Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Dell U2713H vs. Thunderbolt Display

Hog Milanese

Hog Milanese

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 19, 2012
199
201
Austin
How do these two monitors compare? Anyone out there with experience with the Dell?

I'm also wondering how the USB3.0 connectivity would work with a MacBook Air (for example)? Like, if you wanted to have a USB3.0 hard drive always connected to the monitor, what cables would you be plugging into the MacBook each time you "docked" at home/work with this monitor?

Link to Dell: http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/monitors/en/dell_ultrasharp_u2713h_specs.pdf
 
Using my ATD with my rMBP, there is only the one dual connector cable between them. The cable has a Thunderbolt connector for multiplexing video, audio, ethernet, and any devices I have connected to the ATD via FW, USB, or Thunderbolt.

The other connector on the dual cable is a magsafe for charging my rMBP. You use an adaptor to go from magsafe to magsafe2.

I usually have my USB keyboard, a USB hub, a modem, ethernet cable, and my LaCie 2Big6TB disk array connected to the ATD.
 
Right, I get how the Thunderbolt Display works via Thunderbolt, but I'm wondering how many (and which) connectors from this Dell display would have to be hooked up to the MacBook every time I use/dock it, in order for an external hard drive or other peripherals to "talk" with the MacBook through the display? :confused:
 
Hog Milanese said:
How do these two monitors compare? Anyone out there with experience with the Dell?

I'm also wondering how the USB3.0 connectivity would work with a MacBook Air (for example)? Like, if you wanted to have a USB3.0 hard drive always connected to the monitor, what cables would you be plugging into the MacBook each time you "docked" at home/work with this monitor?

Link to Dell: http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/monitors/en/dell_ultrasharp_u2713h_specs.pdf
Click to expand...


I have the u2713H & the u2713HM and the usb 3.0 flat up doesn't work on either displays with my early '13 rMBP.... works at usb 2.0 speed though, also the audio out from mDP quits working when the display sleeps which is a minor nuisance (i use screensavers instead) and um you'd plug in 3 cables - your power cable to your macbook, the mini displayport cable, and a usb cable to dell's hub (i prefer to just use my own hub) so basically one more cable than a thunderbolt display, it's not that tragic... i've owned the thunderbolt displays as well and i think having a light AG coating is massive improvement over the TBD's massive reflections... the height adjustment, swivel, rotation etc of dell's stand is excellent too. i like my u2713h without a doubt, may buy yet another one some day.
 
cosmicjoke said:
I have the u2713H & the u2713HM and the usb 3.0 flat up doesn't work on either displays with my early '13 rMBP.... works at usb 2.0 speed though, also the audio out from mDP quits working when the display sleeps which is a minor nuisance (i use screensavers instead) and um you'd plug in 3 cables - your power cable to your macbook, the mini displayport cable, and a usb cable to dell's hub (i prefer to just use my own hub) so basically one more cable than a thunderbolt display, it's not that tragic... i've owned the thunderbolt displays as well and i think having a light AG coating is massive improvement over the TBD's massive reflections... the height adjustment, swivel, rotation etc of dell's stand is excellent too. i like my u2713h without a doubt, may buy yet another one some day.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info!

So do you actually realize USB3.0 speeds with, say, an external hard drive through this setup? (plugged into the Dell)

I have a corporate discount with Dell which is why I'm considering this strongly. It's such a great deal.
 
Hog Milanese said:
Thanks for the info!

So do you actually realize USB3.0 speeds with, say, an external hard drive through this setup? (plugged into the Dell)

I have a corporate discount with Dell which is why I'm considering this strongly. It's such a great deal.
Click to expand...

No, just at usb 2.0 speeds, and I have no idea why... seems there are a lot of complaints about it... it doesn't bother me though, the back ports are very difficult to access and the side ports look kind of bad imo with wires stick out of the side of your monitor, so I use my own usb 3.0 hub
 
TBD is more expensive in comparison to the other monitors. I would make your decision after the release of a refreshed TBD. If you had the money you should buy things that are of the same brand. It looks, well, nicer.
 
Xerotech said:
TBD is more expensive in comparison to the other monitors. I would make your decision after the release of a refreshed TBD. If you had the money you should buy things that are of the same brand. It looks, well, nicer.
Click to expand...

They look fine to me, here are mine...

picture.php


and btw I also own the TBDs

picture.php


Except on the Dells I can switch inputs to my GTX 680 SLI gaming rig hidden in my closet ;)
 
@Cosmic I stand corrected. :)
That is quite a setup you've got there.

Also, for additional information Dell has excellent warranty. They are the type of company that sends techs to your house or a refurb unit/new upgraded unit if that model no longer exists. :)
 
Xerotech said:
@Cosmic I stand corrected. :)
That is quite a setup you've got there.

Also, for additional information Dell has excellent warranty. They are the type of company that sends techs to your house or a refurb unit/new upgraded unit if that model no longer exists. :)
Click to expand...

Yah, they do have decent warranty support.. my first one had a grey mark on the screen (looked like a speck of dust under the antiglare coating) and they crosss shipped/overnighted me a new display, I woke up with it on my doorstep the next morning.

I'm really excited for the rMBP to support Thunderbolt 2.0, which will have displayport 1.2 and then I'll be able to daisy chain my two displays like the TBDs are.

I am eager to see what they do with the TBD update though, that tempered glass with reflections really gotta go like the new iMac, which is a ton better... and I really hope they add hotplugging support for Windows so you can daisychain displays/devices and suspend properly with them. It should be a massive update if they do it, hopefully with the new mac pro.
 
cosmicjoke said:
I have the u2713H & the u2713HM and the usb 3.0 flat up doesn't work on either displays with my early '13 rMBP.... works at usb 2.0 speed though, also the audio out from mDP quits working when the display sleeps which is a minor nuisance (i use screensavers instead) and um you'd plug in 3 cables - your power cable to your macbook, the mini displayport cable, and a usb cable to dell's hub (i prefer to just use my own hub) so basically one more cable than a thunderbolt display, it's not that tragic... i've owned the thunderbolt displays as well and i think having a light AG coating is massive improvement over the TBD's massive reflections... the height adjustment, swivel, rotation etc of dell's stand is excellent too. i like my u2713h without a doubt, may buy yet another one some day.
Click to expand...
May I ask how you hooked it up? I've read Mavericks (mac mini late 2012) doesn't let you connect 2560x1440 on the dell u2713h unless you do some hack?
 
umm my guess is it looks really bad without the color profile is all it's talking about, because some reason it's forcing RGB mode instead of YCbCR, so you download the display override, and just stick it in /System/Library/Displays/Overrides and reboot, then you're good forever... it's really nothing to worry about!

I have a 2012 mac mini, but it's my server and is headless so I've never even tried it with the display, I use my two U2713H displays w/ my rMBP every day though... I'm really curious if they can daisy chain w/ Thunderbolt 2 now that it uses displayport 1.2a as opposed to 1.1, but my rMBP is early '13 so I have no confirmation on that... I use both thunderbolt ports w/ mine
 
cosmicjoke said:
umm my guess is it looks really bad without the color profile is all it's talking about, because some reason it's forcing RGB mode instead of YCbCR, so you download the display override, and just stick it in /System/Library/Displays/Overrides and reboot, then you're good forever... it's really nothing to worry about!

I have a 2012 mac mini, but it's my server and is headless so I've never even tried it with the display, I use my two U2713H displays w/ my rMBP every day though... I'm really curious if they can daisy chain w/ Thunderbolt 2 now that it uses displayport 1.2a as opposed to 1.1, but my rMBP is early '13 so I have no confirmation on that... I use both thunderbolt ports w/ mine
Click to expand...
I know it might be a hassle but could you hook up the mini to the u2713h? It'd be the exact same config as I'm considering... Really want to know if it runs perfect on 2560x1440 using the mini dP port...
 
grandM said:
I know it might be a hassle but could you hook up the mini to the u2713h? It'd be the exact same config as I'm considering... Really want to know if it runs perfect on 2560x1440 using the mini dP port...
Click to expand...

It kind of is a hassle, because my mini is my server in my closet hooked up to a raid array and my longest mDP cable is like 2m long... plus i just profoundly know it's going to work, it's 100% illogical for it not to work... i can say it works w/ my '11 macbook air w/ hd 3000, as well as my rMBP w/ hd4000 (and 650m) - why would it not work with my mac mini w/ hd 4000?

the only 'hack' is the color profile, and you have to stick a file in a display overrides folder or it will look awful... that's it.
 
cosmicjoke said:
It kind of is a hassle, because my mini is my server in my closet hooked up to a raid array and my longest mDP cable is like 2m long... plus i just profoundly know it's going to work, it's 100% illogical for it not to work... i can say it works w/ my '11 macbook air w/ hd 3000, as well as my rMBP w/ hd4000 (and 650m) - why would it not work with my mac mini w/ hd 4000?

the only 'hack' is the color profile, and you have to stick a file in a display overrides folder or it will look awful... that's it.
Click to expand...

Any suggestion where to get the 'hack'?
 
  • Like
Reactions: tennisproha
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back