time). Overall, Im happy with the monitor, but just beware of what it really is before you dive in. An entry-level monitor with cheap materials with a great display. The construction is really just a minor gripe, and monitor does its job well, so Im giving this 4 stars. Pros: Great colors and viewing angle (The 178 degree viewing angle makes portrait orientation a possibility) Intuitive menu makes for easy, quick adjustments USB hub is very useful Comes with most cables, but not DisplayPort Clean, modern design Cons: Flimsy construction, a lot of play in the display Cheap materials used Anti glare causes some discoloration at certain angles (very, very minimal) EDIT: Just noticed the damaged/defected monitor also has a yellowish tint compared to the other one. I never really noticed until now, dropping a star for that. For me, the color wasnt such a big issue, but for many others, it might be huge. Again, take this monitor for what it is: an upgrade for the average consumer, not for professional creatives who rely on color accuracy. Update from 9/13/2014: Got a chance to use the stand, and I can certainly say that this monitor is rugged where it matters, although there is some shaking if you are typing really hard. But, for 99% of the time, you wont even notice it. Aside from the stand, everything is working as it should, and Ive had no problems except for this tiny bright dot that only shows when there is a white background. Not a huge issue but its there... so I stand by my original rating of 3 stars. The value is there, but Dells QA could use some work.