Dell U2713HM - Unbeatable performance out of the box
by Chris Heinonen on October 4, 2012 12:00 AM ESTDell U2713HM Conclusion
With the U2713HM monitor, Dell hasn’t broken any new ground. Instead, they have taken the same panel that many vendors are using and presented it in a well thought out and constructed package that is a pleasure to use. From the packaging to the stand to the OSD, everything is designed for ease of use, and after weeks of use nothing left me feeling annoyed or that it needed to be changed.
Performance for the Dell U2713HM is very good, with the performance out of the box being extraordinary. Calibrated color performance is very good, and the contrast numbers are as good as any 27” display we've tested, even with the more difficult method now being used. The only negative for the display is the slower response time for gaming, though as I mentioned before this might be improved by running at the native resolution (but we can't directly test this).
The U2713HM lists for $799 and though Dell often has sales on their displays I don’t know how much this will affect this model. Compared to the $650 HP ZR2740w you get better pre-calibration and post-calibration results, more inputs, an OSD system, USB 3.0 support, and the same contrast ratios. If prices were equal from a sale, I’d pick the Dell U2713HM over the HP unless I absolutely needed faster response times for gaming that the HP offers due to its lack of a scaler. Even then, the Dell might be the exact same at gaming when using the native 2560x1440 resolution.
Compared to the $430 Nixeus model that was just reviewed (though currently selling for $500), it becomes a more difficult a decision. The Dell is superior in performance in all areas out of the box, and remains superior in white and black uniformity and levels as well as contrast, even after calibration. It also offers USB 3.0, better build quality, and a far better OSD system. The color errors are equivalent after calibration, but the Dell offers such great performance out of the box that you likely don’t even need a calibration for it, which for many saves the cost of decent calibration hardware. For those that don’t care about calibration and are most focused on a display for general use, it’s still going to be hard to beat the value offered by the Nixeus.
In the end, I think the U2713HM is a very well designed display and one that I do recommend, especially if it is available on sale from Dell. It is one of the few displays that after spending time with it I don’t have any annoyances or problems that I feel need to be fixed. The user experience from opening the box to using the display is well considered and designed, with no major flaws to be found. A Dell display might not stand out on your desk, but with its test performance it stands out in my lab. Dell has a wonderful blend of features and performance in the U2713HM, and while not the value leader in 27” displays, this might be my favorite overall model in this category right now.
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landerf - Thursday, October 4, 2012 - link
so it's officially confirmed their AG coating is improved to samsung levels now? no more having to remove it to make a bearably unblurry image?khanov - Thursday, October 4, 2012 - link
Thanks for the review. I was wondering what options the scaler offers?I have a U2412M and an old 2709W. The 2709W offers proper scaling while maintaining aspect ratio.
Strangely, the newer 2412M does not, it only stretches and is very annoying if you feed it a 16:9 signal.
Strulf - Friday, October 5, 2012 - link
How many Hz does it do? I presume it's not 120, right?IceDread - Friday, October 5, 2012 - link
The input lag makes the screen a deal breaker if you ever want to play a game where reaction time matters.swindmill - Saturday, October 6, 2012 - link
We can sell these monitors for around $600 USD + shipping. Send an email to delldeal@circu.it for more information.Wkstar - Saturday, October 6, 2012 - link
I paid $300.oo delivered each for my Catleap 2703's. To me they are wonderful.I do not need USB builtin or OSD or pivot, rotate
They do get my Tea on the morning
I guess if you want USB, OSD, Pivot, Rotate etc. Then it would be worth an extra $30.oo
To pay anything more for a screen would be Crazy ! !
Wellsoul2 - Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - link
I also bought a Catleap 2703 for $295 shipped.No bad pixels I can see.
The base isn't great but I don't move it anyway.
It doesn't look cheap.
It has glossy gorilla glass in front.
It only has DVI-D and no OSD . Just adjust backlight basically.
Colors and Contrast (Black) is awesome.
So many people have bought these and had great luck.
surgex - Monday, October 8, 2012 - link
I don't understand why Dell is doing this.I've had a U2410 for years now -- I'm STILL waiting for an UPGRADE to it!
They keep releasing these awesome budget monitors but they are actually worse in tech specs than the previous model -- oh it's got USB3 but the color isn't as good and the resolution is the same as the model that came out 2 years ago.. what the fuck!?
Why is Apple the only one who actually cares about display quality?
Dell keeps sending me emails saying to use my buying power (dell account) to upgrade -- and I awlays reply to their customer service team, I'll upgrade when you come out with a product thats WORTH UPGRADING TO.
How about 120hz, higher resolution \ pixel density!? All we get is a shitty USB 3 hub and a lower quality display compared to the U2711. BOO!
serons - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
There's a thread in a Swedish forum about units suffering from severe backlight bleed. Another common problem is a yellow color cast in the lower left corner. It seems to be quite common, but the Dell representative I've been in contact with says that they've only had complaints from Sweden. I have two of these monitors and both suffer from yellow color cast in the lower left corner. What you make of this? The posts in the forum are in swedish but there are images: http://www.sweclockers.com/forum/101-skarmar-och-t...jacknhut - Saturday, October 13, 2012 - link
I would love to see a direct comparison between this and the recently released ASUS PB278Q 27'' 2560-1440 monitor. The Asus seems to be a decent monitor that is geared toward gaming. Thoughts?