Review on 🖥️ Dell UltraSharp U2412: 24 Inch LED Lit Monitor with Stunning 1920X1200 Resolution, 60Hz Refresh Rate by Peter Auditore

Most PC monitors these days have an aspect ratio of 16:9 because manufacturers can steal panels cheaply from HDTV manufacturers. The problem is that 16:9 is a terrible aspect ratio for computers: reading a web page or writing a Word document is not the same as watching a widescreen movie. The Dell U2412M is a 16:10 aspect ratio monitor - much more comfortable for general computing applications. Those 120 extra pixels really make a BIG difference. However, this is usually only seen in more expensive professional monitors, since these panels are not used in any other industry. The volume is lower, therefore the prices are higher, which means that these are usually high-end displays. It's one of the few $300 PC displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and it's a good one. No, it's not perfect - no monitor is perfect, and let me get over the cons of the monitor first. Like the ASUS PB238Q (16:9) I gave away for it, mine doesn't have perfect uniformity - one side of the screen is always slightly brighter (and bluer) than the other. This is a common problem with LCDs, but most people will never notice it, and even someone as picky as me will really only see it against a solid white or light gray background. The physical appearance of the monitor is fairly basic and won't win a beauty award - it's the mid '90s Dell design with rounded edges and silver accents that they used. I actually liked the physical look of my ASUS monitor more, with its sharp, industrial-style edges and corners and darker black plastic and panel. Dell doesn't look that "professional". However, this consideration disappears once you turn on the monitor and start using it. Most of them seem to have a slight corner light distortion and mine is no exception, although it's not noticeable at all except on a completely black screen. The only time I even see that is when I'm watching movies with a mailbox. Bottom right (coincidentally where the power LED is) is the worst offense, although oddly it disappears entirely when I look directly at that corner. But then I look sideways at the rest of the monitor. Of course, while it's cheap and unlike previous Dell UltraSharp monitors, this one is a 6-bit panel that uses interpolation to manage 16.7 million colors and it's only in the SRGB color gamut. This is intentional and not a criticism, but be aware if you are a photographer. Dell still makes other UltraSharp monitors aimed at professionals - this one isn't one of them, although it's good enough for me and should be good enough for those who don't do critical photo editing. Now for the good. As mentioned earlier, there is an aspect ratio. This has already been explained. This monitor also has an e-IPS panel and has basically the same viewing angles as a plasma - you can rotate it either way and it looks pretty much the same (except for corner bleeding in dark scenes). It's also *capable* of very accurate color, although you'll need to calibrate it to get it. The screen is matte and the anti-reflective coating isn't grainy or otherwise noticeable. Ideally. No glare, no reflections, no shading, no graininess. Insist on a matte finish! While the stand isn't the prettiest, it's functionally one of the best I've seen. It has height, tilt, side-to-side rotation and portrait/landscape rotation - you can move it around any axis! My ASUS PB238Q also made it (as did the PA248Q), but it's one of the few monitors that can do everything in the lower price range. It also feels solid and doesn't wobble, although sometimes it does get a little off-axis on its own and you'll have to re-center it somehow. It's BRIGHTNESS! IPS panels are often a bit dim - my ASUS looked dim on a sunny day with 100% brightness and the blinds open. This Dell comes in at 75% brightness and it's already brighter. Most calibrated settings I've seen for this monitor are around 35% brightness. DARK! Black levels are amazing for an LCD monitor. Of course, the highlights in the corners spoil the consistency a bit, but I checked the black levels side-by-side with my ASUS and it really wasn't an issue. The ASUS had a more consistent "black" with no corner bleed, but it was actually more of a dark gray across the panel. Dell has some bright spots in the corners that let some light through, but most of the panel is BLACK. This includes the area where you watch movies or TV shows. All in all, I curse Revain again for not being able to give it a half star because it's a 4 1/2 star monitor. It's not perfect, and it doesn't have as much color gamut as the 2410 that preceded it, but it's also about half the price, making it easier to overlook its flaws for all you get for the money. Find me a better 24" 16:10 monitor at that price and I'll buy it.