
Introduction
There's been a fair few new Ultra-wide 21:9 aspect
ratio screens released by various manufacturers and it's an interesting option
in the desktop monitor market. We remember looking at the
Dell U2913WM back in early 2013 which was one of the first 21:9 format
displays released, offering a 29" diagonal and 2560 x 1080 resolution. Nowadays
people are after something even bigger and there's been a fair few 34" sized
models released with 3440 x 1440 resolutions. We took a look at one such model
in September 2014 when we reviewed the
LG 34UM95. We found the ultra-wide format quite appealing for day to day use
and although it's an odd feeling when you first use one, you soon get used to
it. Since then we've seen a couple of manufacturers delve into another new area
of displays, releasing 34" ultra-wide models but with a slightly curved shape to
them. Much like you can get with some LCD TV's, curved desktop monitors seems to
be a new trend manufacturers are exploring. Dell have bypassed releasing a flat
34" ultra-wide model, and instead progressed straight to releasing the new
curved
U3415W which we have with us now for testing. We are keen to see how we get on
with the curved nature of the screen and how this screen performs overall in our
tests. Incidentally we are testing the A01 revision here.
Dell's website states: "Discover
one of the world’s first 86.5 cm (34") 21:9 curved monitors with a panoramic
view, cinematic WQHD resolution and superb sound. An immersive panoramic
experience: The Dell UltraSharp 86.5 cm (34") Curved Monitor engages you in a
new wrap-around viewing experience with a 21:9 ultra-wide curved screen that
offers more display area and enhanced viewing comfort."
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Dell U3415W Now Available

Specifications and Features
The following table gives detailed information
about the specs of the screen:
Monitor
Specifications |
Size |
34"WS Curved (86.5 cm) |
Panel Coating |
Light AG coating |
Aspect Ratio |
21:9 |
Interfaces |
1 DisplayPort (version 1.2)
|
Resolution |
3440 x 1440 |
Pixel Pitch |
0.2325 mm |
Design
colour |
Thin black bezel, silver stand and base |
Response Time |
5ms G2G (Fast mode)
8ms G2G (Normal mode) |
Ergonomics |
Tilt, 115mm height, swivel |
Static Contrast Ratio |
1000:1 |
Dynamic Contrast Ratio |
2 million:1 |
VESA Compatible |
Yes
100mm |
Brightness |
300 cd/m2 |
Accessories |
Power cable, cable cover, Mini DP to DP cable,
HDMI cable,
USB 3.0 cable, factory calibration report |
Viewing Angles |
172/178 (H/V) |
Panel Technology |
LG.Display AH-IPS |
Weight |
With stand and cabled: 11.25Kg |
Backlight Technology |
W-LED |
Physical Dimensions |
(WxHxD) with stand max height
824.7 x 523.7 x 216.0 mm |
Colour Depth |
1.074 billion |
Refresh Rate |
60Hz |
Special
Features |
4
port USB 3.0 hub (with 2x USB upstream), factory calibration and report,
audio out connection (headphones not supported), 2x 9W speakers, PiP/PbP,
Uniformity compensation mode |
Colour Gamut |
Standard gamut ~99% sRGB |
The U3415W offers a good range of modern connectivity options
which are similar to other recent UltraSharp screens. There are
1x HDMI 2.0, 1x MHL, 1x DisplayPort and 1x Mini DisplayPort input interfaces provided for video
connections. There is also a DisplayPort out connection for daisy chaining
several screens. There is no DVI or D-sub offered here. Cables
are provided in the box for DP > Mini DP and HDMI.
The screen has an internal power supply so there
is only the need for a kettle lead power cable (provided). There are several additional
features as well for this screen. These include a factory calibration, 4x USB 3.0 ports
(with 2x upstream connections) and an audio out port (headphones not supported).
The screen also has 2x 9W stereo speakers (rare for Dell screens), Picture In
Picture (PiP) and Picture by Picture (PbP) support and a uniformity compensation
mode.
Below is a summary of the features and connections
of the screen:
Feature |
Yes / No |
Feature |
Yes / No |
Tilt adjust |
 |
DVI |
 |
Height adjust |
 |
HDMI |
 |
Swivel adjust |
 |
D-sub |
 |
Rotate adjust |
 |
DisplayPort |
 |
VESA compliant |
 |
Component |
 |
USB 2.0 Ports |
 |
Composite |
 |
USB 3.0 Ports |
 |
Audio connection |
 |
Card Reader |
 |
HDCP Support |
 |
Ambient Light Sensor |
 |
MHL Support |
 |
Human Motion Sensor |
 |
Integrated Speakers |
 |
Touch Screen |
 |
PiP / PbP |
 |
Factory Calibration |
 |
Blur Reduction Mode |
 |
Hardware calibration |
 |
G-Sync |
 |
Uniformity correction |
 |
FreeSync |
 |

Design and Ergonomics

Above: front view of the screen.

Above: front views of the screen. Click for
larger version
The U3415W comes in a black and silver
design. The front bezel of the screen is a matte black plastic and
provides a very thin outer edge to the screen. The actual plastic measures
only 2mm along the sides and top, and the bottom bezel is a modest 20mm as
well. Before people get too excited about the 2mm outer bezel, there is
also a ~10mm wide border to the panel before the actual image
starts. All in all, it's still only a 12mm edge around the image which looks nice in practice. There is a shiny silver Dell logo in the
middle of the bottom bezel, but no other writing or model designations at
all. In the bottom right hand corner are the four touch-sensitive OSD
control buttons and also a touch-sensitive power on/off button. There is a
small LED light underneath the power button which glows white during
normal operation and pulsates on/off white when the screen is on standby. Unlike some of the
older UltraSharp screens we've seen
the OSD control buttons don't light up at all on the front of the bezel to
identify themselves, so you have to actually press the small grey circle
to operate the control.


Above: view
of the stand and base. Click for larger version
The stand is different to the mostly black
style stands of some older UltraSharp models and comes in an all-silver colour.
Matte plastics are again used for the stand and base. The base measures
~245 (width) x 205 mm (depth) and provides a sturdy support for the
screen. From the side the screen offers a pretty
thin profile thanks to the use of W-LED backlighting. The
stand is silver in design along the edges and back as well.

Above: rear view of the
screen and stand

Above:
cable tidy in back of the stand
The back of the screen is finished in a
matte black plastic and is rounded off to look smooth and sleek. There is
a useful cable tidy hole in the back of the stand. There is even a
detachable black plastic section at the bottom of the back of the screen
which can hide the cabling connections (pictured attached in the top of
the two photos above). You will
notice the single USB 3.0 port on the back as well (right hand side in
above image) which also has charging capabilities. Useful to have one
easier access port offered here.



The stand provides a decent range of
ergonomic adjustments which is good to see. It can also be
easily detached so you can wall or arm-mount the screen (VESA 100mm).

Above: full
range of tilt adjustment shown. Click for larger versions
The tilt function is smooth but a little
stiff to move, but it does offer a decent enough range of angles to choose
from.

Above: full
range of height adjustment shown. Click for larger versions
Height adjustment is a easy to move and is
smooth, offering a very good range of
adjustment again. At the lowest height setting the bottom edge of the
screen is approximately 35mm from the edge of the desk. At the maximum
setting it is ~150mm, and so there is a 115 mm total adjustment range
available here as specified.
Side to side swivel is has a smooth and easy movement
which swivels properly as it should with the base remaining stationary on
the desk. There is no rotation function offered on this screen due to the
size and format.
A summary of the screens ergonomic adjustments
is shown below:
Function |
Range |
Smoothness |
Ease of Use |
Tilt |
Yes |
Smooth |
A little stiff |
Height |
115mm |
Smooth |
Easy |
Swivel |
Yes |
Smooth |
Easy |
Rotate |
n/a |
- |
- |
Overall |
Good range of adjustments and
easy enough to use overall. |
The materials were of a good standard and the
build quality felt good as well. There was no audible noise from the screen,
even when conducting specific tests which can often identify buzzing issues.
The whole screen remained cool even during prolonged use as well which
was pleasing.

Above: rear
views of the screen showing connections.
The back of the screen provides connections for
the power cable which is provided with the screen. There are then
video connections for MHL, HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, DisplayPort out (for
daisy chaining), audio output, USB upstream x2 and 3x USB 3.0
downstream. One USB connection is separated from the other three on the far
right hand side.

OSD Menu

Above: OSD control buttons on the bottom right hand edge
The OSD menu is accessed and controlled through a
series of 5 touch-sensitive buttons located on the bottom right hand edge of the
bezel. There are small grey circles on the bezel marking where the buttons are
which are discrete. They don't light up at all, even when pressed. There is a
small power LED bar underneath the power button which glows white during use and
pulsates white on/off when the screen is on standby. We did find that sometimes
the buttons were a little unresponsive when you first press them, but seemed to
work better once you were within the menu sections.

Pressing any of the buttons pops up the quick
access menu which is shown above. From here by default you have quick access to
the volume control from button 1, input selection from button 2, the main menu (3) and a button to exit
(4). The power on/off button is shown as well, as button 5 above. You can
personalize the quick access options here through the main OSD if you want.

Using the quick access options pops up a smaller
menu specific to that selection. For instance the input selection quick
access menu is shown above.

The menu is split in to 11 sections shown down the
left hand side, with the options relevant to each section then shown on the
right. The first section gives you access to the brightness and contrast
functions as shown above. You will notice the familiar Dell energy bar in the
top right hand corner as well, showing your power consumption and a useful quick
indicator to your brightness level in fact.

The second section allows you to switch between
video input source.

The third 'color' section has a few options relating to
the colour setup, including most notably access to the preset mode menu shown
above.

The 'Display' section has a few useful features.
There are options for the hardware level aspect ratio control at the top, with
settings for wide 21:9, wide 16:9, auto resize and 1:1 available. You can also
access the
response time control here, and the
uniformity
compensation function.

The next menu allows you to control the Picture By
Picture (PbP) and Picture In Picture (PiP) functions as shown. Have a look at
the user manual online for more info about available configurations.

The 'USB selection' menu allows you to choose the
video input which will link you back to a specific PC for USB functionality.
With 2x USB upstream ports on the screen you can connect the display back to two
PC's if you need to, and then choose which PC is active via the menu when using
different video inputs.

The audio menu allows you to control the speaker
volume and input source.

The 'Energy' menu controls a couple of power
saving features as shown.

The 'Menu' section allows you to adjust the OSD
menu itself.

The 'personalize' section allows you to customise
what quick access options are available, depending on what you need to access
most often. A Useful feature.

Finally the 'others' section has a few options
including allowing you to turn the button sound on/off.
All in all the menu was very easy to navigate and
well laid out. The control buttons were mostly responsive and sensitive, and the
touch-sensitive nature gave them a premium feel. There were quite a few options
to play around with as well, and the ability to customise the quick access menu
was useful. The menu also remembered which section you were last in when you
exit which is quite handy.

Power Consumption
In terms of power consumption the manufacturer
lists typical usage of 55W and less than 0.5W in standby. They also list
maximum power usage of 130.0W (*) but this is with maximum brightness, Dell
SoundBar and USB connected also. We carried out our normal tests to
establish its power consumption ourselves.
 |
State and Brightness
Setting |
Manufacturer Spec (W) |
Measured Power Usage
(W) |
Default (50%) |
55.0 |
48.3 |
Calibrated (37%) |
|
32.1 |
Maximum Brightness (100%) |
130.0* |
58.4 |
Minimum Brightness (0%) |
|
20.2 |
Standby |
<0.5 |
0.5 |
|
We tested this ourselves and found that out of the
box the screen used 48.3W at the default 75% brightness setting. Once calibrated the screen reached
32.1W consumption, and in standby it
used only 0.5W. We have plotted these results below compared with other screens
we have tested for reference.


Panel and Backlighting
Panel Manufacturer |
LG.Display |
Colour Palette |
1.074 billion |
Panel Technology |
AH-IPS |
Colour Depth |
8-bit
+ FRC |
Panel Module |
LM340WU2-SSA1 |
Colour space |
Standard gamut |
Backlighting Type |
W-LED |
Colour space coverage (%) |
99% sRGB, ~72% NTSC |
Panel Part and Colour Depth
The Dell U3415W features an
LG.Display LM340WU2-SSA1 AH-IPS panel which is capable of producing 1.074
billion colours. As we understand it the panel offers an 8-bit colour depth
with additional Frame Rate Control (FRC) stage added to support 10-bit content.
Keep in mind whether this is practically useable and whether you're ever going
to truly use that colour depth. You need to have a full 10-bit end to end
workflow to take advantage of it which is still quite expensive to achieve and
rare in the market, certainly for your average user. This includes relevant
applications and graphics cards as well, so to many people this 10-bit support
might be irrelevant. The part is confirmed when dismantling the screen.
Incidentally we are testing the A01 revision here.


Screen
Coating
The
screen coating on the U3415W is a light anti-glare (AG) offering. It isn't a
semi-glossy coating, but it is light as seen on other modern IPS type panels
including other recent Dell offerings like the U2715H and U2515H for instance. Thankfully it
isn't a heavily grainy coating like some old IPS panels feature, including some
old Dell models circa 2011. It retains its anti-glare properties to avoid too many
unwanted reflections of a full glossy coating, but does not produce an too
grainy or dirty an image that some thicker AG coatings can. There were some
slight cross-hatching patterns visible on the coating when you inspect it
closely, but not to the extent that you can see on the U2713HM which was known
for this issue affecting some users.
Backlight Type and Colour Gamut
The screen uses a White-LED (W-LED) backlight unit
which has become very popular in today's market. This helps reduce power
consumption compared with older CCFL backlight units and brings about some
environmental benefits as well. The W-LED unit offers a standard colour gamut
which is approximately equal to the sRGB colour space (99% sRGB quoted).
Anyone wanting to work with wider colour spaces would need to consider wide
gamut CCFL screens or the newer range of GB-r-LED type displays available
now. If
you want to read more about colour spaces and gamut then please have a read of
our
detailed article.
Backlight
Dimming and Flicker
We tested the screen to establish the methods used
to control backlight dimming. Our in depth article talks in more details about a
common method used for this which is called
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). This in itself gives cause for concern to some
users who have experienced eye strain, headaches and other symptoms as a result
of the flickering backlight caused by this technology. We use a photosensor +
oscilloscope system to measure backlight dimming control
with a high level of accuracy and ease. These tests allow us to establish
1) Whether PWM is being used to control the
backlight
2) The frequency and other characteristics at which this operates, if it is used
3) Whether a flicker may be introduced or potentially noticeable at certain
settings
If PWM is used for backlight dimming, the higher
the frequency, the less likely you are to see artefacts and flicker. The duty
cycle (the time for which the backlight is on) is also important and the shorter
the duty cycle, the more potential there is that you may see flicker. The other
factor which can influence flicker is the amplitude of the PWM, measuring the
difference in brightness output between the 'on' and 'off' states. Please
remember that not every user would notice a flicker from a backlight using PWM,
but it is something to be wary of. It is also a hard thing to quantify as it is
very subjective when talking about whether a user may or may not experience the
side effects.
100% 50%
0%

Above scale = 1
horizontal grid = 5ms
At 100% brightness a constant voltage is applied
to the backlight. As you reduce the brightness setting to dim the backlight a
Direct Current (DC) method is used, as opposed to any form of PWM. This applies
to all brightness settings from 100% down to 0%. The screen is flicker free as a
result, much like many of Dell's other recent screens. Oddly they don't
advertise this as a selling point, but they probably should as it's a positive
thing.
Pulse Width
Modulation Used |
No |
Cycling
Frequency |
n/a |
Possible
Flicker at |
|
100% Brightness |
No |
50% Brightness |
No |
0% Brightness |
No |
For an up to date list of all flicker-free (PWM free) monitors please see our
Flicker Free Monitor Database.

Contrast
Stability and Brightness
We wanted to see how much variance there was in
the screens contrast as we adjusted the monitor setting for brightness.
In theory, brightness and contrast are two independent parameters, and good
contrast is a requirement regardless of the brightness adjustment.
Unfortunately, such is not always the case in practice. We recorded the
screens luminance and black depth at various OSD brightness settings, and
calculated the contrast ratio from there. Graphics card settings were left at
default with no ICC profile or calibration active. Tests were made using an
X-rite i1 Display Pro colorimeter. It should be noted that we used the
BasICColor calibration software here to record these, and so luminance at
default settings may vary a little from the LaCie Blue Eye Pro report.
OSD
Brightness |
Luminance
(cd/m2) |
Black
Point (cd/m2) |
Contrast
Ratio
( x:1) |
100 |
300.22 |
0.26 |
1155 |
90 |
291.90 |
0.25 |
1168 |
80 |
286.55 |
0.25 |
1146 |
70 |
266.64 |
0.23 |
1159 |
60 |
232.99 |
0.20 |
1165 |
50 |
198.79 |
0.17 |
1169 |
40 |
162.81 |
0.14 |
1163 |
30 |
127.22 |
0.11 |
1157 |
20 |
89.70 |
0.08 |
1121 |
10 |
52.80 |
0.05 |
1056 |
0 |
15.85 |
<0.02 |
- |
Total Luminance Adjustment Range
(cd/m2) |
284.37 |
Brightness OSD setting controls backlight? |
 |
Total Black Point
Adjustment Range (cd/m2) |
>0.24 |
Average Static Contrast Ratio |
1146:1 |
PWM Free? |
 |
Recommended OSD setting
for 120 cd/m2 |
28 |
The brightness control gave us a very good range
of adjustment. At the top end the maximum luminance reached 300.22
cd/m2 which was
high, and spot on in fact with the specified maximum brightness
from the manufacturer. There was a decent 284.37 cd/m2 adjustment
range in total, and so at the minimum setting you could reach down to a low
luminance of 15.85 cd/m2. This should be more than adequate for those
wanting to work in darkened room conditions with low ambient light. A setting of
28 in the OSD menu should return you a
luminance of around 120 cd/m2 at default settings in the Standard
preset mode.
It should be noted that the
brightness regulation is controlled without the need for
Pulse Width Modulation, using a Direct Current (DC) method for all brightness settings
between 100 and 0% and so the screen is flicker free.

We have plotted the
luminance trend on the graph above. The screen behaves as it should in this
regard, with a reduction in the luminance output of the screen controlled by the
reduction in the OSD brightness setting. This is not a linear relationship as
the brightness adjustments between settings of 80 and 0 control a steeper
luminance range than settings between 100 and 80 as you can see.

The average contrast ratio of
the screen was excellent for an IPS panel with an average of 1146:1. This was
pretty stable across the brightness adjustment range as shown above although at
the lowest brightness settings it did fluctuate a little.

Testing
Methodology
An
important thing to consider for most users is how a screen will perform out of
the box and with some basic manual adjustments. Since most users won't have
access to hardware colorimeter tools, it is important to understand how the
screen is going to perform in terms of colour accuracy for the average user.
We restored our graphics card to default settings and disabled any previously active
ICC profiles and gamma corrections. The screen was tested at default factory settings using the DVI interface, and analysed using
an
X-rite i1
Pro Spectrophotometer (not to be confused with the i1 Display Pro
colorimeter) combined with
LaCie's Blue Eye Pro software suite. An X-rite i1 Display Pro colorimeter was
also used to verify the black point and contrast ratio since the i1 Pro
spectrophotometer is less
reliable at the darker end.
Targets for these tests are as follows:
-
CIE Diagram - validates the colour space
covered by the monitors backlighting in a 2D view, with the black triangle representing the
displays gamut, and other reference colour spaces shown for comparison
-
Gamma - we aim for 2.2 which is the default
for computer monitors
-
Colour temperature / white point - we aim
for 6500k which is the temperature of daylight
-
Luminance - we aim for 120
cd/m2, which is
the recommended luminance for LCD monitors in normal lighting conditions
-
Black depth - we aim
for as low as possible to maximise shadow detail and to offer us the best
contrast ratio
-
Contrast ratio - we aim
for as high as possible. Any dynamic contrast ratio controls are turned off here
if present
-
dE average / maximum -
as low as possible.
If DeltaE >3, the color displayed is significantly different from the
theoretical one, meaning that the difference will be perceptible to the
viewer.
If DeltaE <2, LaCie considers the calibration a success; there remains a
slight difference, but it is barely undetectable.
If DeltaE < 1, the color fidelity is excellent.

Default Performance and
Setup
The Dell U3415W comes factory calibrated, showing
their focus on providing a high quality product suitable for colour critical
work. The screen is packaged with a calibration report
unique to your screen, confirming the targets set and met during that process.
Here they have factory calibrated the default 'Standard' preset mode to a 2.2 gamma, 6500k white point and with a
dE colour accuracy of <3. A copy of the calibration report from our unit is provided below for reference:

Default settings of the screen were as follows:
Monitor OSD Option |
Default Settings |
Brightness |
75 |
Contrast |
75 |
Preset mode |
Standard |
RGB |
n/a |

Dell U3415W - Default Settings / Factory Calibration


|
Default Settings |
luminance (cd/m2) |
292 |
Black Point (cd/m2) |
0.26 |
Contrast Ratio |
1134:1 |
Initially out of the box the screen was set in the
default 'standard' preset mode which carries the factory calibration discussed
above. The screen was bright as it was set at
a default 75% brightness setting. Colour balance and gamma felt
good, and you could tell it was a standard gamut screen. We went ahead and measured the default state with
the i1 Pro.
The
CIE diagram on the left of the image confirms that the monitors colour gamut
(black triangle) is roughly equal to
the sRGB colour space. There is some minor over-coverage in some blue and red shades, and
some minor under-coverage in some green and red shades but not by anything significant.
Default gamma was recorded at 2.2 average, leaving it with a very small 1% deviance
from the target which was excellent. White point was measured at 6470k
being <0.5% out from the target of 6500k which was again very pleasing.

Luminance was recorded at a bright 292
cd/m2 which is
too high for prolonged general use. The screen was set at a default 75%
brightness in the OSD menu but that is easy to change of course to reach a more
comfortable setting without impacting any other aspect of the setup. The black depth was 0.26 cd/m2 at this default
brightness setting, giving us an excellent (for a IPS panel) static contrast ratio of
1134:1.
Colour accuracy was good out of the box
as well with a default dE average of 2.0, although a maximum of 5.2 showed there were
some errors. Testing the screen with various gradients showed smooth transitions
with no sign of any banding thankfully. There was some gradation evident
as you will see from most monitors in darker tones. Overall the default setup
was very good, with the gamma and white point being well configured out of the box,
and the screen also offering a low dE. Looks like the
factory calibration does provide a reliable setup for the screen which should be
fine for most users once they've adjusted the brightness setting. Good work
Dell.

Calibration
We used the
X-rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer combined with the LaCie Blue Eye Pro
software package to achieve these results and reports. An X-rite i1 Display Pro
colorimeter was used to validate the black depth and contrast
ratios due to lower end limitations of the i1 Pro device.
Monitor OSD Option |
Calibrated Settings |
Brightness |
37 |
Contrast |
75 |
Preset Mode |
Custom Color |
RGB |
98, 97, 100 |

Dell U3415W - Calibrated Settings

|
Calibrated Settings |
luminance (cd/m2) |
120 |
Black Point (cd/m2) |
0.11 |
Contrast Ratio |
1091:1 |
We changed to the 'custom color' preset mode first
of all which would give us access
to the RGB channels, as well as the brightness and contrast settings which are
available in all the modes. All these OSD
changes allowed us to obtain an
optimum hardware starting point and setup before software level changes would be
made at the graphics card level. We left the LaCie software to calibrate
to "max" brightness which would just retain the luminance of whatever brightness
we'd set the screen to, and would not in any way try and alter the luminance at
the graphics card level, which can reduce contrast ratio. These adjustments
before profiling the screen would help preserve tonal values and limit
banding issues. After this we let the software carry out the LUT adjustments and create an
ICC profile.

Average gamma was now corrected to 2.2 average,
correcting the minor 1% deviance we'd seen out of the box in the 'standard' preset
mode. The
white point was maintained at the target, now measured at 6501k, but that was
already reliable out of the box. Luminance had been improved thanks to the
adjustment to the brightness control and was now being measured at 120
cd/m2. You may
note that you need a higher brightness setting to reach this level in this
'custom color' preset mode than in the 'standard' mode. This
left us a black depth of 0.11 cd/m2 and maintained an excellent static contrast ratio
(for an IPS panel) of
1091:1. Colour accuracy of the resulting
profile was very good, with dE average of 0.4 and maximum of 0.8. LaCie would
consider colour fidelity to be very good overall.
Testing the screen with various colour gradients
showed mostly smooth transitions. There was some slight gradation in darker tones
but no banding introduced due to the adjustments to the
graphics card LUT from the profilation of the screen which was pleasing.
You can use our settings and
try our calibrated ICC profile if you wish, which are available in
our ICC profile database. Keep in mind that results will vary from one
screen to another and from one computer / graphics card to another.

Calibration
Performance Comparisons

The comparisons made in this section try to give
you a better view of how each screen performs, particularly out of the box which
is what is going to matter to most consumers. When comparing the default factory
settings for each monitor it is important to take into account several
measurement areas - gamma, white point and colour accuracy. There's no point
having a low dE colour accuracy figure if the gamma curve is way off for
instance. A good factory calibration requires all 3 to be well set up. We have
deliberately not included luminance in this comparison since this is normally
far too high by default on every screen. However, that is very easily controlled
through the brightness setting (on most screens) and should not impact the other
areas being measured anyway. It is easy enough to obtain a suitable luminance
for your working conditions and individual preferences, but a reliable factory
setup in gamma, white point and colour accuracy is important and not as easy to
change accurately without a calibration tool.
From these comparisons we can also compare the
calibrated colour accuracy, black depth and contrast ratio. After a calibration
the gamma, white point and luminance should all be at their desired targets.

Default setup of the screen out of the box was
very good with a gamma within only 1% deviance from the target and white point
being <0.5% out.
Colour accuracy was good as well thanks to the factory calibration with dE 2.0 average.
Contrast ratio was also excellent for an
IPS panel at
around 1134:1 out of the box. It is too bright of course, but that's easy to
turn down via the brightness setting. This factory calibration was a little
better than other recent factory calibrated UltraSharp screens from Dell, which
showed a little more error from the targets in the table above. We were
impressed by the factory setup here on the U3415W.


The display was also very strong when it came to black depth
and contrast ratio for an IPS-type panel. With a calibrated contrast ratio
of 1091:1 it was very comparable to the
LG 34UM95 34" flat format screen (1064:1). It was not
quite as high as we'd seen from some other recent smaller screens from Dell,
like the
U2515H (1138:1) for instance, but it was still very good. Of course
it can't compete with VA panel types which can reach over 2000:1 easily, and
commonly up to 3000:1, even a little over 4000:1 in the case of the 40"
Philips BDM4065UC.

Viewing Angles

Above: Viewing
angles shown from front and side, and from above and below. Click for
larger image
Viewing angles of the U3415W were very good as you
would expect from an IPS panel. Horizontally there was very little colour tone
shift until wide angles past about 45°. A slight darkening of the image occurred
horizontally from wider angles as you can see above as the contrast shifted
slighting. Contrast shifts were slightly more noticeable in the vertical field
but overall they were very good. The screen offered the wide viewing angles of
IPS technology and was free from the restrictive fields of view of TN Film
panels, especially in the vertical plane. It was also free of the off-centre
contrast shift you see from VA panels and a lot of the quite obvious gamma and
colour tone shift you see from some of the modern VA panel type offerings. All as
expected really from a modern IPS panel.

Above: View of an
all black screen from the side. Click for larger version
On a black image there is a characteristic white
glow when viewed from an angle, commonly referred to as "IPS-glow". This is common
on most modern IPS-type panels and can be distracting to some users. If you view
dark content from a normal head-on viewing position, you can actually see this
glow as your eyes look towards the edges of the screen. Because of the sheer
horizontal size of this 34" panel, the glow towards the edges is more obvious
than on small screens, where there isn't such a long distance from your central
position to the edges. Some people may find this problematic if they are working
with a lot of dark content or solid colour patterns. In normal day to day uses,
office work, movies and games you couldn't really notice this unless you were
viewing darker content. If you move your viewing position back, which is
probably likely for movies and games, the effect reduces as you do not have such
an extreme angle from your eye position to the screen edges. The glow effect was
a little less than on flat 34" ultra-wide screens as the curved nature created a
smaller angle between your eyes and the edges of the screen.

Panel Uniformity
We wanted to test
here how uniform the brightness and colour temperature was across the screen, as well as identify any
leakage from the backlight in dark lighting conditions. Measurements of the luminance
and colour temperature were taken at 36 points across the panel on a pure
white background. The measurements for luminance were taken using BasICColor's calibration
software package, combined with an X-rite i1 Display Pro
colorimeter with a central point on the screen calibrated to 120 cd/m2. Measurements for colour temperature (white point) were taken using
BasICColor software and the i1 Pro spectrophotometer which can more accurately
measure the white point of different backlighting technologies. The below uniformity diagram shows the difference, as a percentage,
between the measurement recorded at each point on the screen, as compared with the
central reference point.
It is worth
noting that panel uniformity can vary from one screen to another, and can depend
on manufacturing lines, screen transport and other local factors. This is only a
guide of the uniformity of the sample screen we have for review.

Uniformity of Luminance
Uniformity Compensation = Off

The luminance uniformity of the screen was
moderate
here. The left and right hand edges were a bit darker than the central areas
of the screen, dropping down to 96 cd/m2 in the most extreme
cases (-25%). The central areas were a bit more uniform though.
Approximately 67% of the screen was within a 10% deviance of the centrally
calibrated point which was reasonable.
Uniformity
Compensation Feature

Like on some of the high end UltraSharp models the
U3415W features a uniformity compensation feature within the OSD menu as shown
above. This isn't something Dell have made much fuss of oddly, but it's a
feature again normally reserved for pro-grade screens. We've seen similar
technologies used on NEC and Eizo screens in the past with some positive
results. Dell have used it in the past on models like the
U2413, U2713H, U3014
and UP3214Q, but not on recent more mainstream UltraSharps like the
U2414H,
U2415 or U2715H.
We had seen from
the U2713H testing that this uniformity compensation mode seemed to do
nothing in reality to change the actual performance of the screen. When
switching to the "calibrated" mode you could see a visible change in the
brightness of the screen but when verifying the variations across the screen
with a colorimeter, no improvements had been made. This was a disappointment
certainly, especially when we then later tested the
Dell U2913WM which had the same feature which seemed to work pretty well.
When we then
tested the feature on the U2413 and
U3014 we found it did help improve the already pretty decent luminance
uniformity of the screen but concluded it was largely pointless in practice. It
could not be used in the factory calibrated preset modes (Adobe RGB and sRGB),
or in the hardware calibrated modes (CAL1 and CAL2) which are surely the modes
most users are going to use. If you then wanted to use it in one of the other
modes (e.g. standard preset), you had to have the screen at a bright 50%
brightness setting, and you cannot change it from this. So really it was pretty
useless in real use. It's a shame, and it seemed a very odd choice really
considering the type of screen these models are.
Thankfully when
we later tested the
UP3214Q Dell had made a few improvements to its use, although it still
wasn't perfect. The uniformity compensation feature could be used in the
standard, color temp and custom color modes only. Again, as with the other
models it cannot be used in the factory calibrated sRGB of Adobe RGB modes, or
in your hardware calibrated CAL1 or CAL2 modes. This in itself severely limits
its practical usage. When using the feature in any of the three preset modes we
mentioned, you can at least enable it no matter what brightness setting you are
at. You no longer need to revert to the default and overly bright 50%
brightness, and instead it can be activated at whatever brightness setting you
have set the screen to already. Once enabled in the 'standard' or 'color temp'
presets, the brightness and contrast options are then locked so you cannot
change away from your setting without first turning the uniformity compensation
feature off. At least you have some flexibility to use the feature at differing
brightness settings though. When using the 'custom color' preset mode, you CAN
change the brightness even with the feature active, so that gives you even more
flexibility thankfully in that mode. All of this does mean that you can only use
the feature when using the screens native colour space, and there's no way to
use sRGB or the Adobe RGB emulation modes and have uniformity compensation
active at all.
With the
feature included again now on the U3415W we were keen to see how it worked,
and if it offered any benefits in improving the uniformity of the screen.
The option was available when using the standard, colour temp and custom
color preset modes only. It was greyed out when using the other preset modes
like game or movie. Once enabled the brightness and contrast controls become
locked which is a shame, so you are stuck at whatever luminance Dell have
decided to lock this at. If you look in the OSD menu you can see the energy
bar indicator is at maximum, suggesting the backlight is turned up to full,
but then digital white level adjustments are made to provide the uniformity
compensation and also reduce the luminance output. We measured the luminance
in the standard preset mode at ~174 cd/m2 so it was certainly
much lower than the maximum brightness of 300 cd/m2, but still
quite bright compared with a recommended 120 cd/m2 level.
If we stick
to the standard preset mode for now, we can compare the before and after
impact of this feature on the setup of the screen.

Dell U3415W - Default standard preset mode
Uniformity compensation = Off

|
Default Settings |
luminance (cd/m2) |
292 |
Black Point (cd/m2) |
0.26 |
Contrast Ratio |
1134:1 |
Above is out out of the box default setup discussed earlier in the review, with
the uniformity compensation feature turned off. Brightness is set at the default
75 setting in the OSD.

Dell U3415W - Default standard preset mode
Uniformity compensation = On
|
Default Settings |
luminance (cd/m2) |
174 |
Black Point (cd/m2) |
0.28 |
Contrast Ratio |
629:1 |
Turning the uniformity compensation feature on
brought about a few changes to the image. Firstly, the luminance output was
dimmed quite a lot, and we measured the brightness now at 174
cd/m2.
The brightness setting in the OSD cannot be changed, and the power indicator
bar shows full energy usage suggesting it was turned up to 100 in reality. So the reduced luminance here is now down to
digital white level adjustments. Because of this, the contrast ratio is
crushed a lot, down from 1134:1 to 629:1. Not too severe, but certainly a
big drop. Most uniformity compensation features from all manufacturers will
lead to some loss in contrast ratio. Other aspects of the setup were not
affected much, although gamma increased a little to 2.3 average, increasing
the error a few percent.

Dell U3415W - Calibrated Custom Color preset mode
Uniformity compensation = Off
|
Calibrated Settings |
luminance (cd/m2) |
120 |
Black Point (cd/m2) |
0.11 |
Contrast Ratio |
1091:1 |
We also tested the before and after performance from our calibrated 'custom
color' preset mode. Above is the calibrated result from earlier on in the
review.

Dell U3415W - Calibrated Custom Color preset mode
Uniformity compensation = On

|
Calibrated Settings |
luminance (cd/m2) |
160 |
Black Point (cd/m2) |
0.27 |
Contrast Ratio |
593:1 |
Oddly in the 'custom color' preset mode the uniformity compensation feature had
a massive impact to the image appearance, and this is without changing any other
aspects of our calibrated screen state. You could spot a noticeable change in
the gamma of the screen when the setting was first enabled, and we measured the
average gamma now as 2.7, leaving a bit 21% deviance. Luminance had again been
suppressed down to 160
cd/m2
through the digital white level adjustments, leaving us again with a crushed
contrast ratio of only 593:1, compared with the 1091:1 we had before. Colour
accuracy was also now way off as well because of the adjusted gamma, with dE
average 3.9, maximum of 8.9. We would suggest sticking to the standard preset
mode if you're going to use the uniformity compensation feature. In the OSD you
can actually have the feature turned on or off for different preset modes which
is quite handy, and it remembers what you last had selected if you go back to
that preset mode again.
Let's have a look
how it affects the actual uniformity of the screen as well:

Uniformity of Luminance
Uniformity Compensation =
On

With the compensation feature turned on, the
luminance uniformity was much better and extremely good in fact. There was very
little deviance across the whole screen with only minor differences
measured of a few percent. All of the screen was within 5% of the central point
of the screen. The feature worked well at correcting the luminance uniformity,
although it was a shame it wasn't a bit more flexible.
It seems that the
uniformity compensation mode makes a mess of the custom color preset mode, so if
you do want to use it, stick with the standard preset mode. It doesn't impact
the setup in the standard mode much, other than crushing the contrast ratio by a
significant amount. You do have to live with a locked brightness as well and a
luminance output of ~174 cd/m2 which is a bit of a pain.

Backlight Leakage

Above: All black screen in a darkened room. Click for larger version
As usual we also tested the screen with an all
black image and in a darkened room. A camera was used to capture the result. The
camera showed there was some backlight leakage here with some clouding detected
in the corners, particularly the top left. This could be noticed with the naked
eye as well, so if you are working with a lot of dark content, or in darkened
room conditions this may be a bit distracting. It wasn't major leakage, but
there was some there.

General and Office Applications

One of the key selling points of ultra-wide
screens like the U3415W is it's high resolution and large screen size. The 3440
x 1440 display offers a sharp but comfortable picture. Its pixel area is about
1.8 times larger than an Ultra-Wide Full HD 21:9 monitor, and about 2.4 times
larger than a Full HD 16:9 monitor. It provides an efficient environment in
using Microsoft Office programs showing 47 columns and 63 rows in excel.
Thankfully the high resolution is of a very comfortable size on the 34" panel,
with a 0.2325mm pixel pitch is is very comparable to a 27" 2560 x 1440 monitor
(0.2331mm). This means you are basically getting a wider desktop to work with,
with a similar font size to a 27" model, and maintaining the same vertical
resolution as well. If you're coming from a lower resolution / larger pixel
pitch you may still find the fonts look quite small to start with, but like the
27" 1440p models out there you soon get used to it. Side by side multi-tasking on this screen is excellent and
you really do have a nice wide area to work with. We liked the curved format of
the display actually for day to day office work. It just felt a bit more
comfortable than a flat screen on a model as wide as this, bringing the corners
a bit nearer to you. You didn't really notice the curve in normal use but we
liked the feel. Probably down to user taste, so if in doubt try and see one in person.
The light AG coating of the IPS panel doesn't
produce any graininess to the image like some aggressive AG solutions can and so
white office backgrounds look clean and clear. The wide viewing angles of the
IPS panel technology provide stable images from different angles, meaning you
can use the screen if you want for colour critical work, photos etc. This panel
technology still offers the widest viewing angles and so is well-suited to
colour work. Some contrast shifts and IPS-glow may be evident because of the
very wide size of the display, as you glance towards the edges from a centrally
aligned position. That's hard to avoid on such a large desktop monitor from
close up, even with IPS technology. The default
factory calibration setup of the screen was very good in all
regards, and we were also
pleased with the strong 1089:1 contrast ratio (after calibration) as well.
The brightness
range of the screen was also very good, with the ability to offer a luminance
between 300 and 16 cd/m2. This should mean the screen is perfectly
useable in a wide variety of ambient light conditions, including darkened rooms.
A setting of ~28 in the OSD brightness control should return you a luminance
close to 120 cd/m2 out of the box in the standard preset mode. On another positive note, the brightness
regulation is controlled without the need for the use of the now infamous
Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM), and so those who suffer from eye fatigue or
headaches associated with flickering backlights need not worry. All of the
recent Dell screens we've tested have been flicker free, so it's a wonder they
don't start advertising this as a key feature really, as everyone else seems to
be focusing on it.
There was no
audible noise or buzzing from the screen, even when specifically looking for it
using test images with a large amount of text at once. The screen also remains
cool even during prolonged use. There is a 'paper' preset mode available from
the menu which may be useful if you want to set up the screen for different uses
perhaps and made the image much more yellow. There are only 2x HDMI and 2x
DisplayPort connections (1 regular, 1 mini) here so connectivity could be
considered a little limited for some older systems.

The screen offers 4x USB 3.0 ports which can be
useful and it was nice to keep this up to date with the modern version. Here, 3 of them are on the underside back with the
video connections, and 1 is on the back of the screen (the charging capable
port) since the profile of the screen is too thin to really make them easy to
include on the edge of the screen. The screen even has the ability to be
connected back to two different PC's using the dual USB upstream connections,
meaning you can use the USB hub from two different inputs to the screen if you
want to. There are integrated 2x 9W stereo speakers which are reasonable for the
occasional YouTube clip or mp3. An additional audio-out connection is provided,
although oddly it doesn't support headphones and Dell haven't provided a
headphone port here.
There are no further extras like ambient light
sensors or card readers which can be useful in office environments. There was a
great range of ergonomic adjustments available from the stand allowing you to
obtain a comfortable position for a wide variety of angles. The VESA mounting
support may also be useful to some people as well. The thin bezel and edge
design of the screen make it a possibility for multi-monitor setups, although
the sheer size of it might make that difficult for most people. You need one
massive desk to cope with 2x 34" ultra-wide screens!

Above: photo of
text at 3440 x 1440 (top) and 2560 x 1080 (bottom)
The screen is designed to run at its native
resolution of 34400 x 1440 and at a 60Hz recommended refresh rate. However,
if you want you are able to run the screen outside of this resolution. We tested
the screen at a lower 2560 x 1080 resolution to see how the screen handles the
interpolation of the resolution, while maintaining the same aspect ratio of
21:9. At native resolution the text was very sharp and comfortable as we've already
discussed. When running at a the lower resolution the text is still pretty sharp, with low
levels of blurring. You do lose a lot of screen real-estate as well of course
but the image seems to be interpolated well.

Responsiveness and Gaming
Quoted G2G Response Time |
5ms G2G (Fast mode)
8ms G2G (Normal mode) |
Quoted ISO Response Time |
n/a |
Panel Manufacturer and
Technology |
LG.Display |
Panel Part |
LM340WU2-SSA1 |
Overdrive Used |
Yes |
Overdrive Control Available to
User |
'Response Time' |
Overdrive Settings |
Normal, Fast |
The U3415W is rated by Dell as having a 5ms to 8ms G2G response time,
depending on the setting selected,
which indicates the panel uses
overdrive /
response time compensation (RTC) technology to boost pixel transitions
across grey to grey changes. There is user control over the overdrive impulse
within the OSD menu using the 'Response Time' option. The
part
being used is the
LG.Display LM340WU2-SSA1 AH-IPS panel. Have a read about response time in
our
specs section if you need additional information about this measurement.
We will first test the screen using our thorough
response time testing method. This uses an oscilloscope and photosensor to
measure the pixel response times across a series of different transitions, in
the full range from 0 (black) to 255 (white). This will give us a realistic view
of how the monitor performs in real life, as opposed to being reliant only on a
manufacturers spec. We can work out the response times for changing between many
different shades, calculate the maximum, minimum and average grey
to grey (G2G) response times, and provide an evaluation of any overshoot present
on the monitor.
We use an
ETC M526
oscilloscope for these measurements along with a custom photosensor device.
Have a read of
our response time measurement article for a full explanation of the testing methodology and reported
data.
Response Time Setting Comparison

The U3415W comes with a user control for the
overdrive impulse available within the OSD menu in the 'display' section as
shown above. This isn't something Dell used to provide, but they've started to
feature it on their new models which is pleasing. Previously the user was reliant
on the factory setup and often this has lead to issues with overshoot on some
models (e.g. Dell U2413, U2713H, U3014). There are two options available here in
the menu, for 'normal' and 'fast' modes.
First of all we carried out a smaller sample set
of measurements in both of the 'Response Time' settings. These, along with various
motion tests allowed us to quickly identify which was the optimum overdrive setting
for this screen.

First we tested the screen with the Response Time
option set to 'Normal' which according to Dell should have an 8ms G2G response
time. Response times varied somewhat, with some transitions being quite a bit slower at around
12 - 15ms, and some even reaching as high as 20ms. Others transitions were
faster, reaching down to 6 - 7ms and living up to the spec at least. Overall we
measured an average 10.3ms G2G response time which was moderate for an IPS
panel, but not as fast as we'd seen from other recent Dell models like the 24"
U2415 for instance (8.6ms with response time 'normal'). In this response time
mode there was very little overshoot at all across any transition so there were
no annoying dark or pale halos like you might see where overshoot is at a higher
level. We had perhaps hoped for a little faster performance here given our
recent experience with Dell screens. Let's see if the 'Fast' mode can offer any
improvements at all.

With the Response Time setting now switched up to the 'Fast'
mode, response times had improved quite a lot down to 7.1ms G2G average. However, this
was at the cost of some very noticeable overshoot which was too high to make
it practical for most uses. The overdrive was being applied too aggressively
here, trying to reduce response times, but introducing too many
side-effects sadly. The 'Normal' mode was optimum on this model we felt. This
was a shame as we had hoped for faster response times here,
but without the overshoot problems which had been introduced. Maybe somewhere in
the middle would have been a better balance, reaching down to around 8.5ms G2G
would have been nice without overshoot, as quite a few other good 60Hz IPS screens
have managed in recent times. You're better sticking with the 'normal' mode here
to avoid the noticeable overshoot.

If we take some test photos using the PixPerAn
tool you can make some further visual comparisons between the overdrive
'Response Time' settings. With Response Time set to 'normal' the moving image
showed some low levels of motion blur, but nothing too major. There was no sign
of any overshoot artefacts in this mode which was pleasing. When you switch to the 'fast' setting, the
blurring is reduced a noticeable amount and the image becomes sharper as response times are boosted.
However, some noticeable
overshoot is evident in these particular colour transitions in the form of
obvious dark trailing. We know from our
oscilloscope measurements that a fair few transitions show significant levels
of overshoot so we prefer the 'normal' mode.
More Detailed Measurements - Response Time =
Normal
Having established that the Response Time 'Normal' mode seemed to
offer the best response/overshoot balance we carried
out our normal wider range of measurements as shown below:



The average G2G response time was more accurately
measured at 10.6ms which was moderate for an IPS panel overall. Some transitions
were faster at as low as 6ms minimum, particularly when changing to white (x >
255). The rise times were a fair bit slower than the fall times on average, with
a few problematic transitions which were quite a lot slower. These were most
noticeable when changing from black to dark grey.


There was pretty much no overshoot as well in this
Response Time mode, with only a couple of transitions showing anything at all, and
even then, fairly low.
The overdrive impulse was being applied well and in a controlled fashion which was pleasing.
We had seen that boosting the RTC in the 'Fast' mode just led to too much
overshoot.

Display Comparisons


The above comparison table and graph shows you the
lowest, average and highest G2G response time measurement for each screen we
have tested with our oscilloscope system. There is also a colour coded mark next
to each screen in the table to indicate the RTC overshoot error, as the response
time figure alone doesn't tell the whole story.
The response time performance of the U3415W using
the 'Normal' Response Time setting was moderate overall for an IPS-type panel. With an
average G2G response time of 10.6ms measured, it was a little slower than some
other recent Dell screens like the U2515H (9.3ms) and U2715H (9.9ms), although
not by a huge amount. Our reference point for a 60Hz IPS panel is the Dell U2415
(8.6ms) which until recently was the best we had seen from an IPS panel without
introducing a lot of overshoot. The new
Acer XB270HU with a 144Hz IPS-type (AHVA) panel had reached a very
impressive 5.5ms G2G without overshoot, although that screen operates at a much
higher refresh rate than the U3415W of course. The 'Fast' Response time mode
pushed pixel transitions faster, but did result in some significant overshoot so
should probably be avoided. Modern TN Film panels are still much faster,
reaching down to 2.9ms for instance in the example of the
Asus
ROG Swift PG278Q (with moderate overshoot).
The screen was also tested using the chase test in
PixPerAn for the following display comparisons. As a reminder, a series of
pictures are taken on the highest shutter speed and compared, with the best case
example shown on the left, and worst case example on the right. This should only
be used as a rough guide to comparative responsiveness but is handy for a
comparison between different screens and technologies as well as a means to
compare those screens we tested before the introduction of our oscilloscope
method.

34"
8ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Normal)
In practice the Dell U3415W performed best with
Response Time set to 'normal'. There were pretty low levels of motion blur
and no ghosting visible. Thankfully no overshoot was detectable in these tests
which was pleasing and we know from our oscilloscope measurements that there's
very little in this response time mode.

34"
8ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Normal)

27"
8ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Normal)

25"
8ms G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response
Time = Normal)

24"
8ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Normal)
We can start by comparing the U3415W against other
recent Dell UltraSharp screens in sizes between 24 and 27". In practice the
U3415W was very close to the U2715H model, with response times being only
slightly slower. There were comparable levels of blurring to the moving image
there. The 25" U2515H was a tad faster, but not by much. The 24" U2415 showed a
sharper moving image than the U3415W and also had a slightly lower level of
overshoot as well. That model represents about as good as you can get from a
modern 60Hz IPS panel without overshoot being introduced.

34"
8ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Normal)

34"
5ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Middle)
We can also compare the U3415W with the other 34"
ultra-wide display we've tested, the LG 34UM95. The LG was marginally faster
than the Dell in our measurements, but in practice it was hard to separate the
two to be honest.

34"
8ms
G2G LG.Display AH-IPS (Response Time = Normal)

27"
4ms G2G AU Optronics AHVA (IPS-type)
@ 144Hz (OD = Normal)

27"
1ms
G2G AU Optronics TN Film @ 144Hz (OD = Normal)

23.5" 4ms G2G
Sharp MVA + 120Hz
We've also included a comparison above against
3 very fast 120Hz+ compatible screens we have tested. The other screens shown
here are all aimed primarily at gamers and have various features and extras
which make them more suitable overall for gaming.
Firstly there is a comparison against the
Acer Predator XB270HU which is a 144Hz refresh rate IPS-type (AHVA) screen.
It showed very fast pixel response times, improved in fact as you increase the
refresh rate setting. There was no overshoot detected at all as long as you
stick with the optimum 'normal' OD setting. The display also features other
advanced gaming functions like NVIDIA's G-sync, and Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB)
mode which really helps reduce perceived motion blur in practice.
There is also a comparison with the excellent
Asus ROG Swift PG278Q with its 144Hz refresh
rate and fast response time TN Film panel. This showed very fast pixel response times and smooth movement thanks to
its increased refresh rate. There was
some slight overshoot noticeable on the Asus but nothing major. This model also
features NVIDIA G-sync and ULMB support.
Lastly there is the MVA based
Eizo
Foris FG2421 screen
with a fast response time (especially for the panel technology being used) and
120Hz refresh rate support. There is also an additional 'Turbo 240' motion blur
reduction mode which really helps reduce the perceived motion blur in practice.
While these pixel response tests from PixPerAn
give one view of the performance of the panel, there is something else going on as well here which can't be picked out by the camera. All of these other
gaming models are
running at 120Hz (or higher) refresh rates, which allows for improved 120fps+ frame rates and
in some cases the support of
3D stereoscopic content as well. This can really help improve smoothness and
the overall gaming experience so these screens still have the edge when it comes
to fast gaming. Any additional extras to reduce perceived motion blur can also
have a real benefit in practical terms, and again not easy to pick out with this
camera method.

The overall gaming performance of the Dell U3415W
was decent enough. The two response time settings allow you to choose the
best option for your needs. The 'normal' mode was our preferred option, giving a
moderate IPS response time of 10.6ms G2G, without introducing any
real overshoot. Not quite as fast as we had hoped compared with some of Dell's
smaller IPS UltraSharp models. It is a
screen lacking higher refresh rate support or any advanced gaming features like
blur reduction modes or G-sync/FreeSync, but as a general 60Hz screen with
reasonable IPS gaming
performance, it's fine. The curved format of the display provided a slight boost
in immersion we felt in gaming, helping to make it feel like the screen is
wrapped around your field of view a little. This could be a nice option for
immersive simulator type games in practicular.

Additional Gaming Features

Aspect Ratio Control -
The U3415W has 4 options for
aspect ratio control through the OSD 'Display' menu as shown above. There
are options for wide 21:9, 16:9, auto resize and 1:1 pixel mapping. Nice to see
an auto aspect ratio option available which will maintain the source input
aspect ratio and scale to fill as much of the screen as possible. Also great to
see a 1:1 pixel mapping mode. Those options would have been handy on other
recent UltraSharp models like the U2415 which is a native 16:10 format and
lacking the ability to handle a 16:9 source ratio properly.

Preset Modes -
There is a specific 'game' available in the
OSD which appears to make the image a little cooler than our calibrated custom
mode. It gives you access to the dynamic contrast ratio control if you want to
use it as well.

Lag
We have written an in depth article about
input lag and the various measurement techniques which are used to evaluate
this aspect of a display. It's important to first of all understand the
different methods available and also what this lag means to you as an end-user.
Input Lag vs. Display Lag vs. Signal
Processing
To avoid confusion with different terminology we
will refer to this section of our reviews as just "lag" from now on, as there
are a few different aspects to consider, and different interpretations of the
term "input lag". We will consider the following points here as much as
possible. The overall "display lag" is the first, that being the delay between
the image being shown on the TFT display and that being shown on a CRT. This is
what many people will know as input lag and originally was the measure made to
explain why the image is a little behind when using a CRT. The older stopwatch
based methods were the common way to measure this in the past, but through
advanced studies have been shown to be quite inaccurate. As a result, more
advanced tools like SMTT provide a method to measure that delay between a TFT
and CRT while removing the inaccuracies of older stopwatch methods.
In reality that lag / delay is caused by a
combination of two things - the signal processing delay caused by the TFT
electronics / scaler, and the response time of the pixels themselves. Most
"input lag" measurements over the years have always been based on the overall
display lag (signal processing + response time) and indeed the SMTT tool is
based on this visual difference between a CRT and TFT and so measures the
overall display lag. In practice the signal processing is the element which
gives the feel of lag to the user, and the response time of course can
impact blurring, and overall image quality in moving scenes. As people become
more aware of lag as a possible issue, we are of course keen to try and
understand the split between the two as much as possible to give a complete
picture.
The signal processing element within that is quite
hard to identify without extremely high end equipment and very complicated
methods. In fact the studies by Thomas Thiemann which really kicked this whole
thing off were based on equipment worth >100,1000 Euro, requiring extremely high
bandwidths and very complicated methods to trigger the correct behaviour and
accurately measure the signal processing on its own. Other techniques which are
being used since are not conducted by Thomas (he is a freelance writer) or based
on this equipment or technique, and may also be subject to other errors or
inaccuracies based on our conversations with him since. It's very hard as a
result to produce a technique which will measure just the signal processing on
its own unfortunately. Many measurement techniques are also not explained and so
it is important to try and get a picture from various sources if possible to
make an informed judgement about a display overall.
For our tests we will continue to use the SMTT
tool to measure the overall "display lag". From there we can use our
oscilloscope system to measure the response time across a wide range of grey to
grey (G2G) transitions as recorded in our
response time
tests. Since SMTT will not include the full response time within its
measurements, after speaking with Thomas further about the situation we will
subtract half of the average G2G response time from the total display lag. This should allow us to give a good estimation of
how much of the overall lag is attributable to the signal processing element on
its own.
Lag Classification
To help in this section we will also introduce a broader classification system
for these results to help categorise each screen as one of the following levels:
-
Class 1)
Less than 16ms / 1 frame lag - should be fine for gamers, even at high levels
-
Class
2)
A lag of 16 -
32ms / One to two frames - moderate lag but should be fine for many gamers.
Caution advised for serious gaming and FPS
-
Class
3)
A lag of more
than 32ms / more than 2 frames - Some noticeable lag in daily usage, not
suitable for high end gaming

For the full reviews of the models compared here and the dates they were written
(and when screens were approximately released to the market), please see our
full
reviews index.
(Measurements in ms) |
|
Total Display Lag (SMTT
2) |
25.6 |
Pixel Response Time
Element |
5.80 |
Estimated Signal
Processing Lag |
19.8 |
Lag Classification |
2 |
|

Class 2 |
We have provided a comparison above against other
models we have tested to give an indication between screens. The screens
tested are split into two measurements which are
based on our overall display lag tests (using SMTT) and half the average G2G
response time, as measured by the oscilloscope. The response time is split from
the overall display lag and shown on the graph as the green bar. From there, the
signal processing (red bar) can be provided as a good estimation.
The screen showed a total average display lag of
25.6 ms as measured with SMTT 2. Taking into account half the average G2G
response time at 5.8ms ('Normal' Response Time setting), we can estimate that
there is ~19.8 ms of signal
processing lag on this screen, just over 2 frame of delay. This is a moderate
lag, and might make the screen a little limited when it comes to very fast
gaming and FPS.

Movies and Video

The following summarises the screens performance
in video applications:
-
34"
screen size makes it a good option for an all-in-one multimedia screen, and
pushing towards the diagonal size of a lot of smaller end LCD TV's even.
-
21:9
aspect ratio is well suited to videos and particularly movies, leaving smaller
borders on DVD's and wide screen content at the top and bottom. The ultra-wide
aspect and size is well-suited to watching movies and really works well.
-
3440 x
1440 resolution can support full 1080 HD resolution content.
-
Digital interface support HDCP for any encrypted and protected content
-
HDMI and DisplayPort connections available.
Nice to see HDMI connectivity included for modern DVD players, Blu-ray,
consoles etc.
-
Cables provided in the box
for HDMI and DisplayPort.
-
Light
AG coating provides clear images with no major graininess, and without the
unwanted reflections of a glossy solution.
-
Wide
brightness range adjustment possible from the display, including high maximum
luminance of ~300
cd/m2 and a very good minimum
luminance of 16 cd/m2. This should afford you very good control for
different lighting conditions. Contrast ratio remains stable across most of
that adjustment range as well and is excellent for an IPS-type panel at
>1000:1. Brightness regulation is controlled without the need for PWM and so
is flicker free at all settings which is pleasing.
-
Black
depth and contrast ratio are excellent for an IPS-type panel at 1089:1 after
calibration. Detail in darker scenes should not be lost as a result.
-
There
is a specific 'movie' preset mode available for movies or video in the OSD
which looked noticeably cooler than out calibrated custom mode. It gives you
access to the dynamic contrast ratio option as well if you want to use it.
-
Good
pixel responsiveness which can handle fast moving scenes in movies without
issue. No real overshoot issues which is good news. Just stick to the 'Normal'
Response Time setting for optimum performance.
-
Wide viewing angles from IPS panel technology
meaning several people could view the screen at once comfortable and from a
whole host of different angles. White IPS glow from an angle may be an issue
for some darker content.
-
Some
slight areas of backlight leakage but nothing major on our sample which is
good. Some uniformity variations may be visible on darker movie scenes in
darkened room conditions.
-
Good range range of ergonomic adjustments
available from the stand, making it easy to position the screen in different
ways for viewing from different positions.
-
Integrated 2x 9W stereo speakers offered on this model, may be ok for the odd
video clip but probably not for any movie viewing.
-
Decent
enough range of
hardware aspect ratio options available which is very useful for external
devices.
-
Picture By Picture (PbP) and Picture In Picture (PiP) are available on this
model.

Conclusion
The size and format of the Dell U3415W took a few
days to get used to, but after that we really did enjoy working with the wide
desktop space, high resolution and comfortable pixel pitch size. The curved
format was also nice to work with we felt, providing an immersive experience and
a more natural feel than the flat 34" models we've seen. Performance wise the
factory calibration was very pleasing, with a decent setup out of the box. This
was coupled with a strong IPS contrast ratio as well which impressed us. The use
of a flicker free backlight and light AG coating, as we've seen from all recent
Dell UltraSharp models, was great news as well. Something which Dell should
really start promoting we think.
Unlike the LG 34UM95 we tested, the stand was far
more versatile here, offering a good range of adjustments. Connectivity was good
and it was nice to see a few extras such as the dual USB upstream, integrated
speakers and USB 3.0 support offered here. Dell have done a good job with the
features on this model. They've even included a high end feature from their
premium grade screens, the uniformity compensation function. This worked very
well at improving the panel uniformity, it's just a shame it's not more flexible
in its operation - being locked at a certain brightness level when used.
Response times were moderate for an IPS panel, but we had perhaps hoped for a
little better given some of the smaller IPS models we've tested from Dell
recently. Maybe the 'fast' response time mode could have done with being a
little less aggressive to make it more useable.
Overall the U3415W offered some good all-round
performance you'd expect from a modern IPS panel. It was coupled with a nice set
of extras, stand adjustments and features making it a nice choice if you are
after an ultra-wide screen in this size range.
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and enjoy reading and like our work, we would welcome a
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Pros |
Cons |
Good factory calibration and
strong contrast ratio |
Uniformity compensation mode
works well, but inflexible in options |
Flicker free and light AG
coating |
Response times not as fast as
we had hoped and moderate lag also |
Massive ultra-wide screen size
and curve aspect ratio comfortable to use |
IPS glow possibly an issue on
a screen this size |


Dell U3415W Now Available