Which monitor to get ? Dell 2707 or 3007 ?

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ekovalsky

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I was planning on getting a 3007-HC but am starting to think the 2707 may be a better choice for me.

I have enough space to accomodate either, but not enough space for a 32" 1080p HDTV as my credenza has a 30" wide space for a display and all the 1080p HDTVs are at least 31" wide.

Right now I have a Sony SDM-P234/B (1920 x 1200 @ 23"), but I am wanting something larger. The text is a bit hard for my 38 year old eyes to read at the default DPI. The DPI scaling works much better with Vista than XP, but there are still issues with wraparound and IE7, and also some windows of some other software I use. Also the zoom feature of IE7 is a bit buggy with scrolling.

The dot pitch of the 3007 is actually a tiny bit smaller than the Sony so I will definitely need to use the larger DPI and/or zoom feature. The 2707 is obviously larger and should be easy to read at the default DPI. I'm thinking the larger pixel size won't be an issue as I sit about 3-1/2 feet away from the monitor.

While I am somewhat of a resolution junkie, 1920 x 1200 is probably enough for my needs although I do multitask a lot and could make use of a larger desktop space. Also I currently have a 7800GTX and I will have to turn off some eye candy or AA if I were to run games at 2560 x 1600. With a bit of overclocking it can handle most games maxed out at 1920 x 1200. Later this year I'll probably upgrade to the 8800GTX successor when Crysis and other DX10 games are imminent. I'd prefer not to go the SLI route because of cost and heat / power, though if Crysis demands it and Nvidia gets SLI working right with Vista I would consider it. Far Cry is stil one of my favorite games...

Cost really isn't an issue, although I wish there were a bigger differential between the two. The 2707 does seem to have better build quality (metal versus plastic) and a nicer stand, to offset the smaller panel size and lower resolution. As I only plan to use a single DVI or DVI-D input, the extra inputs on the 2707 are not a big selling point to me. I have several other HDTVs around the house (including a 32" Toshiba LCD, 65" Mitsubishi 1080p DLP, Qualia 70" SXRCD, and soon a JVC DLA-RS1 projector with a 92" scree). The absent OSD and extremely limited scaling of the 3007 are relative drawbacks, although I believe this lost functionality can all be handled via the Nvidia GPU. Nvidia control panel is much improved on the most recent drivers (158.18 and 165.01) though I still miss the original one.

Anyway I'd appreciate advice from anyone who has had a similar decision, or has first had experience with both monitors. I'd like to order the monitor pretty soon, based on other comments here I will likely go through Jonathan Lucas at Dell.
 
I considered both monitors (and also a 2407WFP), and eventually settled on a 2707WFP for exactly the reasons you've stated.

I haven't seen a 3007, but I borrowed a 2407WFP so that I could compare it with the 2707 before deciding whether the extra cost was worth it. I found that, although my eyesight is reasonable (nowhere near 20/20 though), I was often unconsciously leaning forward and moving closer to the 2407, whereas that didn't happen with the 2707. The slightly better overall image quality (from my experience) and better build clinched the deal for me.

Given that the pixel pitch of the 3007 is even smaller than the 2407, I imagine the effect would have been even greater. The size of the monitor on the other hand means that ideally you need to sit further back so that you're better able to assimilate the whole screen at once, and also avoid any nasty effects caused by looking at the edges at a sharp angle relative to the centre (not quite so much of a problem with a quality S-IPS screen, admittedly).

Vista's better scaling should help but, as you say, it's got a way to go before all the glitches are ironed out.

I'm not saying the 3007 is a lost cause unless you have perfect vision, but I find the 2707 effortless at a distance of about 3ft, so I reckon it was the right decision and my eyes will thank me over the long run.

Hope this helps. :)
 
I have used all of dells monitors and like the 2707 the best out of the 2407, and the 3007-HC. The dell 2707 has a new look and the colors are great . I dont know if u will be doing any gaming but the 2707 performs very well. I have some pics if you like to see them. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1182548

The pics are off a camera phone so dont let the pics discourgae you in your purchase.:)
 
I actually am contemplating the exact same issue. I am currently using the 2405 and I wanna go bigger. I think the 2707 is really quite nice, but the res is the same. I use multiple 30" at work and the res is insane. I really wouldn't mind playing CS:S on it. The one thing that's not so great about the 30" is the lack of inputs.

I didn't really like the look of the 2707 in the beginning but now I am beginning to like it :D

What should I do....
 
I have the 3007-HC and love it. The default font size is kind of small, but I was already running my 20" display the same size anyways, so not a big change. What's funny is my wife tells everyone the reason I got the 30" is because I'm going blind... I keep telling her its big, but the text is actually pretty small... she doesn't get it. I do photography work and the main reason I picked the HC was the S-IPS panel and 92% color gamut.
 
Thanks for all the good info. I still cannot make up my mind but am leaning towards the 2707 to avoid having to mess with DPI scaling. Since the 3007's lack of inputs (most frequently mentioned fault) doesn't matter to me, it is tempting.

The 2007 just went on a 10% sale, while the 10% sale on the 3007 has apparently ended. My expectation is to get 20% off the regular price (via coupon or direct dealing with SB rep) on either with free shipping. Of course if I am offered a much better deal on either the 27" or 30" it may persuade me.
 
Well I just placed the order for the 3007WFP-HC. It was a tough decision, but bottom line is size won out. And the major criticisms of the 3007 (single input, lack of scaling, absent OSD) were not deterrents, as it will be used solely as a computer monitor and the Nvidia GPU drivers can do all the required scaling and screen calibration.

Also I realized my vision with contact lenses is the real problem with the small text size. By the end of the day, which is when I spend the most time at the computer, my contacts have dried out and don't stay properly rotated to correct my astigmatism. So out with the contacts, on with glasses... and no problem reading 0.25mm dot pitch text at 3-4ft. It's fine with the contacts during the morning and afternoon, too.

My 7900GTX should handle the 2560x1600 resolution okay with a bit of overclocking, with my current games. I'm going to rebuild the rig later in the year and will go with a 8800GTX (or 8850GTX, 8900GTX, etc) on watercooling, once Crysis and other DX10 software is imminent. If needed I'll get another and run in SLI.

I was able to get 20% off using a SB coupon, so total was $1199.99 and I got free shipping (3-5 days). Probably could have saved a little by going directly through Jonathan, but we've been playiing phone tag for a week and the coupon actually worked so I just did it on my own.

Hopefully it will ship soon... didn't realize until after I ordered Dell lists 1-2 weeks for shipping time! My Sony PremierPro 23" is pretty good, but I'm excited to experience gaming and surfing at 2560 x 1600 :D
 
leonidas5025 said:
I have used all of dells monitors and like the 2707 the best out of the 2407, and the 3007-HC. The dell 2707 has a new look and the colors are great . I dont know if u will be doing any gaming but the 2707 performs very well. I have some pics if you like to see them. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1182548

The pics are off a camera phone so dont let the pics discourgae you in your purchase.:)
Click to expand...

Where did you get your side widow of your 830 Stacker?
I have been trying to get one for a long time with no success I hope Australia sells them?
 
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