Dell Ultrasharp 2407WFP

Dell has become one of the first brands that hardcore geeks like us look to when choosing a monitor. Isn't that bizarre? Despite the 'Dull' brand so often associated with it, recent years have seen the Texas firm redefine the TFT market with some great monitors at insane prices.

The 24" monitor that was released last year went after the Apple Cinema Display market, but was two thirds the price. It has proved such a hit with high-end users, that we've even incorporated its 1920x1200 resolution into our game testing. Likewise, the 1680x1050 20" panel has also been popular, available for around £300, making it a cheap buy.

Dell recently pushed out the boat with a 30" display running 2560x1600, perfect for coupling with an equally ludicrously expensive dual or quad graphics setup. To match the styling of this new monitor, Dell has revamped its entire display range, adding new features and respinning the looks. Today, we're looking at the new 24", the 2407WFP.



The design is minimalistic - simply a black bezel, silver stand and a small Dell logo on the front. Thankfully, the stand is adjustable, allowing you to change the height and horizontal/vertical angles with only light touches. This is definitely welcome on a display of this size, since you're really going to want it to be exactly where you need it on your desk.

Specifications

• 6ms response time;
  
• 450cd/m² brightness;
  
• 1000:1 contrast ratio;
  
• DVI (with HDCP), VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite;
  
• 4x USB 2.0 ports, card reader;
  
  
• Approx. £800 [i](Prices vary massively depending on market conditions. Check out shopping.bit-tech.net for the latest real-time pricing

How does this compare to other monitors on the market? Well, the brightness is actually 50cd/m² down from the previous 2405FPW panel, which isn't a great start. However, the new panel used has compensated for this with a very fast response time, and a good contrast ratio. This is the same as the previous model - at least it hasn't been reduced like the luminance in order to attain the faster response time. It's great to see full HDCP support on the DVI port, making this monitor compatible with the the next generation of optical and high definition content - a major advantage over the previous model.