Dell Ultrasharp 2407WFP 24" Widescreen LCD

Reviews: Multimedia

Author:
Editor:
Sponsor:
Published:

Anthony Fiti
Kurtis
Dell
Oct. 16, 2006

<< Previous

Home >>

Conclusion

I've had the Dell 2407 WFP 24" widescreen LCD for about three weeks now, and it's still hard to get over how big it is. It is really a wonder to behold, and it sports all the traditional features of Dell's higher end models such as a USB hub, memory card reader, and lots of video inputs.

Beyond the size of the display, the image quality was pretty good. I found there were a few places where the display wasn't able to reproduce the image perfectly, but overall I was very pleased with the quality of the image. One item I feel that is worth mentioning is the odd streaking issue I found when I was scrolling through websites quickly. It didn't bother me much since you have to scroll extremely quickly (grab the scroll bar and slam it down to the bottom). The other issue was the aspect ratio problem - after spending about 20 minutes messing with the display I couldn't get the display to show the black bars on the sides of the display when I had my resolution set to 1600x1200. I don't think it's a big sticking point however since most games support widescreen game play, either officially or through some tinkering (see the Widescreen Gaming Forum for more information).

If you can afford the $800 MSRP of the monitor, it is a worthy purchase. Given that similar 24" LCDs are priced in the same range ($650-900), Dell isn't attaching a price premium to the display. In fact, I noticed that on our Hot Deals page there is a coupon to get this monitor for just $679.15 (and that includes shipping!). While this is still out of my budget, I would definitely feel compelled to purchase the monitor if it were to come down to around $500. That said, I suspect my 20" display will never feel the same after using this beast of a monitor. That fact alone may persuade me to look into a larger display.

The Dell 2407WFP 24" LCD display is hard to say no to. If you've got the cash, go for it. If you're coming up short, don't feel down, just like with all technology, it will come down in price soon enough.

6/8/07 Update: Since the time of publication, the price of this monitor has dropped significantly and it can be had for about $600. Compared to the 2707WFP 27" we just reviewed, that's quite a deal. In fact, you could buy a couple of them for the price of one 2707WFP.

Pros

The LCD is huge
Integrated 4-port USB hub and media card reader
Lots of inputs to choose from
Adjustable height/angle/orientation
Better styling than previous Dell LCD monitors

Cons

Price (approx. $800 minus any coupons)
Weird streaking issue when scrolling very fast
Aspect ratio issue

<< Previous

Page 7 of 7

Home >>

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks
Page 3: Taking a Closer Look
Page 4: Setup
Page 5: Testing - Display
Page 6: Testing - Features
Page 7: Conclusion

Subscribe to Computer Display [more info]

Add Comment

5 User Comments

1 - Posted by sacremon on October 16, 2006 - 8:14 am

I've had a 2407WFP for about a month now. I found that the graphics card you are using to drive the monitor can make a big difference, even on something as simple as banding on a static gradient. I was using a 6800GT (AGP), but found that I was getting stuttering in games when I was running both the LCD and a 17" CRT as secondary. I upgraded to essentially the best I could for AGP, a 7800GS, and there is a marked difference. Banding that I saw in gradient tests was gone. Motion in games is very smooth now. I get that upgrading your video card will eliminate most of the display issues that you are encountering.

2 - Posted by Kurtis on October 16, 2006 - 12:16 pm

Interesting. Thanks for posting, sacremon. Welcome to the forums, by the way.

3 - Posted by Max Slowik on May 27, 2007 - 8:21 am

"after spending about 20 minutes messing with the display I couldn’t get the display to show the black bars on the sides of the display when I had my resolution set to 1600x1200."

You have to set the video card's option to not force scaling to get it to say at a fixed resolution. NVIDIA cards have a real problem with this; even when the driver-level scaling is disabled, it resets to default when you run a full-screen application.

4 - Posted by DARAB MOSTOUFI on October 29, 2008 - 5:30 pm

I Always Liked My 24" Dell Ultrasharp Wide Screen Lcd. Until Couple Days Ago I Noticed Power Button Has Become Louse, And I Cannot Turn Off Or Turn On My Monitor.
I Finally Realized If Iturn The Knob So The Line Will Be Straight Then I Can Turn It On Or Off. I Called Dell And Unfortunattly My Waranty Was Over, And Their Suggestion Was To Live With It, Because The Do Not Recomend To Open It. So I Put An Scotch Over The Knob So It Would Not Move And Stay Straight So I Can Turn On And Off My Monitor.
I Am Not Sure Why This Happened, Is It Because It Is Made In Mexico, Or Maybe I Should Have Paid More Than $650.00

5 - Posted by Kurtis on October 29, 2008 - 6:34 pm

That's weird - never heard of that happening. Without the tape there, does it just easily rotate around?

Add Comment

To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields.