Dell 2407WFP and 3007WFP LCD Comparison
by Jarred Walton on March 2, 2007 11:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Displays
Features and Specifications
As a brief overview of some of the display features and specifications, we again refer back to our earlier Gateway FPD2485W review. How important the individual specifications are is up for debate, and what matters to one person may not matter at all to someone else. We will cover that aspect of the displays in a moment, but first here are the manufacturer specifications.
Many of the specifications are nearly identical, which isn't too surprising given that both of the displays are made by the same company. The major difference of course is that the 3007WFP is larger; the viewable diagonal is 25% greater which works out to 56% more screen area. The 3007WFP also comes with a higher resolution (2560x1600 compared to 1920x1200), which means it has 77% more pixels. That also means the individual pixel dot pitch is going to be slightly smaller on the 3007WFP, resulting in a generally clearer picture.
The larger size of the 3007WFP doesn't come without drawbacks, unfortunately. First, bigger isn't always better, and there are definitely people out there that feel a 30" LCD is going to be too big sitting on their desk. Perhaps a bigger drawback is that the 3007WFP is extremely limited when it comes to video inputs: you get a single DVI-D connection and that's it! The DVI port is designed for use with dual-link the DVI devices, as dual-link is necessary in order to support the native 2560x1600 resolution. Single-link DVI support is also available, but while single-link DVI is technically capable of supporting a 1920x1200 resolution the 3007WFP only supports a maximum 1280x800 resolution when using single-link DVI.
That brings us to perhaps the biggest flaw of the 3007WFP: HDCP support. While the LCD does include HDCP support, HDCP was unfortunately not created to work with dual-link DVI. If you want to use the 3007WFP to view HDCP protected content, you may find yourself forced to use a single-link DVI connection, which means you would only be able to run the display at one fourth of its native resolution. That's a pretty serious flaw, at least for those users who are interested in HDCP content. Considering the price, anyone interested in a large HTPC setup would probably be better served by a 37" or 42" 1080p HDTV -- not something you would really want sitting on top of a desk, but great for viewing movies.
The 2407WFP also features HDCP support, but the lower native resolution and use of single-link DVI avoid most of the problems associated with its larger sibling. The 24" display also includes far more connection options: DVI, VGA, S-Video, component, and composite inputs are all present. In terms of features, the only difference between the new 2407WFP and the older 2405FPW is the inclusion of HDCP support. Specifications on the 2407WFP are also somewhat improved and the appearance has been changed slightly, but otherwise there's not a huge difference between the old and new 24" Dell LCDs.
One of the good things about Dell's high-end LCDs is that they all come with a standard three-year warranty, including Dell's Advanced Exchange service. If at any point it becomes necessary for Dell to replace your LCD during the warranty period, they will ship out the replacement monitor to you. You can then unpack the new monitor, place your old monitor into the same box, and ship it back to Dell. For a moderate fee you can also extend your warranty to four or five years. The pixel defect policy is also pretty reasonable, as we were informed by a support technician that they will replace an LCD if you have six or more dead pixels or three or more clustered together.
As a brief overview of some of the display features and specifications, we again refer back to our earlier Gateway FPD2485W review. How important the individual specifications are is up for debate, and what matters to one person may not matter at all to someone else. We will cover that aspect of the displays in a moment, but first here are the manufacturer specifications.
| Dell 2407WFP Specifications | |
| Video Inputs | Analog (VGA) Digital (DVI with HDCP support) Component Composite S-Video |
| Panel Type | LCD Active Matrix TFT S-PVA |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.270mm |
| Colors | 16.7 million |
| Brightness | 450 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
| Response Time | 16ms TrTf 6ms (GTG) |
| Viewable Size | 24" diagonal |
| Resolution | 1920x1200 |
| Viewing Angle | 178 vertical/horizontal |
| Power Consumption | 57W typical 110W max |
| Power Savings | 2W |
| Power Supply | Built-in |
| Screen Treatment | Antiglare with hard-coating 3H |
| Height-Adjustable | Yes |
| Tilt | Yes |
| Rotation | Yes |
| Auto-Rotation | Yes |
| Swivel | Yes |
| VESA Wall Mounting | 100mmx100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 22.04"x15.27"x7.68" (lowered) 22.04"x23.02"x7.68" (raised) |
| Weight w/ Stand | 18.3 lbs |
| Dimensions w/o Base (WxHxD) | 22.04"x14.35"x3.25" |
| Weight w/o Stand | 14.3 lbs |
| Additional Features | (4) USB 2.0 (USB connection to PC required) 9-in-2 flash reader (CF/SD/MS/SM/MMC) |
| Audio | Optional Full-length Speaker Bar (Integrated power connection to main panel) |
| Limited Warranty | 3 year parts/labor warranty standard 4 and 5 year warranty optional Advanced Exchange policy |
| Pixel Defect Policy | 6 or more total stuck pixels 3 or more clustered (one inch circle) |
| Dell 3007WFP Specifications | |
| Video Inputs | DVI-D Dual-Link HDCP Compatible with Single-Link DVI for 1280x800 with HDCP |
| Panel Type | LCD Active Matrix TFT S-IPS |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.250mm |
| Colors | 16.7 million |
| Brightness | 400 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 700:1 |
| Response Time | 14ms TrTf 11ms (GTG) |
| Viewable Size | 30" diagonal |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 |
| Viewing Angle | 178 vertical/horizontal |
| Power Consumption | 147W typical 177W max |
| Power Savings | 3W |
| Power Supply | Built-in |
| Screen Treatment | Antiglare with hard-coating 3H |
| Height-Adjustable | Yes |
| Tilt | Yes |
| Rotation | No |
| Auto-Rotation | N/A |
| Swivel | Yes |
| VESA Wall Mounting | 100mmx100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 27.16"x18.49"x7.87" (lowered) 27.16"x22.00"x7.87" (raised) |
| Weight w/ Stand | 35 lbs |
| Dimensions w/o Base (WxHxD) | 27.16"x17.70"x2.93" |
| Weight w/o Stand | 25 lbs |
| Additional Features | (4) USB 2.0 (USB connection to PC required) 9-in-2 flash reader (CF/SD/MS/SM/MMC) |
| Audio | Optional Full-length Speaker Bar (Integrated power connection to main panel) |
| Limited Warranty | 3 year parts/labor warranty standard 4 and 5 year warranty optional Advanced Exchange policy |
| Pixel Defect Policy | 6 or more total stuck pixels 3 or more clustered (one inch circle) |
Many of the specifications are nearly identical, which isn't too surprising given that both of the displays are made by the same company. The major difference of course is that the 3007WFP is larger; the viewable diagonal is 25% greater which works out to 56% more screen area. The 3007WFP also comes with a higher resolution (2560x1600 compared to 1920x1200), which means it has 77% more pixels. That also means the individual pixel dot pitch is going to be slightly smaller on the 3007WFP, resulting in a generally clearer picture.
The larger size of the 3007WFP doesn't come without drawbacks, unfortunately. First, bigger isn't always better, and there are definitely people out there that feel a 30" LCD is going to be too big sitting on their desk. Perhaps a bigger drawback is that the 3007WFP is extremely limited when it comes to video inputs: you get a single DVI-D connection and that's it! The DVI port is designed for use with dual-link the DVI devices, as dual-link is necessary in order to support the native 2560x1600 resolution. Single-link DVI support is also available, but while single-link DVI is technically capable of supporting a 1920x1200 resolution the 3007WFP only supports a maximum 1280x800 resolution when using single-link DVI.
That brings us to perhaps the biggest flaw of the 3007WFP: HDCP support. While the LCD does include HDCP support, HDCP was unfortunately not created to work with dual-link DVI. If you want to use the 3007WFP to view HDCP protected content, you may find yourself forced to use a single-link DVI connection, which means you would only be able to run the display at one fourth of its native resolution. That's a pretty serious flaw, at least for those users who are interested in HDCP content. Considering the price, anyone interested in a large HTPC setup would probably be better served by a 37" or 42" 1080p HDTV -- not something you would really want sitting on top of a desk, but great for viewing movies.
The 2407WFP also features HDCP support, but the lower native resolution and use of single-link DVI avoid most of the problems associated with its larger sibling. The 24" display also includes far more connection options: DVI, VGA, S-Video, component, and composite inputs are all present. In terms of features, the only difference between the new 2407WFP and the older 2405FPW is the inclusion of HDCP support. Specifications on the 2407WFP are also somewhat improved and the appearance has been changed slightly, but otherwise there's not a huge difference between the old and new 24" Dell LCDs.
One of the good things about Dell's high-end LCDs is that they all come with a standard three-year warranty, including Dell's Advanced Exchange service. If at any point it becomes necessary for Dell to replace your LCD during the warranty period, they will ship out the replacement monitor to you. You can then unpack the new monitor, place your old monitor into the same box, and ship it back to Dell. For a moderate fee you can also extend your warranty to four or five years. The pixel defect policy is also pretty reasonable, as we were informed by a support technician that they will replace an LCD if you have six or more dead pixels or three or more clustered together.
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Resh - Saturday, March 3, 2007 - link
Thanks Jarred!I wouldn't expect you to print and assess accuracy, but if you could do a photo-specific calibration and test for future reviews, that would be great.
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
BPB - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
I have two questions. In the Gateway review you mentioned the Gateway did a good job of showing 16:9 movies with the black bars and that the Gateway did 1:1 very well. You also mentioned that you heard the Dell maybe didn't do it as well. So the first question is: did you try this in your test? I just bought the Gateway and like it (I opened the box last night, hours before you posted this review), but I plan on using it to watch DVD's while I work out, as well as using it as my main monitor.The second question is does the Dell have auto-rotate software like Gateway's EzTune? I was told by a Dell rep that it doesn't and that you have to manually change the video drivers. I like to use rotate when working on a website. I can often fit an entire site up and down when rotated. At most I have to scroll very little.
Oh well, looks like I may have to beg BestBuy to take the FPD2485W back and head up to Costco for the Dell if the Dell does DVD's as well. Of course then the Dell would be a little more as I didn't pay tax or shipping for the Gateway (thanks, NH!) but would have to pay tax for the Dell (arghh to you, MA) making the $5 list price favor of the Dell become a $28.70 favor for the Gateway. I paid $679.99 for the Gateway, the Dell becomes $707.70 with tax.
JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
Dell locks the scaling to what your drivers specify if you use DVI. ATI doesn't allow 1:1 scaling as far as I know, but they do allow a centered 1:1 image (i.e. black bars). NVIDIA has better options for changing scaling, although I have encountered bugs in the past with their 1:1 scaled option. The Gateway does have controls more like the old 2405FPW (where you could set scaling via the monitor rather than in drivers), but the colors aren't as good overall. In terms of DVD playback, neither display is really good (i.e. less than 3 delta E), and I don't know that subjectively I can see a big difference between the Dell and GW when watching videos. You can always disable DirectDraw to get the color profile applied (it disables overlay)... heh.JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
Oh, I forgot to say, I don't think there's an auto-rotate software with the Dell. Also, I'm not sure EZtune handles the auto-rotate - I thought it was a function of the drivers, but I could be wrong. I'll have to test it later... right now I need sleep! ;)BPB - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
Thanks for the quick reply. I had a Gateway 21" before getting the 24" and can attest to the EzTune doing the auto-rotate. It's a very nice feature. Not a deal-breaker type of thing, but it's nice. When I consider the effort it will take to return the Gateway to get the Dell I start to think it probably ain't worth it, the effort, that is.chizow - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
The 2407WFP REV A04 does 1:1 scaling. It looks like Jarred got an A03 or earlier for the review. I saw the 1:1 scaling option greyed out in the OSD but didn't see it directly mentioned in the review anywhere.Jarred, you gotta include this kind of stuff in your reviews! Its what panel buyers want to know. Also was the 3007 the HC version or standard?
Otherwise nice review; the difference between the 2407 and the FPD2485W is spot-on with my own observations from using both first hand. The one test I felt was flawed was comparing the 2405 and 2407 for input lag. A better test imo would've been testing the 2407 to the FPD2485W or even a 2ms TN or S-IPS. IIRC the 2405 had input lag problems as well, so any lag wouldn't really show when comparing the two.
JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
I'll see about taking a shot of the FPD2485W vs. 2407WFP for input lag - again, I've never had any issue, but maybe I'm just getting too old and my eyes are slow? :)The LCD I have is revision A01, so some things have apparently changed. Sort of interesting, as I have only had the LCD for a few months... I would have expected something made more recently. I guess Dell hasn't made a point of pushing newer revisions, which isn't too surprising. The 3007 is the standard version as far as I can tell - wouldn't the new HC be a separate model, or are they simply phasing out the older IPS model and moving to a TN or whatever version instead?
chizow - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
I didn't think it would be that big of a deal either, but after having used both, it is slightly noticeable. Part of it might be psychological, but there's some pretty convincing tests out there that show the input lag can be pretty severe. Similar to your test, they had side-by-side screens where ammo counters were off by 1-2 rounds, objects were in different positions, and other anomalies.Wow A01, surprised it didn't exhibit more serious banding problems. Maybe it was a refurb? The A01 and A02 were supposed to exhibit banding problems similar to the Gateway. But ya Dell is horrible with their panel lottery; if they shipped you guys a panel gratis it was probably a refurb or recycled panel. Makes a lot of sense shipping an old panel to a well-known review site!
The HC is being treated as a new revision afaik. Its been in Asian markets since the new year and has only become available in the US recently to select customers. I think it will eventually just replace the older versions in the channel when it reaches widespread availability. I'm also pretty sure its still IPS, it just increases brightness/contrast since that was the biggest knock on the 3007 apparently.
BPB - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
I just saw your reply in the forums. Thanks!BPB - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
So you too would recommend the Dell over the Gateway? If so, would you say like Jarred that the difference is minimal or would you say it's more than minimal?