Dell U2713HM - Unbeatable performance out of the box
by Chris Heinonen on October 4, 2012 12:00 AM EST
Dell U2713HM Design, OSD, and Specs
The U2713HM is an LED-backlit display that offers the sRGB colorspace and a resolution of 2560x1440. It uses an IPS panel that is 8-bit, but unlike the U2711 doesn’t support AFRC for simulated 10-bit color. Like all Dell monitors I have seen so far, it has a base that supports height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustments. Installation is a snap with Dell’s standard mounting system where you just slip the monitor onto the stand and it clicks into place. The front is nice and clean, lacking any stickers or text aside from the Dell logo, and all the OSD controls are handled by a set of unlabeled buttons on the right-hand side.
I have to complement Dell on the packaging for this monitor as well. Totally forgoing Styrofoam and only using a simple cardboard design, similar to recent Sony Blu-ray players, it both keeps the display safe and doesn’t fall apart, making it easy to reuse the packaging later. If you aren’t keeping the packaging, it also makes recycling the included materials much easier. I appreciate both the eco-friendliness and the ease of removing the monitor from the box. Dell thankfully puts a page detailing the monitor setup at the very top of the box, something other vendors would be wise to start doing.
Dell's U2713HM also offers 2x USB 3.0 ports on the side, and two more on panel with the video connections. The panel offers DisplayPort 1.2, VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs, as well as a connection for Dell’s soundbar speaker. The PSU is integrated into the display so there is a standard 3-prong IEC socket rounding out the connections. Nothing on the U2713HM is flashy or groundbreaking; it's just very utilitarian. It’s not going to stand out in a way that makes you remember it at first glance, but after using so many other displays I also find there isn’t anything poorly designed that stands out either. Overall the design of the Dell U2713HM is clean and well done.
I have always given Dell high marks for their OSD and I will continue to do so here. With four buttons to control it, none of which are labeled, you would think it might be tricky but it is not. With clear on-screen labels and descriptions of the controls, as well as avoiding the common mistake of having keys labeled with arrows control menus that move the other direction, Dell does a good job here of making it easy to navigate and control. The menu options are clear, with your standard preset modes, brightness and contrast, input selection, and more display settings. One missing item is an option for an overdrive or gaming mode to improve pixel response, though in practice we haven't seen major improvements from such modes on other displays. Another missing feature is the ability to automatically select an input, which makes using it with multiple devices a little harder. The OSD remains essentially unchanged from previous Dell displays, but they have no reason to go back and reinvent it either.
Viewing angles are good for an IPS as we expect them to be. There is a light coating of anti-glare, but nothing that I find to be objectionable or that caused issues with the image for me. Unless you're trying to look at the U2713HM from a 170 degree angle or so, you shouldn't have any issues viewing it and seeing color or contrast shifts in normal use.
| Dell U2713HM | |
| Video Inputs | DisplayPort 1.2, DL-DVI, HDMI, Dsub |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.23mm |
| Colors | 16.7 Million |
| Brightness | 350 Nits |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
| Response Time | 8ms GTG |
| Viewable Size | 27" |
| Resolution | 2560x1440 |
| Viewing Angle | 178/178 Horizontal/Vertical |
| Backlight | LED |
| Power Consumption (operation) | 42W Typical |
| Power Consumption (standby) | 0.5W |
| Screen Treatment | Light Anti-Glare coating |
| Height-Adjustable | Yes, 4.5" of range |
| Tilt | Yes |
| Pivot | Yes |
| Swivel | Yes |
| VESA Wall Mounting | Yes, 100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 25.17" x 7.89" x 16.70" |
| Weight | 12.44 lbs. without stand |
| Additional Features | USB 3.0 hub (4 port), Dell Soundbar Power Connector |
| Limited Warranty | 3 years |
| Accessories | DVI Cable, VGA Cable, USB Cable |
| Price | $799 |
The design and user interface of the Dell U2713HM seem to be up to the task, but how does it perform relative to other 27" models that have recently come through for testing?
96 Comments
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mcnabney - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
They will have 4K monitors eleven years ago.Have you already forgotten the IBM T220/T221 and its 204 ppi glory? Reply
Sabresiberian - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
I disagree here; the price is far too high in light of the competition. Dell makes nice monitors (I have a U2711 that I'm quite fond of), but there is no way I'd buy this over the HP ZR2740w. It is very clear to me that Americans and Europeans are paying a higher price just becasue they have more money in their collective pockets, and we shouldn't stand for it.Perhaps this monitor will see deep discounts from other retailers that bring it within range of the HP, but right now I'd go ahead and buy another U2711 from Newegg for $850 instead of this one. These monitors should sell for around $500-550, not $650-800.
;) Reply
atticus14 - Friday, October 05, 2012 - link
Dell likes to inflate MSRP and do some pretty hefty sales. They constantly have very competitive deals and I dont know if its still the same but if you buy their premium monitors (which include their much cheaper eIPS monitors) they come with a solid warranty - i havent been in the market for years but it used to be a 3 year 0 dead pixel policy.You just got to look for deals. Reply
wickman - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
The first high end LCD I bought was a Dell 2407, back in 06 or 07 and it still runs today problem free managing my servers. I don't have any other LCDs of that age still running, though I'm sure somebody does but that may say something to their quality.But my main reason for buying Dell then, as it is today is their advance replacement warranty service. I use a U2711 on my main system today and I had some issues with the card reader flaking out on me (would stop reading my SD card half way through transferring data), then a week later it up and died so I went on the chat service and explained the issue. They asked for some information from me about the monitor (serial, model, etc) and the next day the replacement monitor was at my door. I popped the new monitor on my wall bracket, dropped the defective one in the same box, applied the pre-paid sticker and instead of calling Fedex to pick it up (which I could have) I just dropped it off myself. Job done, no RMA numbers, no emails, no phone calls, just 10 minutes of web chat and no real down time.
So that type of service is something that really should be noted right up there with features like USB 3.0, more inputs, better calibration, etc. Quality service and warranty can mean less downtime should the unthinkable occur. Included 3 years, expandable to 5 year and you can even choose to cover accidental damage for additional fee. Honestly that is probably a rip off, I'll have to see what the fine print says on that one... Reply
Chillin1248 - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
Could the input lag results be skewed due to the fact that you were using Startech adapter or because the way your Macbook was behaving? Replycheinonen - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
Lag results are done on a PC, straight from the video card, as SMTT is a Windows program. I'll make that more clear in the text. Replysilverblue - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
Excuse my ignorance, but if you don't have a CRT that can work at 1440p, how about dropping it to 720p, or would that be an invalid testing scenario? Replycheinonen - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
In that case, you're still using the monitors internal scaler, which is what is causing the lag. You need to have them at the same identical resolution to have an apples-to-apples comparison. Replyp05esto - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
Great review! I'm in the market for a 27" LED/IPS professional monitor. A tad for gaming, but mostly programming and graphics. This monitor was on my short list, so I'm thrilled you reviewed it.In my research the only other monitor really on my list is the Asus PB278Q which will be released on 10/8. I've been hearing some good rumors about this one (and for $699).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
How great would it be if you reviewed this guy as well :) For me the brightness and color uniformity are a couple of the biggest details. I saw some pictures of this Dell in a dark room with a black screen and there was too much light bleed, horrible really. I'm not sure if in real life you would notice that, but it put a bad taste in my mouth. I have other Dell IPS monitors that I still love! Reply
cheinonen - Thursday, October 04, 2012 - link
I ran the benchmarks on the ASUS today, so the review is a bit out as I haven't written anything on it yet, and still have a couple tests to do, but it's coming shortly. Reply