Dell UltraSharp U2412M review

The U2412M is one of a dying breed. With most PC monitors adopting the 16:9 aspect ratio and Full HD resolution, this Dell’s 24in IPS panel perseveres with the old- school 16:10 ratio to give an extra 120 pixels of vertical resolution.

That 1,920 x 1,200 resolution may not sound like a big deal, but the difference is tangible in use. Those extra pixels extend the screen by roughly the height of the Windows taskbar – a good inch or so. It’s enough to make the desktop feel more spacious, and particularly so in portrait mode, where the U2412M feels far less cramped than its 16:9 competitors.

Dell hasn’t compromised on quality, either. The IPS panel is lit by an LED backlight, and there isn’t a hint of bleed or any sign of unevenness across the 24in diagonal. That backlight is capable of scorching brightness if required, too – we measured it at a maximum of 356cd/m².

Image quality gives little cause for complaint. The overall colour accuracy is lower than we may have hoped – an average Delta E of 3 isn’t outstanding – but our tests revealed few visual nasties. The high contrast ratio of 1,023:1 sees the U2412M pulling out detail in everything from the brightest onscreen elements to the murkiest of shadows, and gamma and colour temperature measure almost perfectly.

There’s barely anything to criticise. It takes only a single hand to adjust the Dell’s excellent stand, which tilts, swivels and rotates around into a portrait position, and an oval cutout in the stand’s rear neatly clusters cables together. D-SUB, DVI and DisplayPort inputs are all present, and an integrated four-port USB hub provides two rear-facing USB 2 ports and a further two on the monitor’s left-hand edge. Even the Dell’s onscreen display is a cut above, providing simple and quick access to all the monitor’s features and image presets.

Dell has put together a fantastic package with the UltraSharp U2412M. It’s a little pricier than some, but with great build and image quality, this 24in monitor is well worth shelling out the extra for.

Author: Sasha Muller