Dell SX2210

You can save $100 bucks off that Dell model now with the following coupon code:

$139 Dell S2209W 21.5in Full HD Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor After $60 Savings w/ code: 2T778VC782X99P (exp 7/17)
$179 Dell SX2210 21.5in Full HD Widescreen Monitor with Webcam After $100 Savings w/ code: 0M39GN6ZMF19MZ (exp 7/17)
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I went ahead and purchased this monitor from Dell with the $100 off coupon. It's half the price of the 2408WFP, and I decided that all I really needed was a gaming monitor to supplement my current setup. Plus with the savings I was able to buy a new GTX 260 and upgrade my video game FPS at the same time. :)

I'll post a review once it gets here. But I am hoping for ghost free play and low input lag. Will be able to hook up my PS3 to it as well for the 1920x1080p goodness.
 
I have two of these at home, they're great. Webcam is good and mac compatible. I have no complaints about these monitors, they are really slick.
 
Morazl said:
I have two of these at home, they're great. Webcam is good and mac compatible. I have no complaints about these monitors, they are really slick.
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Thanks for sharing. Takes a little of the anxiety away for me. I just looked at the specs and it seemed like the perfect gaming monitor for me. Guess I'll just have to wait for it to get here then I'll run it through its paces. I get Farcry 2 and Battlefield 5 free with my GTX 260, so there will be plenty of test material to use it with! :)
 
I've played a lot of L4D on them. I think the only thing I might mention is that the screens are glossy, so if you have your monitors by some windows it might get annoying. On the upside, the glossy screen seems to bring out the colors better than a matte one (or maybe that's just me). All in all, excellent monitors.
 
Fortunately I have curtains for my windows. Dell estimates that the monitor will arrive on 7/23. Will take pictures and run some tests then. Can't promise much from the pictures though, my camera is only 3.2 mp.
 
Here's mine:

DSC_0010.jpg
 
Hehe they look nice. You weren't kidding about the reflection though. I can see your chair in it as if they were mirrors!
 
I just received this monitor from Dell today. I am quite pleased except for a few minor things.

1. Very reflective screen. Improves color but more reflections.
2. There was a slight sliver of plastic on the bezel that hovered in front of the screen. I had to carefully remove it. Seems like a slight QC problem.
3. The stand's adjustability is pretty much zero. The only reason you tilt it is to minimize TN's bad viewing angles.

Will post pictures of the screen after dinner. I have it set up right next to my Samsung 215TW. Looks like I will keep this one. No dead pixels detected. Checked it with DeadPixelBuddy.

I really love the responsiveness on this screen so far. I was running the input lag test and saw several instances of it running at least 30ms faster than the Samsung. Will post pics of that as well later.

Oh and the last drawback, I couldn't install the face recognition software. Apparently it has a problem with Windows Vista 32 bit Ultimate. Hmm.

Hopefully I will enjoy using the additional USB ports on the monitor. Text does look razor sharp though and I am liking the .248mm dot pitch thus far.
 
Morazl said:
I have two of these at home, they're great. Webcam is good and mac compatible. I have no complaints about these monitors, they are really slick.
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Hi there, I just got this monitor delivered and I can't figure out how to install the webcam under MAC OSX. There is no reference to Mac on the CD or included instructions. How did you manage to get it running? Thanks.
 
It was plug 'n play as far as I can remember, it's been a few months. I believe it's a Creative webcam. Is it just not detecting in Photobooth? The only thing I've used it with is Skype, and when I did it was for a very short time.
 
I've been doing extensive research on 21.5" and 23" models as I would like to upgrade to HD resolution before the end of the year. Besides reading specs and reviews online I've seen for myself a few models ranging from 21.5" to 24" at stores but not a single one from Dell.

For those of you who own the Dell SX2210 I was wondering if you could help me with a few questions:

1) Some people say 1920x1080 on a 21.5" is overkill for comfortable viewing and reading. How have you found your text applications and Internet browsing to work on the SX2210?

2) How does it respond when hooked up to other hardware, like the Xbox360, PS3, standalone Blu-ray / dvd player? According to Dell the SX2210 has no support for 1:1 pixel mapping, leaving the task of scaling to the hardware on the other end. Please comment on scaling issues you've had.

3) In general terms, do you consider the glossy, reflective panel surface a plus or a minus and why?

4) Is this monitor too bright to work comfortably? With all the reviews on the 2209wa out there, it's fairly known that its screen is too bright even after lowering the setting to 15 or even zero. The monitor is listed under the "small business" category on Dell though, so it might've been made to suit a bright office environment. The sx2210 is listed under the "home" category instead.


Lastly, feel free to comment on any other issues worth mentioning and/or details you personally dislike about it. In case you're also planning to upgrade, please be kind to list the top monitors you're considering at the moment.


Thanks !
 
Hi there. I own both the Dell SX2210 and now an NEC EA231wmi.

1. I have to say that for text, the Dell SX2210 is razor sharp due to its .248 dot pitch. There's no such thing as overkill if you're looking for sharpness. It works great for text applications and web browsing.

2. Haven't hooked it up to my PS3 yet. I intended too but it looks way better on 40" HDTV. =) Might do so later tonite and report back.

3. The glossy surface is a pro and a con. A pro because it helps colors 'pop' better. A con because, well glossy means reflections and slightly more eyestrain. But you get used to it after a while.

4. You can adjust the brightness pretty easily through the OSD menu. And the OSD is well designed as well. I currently have my brightness and contrast both set to 75. But you can go 50 if you want. I wouldn't suggest going down too low in brightness as that reduces your overall contrast ratio and thus picture quality.

If you can find the SX2210 on sale, it's not a bad buy if you're not turned off by TN. I think my new NEC is better but then again it's more expensive than the Dell SX2210.
 
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vjcsmoke said:
Hi there. I own both the Dell SX2210 and now an NEC EA231wmi.

1. I have to say that for text, the Dell SX2210 is razor sharp due to its .248 dot pitch. There's no such thing as overkill if you're looking for sharpness. It works great for text applications and web browsing.

2. Haven't hooked it up to my PS3 yet. I intended too but it looks way better on 40" HDTV. =) Might do so later tonite and report back.

3. The glossy surface is a pro and a con. A pro because it helps colors 'pop' better. A con because, well glossy means reflections and slightly more eyestrain. But you get used to it after a while.

4. You can adjust the brightness pretty easily through the OSD menu. And the OSD is well designed as well. I currently have my brightness and contrast both set to 75. But you can go 50 if you want. I wouldn't suggest going down too low in brightness as that reduces your overall contrast ratio and thus picture quality.

If you can find the SX2210 on sale, it's not a bad buy if you're not turned off by TN. I think my new NEC is better but then again it's more expensive than the Dell SX2210.
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Thanks for the input. I´m not sure if a TN panel this size would represent a big concern... here's how I work: I usually sit straight with my keyboard and screen directly in front of me, top of the bezel to eye level for neck comfort. My viewing distance ranges from 24" to 28" max. Should I worry about it? My current TN panel looks perfect if viewed from the center like you're supposed to, but it's a 19" 4:3 screen.

Regarding that NEC you just bought, I looked up the specs and liked its features too (height adjustment, USB hub and audio out) and the main highlight of course, the IPS panel. I wouldn't mind spending a little more if it's an overall better LCD. Please post your impressions.
 
Saiyajin said:
Thanks for the input. I´m not sure if a TN panel this size would represent a big concern... here's how I work: I usually sit straight with my keyboard and screen directly in front of me, top of the bezel to eye level for neck comfort. My viewing distance ranges from 24" to 28" max. Should I worry about it? My current TN panel looks perfect if viewed from the center like you're supposed to, but it's a 19" 4:3 screen.
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For that kind of usage, the display angle limitations of the TN panel will likely never come up.

Regarding that NEC you just bought, I looked up the specs and liked its features too (height adjustment, USB hub and audio out) and the main highlight of course, the IPS panel. I wouldn't mind spending a little more if it's an overall better LCD. Please post your impressions.
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I'll be perfectly honest, imo the NEC is a better overall monitor. But they are both good for their own purposes. I'll list the pros and cons. for each.

Dell SX 2210

Pros
-Super fast response time and low input lag.
-Super fine .248 mm dot pitch.
-Built in webcam/mic with face recognition software for additional security. Also convenient for gaming and voice applications.
-Glossy screen finish gives added pop to color.
-HDMI input for easy hookup to PS3/Xbox, etc.
-USB hub
-Less expensive
-Dell's great monitor warranty coverage

Cons
-Typical TN viewing angle weaknesses. But these are only noticeable from non-optimal viewing angles.
-Lacks displayport input.
-Lacks adjustable stand.
-Can't pivot to portrait mode.
-Only 21.5" viewable display area.

NEC EA231wmi

Pros
-Larger 23" display.
-Incredible adjustability, stand, and cable management.
-Vesa 100 mounting capability if you want to put it on a monitor arm.
-Can pivot to portrait mode for 1080x1920 viewing.
-Typical IPS high image quality and viewing angles.
-Displayport input for future gen video cards and Eyefinity
-Has sound input and headphone out port.

Cons
-More expensive
-Lacks glossy screen for added color pop. Screen also seems to attract dust. A bit harder to keep clean.
-Lacks HDMI input.
-Not quite as fast/responsive as TN technology but it's reasonably fast.

Conclusion:

I don't think you would be disappointed with either monitor.
The Dell is faster if you want to do fast FPS gaming on it, etc. and it features a handy HDMI port for your game console hookups.
The built-in webcam/mic is also really handy. I use it for ventrilo and Skype.

The NEC on the other hand offers a bigger image and better viewing angles.
When you and others are watching movies from a distance you'll have a good image wherever you sit.
The adjustability of the screen and the ability to use portrait mode for viewing lots of text is also quite nice.
You will pay more for sure and it has a different feature set but I think you'd also be pleased with the NEC if you're willing to open up your wallet wider.
 
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Hi Vjcsmoke. Very informative post. I think I will be making a purchasing decision with my options narrowed down to these two models. I've been reading up on many other LCDs for weeks now and I've grown tired, not to mention I need to keep up with my work!

One last thing regarding the Dell. I was reading this morning that wide-gamut displays can be troublesome for regular users because the colors will appear distorted on games and the internet as they differ from the standard NTSC 72% gamut.

The SX2210 has an 85% gamut according to the specs. Have you noticed any color discrepancies in your everyday apps, movies and games? If so, is there a way to set it to sRGB via the menu or perhaps with a color profile included on the Dell CD?

Thanks once again.
 
Saiyajin said:
Hi Vjcsmoke. Very informative post. I think I will be making a purchasing decision with my options narrowed down to these two models. I've been reading up on many other LCDs for weeks now and I've grown tired, not to mention I need to keep up with my work!

One last thing regarding the Dell. I was reading this morning that wide-gamut displays can be troublesome for regular users because the colors will appear distorted on games and the internet as they differ from the standard NTSC 72% gamut.

The SX2210 has an 85% gamut according to the specs. Have you noticed any color discrepancies in your everyday apps, movies and games? If so, is there a way to set it to sRGB via the menu or perhaps with a color profile included on the Dell CD?

Thanks once again.
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I don't think that the SX2210 is a wide gamut monitor. I think it just uses a superior mixing technique to get more colors. That is most TN monitors are 6 bit color and use dithering/mixing to get to the 16.7m standard color palette.

IPS and PVA panels both use true 8 bit channel color out of the box. There's a wiki article that explains this somewhat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD

I haven't noticed any signficant color flaws with the Dell though. TN panels have probably advanced lately in this regard.
 
how fast is it? can you do some input lag testing?

edit*

never mind, "super fast" sounds good enough
 
Saiyajin said:
Thanks for the input. I´m not sure if a TN panel this size would represent a big concern... here's how I work: I usually sit straight with my keyboard and screen directly in front of me, top of the bezel to eye level for neck comfort. My viewing distance ranges from 24" to 28" max. Should I worry about it? My current TN panel looks perfect if viewed from the center like you're supposed to, but it's a 19" 4:3 screen.

Regarding that NEC you just bought, I looked up the specs and liked its features too (height adjustment, USB hub and audio out) and the main highlight of course, the IPS panel. I wouldn't mind spending a little more if it's an overall better LCD. Please post your impressions.
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If you're interested in the NEC, check out ToastyX's review partway through the big NEC thread. Also, if you're not a fanatic, don't be too turned off by the uniformity / tint issues, most panels have these issues, it's just that the sticklers don't buy TN panels in the first place - they tend to flock to IPS panels. That's not to say there are no issues, it just may not matter to someone who is OK with a TN.
 
I should also mention that the SX2210 has worse backlight bleed than the NEC on black screens. The Dell does have an excellent OSD menu system though.
 
Hi everyone,


I thought you'd like to know I ended up with a Dell SX2210. I decided to try it out for a few days before posting my impressions.

First of all the monitor arrived in excellent condition; there were no dead pixels or other panel problems to report. One of the main reasons why I chose this over the NEC EA231wmi was the smaller 21.5" size. The smaller pixel pitch allows for sharp-as-a-tack text that is very comfortable to read. Vcjsmoke was right about this point, very nice!

Regarding the glossy panel surface, it turned out to be plus for me. Reflections were a non-issue as I don't have light sources behind me during the day and a quick rearrangement of my desk lamp was enough to reduce them considerably at night. On the other hand, I love the added vibrancy given to colors and the cleaner look as I can no longer see the graininess in white backgrounds found in matte screens.

Speaking of colors, one thing I noticed was a very slight green hue when I ran a grayscale chart in fullscreen. I don't have a colorimeter so I'm trying to fine-tune with the naked eye. Here are my current settings via the monitor's OSD:

R: 100
G: 98
B:100
Brighness: 30
Contrast: 50

Under Catalyst Control Center I reached the same result by lowering Green Gamma to 0.95. I'm no expert at this really, so if anyone has other settings they'd wish to share please post them!

Overall I'm very pleased with this screen. It will be a while before I think of upgrading again unless it dies on me of course. Joining this forum was a great help in making my purchasing decision.


Cheers!
 
Congrats on your purchase. The SX2210 is really one of the better TNs available on the market imo. It first starts with that very tight/sharp dot pitch and it adds to that with super fast responsiveness and features like built in webcam/mic and the glossy panel(for those who like glossy). The only thing that it really falls short on is the monitor stand and viewing angle. But viewing it head on, you're less likely to notice the viewing angle issues. Enjoy your new monitor. It really is quite nice for a TN. Glad I could be of some help in your decision making process.

PS with regards to color adjustment. I know that colorimeters are expensive but I think they are the best choice for accurate color settings. Using other people's monitor profiles will only roughly get you part way there. That's because every monitor will have slight differences that make them unique. So a setting that is 98% color accurate for one user may only be 95% accurate for another user and maybe 85% accurate for yet another user, even though all users have the same make and model of monitor.
 
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Sotorious said:
what is TN stand for?
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Twisted Neumatic Display. It is the cheapest monitor technology currently available. Its advantage is very low input lag and responsiveness compared to other display techs. It does deliver less in the viewing angle and picture quality department compared to IPS or PVA however.
 
vjcsmoke said:
Congrats on your purchase. The SX2210 is really one of the better TNs available on the market imo. It first starts with that very tight/sharp dot pitch and it adds to that with super fast responsiveness and features like built in webcam/mic and the glossy panel(for those who like glossy). The only thing that it really falls short on is the monitor stand and viewing angle. But viewing it head on, you're less likely to notice the viewing angle issues. Enjoy your new monitor. It really is quite nice for a TN. Glad I could be of some help in your decision making process.
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I did notice the issue on the viewing angles, but it's very difficult to spot when I'm sitting in front of the screen, that is, 24 inches away. Even when I push myself another 10 inches back to watch a video in fullscreen the colors shift just a little. Very easy to live with in my opinion. I forgot to mention I'm using a high quality Dual-Link DVI cable with gold connectors that I got for this monitor exclusively. The cable supplied by Dell is still in its plastic bag.

vjcsmoke said:
PS with regards to color adjustment. I know that colorimeters are expensive but I think they are the best choice for accurate color settings. Using other people's monitor profiles will only roughly get you part way there. That's because every monitor will have slight differences that make them unique. So a setting that is 98% color accurate for one user may only be 95% accurate for another user and maybe 85% accurate for yet another user, even though all users have the same make and model of monitor.
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I guess I'll have to shell out for one then, but not for the time being. I'm satisfied with the way it looks out of the box and only required messing with the brightness and contrast a little.

Thank you very much for your help Vjcsmoke
 
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