[mario23]

Thank you for your answer and the correction of the ‘2K’. Yes, I’m looking for a general-purpose monitor. The gaming system is not that powerful and desktop wise I’m not planning on buying a new one soon (next 2-5 years). At the moment I have a msi laptop with a i5-10210U cpu and the integrated graphic card, do you think this is enough for 2560 x 1440 or should I stay with full hd?

[PCM2]

The performance would depend on the games you play and settings you use. You’d need to look online for bechmarks, it’s not really my area.

[mario23]

Let’s forget games then.

In this moment I have:
– Benq EW277HDR (FHD) for 180 euros
– Philips 275E1S (QHD) for 215

In your opinion which one should I choose then?

[PCM2]

Apples to oranges in many respects. You’re comparing a VA panel with fairly wide colour gamut and Full HD resolution to an IPS-type panel with narrower colour gamut and WQHD resolution. The resolution is certainly nice for productivity purposes, as suggested earlier. And the colour consistency of the IPS-type panel might be enjoyable. But some users would prefer the stronger contrast of the VA option and the wider colour gamut, plus the Full HD resolution makes it slightly more suitable for viewing Full HD video content (refer to the ‘interpolation and upscaling’ section of one of our WQHD monitor reviews for a little more about that).

[ptor1976]

Thank you for your advice PCM2. I bought AOC 24G2U5 and so far I’m very satisfied with its quality and performance. It’s a good monitor for both – work and gaming.

All the best!

[PCM2]

Excellent, I’m glad you’re enjoying the monitor and it’s a good fit for you. 🙂

[HarrierWatch]

Hi PCM

Hope you can help me looking at the budget end of monitors. I found your site while looking for a review of the AOC 24G2U5, leading to your review of the 144hz version.

I’m looking for a monitor primarily to attach to a laptop as, like many others, I need to work from home more. I have limited knowledge but want something fairly decent for up to £150.

Main use will be productivity software – MSOffice etc. I also want to view photos/videos and maybe watch movies. There’s a possibility to link up a PS4 for light gaming use, but this isn’t a priority.

My criteria is currently:
– IPS panel (24″)
– Connections: minimum DP and HDMI (VGA would be bonus – due to corporate laptop!)
– Preferably 75hz refresh rate – will I notice the difference?
– Wide colour gamut
– Flicker free
– Slim bezels (slimmer the better, as I’m planning to end up with 2 panels side by side in future)
– VESA mounting

I’m currently considering this shortlist of 3:
Philips 246E9QJAB
AOC 24G2U5
Lenovo L24q-30

I’ve also looked at others, like AOC24E1Q and AOC I2490VXQ.

I ordered the Philips from Amazon.co.uk 2 months ago, which is still showing as out of stock. I’ve kept hanging on as the price was good, so I haven’t wanted to cancel before finding an alternative. However, I do need to find something soon and also reconsidering the Philips as the VESA holes are reviewed sometimes as too close to the connection ports (so VESA mounting blocks one or two a little).

The AOC 24G2U5 has been available at Amazon for higher cost, but looks very interesting. The additional HDMI and USB ports are benefits.

The Lenovo is a QHD panel. I can’t find many reviews of this “30” model and haven’t been convinced yet whether QHD on a 24″ panel would be a great benefit for my uses – I’m concerned about windows and text on screen looking much smaller (thinking about eyestrain!). I’m told that upscaling may not result in a particularly sharp finish. But it’s tempting to try.

Would you have any thoughts/advice about the above monitors?

Many thanks

[PCM2]

Hi HarrierWatch,

I haven’t received any user feedback on any of those models except the AOC 24G2U5, covered earlier. So that would be the one I recommend. I think it’s a pretty solid monitor for what you’re looking for. The WQHD resolution of the Lenovo can certainly be alluring but I agree that some people find ~24″ (actually 23.8″) a bit small for the resolution. This is discussed a bit in our review of the Dell P2416D. You also said you wanted a wide gamut model, which the Lenovo is not.

The increase from 60Hz to 75Hz is quite nice in my view. As with many things it’s very subjective. Provided the content is running at suitable frame rates, I notice a nice upgrade to the ‘connected feel’ and a bit of a reduction in perceived blur. It’s not dramatic like going up to 144Hz or anything like that, but I still find it quite noticeable.

[GiantHogweed]

I would be happy if my current monitor was still working correctly. I have the Dell S2415H and I think it was incredible value. it was only a fraction over £100 and the image quality as well as build was easily better than any monitors I’ve previously had by Samsung, LG and AOC despite all being more expensive. I also love the functionality of the menu built into the monitor and the personalize buttons. As this point, Dell is the only brand I would want to go for so I hope that won’t limit my options too much.

I have two issues with my current monitor, both of which confuse me a little so i may as well ask about them here. I admittedly do have many input devices plugged into an HDMI switch, including a freeview box that comes on every morning and plays BBC Breakfast. I have just recently noticed that for about 10-20 minutes after switching back to my PC, I have the outline of the bar and the time for BBC news visible on the screen. It is only faint, but it is just a patch that shakes and messes up the image a little. The thing I can’t understand is that in time, this problem goes and every morning I watch the news, It comes back again. It is the case that it will have had so much time on this channel that it happens, but I wonder how it can effectively sort the problem out within a few minutes?

The other issue is another strange one. On a game with many dark scenes i was playing the other day, I noticed over 10 tiny dots that didn’t quite look pixel shaped. They to me seemed a bit like frozen pixels but they were only red, green or blue. After taking pictures today, they are a totally random size and shape and far smaller than a pixel. They looked to just be random sized glowing patches on the red green and blue lines according to what line they are on. They are only noticeable when the image is dark, but due to the quantity of them on the bottom right of the screen, they are quite a distraction now. I am aware there will be no fix for this, but what could it be? I’ve never noticed this with any other monitor.

Well before any of these issues occurred, I’d already been looking into several monitors as I wondered weather it would be worth paying the extra money to get 2560 x 1440 over full HD. I don’t play much in the way of games that would benefit from this, however the occasional video and certainly pictures would.

One monitor I’ve looked into a bit is the Dell U2518D. I only have a small room and 25 is certainly the maximum size I can have. Due to a limited space, I am under a meter away from the monitor and can’t go any further back. This is what will make 27+ rather oversized in my case.

A few points I’ll list out about the main things I would need or want from the monitor:

Glossy finish. It took me time to get used to but the difference between this and matt is so huge with the colour depth and other things that i just wouldn’t want to go back now. I also surprisingly find it is easier to clean without leaving marks than a matt finish.

Wall mount (100×100). I have very little space on my desk so I’ve always had my monitor on the wall.

HDMI. I use a single HDMI port and a 5 input HDMI switch with a remote to avoid so many cables going into the monitor. It really doesn’t matter if the monitor is very limited to number of inputs

Thin bezels flush with the screen. It looks like you don’t need to worry about Dell not doing this with almost all their monitors now.

Shortcut to personanizable menu options. Sometimes I notice brands change their interface on newer devices. I really hope you can program a couple of the buttons to instantly do what you want them to. I use this when I instantly want my monitor to have dynamic contrast enabled in movie mode when watching certain things for example. I’ve noticed dell don’t seem to to touch sense buttons any more which is a shame. I will hopefully be able to get used to the physical buttons. I adjust them late at night quite often when gaming. I hope they are not too clunky since I have my monitor attached to the wall with a room on the other side.

If I can’t get the sort of thing I’m after that is 2560 x 1440, then I’m happy enough saving money and going for another 24″ 1920×1080 monitor with the same specs as my current one, if i can find one by Dell.

Thanks.

[PCM2]

Hi TheGiantHogweed,

I’ve merged your thread with this one as it’s a suitable place and highlights a key point. And that is that the range of glossy monitors (or close to glossy monitors) is extremely limited. You’re likely to get on with the Dell S2419H, which is highlighted here as one of the few ‘glossy’ options. It it would be a suitable upgrade for you in terms of image performance and what you’re after from that side of things. There is no 2560 x 1440 WQHD alternative (please don’t use the term ‘2K’) that offers a glossy or close to glossy screen surface and the range of Full HD glossy options is very limited as well. Unfortunately the S2419H doesn’t have any VESA holes, but I couldn’t recommend a suitable alternative for you that does – you’re going to have to compromise on screen surface if you want a broader choice.

You might find the very light matte screen surface of the U2518D a worthy compromise, superior to the matte options you’ve used previously. In which case you’d be left to enjoy the good all-round performance it offers and the welcome boost from the higher resolution. There could have been other factors aside from screen surface that affected your perception of those other matte screen models you looked at, too.

[GiantHogweed]

Yea sorry for getting that term incorrect. I will edit my post. I’m happy for the original post not to be published with the incorrect title.

The wall mount is more important than the glossy finish so unfortunately the S2419H won’t be an option for me. As you say, I may have to accept going back to a matt finish. I’m just surprised that Dell no longer seem to do a monitor that has both these options.

[PCM2]

No worries – people do use it quite commonly, including some manufacturers in their marketing material. I feel it’s more appropriate to use alternatives. I am disappointed by the current range of glossy models available as well and it is indeed odd that Dell haven’t released an alternative model that has both a glossy screen and VESA mounting.

[GiantHogweed]

The fact you mention manufacturers use that term is exactly what came to mind when you said it shouldn’t be used. I probably learned it wrong because of that. Although given I know my camera stuff, I should know that a 2mp camera is 1920×1080…. So that should be the same for 2K monitors.

I remember reading that review of my current monitor after I bought it. Even though I’m now having issues with it, I really would want to get it again.

I feel really stuck at the moment. I will list all my monitors that I used before my Dell one and maybe you will know the difference between the matt finish on these and the U2518D.

Samsung B2330H
AOC I2352VH
AOC 2350S
LG 24EN43

Dell S2415H

All these other than the LG and Dell seemed incredibly unreliable with their inputs and the image wasn’t that great either. But the main thing that drove me mad at the time was the matt finish. I personally am very fussy about finger prints, cleaning marks or anything else on my monitor. While my Dell monitor shows dust more clearly than any of the others, once it is cleaned, the marks just go and if it isn’t touched, virtually only dust is visible on it. I would be interested to know if the U2518D is actually closer to being glossy than my other monitors were.

One of the main concerns I have about the U2518D is if 1080p content (by far the main thing I watch) will potentially look worse on this than my current monitor as it will be scaled down. I watch a lot of freeview HD which is 1080i/1080p.
The good thing is that Dell look to be using the same menu interface from that video which I myself think is really good. As mentioned, the buttons do look a bit painful to use, but I would hopefully get used to that.

Ideally, I am thinking just getting as close as possible to my current monitor would be best. Both to save a lot of money on the monitor as well as a 4k HDMI switch (due to the number of devices I use it with).

But by the look of it at the moment, I will have to either consider a different brand or do without a glossy screen. But if that is the case, I think £300 + is a bit much to be spending.

A few years ago I made a new desk and with the arrangement it is in, the only option is to have my screen on the wall. It is nice that you can buy many Dell monitors directly from them without the stands, but can’t find the specs I’m after.

Other brands may be an option if they have programmable short cut button options like Dell do, but that may be specific to Dell.

[PCM2]

I’d say give the U2518D a go. As with most Full HD TN and IPS models, those you list have a ‘regular’ (medium) matte anti-glare screen surface, so it’s ‘more matte’ than the U2518D’s screen surface and would impede the image to a greater degree.

[GiantHogweed]

I just think the price is a bit steep given it doesn’t have one of my two most important features. On Amazon (which I read you can mention here) it is just over £300 which is pretty much triple the price of my current monitor which i would be happy with without the faults. Are there any other Dell monitors out there that have less matte than average screen that are a bit more affordable? At this rate, I don’t think I would mind staying at 24 inch and 1920×1080. Due to the amount of normal TV programs I watch, I will also want the ratio to be 16:9 as on one monitor elsewhere in the house that is 1920×1200 effectively makes the screen smaller when watching videos which I would find a bit annoying.

My other option would be to try and ignore these glowing red green and blue parts of the screen during dark scenes as well as the other issue I mentioned. I just hope some monitor will be introduced that is similar to my current one as I don’t really feel like i need an upgrade.

[PCM2]

I’m afraid there aren’t any Dell 1920 x 1080 models with a similar screen surface to the U2518D. And nothing from other manufacturers that really comes close at the moment.

[GiantHogweed]

Well, I’m guessing my monitor is one of the most unusual specification out there then if nothing with all the features is made any more. At least I can still think of it as a bargain despite it having issues. At least I’ve had it over 4 years. Looks like I will have to wait if these things are both so important to me. If I see a deal below £250 for the U2518D, I may just see what I think of it. If ordered online, there is the option of returning. I just can’t forget that my old matte monitors could never be cleaned without leaving streaks of some sort every time which was the main reason for going for gloss. I tried many cleaning things that have been suggested for monitors but I’ve always found a damp microfiber cloth with just water always does better than anything else. With glass (or whatever my monitor is) it cleans so well, but with the other finish, it is basically like the article you gave me a link to says is a negative for these. You see the negative effects of your own cleaning.

My monitor does have a LCD conditioning option and I’m wondering if that could possibly help with the coloured dots in the pixels, but I’m not sure.

[GiantHogweed]

I’ve ended up buying the U2518D as the problem has been getting worse with my other monitor. I’ll have to get used to the resolution, but that hopefully shouldn’t take too long. The matte finish on this as you said is very different to other monitors. It doesn’t seem to leave marks when wiping in the same way very matte monitors do. I didn’t do this for the sake of testing, it is just hard to avoid touching the monitor when wall mounting it. The only disappointment so far is the plastic surrounding the edge of the screen. You can see through the tiny gap to some rather poorly placed glue. It is pretty messy near the bottom by the Dell logo. I’ll hopefully be able to see past this once I start appreciating the benefits of the monitor. But build quality wise, I’m very surprised a monitor of this price has a cheaper feel to it than my old monitor that was barely over £100.

[GiantHogweed]

Unfortunately, I think I’m going to have to start doing some more research, or slightly go against some of the things I want the monitor to have now.

I’m going to have to return the U2518D. While it is great during the daytime (the brightness is so impressive on this monitor), the back light bleed in a dimly lit or dark room is the worst I’ve seen. If my previous monitors had some of this (or at least noticeable to my eyes) and this one was a similar price, I could accept it. I am aware that IPS monitors can’t have the same depth to the black as TN panels, or some others, but the black on this is incredibly grey and full of brighter patches. It has some almost creamy colour patches along the bottom which are worse at the left. I would question the product description of the monitor having a “hard” surface as when you give it a very gentle wipe with a cloth with the screen on a dark background, the blacks turn much brighter and mess up other colours slightly across a large portion of the display. This makes me wonder if having slight, but continuous pressure in the packaging is what could have led to this? Not that it is touch screen, but it would really help if pressure didn’t distort the image as I am thinking this could be partially related. While playing certain games in dark scenes, the patches are quite a distraction. Same when watching films at their usual aspect ratio. Instead of them being obvious black bars, they seem much more grey with the same patches I mentioned.

When I look up Dell U2518D back light bleed, I have found over 4 different complaints from different users on Dell’s site with pictures of what is a very similar problem to what I’m having, just looks to be a lot worse for some.

From reviews I’m reading, I’m guessing there is a major issue with quality control regarding this issue. Looks like some have managed to get good ones, but there are a huge amount of reviews that are rating it as one of the worst back light bleed they have come across on this type of monitor. And unfortunately, even after reading some more negative reviews on alternative monitors from Dell, it seems a lot of their more recent models are far worse for back light bleed than they used to be. Again, I really am thinking that my S2415H was an absolute bargain. The blacks were still not particularly deep on that, but they wee consistent and had no bleed issues at all. The price difference between that and this monitor makes this issue unacceptable in my view.

I’m a bit stuck again now. I think I will have to explore a bit further than Dell.

Having a VISA wallmount is one thing that is critical. Although I would prefer a gloss finish, I hopefully will be able to adapt back to a fully matte one if I have to.

Based on 25 inch not appearing too large, if it will give me a broader choice, 27 inch may actually be an option. I still would be perfectly happy with a 24 inch that is 1920×1080, but if I go any bigger than that, I would want to 2560×1440.

The main other thing that I worry may only be a Dell feature is the menu having programmable short cuts. My desk is right by a window and for a limited time, it can get very close to direct sunlight. I program one of the buttons to enable dynamic contrast (movie or game) as this instantly makes the screen go from however dim you had it to very bright without having to mess around in the menu.

As I may just about be able to get used to a 27 inch, hopefully that will give me a better option.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[PCM2]

When the surface on a monitor is described as “hard” it generally means it’s harder than most liquids and most definitely a solid. I agree it’s a silly term to use when describing this sort of screen surface. What brightness setting are you using? If you keep your head completely central and move back ~2m, does the dark uniformity still look poor?

Unfortunately the very slender bezels and relatively slender screens that Dell have pushed for do make the more prone to the pressures that can cause or exacerbate backlight bleed. There are no guarantees in that respect with any model, but I agree your odds are better than this with some alternatives. If you aren’t fussed by super slim bezels and want something more robust-looking (something that extends beyond just looks, more often than not) then there are plenty of alternatives to consider. The BenQ PD2500Q is characteristically quite similar to the U2518D, but users seem generally more satisfied with uniformity. It’s more rubustly build, despite having fairly slim bezels at the top and sides. It seems chasing that thin bottom bezel is more trouble than its worth with the U2518D! The PD2700Q is a good one to consider as well – as is the newer PD2705Q, although it isn’t readily available just yet.

[Author]

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