Dell LCD monitors: 3007WFPHC, UltraSharp 2407WFP, and SP2008WFP

Are you considering purchasing a new monitor and thinking of getting a Dell? Dell has made a name for itself in bringing real value in their LCD screens compared to other LCD manufacturers and Apple. Depending on your needs and budget you could go with the massive 30 inch Dell 3007 widescreen or you could save some dough and get maybe a pair of Dell 20 inch or 24 inch monitors. Be aware that if you do get the 30 inch display, whether Dell or Apple, you’ll need a dual -link DVI card.

So first consider the smallest and cheapest of the lot. Dell recently announced a new 20 inch LCD, the SP2008WFP with webcam, 1680 x 1050 resolution at
2ms, 300cd/m2 brightness, 2000:1 contrast ratio, DVI with HDCP, VGA, (4) USB 2.0.

The next step up would be the Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP which is a popular and well reviewed monitor, much more than the Philips Brilliance 230WP7 and the Samsung SyncMaster 244T which are nearly equivalent but much more expensive. The UltraSharp is able to swivel into portrait mode and at 1920 x 1200 the text “dark and easily legible, and grayscale tests looked terrific, showing only slight pink tints in the mid and light sections. Colors looked accurate and vivid across the board.” according to CNet.

The Dell 3007WFP matched Apple’s largest display in size as the largest consumer computer screen when it came out last year. It has 56% more screen area than the 2407 and 77% higher resolution. The old 3007WFP was lacking in video inputs but that’s been fixed in the newer model as well as HDCP support which was better in the 2407. Some people also experienced lag and banding in the 2407 which was fixed later. Dell 3007WFPHC features over 90% color gamut whereas color gamut in typical LCDs runs around 70%. The Dell 3007WFPHC also has a 1000:1 contrast ratio (the 30 inch Apple display is only 700:1). But to use this LCD you need to have a dual link DVI connection to get the maximum resolution of 2560×1600.

Further brightness and contrast ratio comparison between the Dell 2407WFP and the Dell 3007WFP can be found at AnandTech.

There are also rumors flying around the web of a 27 inch Dell LCD. If this turns out to be the case it could be a nice cold demise to have a single 27 inch rather than to 24 inches or a 30 inch.

So which way should you go? The 30 inch Dell may now have everything you need with improved video inputs but you’d technically have more pixels and screen real estate by pairing up to 24 inch LCDs like the Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP and you’d save some money even though the 30 inch is almost at half the price it was when it came out, $2200. And then there’s the third route which is to wait for the 27 inch to come out.

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Add comment December 10th, 2007