Dell U2713HM details confirmed
Update: After reporting that the Dell U2713HM will feature a matte screen surface we have received a number of emails expressing concern that it may be quite ‘full on’ as is often the case on such monitors. The surface is listed as ‘anti glare with hard coat 3H’ which is the same for all modern UltraSharp monitors. This doesn’t give any indication of the all-important haze value which dictates how ‘strong’ a matte surface is. Some recent unboxing photos show what appears to be a reduced haze value compared to the likes of the U2711 with visible reflective detail when the screen is turned off. We look forward to bringing you a full review of this monitor as soon as possible.
Last year saw Dell refresh its 22”, 23” and 24” UltraSharp members with the release of the U2212HM, U2312HM and U2412M. The 27” U2711 and 30” U3011 did not receive refreshed editions, however. There was speculation earlier this year that originated on some Chinese forums that Dell were set to release a glossy ‘U2713′ model in similar vein to the Apple 27” LED Cinema Display, Samsung S27B970 and various other glossy 27” IPS monitors released recently. We treaded with caution and decided that owing to the lack of information from the manufacturer themselves, the credibility (or lack of) of the original source and the fact no stand or model identification was present in any of the images that the model was likely something completely different. Possibly a yet to be released monitor from the companu but more likely a cheap knock-off which really isn’t uncommon in such parts of the world.
Dell has recently put up a driver page for the U2713HM which confirms its existence and likely release in the next few months. This showed a very small thumbnail on the page revealing a monitor with very similar design to last year’s U2312HM and U2412M models.
A revealing thumbail?
Other details that could be garnered from the U2713HM driver included the expected support for the 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution and the presence of VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort inputs. The big questions remained – whether this monitor would make use of LG’s new LM270WQ3, which is the first 27” WLED-backlit panel to support the Adobe RGB colour space and whether the matte surface has been ‘lightened up’ at all compared to previous models if not replaced with a glossy surface. Some further information has surfaced which answers some of these questions. Firstly it confirms that the monitor will feature a matte screen surface and will indeed be similar in form and function to last year’s UltraSharp models with a fully adjustable stand, tactile buttons and gently rounded corners.
A more complete picture
The monitor will feature a WLED backlight with coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and will therefore not be featuring the LM270WQ3 panel. This means it will not be a true U2711 replacement as it is more restricted in its colour gamut, much like the U2412M compared to the U2410. Maximum luminance is quoted as 350cd/m2 (minimum 50cd/m2) and there is an 8ms grey to grey response time which is similar to that quoted for the 2011 releases. This might seem high but these figures are misleading – it should provide a decent gaming experience in practice similar to last year’s models. 4 USB 3.0 are also going to be featured, which is a first for Dell, alongside the aforementioned 4 display inputs and an audio out port. Price and release date is still to be confirmed but we would expect this to come in at a lower point than the U2711 and to be available during summer. It is also possible that Dell will release refreshes of other members by releasing models such as the U2313HM, U2413HM/M and possibly even the U3013HM. We can’t confirm anything on The picture should become clearer shortly and we will bring you and further developments as they come.