Dell U2412M

Just ordered one last night! Used the 15% off code in Small Business.

Thanks for the all the helpful info, ESPECIALLY 10e! :D

Good luck with it. Let us know if you like it or not.

Thrilled with this monitor. Its manufacture date is August 2011 and it's marked Rev. A02. The enclosed Dell Drivers and Documentation CD is labeled Rev. A01 July 2011.

I have one question though: I couldn't find the U2412M User Manual (or any other documentation) on the included CD or Dell website. The monitor was very easy to set up and configure but does anyone know where I can find the U2412M user manual and other documentation?

Glad you like it. I'm surprised Revision A02 is out already after only 2.5 months. Enjoy!

Did anybody already managed to open this monitor or know how to remove front bezel?
I guess I found the source of bleed / clouding. It looks it is caused by a bit of curvature of case or too much (or uneven) pressure applied to LCD panel. If I apply slight bending force on the case bleed disappears and looks as I wish. But if I release it it returns to original state.

Not sure but usually there are small pressure clips around the entire bezel, that if pressed will unclip and allow you to snap it off. I'll check it out tonight and see if I can find something.
 
Right now, the 2412m is 320 on dell home with coupon (309 with dell preferred). Coupon code is visible on slickdeals and probably dell's website
 
So I just bought the u2412m, gotta say I'm impressed.

Picture was good right out of the box, messed around a bit with some settings but not much.
Haven't noticed much BLB, only some faint at the corners, gonna see if they disappear after some days of usage.

Got 2 questions only..my screen seems to be rev A00, does this matter in any way?
And should I install the stuff that came on the CD?

EDIT: some more questions, I'm using a DP cable to connect the display to PC, possible to use monitors USB hubs now without connecting the USB cable that came with monitor?
 
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Right now, the 2412m is 320 on dell home with coupon (309 with dell preferred). Coupon code is visible on slickdeals and probably dell's website

Was going to wait, but couldn't pass it up. Bought. :)
 
EDIT: some more questions, I'm using a DP cable to connect the display to PC, possible to use monitors USB hubs now without connecting the USB cable that came with monitor?

No, DP is video only
 
Looks like I am the newest member of the 2412 club. Just received one of these yesterday, and have upgraded from a 3 or 4 year old Phillips 22" TN panel. Loving it so far....so much more color!

I need to read back through this tghread to see what people are using for their Contrast/Brightness & Color settings as mine is almost blinding by default 75/75 on white pages (Google/Facebook)

:)
 
TFT Central recomend 35 Brightness and 75 Contrast, I have my brightness on 50 and find that OK
 
I got mine a couple of days ago. So far I like it very much. I had an asus pa238q for a few days but I returned. The backlight bleed on the right side was really bad. The dell is much more even, just a bit of IPS glow. And the difference between 16:9 and 16:10 is great for pretty much everything besides perhaps watching movies, which I don't. The antiglare coat doesn't bother me one bit.

G
 
I got mine a couple of days ago. So far I like it very much. I had an asus pa238q for a few days but I returned. The backlight bleed on the right side was really bad. The dell is much more even, just a bit of IPS glow. And the difference between 16:9 and 16:10 is great for pretty much everything besides perhaps watching movies, which I don't. The antiglare coat doesn't bother me one bit.

G

Was the AG coating different on the PA238Q?
 
Hi guys!
I've recently registered, just to give another opinion on the U2412M. Writing from Bulgaria, where the first batch of just 10 monitors was imported 5 days ago.I am a reseller here, so I had the chance to get my hands on one of them quickly and even get a 2nd one to compare later. I was very impressed when I got it (coming from a 19" CRT - Dell P991 Trinitron). Absolutely no room for comparison as far as colors and picture quality are concerned, not to mention the size! :) When I turned off the lights some backlight bleeding was present - very little in the left corners and more visible in the right ones. I left it running for 3 days non-stop and the improvement was very noticable. The bleeding on the left disappeared and there was just some of it on the lower right. The least improved was the upper right corner.

Then I decided that I should take advantage of my reseller position and I requested another monitor, just to see if I can luckily get a better one. The 2nd monitor came yesterday and I ran it for about 7-8 hours before it was dark enough outside to take pictures. Its condition turned out to be worse - all 4 corners had visible bleeding, and again somewhat stronger on the right. I put the monitors next to each other for a better comparison and I've finally decided to keep the 1st one. 10e's settings seem to be good for me too. I may apply some corrections later though. When I tested the monitors with the same settings - The 2nd one looked different - the colors seemed lightened and white had some pink tint. Both monitors are rev. A00, Made in China (July 2011).

As another poster before me has noticed - the bleeding seems to be a problem more with the construction of the monitor, than with the panel itself. I found out that applying pressure in the corner increases the bleeding and vice versa - trying to separate the 2 sides of the bezel decreases the light. Seems like the panel is too pressed by the bezel. I may later try to insert something in the thin crack and see if that produces a permanent fix. :)

Overall, I am very impressed and satisfied with the purchase. Got it for $346. I am no expert in monitors and I have little practice in comparisons and examinations. The anti-glare coating is not bothering me at all. It is indeed more visible on a white background. I haven't noticed any ghosting problems in movies and games so far. The IPS glow is also insignificant to my eyes. In brief - thumbs up!

Thank you all for the detailed posts and opinions, which made me wait for the 2412 to arrive. ;)

I am attaching some pictures of both monitors to better show you the bleeding. All shots are taken at 1/2sec exposure, except for the night-mode shot, which is 4sec. I also tried 1/8sec exposure, but the bleeding was not clearly visible with that setting. 1/2 looked more realistic to me. My camera is bad at low-light conditions, but it did a good enough job, I guess. On the 3rd and 4th photo - no.1 is already 4 days old, so you can see the improvement.
No.1 - Arrival:No.2 - Arrival:No.1 vs No.2:No.1 vs No.2 Nightmode:

I will surely post again later if there is any further improvement with the bleeding as time passes.
 
Was the AG coating different on the PA238Q?
I really can't tell the difference, it *may* be a bit harsher but it is only visible on totally white backgrounds and if I'm looking for it. Most of the monitors that I've had lately have had some kind of coating so I don't find it annoying, I probably got used to it, and I actually dislike very much the reflections on non-coated screens like the one I have at work. I have a window behind and to the side and it drives me nuts, I have to move my head to the sides sometimes to be able to see what's on the screen.
 
I've had the monitor for about a month now and it's a damn good one I think. But lately it's been randomly going black for 2-3 seconds at a time. Yesterday it happened twice while I was gaming(in windowed mode if that matters) and earlier it has happened while I was just browsing in Firefox. It happens about once or twice a week, starting 2 weeks ago.
Any ideas what could cause this?
 
Any chance one of you lucky 2412 owners could put a YouTube video? I'm dying to see it in action and there isn't a single YouTube video on it. :) (And mine won't be here for a few days)
 
I've had the monitor for about a month now and it's a damn good one I think. But lately it's been randomly going black for 2-3 seconds at a time. Yesterday it happened twice while I was gaming(in windowed mode if that matters) and earlier it has happened while I was just browsing in Firefox. It happens about once or twice a week, starting 2 weeks ago.
Any ideas what could cause this?
My previous Asus PA246Q the picture would flicker and become unstable then the monitor would go black for a few seconds, I sent it back and got a refund. The U2412 is good no problems so far apart adjusting to the matte screen after coming from an older Dell with a nice glossy screen, it's something I think with time I will become use to.:)
 
We have 3 of these monitors at work. No issues, no dead pixels. I can see the AG, but it's not that offensive IMHO. Quite impressed with the quality at this price - it's not perfect, but you can't argue with the price.
 
Anyone know how this would compare to the dell 2209WA? Wondering if its worth the upgrade since its on sale.
 
I have never owned any Dell products but am thinking of getting this monitor. Would you guys say this will at least last me 3 years before I get any problems? I usually get Samsung and they are very nice looking and reliable. This monitor would look better if they put gloss black rather than matte black.
 
Matte black paint is part of the buzz for this type of display, not everyone wants fingerprints and bezel reflection on the monitor.
 
Amaze said:
I've had the monitor for about a month now and it's a damn good one I think. But lately it's been randomly going black for 2-3 seconds at a time. Yesterday it happened twice while I was gaming(in windowed mode if that matters) and earlier it has happened while I was just browsing in Firefox. It happens about once or twice a week, starting 2 weeks ago.
Any ideas what could cause this?
Something is interfering with the video signal. Any chance you have a cell phone near it? If not, it could just be a bad cable or a loose connection.
 
Matte black paint is part of the buzz for this type of display, not everyone wants fingerprints and bezel reflection on the monitor.

+1000

Matte bezel is the only way to go. My monitor has a proper matte bezel.

My TV has a glossy bezel and it is horrid. It picks up and reflects everything.

There should be a special hell just for glossy bezel designers...
 
+1000

Matte bezel is the only way to go. My monitor has a proper matte bezel.

My TV has a glossy bezel and it is horrid. It picks up and reflects everything.

There should be a special hell just for glossy bezel designers...

i just use a fine sandpaper finish on my glossy bezel and it's perfect after that
 
I decided to jump on the $80 coupon, mine is coming Friday.. replacing a BenQ G2400WD, I hope it's a good upgrade
 
Glad you like it. I'm surprised Revision A02 is out already after only 2.5 months. Enjoy!

Actually not "like" it ... love it! I'm a monitor novice, so when I upgraded from an old 17" TN/CCFL to the U2412M, wow! Yeah I was surprised too about it being Rev. A02. I delayed my monitor purchase for a few extra months, hoping any early manufacturing or quality issues would be cleared up. Seems it worked out (at least with the unit I received).

After repeatedly hearing from HardForum contributors that people shouldn't just take the standard monitor that is typically packaged with Dell desktops, I'm glad I waited several months later to make a separate monitor purchase. Luckily, Dell announced the U2412M in July as I was doing my monitor search and the timing was perfect. Thanks again.
 
Yea I know gloss get finger prints and dust and crap, but I prefer it over matte black lol. I guess it is because all my tvs/monitors are gloss black and I haven't owned a matte black monitor since they were the big fat monitors(7-10 years ago).
 
What is the general opinion? Can one use an existing profile shared by TFT Central and/or HardForum members and achieve the vast majority of accuracy that a hardware color calibrator can achieve (for excellent game/movie image quality, not professional media quality)? Or for the U2412M to really give the "wow" effect, one must at least use a basic hardware calibrator?
 
What is the general opinion? Can one use an existing profile shared by TFT Central and/or HardForum members and achieve the vast majority of accuracy that a hardware color calibrator can achieve (for excellent game/movie image quality, not professional media quality)? Or for the U2412M to really give the "wow" effect, one must at least use a basic hardware calibrator?

Just use the TFT Centrals profiles they are pretty good, I have a Huey Pro and have been using it's calibration and profile but it's not much different to TFT save yourself $100
 
I just got mine. Coming from a glossy Samsung TN I do notice the AG on anything white. Colors are fine but anything stark white you can easily tell. Whether this bothers me on the same level as reflections or more I do not know yet.

Going from 22 inches to 24 inches, 1680x1050 to 1920x1200 was a nice step up for sure. Haven't gamed on it yet but I am going with 10e's settings and it definitely is better then default, was way too bright.

The colors are much more accurate but don't quite "pop" as much as my glossy screen. Fair trade off.

All and all, a great upgrade at a great price point. I have an IPS tv, the LG 450, and I do not notice the same IPS glow at all on this monitor. The blacks are also much better. All from an amateur eye though so take that for what you will.
 
It's taken me a while to get use to my U2412M.
I came from a glossy 23" Dell SP2309W it was a wide gamut monitor, the thing I like is now my colours are more acurate for photo editing but I still like the way a glossy screen makes your photos pop. I started off with the brightness set at 35 but now I have it set on 75 which is the factory default I have calibrated it using the Huey Pro, think at this setting photos look better.
It's funny, people mention how terrible glossy screens are for reflections but I find the sheen on this matte screen from a window directly behind me much worse.
I payed $340 for my screen just noticed on the Dell Australia homepage they have a sale and the monitor is $279 :mad:
 
It's taken me a while to get use to my U2412M.
I came from a glossy 23" Dell SP2309W it was a wide gamut monitor, the thing I like is now my colours are more acurate for photo editing but I still like the way a glossy screen makes your photos pop. I started off with the brightness set at 35 but now I have it set on 75 which is the factory default I have calibrated it using the Huey Pro, think at this setting photos look better.
It's funny, people mention how terrible glossy screens are for reflections but I find the sheen on this matte screen from a window directly behind me much worse.
I payed $340 for my screen just noticed on the Dell Australia homepage they have a sale and the monitor is $279 :mad:

The unnatural colors (which you and many others call "pop") you're referring to likely aren't from the glossiness of your old monitor, but the wide gamut of it.
 
Good luck with it. Let us know if you like it or not.

Ok, I got it setup and had some time to play with it...

So far, I'm really happy with the u2412. It's nice and big, the 16x10 aspect ratio rocks and the colors / response time seem great. I also don't really notice any issues with backlight bleed / IPS glow. The AG coating is pretty noticeable during very light scenes (or if you have a blank notepad or chrome screen up), but honestly I only notice it when I'm really looking for it.

BTW, I got an A02 revision.

10e, people keep referencing your settings and I just wanted to make sure I'm looking at the right ones since this thread is 68 pages long and I could have easily missed any updates to this post that I found. :)

Are these the settings you recommend?

Right now I'm in Preset > Custom Color with Red>96, Green>93, and Blue>87 @ brightness of 45 and contrast of 75.

Thanks,
Rich
 
Good luck with it. Let us know if you like it or not.

Ok, I got it setup and had some time to play with it...

So far, I'm really happy with the u2412. It's nice and big, the 16x10 aspect ratio rocks and the colors / response time seem great. I also don't really notice any issues with backlight bleed / IPS glow. The AG coating is pretty noticeable during very light scenes (or if you have a blank notepad or chrome screen up), but honestly I only notice it when I'm really looking for it.

BTW, I got an A02 revision.

10e, people keep referencing your settings and I just wanted to make sure I'm looking at the right ones since this thread is 68 pages long and I could have easily missed any updates to this post that I found. :)

Are these the settings you recommend?



Thanks,
Rich

Preset > Custom Color with Red>96, Green>93, and Blue>87 @ brightness of 45 and contrast of 75.

Yep.

I may suggest different once my new I1D3 is fully supported with BasicColor or Lacie Blue Eye Pro. It's supposed to handle W-LED better than the I1D2 did. Hopefully soon.
 
Hey guys,

I joined the ranks of U2412M owners three days ago and sadly my initial experience hasn't been great. :( The whole display has a slightly blueish tint to it, and the colors seem washed out. I've read and tried a lot of things, including:

-Changing the brightness/contrast & color settings (I managed to fix the slight blue tint, but not the washed out colors)
-Installing & enabling the ICC profiles from TFT Central
-Trying with two different DVI cables, both connected firmly
-Radeon 6870:
--Uninstalling & reinstalling drivers
--Disabling the device
--Removing & reinserting the card

Even with trying all those procedures, I wasn't able to find out what's wrong. I then decided to try with my laptop, connecting the monitor with a VGA cable and it worked! For the first time, I could see how great the colors could be. This made me think the monitor itself isn't faulty.

Still, now I'm stuck with what I should try. The only way I could get even remotely close to the right colors would be to use the Game preset and bump saturation by 10-20% from CCC's control panel, but that's obviously not the right long term solution. I don't have access to another graphics card I could try the monitor with, and I've run out of things I could try. If it's anyhow relevant, I used to have a Samsung Syncmaster 245B and used its MagicTune, but I uninstalled the program before switching the displays... I hope something isn't lingering from that.

Any ideas from you expert guys? :)
 
I may suggest different once my new I1D3 is fully supported with BasicColor or Lacie Blue Eye Pro. It's supposed to handle W-LED better than the I1D2 did. Hopefully soon.

So the i1D3 included software is so bad, you have to wait for 3rd party SW?
 
So the i1D3 included software is so bad, you have to wait for 3rd party SW?

Sucks beyond sucking! :p

No useful reporting capabilities. I used it to run a calibration on a couple of screens and was less than unimpressed. I will try it again on the U2412M to see, but seems to not work very well.

Even worse, the I1 profiler tray app interferes with Spectraview II and SVII even says to turn it off when started.

The calibrator seems very good though.
 
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Hey guys,

I joined the ranks of U2412M owners three days ago and sadly my initial experience hasn't been great. :( The whole display has a slightly blueish tint to it, and the colors seem washed out. I've read and tried a lot of things, including:

-Changing the brightness/contrast & color settings (I managed to fix the slight blue tint, but not the washed out colors)
-Installing & enabling the ICC profiles from TFT Central
-Trying with two different DVI cables, both connected firmly
-Radeon 6870:
--Uninstalling & reinstalling drivers
--Disabling the device
--Removing & reinserting the card

Even with trying all those procedures, I wasn't able to find out what's wrong. I then decided to try with my laptop, connecting the monitor with a VGA cable and it worked! For the first time, I could see how great the colors could be. This made me think the monitor itself isn't faulty.

Still, now I'm stuck with what I should try. The only way I could get even remotely close to the right colors would be to use the Game preset and bump saturation by 10-20% from CCC's control panel, but that's obviously not the right long term solution. I don't have access to another graphics card I could try the monitor with, and I've run out of things I could try. If it's anyhow relevant, I used to have a Samsung Syncmaster 245B and used its MagicTune, but I uninstalled the program before switching the displays... I hope something isn't lingering from that.

Any ideas from you expert guys? :)

I use a 5870 and haven't found this issue using Display Port or DVI-D. I also have used a GTX 480 with DVI-D with similar, good results.

Make sure you don't have the EDID color temperature item selected/checked under the "My Displays" menus. This can cause the screen to look different than intended.

I'll re-iterate the procedure tonight when I get home. Hopefully that will help.
 
I use a 5870 and haven't found this issue using Display Port or DVI-D. I also have used a GTX 480 with DVI-D with similar, good results.

Make sure you don't have the EDID color temperature item selected/checked under the "My Displays" menus. This can cause the screen to look different than intended.

I'll re-iterate the procedure tonight when I get home. Hopefully that will help.

Heya, and thanks for trying to help! :) It was thanks to your settings way back in the thread I was able to correct the blue tint, so I already owe ya!

I'm assuming you meant the EDID color temperature setting in CCC, under My Digital Flat-Panels -> Display Color? It was unchecked, and the slider was at 6500K. I tried unchecking it out of interest, and it made everything look yellow... not sure if that's common behavior.
 
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