Dell Ultrasharp to slow for gaming?

LOST TALE · September 21, 2013

ugh, but its so perfect

they dont show input delay. my screen has 5ms ''response time'' but has in total 20ms image delay.

GoodBytes · September 21, 2013

The Dell U2412M is a great monitor for gaming, unless you are a hard core FPS player.. but if that was the case, you'll be looking at 120Hz monitor, and have powerful GPU(s) to be able to play the game at 120fps in the first place. So I don't think it will be an issue.

They are no standard way of measuring response time, also the manufacture, as mentioned on the specs, looks at "g-t-g". What is it? It's "gray-to-gray", shorten so that you don't ask, or at least they hope they don't: "But Which gray to which gray? Is it the same gray?"

Here are some figures about actual response time, measured by the in depth monitor review site, TFTCentral.

ASUS PA248Q - IPS panel 6ms response time (claimed on the box)

ASUS VG278HE- 144Hz "Gaming" TN panel 2ms response time (claimed on the box)

BenQ XL2410T- 120Hz "Gaming" TN panel 1ms response time (claimed on the box)

As you can see the Dell U2412M, does pretty well in comparison to other monitors, and you can see how response time number are meaningless as it goes all over the place.

The input lag of the monitor is 9.4ms, which is very good, and competitive with gaming TN monitors, and well with other monitors. Anything bellow 30ms, is considered great for gaming. And under 16ms, great for heavy FPS gaming.

The downside of the monitor, is like most monitor in this price range of today, it uses a PWM (Pulse Width Modulator) to control the backlight, meaning that the backlight functions like a super fast strobe light,. where the LED goes on Full power, to off, and controlling that rate of flickering, controls the backlight illumination. An inexpensive way to have a dimmable LED's. So, lower the brightness, the slower flickering rate, and well, higher the brightness, the faster it goes.

Some people like Tic-Tac, have issues, as they are sensitive to this. They can't see the flickering, but basically the eyes can see it, the brain smooths it out, and in Tic-Tac case, he can sense it, and causes him headaches. It's not fun. As the only fix to this, is much higher grade monitors, which cost a lot, or do some deep research and find that 1 monitor without a PWM backlight, and take it as is, don't like the specs, no choice. It really sucks.

A few years back, it was easy to find a monitor with decent CFLs back light where the CFLs tube has a good quality and thick layer of phosphor, eliminating the flickering. In the case of Tic-Tac, we needs to go with monitor in the price range of the Dell U2413, a 600$ Canadian monitor. The better news, is for about the same price (especially if you want for specials), the Dell U2713HM, can be acquired. It doesn't have a PWM, and it's 2540x1440 resolution screen, a well reviewed monitor.

TFTCentral review of the U2412HM, if you want to read: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2412m.htm

Tic-Tac · September 21, 2013

Completely agree with all you wrote.

For 90% of people 300cd/m2 brightness is way to bright and they tend to lower it but then they all are exposed to Pulse-Width Modulation method of dimming which as CoolBytes said gives various problems to everyone but most of them can't even notice because it works on subconscious level of perception and they not have "visible-effect" problem as I or someone else with a little bit sensitive eyes would have.

Probable solution would be :

1. Taking a Flicker-Free monitors such as http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/flicker_free_database.htm

2. Taking either pretty expensive monitor which is not good for faster gaming (to be honest) or faster LED monitor with lower brightness such as 200cd/m2 and running it at max because PWM starts to work when brightness is at 99 and lower. I don't really know if it's going to work with 250cd/m2 and don't know how much is the difference with regard to 200cd/m2 but thats it. Everything beyond that (like 300cd/m2, 350cd/m2, 400cd/m2) is ridiculously and stupid bright when black are no longer blacks realm

3. Taking a good gaming monitor with CCFL backlight (is there one? )

CCFL vs LED article :

http://www.infobyte.hr/blog/134/ccfl-vs-led-screen-backlight-is-led-really-better/

Pulse-Width Modulation article from TFT Central :

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/pulse_width_modulation.htm