Dell U3011 – 2560×1600 of Awesomeness

This will be a user end mini review of the Dell U3011. For a professional review hit up Anandtech where they are able to better discuss the intricate details such as colour.

Resolution

Productivity at its best: 2560x1600 = 2[1280x1600]
Productivity at its best: 2560x1600 = 2(1280x1600)
I moved from a Samsung T260HD to a Dell 3011. That is a 25.5″ moving on to a 30″. I would say that the size difference is small. Definitely bigger but not massively bigger. The largest difference is in resolution. 2560×1600 is simply put – two vertical screens in one. It makes absolute sense to have 2 windows running tiled vertically. This upgrade was an excellent move for efficiency. The U3011 is now the productivity screen and the accompanying, long serving, Dell UltraSharp 19″ in portrait mode is the social / info screen.

Aspect Ratio

I’ve kept to the 16:10 ratio ever since moving past the 19″ 5:4 ratio. The Samsung 2322GW featured a 1680×1050 resolution, the T260HD was 1920×1200. I still cannot get the 16:9 ratio which was the main reason I gave the U2711 a pass. A 16:9 ratio is great for watching movies but productivity wise, the extra 160 pixels vertically makes a big difference.

Colour

This is my first IPS panel monitor. In the 17/19/22/25.5 monitors before this, it has always been either CRT or LCD TN. I must say that having viewing consistency at all angles is not very important to me considering the way my workstation is set up. But, the colour vibrancy and consistency across the screen is something that TNs cannot compete with. Colours are richer and at first I was worried it was over saturated. Also, true blacks and solid black and greyscale gradients are beautiful.

Earlier?

Maybe I should have gotten this earlier when I was doing plenty of design work. The in built RGB profiles are excellent. Well, it is always easier on hindsight.

OSD

Dell’s OSD for is top notch for its premium screens and it remains no different here. The myriad of options and most importantly the ease of use must be lauded. Competitors should look into this area. It is not difficult to implement just tough to execute right and Dell has pulled that off well.

Final Result

While the T260HD matched my 19″, the U3011 dwarves it. I can live with this asymmetry. It is an absolute productivity boost.

My Workstation
My Workstation