Dell UP2414Q Monitor replacing TBD -- my experience

[hkoster1]

There's nothing much wrong with the 27-inch 2560x1440 LED screen of the TBD, except that I can't forget that crisp Retina screen of my former MacBook Pro Retina 2012. Knowing that my 2013 Mac Pro (QC/D300) is good for driving screens with 4K resolution, I've recently bought a Dell 24-inch UP2414Q monitor capable of 3840x2160 resolution. This is with 187ppi quite a step up from the TBD's 108ppi.

My "Rev A01" UP2414Q is supported by Apple support.apple.com/kb/HT6008?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US, with instructions on how to enable this display at 60Hz with MST. System Preferences/Display offers five scaled resolutions (just like on the MacBook Pro Retina), with scaled 1920x1080 listed as "Best for the display". Mmm, best in which sense, I wonder?

Running the UP2414Q side-by-side with the old TBD, I found that the scaled 2560x1440 resolution gave the best result, with as much screen area as the TBD (relatively speaking). While the UP2414Q is 11% smaller than the TBD, this is more than made up in my view with the increased crispness of text. I spend a lot of time in my preferred ViM editor, so this is important to me. Moreover, my old eyes benefit from sitting 11% closer to the screen, at which distance the size difference with the TBD becomes moot anyway.

System Information reports the resolution of the UP2414Q as 2560x1440 at 60Hz, even though About This Mac calls it 5120x2880... System Preferences/Display can calibrate the UP2414Q starting from maximum contrast set on the monitor menu. Since I liked the way I had calibrated my old TBD, I sought to calibrate the UP2414Q likewise, and I was able to accomplish this to a large extent but not quite. The reason is that this UP2414Q is really bright, which looks beautiful, but which also necessitates turning that brightness down at night so as not to get jetlagged.

And here is the only slight annoyance: brightness cannot be adjusted via the keyboard out-of-the-box. It should not be too difficult to bind the appropriate driver functions to the respective keys, however, something that I'm familiar with in GNU/Linux. So, here's hoping that the OS~X developers attend to this issue soon. They have already solved in my Rev A01 version earlier reported problems with waking from sleep.

The UP2414Q uses more power than the old TBD, since it must push some 125% more pixels---the display goes by default into power saving mode after some 10 minutes of non-use. It is also no Thunderbolt dock, but has three powered USB-3.0 ports, two of which are used in my case by an optional Dell AC511 Sound Bar and Logitech C920 Webcam. These peripherals do not shut off when the screen goes into power saving mode. Both these peripherals are recognized by OS~X, and the Logitech Webcam opens when starting FaceTime. There seems to be an echo problem between the Sound Bar and the Webcam (or so my brother said during a FaceTime session) even when one of these input/output sets is turned off in System Preferences/Sound.

Finally, going from the 27-inch TBD to a "near-Retina" screen at 3840x2160 resolution necessitates stepping down to a screen with diagonal size 24-inch or smaller. The buzz about the UP2414Q's big brother UP3214Q, giving 3840x2160 resolution at 32-inch diagonal, is mainly about increased screen width at about the same 108ppi as the TBD. It wouldn't have given me that "near-Retina" experience that its little brother does.

Have fun!

 

[VirtualRain]

There's nothing much wrong with the 27-inch 2560x1440 LED screen of the TBD, except that I can't forget that crisp Retina screen of my former MacBook Pro Retina 2012. Knowing that my 2013 Mac Pro (QC/D300) is good for driving screens with 4K resolution, I've recently bought a Dell 24-inch UP2414Q monitor capable of 3840x2160 resolution. This is with 187ppi quite a step up from the TBD's 108ppi.

...

I'd like to resurrect this thread from a couple of months ago because I'm seriously interested in replacing my aging 24" ACDs with a pair of these 24" 4K displays for the same retina scaled sharpness and some added real-estate. The price is certainly reasonable (around $700-$800 each). I would be driving the pair from my 2013 nMP.

First of all, thanks to the OP for this great review.

Second, can anyone else who owns one of these chime in with their experience?

 

[theSeb]

I'd like to resurrect this thread from a couple of months ago because I'm seriously interested in replacing my aging 24" ACDs with a pair of these 24" 4K displays for the same retina scaled sharpness and some added real-estate. The price is certainly reasonable (around $700-$800 each). I would be driving the pair from my 2013 nMP.

First of all, thanks to the OP for this great review.

Second, can anyone else who owns one of these chime in with their experience?

Thank you for resurrecting this thread, as I too am interested in these monitors, so I would like to hear some further experiences.

By the way, have you seen the thread on the apple support forums about the cheap 28" 4K monitors, like Samsung and Asus (not the Dell one) working (sort of) at 60 Hz in Yosemite?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6080897?start=255&tstart=0

Read the last two pages

 

[VirtualRain]

Thank you for resurrecting this thread, as I too am interested in these monitors, so I would like to hear some further experiences.

By the way, have you seen the thread on the apple support forums about the cheap 28" 4K monitors, like Samsung and Asus (not the Dell one) working (sort of) at 60 Hz in Yosemite?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6080897?start=255&tstart=0

Read the last two pages

Thanks... I was not aware of that thread, but it sounds like the issue is confined to SST 4K monitors. Strangely, I was waiting for a good SST display, but I'm not considering a pair of these Dell MST displays because the panel is nice, they seem to work and they are very affordable.

 

[theSeb]

Thanks... I was not aware of that thread, but it sounds like the issue is confined to SST 4K monitors. Strangely, I was waiting for a good SST display, but I'm not considering a pair of these Dell MST displays because the panel is nice, they seem to work and they are very affordable.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. What I meant is that I have started to think about a pair of these cheap 28" SST TN monitors, since apparently they seem to work at 60 Hz in Yosemite and was wondering if you had seen the thread and thought about them as an alternative to the Dell 24" MST IPS monitor.

From my point of view, I need work space for coding and productivity. Colour accuracy etc is not critical for me. However, I am looking at an IPS panel if front of me and a TN panel on the left, and I do prefer the IPS panel...

 

[VirtualRain]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. What I meant is that I have started to think about a pair of these cheap 28" SST TN monitors, since apparently they seem to work at 60 Hz in Yosemite and was wondering if you had seen the thread and thought about them as an alternative to the Dell 24" MST IPS monitor.

From my point of view, I need work space for coding and productivity. Colour accuracy etc is not critical for me. However, I am looking at an IPS panel if front of me and a TN panel on the left, and I do prefer the IPS panel...

I see... I want works space too, but colour is important for my photography work so TN is out of consideration. In addition, my desk is only big enough for a pair of 24" displays or one larger one so 28" has never really been a consideration for me either. It's always been either a pair of 24" or a 30-32". I was waiting for the 30" LG 4K2K panel but now I'm starting to think that I'd get more out of a pair of 24" running scaled retina... I love retina scaling on my rMBP so I think it's the way to go. It's as sharp, if not sharper than native and two monitors offer more real-estate. It's a win-win.

You could probably get away with 28" 4K at native resolution if your eyes are good. 30" might be better but then it's pretty hard to get a pair of displays that size on any reasonable desk.

At any rate, given that thread, it looks like 4K is still suffering from early adopter issues. Even the Dell 24" MST has a thread full of people with wake from sleep issues.

 

[edanuff]

I've too have been trying out the UP2414Q. Here's my experience with it:

- My goal was to replace my dual 24" monitor setup with dual UP2414Qs, but before I sprang for two monitors, I decided to purchase a single UP2414Q and see how well it worked out during the return period in case I experienced the problems others had reported.

- Ran it with Yosemite with the "Best for display" resolution - this basically runs it as a retina 1920x1080 with 4 pixels for every screen point. At this resolution, the display is beautiful and text is incredibly legible although you don't get any additional screen area over a regular 24" monitor. However, it's just as sharp as the retina 5K iMac and with a nicer matte finish.

- The UP2414Q I received was a REV01 model with a July build date, so fairly recent and presumably with the latest firmware.

- The Mac Pro drivers just don't seem to like multiple monitors and MST is behind the scenes the same thing as having multiple monitors, so screen glitches and "restarting GPU" types of errors come up occasionally as well as other weirdness.

- Wake from extended sleep is a real problem. For me, I couldn't get the wake to ever complete without a restart. Some people report that you can toggle the monitor power but that didn't work for me and usually made the situation worse.

Ultimately, I decided to return the UP2414Q even though it had the potential to be the ideal monitor form factor but it's just not sufficiently compatible.

I've been experimenting with a Samsung U28D590D which is a TN display as opposed to the IPS of the UP2414Q. To my eyes, I don't see that much of a quality difference, but YMMV. The bigger issue (literally) is that a 28 inch 4K display is too big to run as a retina 1920x1080, it really needs to be run at the scaled 2560x1440 resolution, which means 1.5 monitor pixels for each screen point instead of 2 pixels. This ends up looking sharper than a Thunderbolt display, but not as sharp as a retina 5K iMac. More importantly, with the U28D590D, I haven't yet had any display glitch issues and only have had one instance so far of a wake from sleep issue that was easily corrected by toggling the monitor power switch. However, others have reported having the screen tearing problem on the right edge of the display with some cables. Needless to say, for any of these 4K monitors, you need to get one of the premium cables - the Accell is the one most people recommend. I'm still keeping a close eye on this monitor for any problems, but so far so good.

There are rumors of a new Dell P2415Q 4K monitor on the way. Hopefully this one will be SST instead of MST and will not have the same wake from sleep issues. I'd suggest waiting for that one if you really want a 24" monitor. The only other 24" 4K monitor I'm aware of is the EA244UHD which is much more expensive.

 

[VirtualRain]

I've too have been trying out the UP2414Q. Here's my experience with it:

- My goal was to replace my dual 24" monitor setup with dual UP2414Qs, but before I sprang for two monitors, I decided to purchase a single UP2414Q and see how well it worked out during the return period in case I experienced the problems others had reported.

- Ran it with Yosemite with the "Best for display" resolution - this basically runs it as a retina 1920x1080 with 4 pixels for every screen point. At this resolution, the display is beautiful and text is incredibly legible although you don't get any additional screen area over a regular 24" monitor. However, it's just as sharp as the retina 5K iMac and with a nicer matte finish.

- The UP2414Q I received was a REV01 model with a July build date, so fairly recent and presumably with the latest firmware.

- The Mac Pro drivers just don't seem to like multiple monitors and MST is behind the scenes the same thing as having multiple monitors, so screen glitches and "restarting GPU" types of errors come up occasionally as well as other weirdness.

- Wake from extended sleep is a real problem. For me, I couldn't get the wake to ever complete without a restart. Some people report that you can toggle the monitor power but that didn't work for me and usually made the situation worse.

Ultimately, I decided to return the UP2414Q even though it had the potential to be the ideal monitor form factor but it's just not sufficiently compatible.

I've been experimenting with a Samsung U28D590D which is a TN display as opposed to the IPS of the UP2414Q. To my eyes, I don't see that much of a quality difference, but YMMV. The bigger issue (literally) is that a 28 inch 4K display is too big to run as a retina 1920x1080, it really needs to be run at the scaled 2560x1440 resolution, which means 1.5 monitor pixels for each screen point instead of 2 pixels. This ends up looking sharper than a Thunderbolt display, but not as sharp as a retina 5K iMac. More importantly, with the U28D590D, I haven't yet had any display glitch issues and only have had one instance so far of a wake from sleep issue that was easily corrected by toggling the monitor power switch. However, others have reported having the screen tearing problem on the right edge of the display with some cables. Needless to say, for any of these 4K monitors, you need to get one of the premium cables - the Accell is the one most people recommend. I'm still keeping a close eye on this monitor for any problems, but so far so good.

There are rumors of a new Dell P2415Q 4K monitor on the way. Hopefully this one will be SST instead of MST and will not have the same wake from sleep issues. I'd suggest waiting for that one if you really want a 24" monitor. The only other 24" 4K monitor I'm aware of is the EA244UHD which is much more expensive.

Thanks for your thoughts... very helpful and makes me reluctant to spring for the Dell 2414. I guess I'll continue to wait.

Ps. Where are you reading about a 2415 Dell 4K? I'd like to have the same sources

 

[edanuff]

Ps. Where are you reading about a 2415 Dell 4K? I'd like to have the same sources

Scant references that came up on Google searches, someone posted pics here and there's actually a reference to it on a Dell support site.

 

[pshifrin]

FYI there is a Rev A02 version of this monitor (Aug 2014 build date). I just received it and I have it hooked to a late 15in 2013 rMBP with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M.

It's running in clamshell mode with the included DisplayPort to mini Display Port cable. I've turned on DP 1.2 for 60hz operation.

The first time i plugged it in, the laptop completely froze and I had to hard power off. Once rebooted, it looks incredible and I really love the matte finish compared to the glossy TB display.

I'm trying to replicate the sleep wake issue to see if this is a keeper. I've put the laptop to sleep, pressed a key and it wakes up properly. I've unplugged the display port cable, waited the 5 mins for the monitor to sleep and plugged it in again and it woke up properly.

Anyone want me to try any other sequence of events that caused the freezes before?

 

[hkoster1]

I've too have been trying out the UP2414Q. Here's my experience with it:

[snip]

- The Mac Pro drivers just don't seem to like multiple monitors and MST is behind the scenes the same thing as having multiple monitors, so screen glitches and "restarting GPU" types of errors come up occasionally as well as other weirdness.

I've had this "restarting GPU" message happen twice since installing Yosemite, never in Mavericks. So, I expect this to be fixed in 10.10.1.

- Wake from extended sleep is a real problem. For me, I couldn't get the wake to ever complete without a restart. Some people report that you can toggle the monitor power but that didn't work for me and usually made the situation worse.

Display not waking from sleep happens occasionally to me too, but hitting the display's on/off button usually wakes it up. AFAIC remember, there was a single occasion where I had to reboot the MP.

Ultimately, I decided to return the UP2414Q even though it had the potential to be the ideal monitor form factor but it's just not sufficiently compatible.

Sure, it's certainly not a perfect display with its cheap plastic packaging. But it is the best 4K near-Retina display around. I had hoped that Apple would have done a 24-inch TBD 4K version with this panel; that may still happen.

Have fun!

 

[edanuff]

I downloaded and unzipped the P2415Q driver from the Dell site and took a look at the .INF file inside of it and compared it to the one that came from the UP2414Q driver. It's definitely a 24" 3840x2160 4K monitor and, from the horizontal and vertical clock frequencies listed in the .INF file, must be SST rather than MST. No idea what the release date is for it, but has to be soon if they already have the driver on their support sites although they could wait till CES to unveil it.

 

[freakypiano]

Hello!

I just got myself a 2713HM and am using the MBP 15" retina display with Yosemite. I bought a mini displayport to displayport cable but it didn't work. I connected the cable and the external monitor went into sleep mode.

I tried using the HDMI and it worked perfectly. However, I am unable to choose the settings such as resolution.

Called Dell support and they said the cable could be faulty since there is Displayport 1, 1.2, 1.3 etc.

Did anyone encounter the same issues?

 

[driveman]

Here's my replacement story:

Sold my Thunderbolt display 2 years ago, shortly after the MBP Retina came out. Couldn't take the graininess anymore.

Couple of weeks ago, I got a Lenovo m2840pro - a 28" TN with edge-to-edge glass which is reasonably aesthetic. I returned it - the TN panel's color shift was too noticeable and the monitor also crushed dark grays. Also, the pixels (at ~150ppi) didn't feel as dense as I wanted.

Then I got the UP2414Q. I absolutely love it. The panel pixel density (~185ppi), minimal color shift are fantastic. I have the A01 rev and I have no problems whatsoever with sleep/wake. And I was really pleased that the monitor settings allow you to turn off the power button's LED, so that the entire frame is dark.

The craftsmanship obviously doesn't touch the aluminum construction of the Thunderbolt display, but it's really good nevertheless. I think that as of Oct 2014, this DELL is one of your best price/performance options.

While I'd love a ~27" monitor (I wouldn't go beyond 28), I wouldn't buy until 5K (or more) is available. Guess I'm a sucker for high PPI....

 

[hkoster1]

I'm experiencing a rash of "graphics problems detected" messages since I installed Yosemite. So, just on the off-chance that running my Dell UP2414Q at 60Hz with MST had something to do with that, I've been using this monitor at 30Hz with SST the last few days.

To be honest, I don't see much difference, the screen is just as sharp and bright; if anything, the cursor is a bit more jerky when moved at great speed. But then the graphics in my Trainz Simulator game are decidedly less jerky at 30Hz, while the GPU temperature is down.

So, I'll continue using the 30Hz setting for now.

And, no, it has not reduced those "graphics problem detected" messages, that requires an update to Yosemite I reckon.

 

[VirtualRain]

Here's my replacement story:

Sold my Thunderbolt display 2 years ago, shortly after the MBP Retina came out. Couldn't take the graininess anymore.

Couple of weeks ago, I got a Lenovo m2840pro - a 28" TN with edge-to-edge glass which is reasonably aesthetic. I returned it - the TN panel's color shift was too noticeable and the monitor also crushed dark grays. Also, the pixels (at ~150ppi) didn't feel as dense as I wanted.

Then I got the UP2414Q. I absolutely love it. The panel pixel density (~185ppi), minimal color shift are fantastic. I have the A01 rev and I have no problems whatsoever with sleep/wake. And I was really pleased that the monitor settings allow you to turn off the power button's LED, so that the entire frame is dark.

The craftsmanship obviously doesn't touch the aluminum construction of the Thunderbolt display, but it's really good nevertheless. I think that as of Oct 2014, this DELL is one of your best price/performance options.

While I'd love a ~27" monitor (I wouldn't go beyond 28), I wouldn't buy until 5K (or more) is available. Guess I'm a sucker for high PPI....

Thanks. Although the 2015 version seems close, I may pick up a couple of these if the price is right. (They are cheap in the US right now at ~$700 but finding a good price in Canada is a bit challenging).

Do you run them at native resolution? Retina doubled? Or a scaled resolution in-between?

 

[say19]

Thank you to everybody who has posted in this thread. Even though it's confusing when some people report problems and others report perfect performance, it's very useful to get an overall idea of the state of the technology.

Here is my issue, open to informed opinions - I am upgrading from a 27" iMac to a Mac Pro. I am very familiar with the 27" display and ideally I'd have exactly the same screen for the Pro (before you ask no I can't use Target Display Mode - the iMac is deceased).

But it seems clear that the Apple TBD is too much money for old technology.

I want something "that just works" between 24" and 28". If it happens to be something that can do "near-Retina" well obviously that's swell but I don't actually need that. Similarly, I'm used to the reflective screen on the iMac so I can live with that too.

Do people feel the UP2414Q is a safe buy at this point for a Mac Pro (Mavericks)? Or is there something else you think I should consider?

Thanks again for the thread.

 

[VirtualRain]

Dell UP2414Q Monitor replacing TBD -- my experience

Do people feel the UP2414Q is a safe buy at this point for a Mac Pro (Mavericks)? Or is there something else you think I should consider?


Thanks again for the thread.

I'm considering getting a pair. If I lived in the US, I'd already own them thanks to the price on Amazon. However, here in Canada they are priced at a premium so I'm waiting for a sale or the 2415 model.

 

[say19]

I'm considering getting a pair. If I lived in the US, I'd already own them thanks to the price on Amazon. However, here in Canada they are priced at a premium so I'm waiting for a sale or the 2415 model.

They are not cheap are they?

Unfortunately I'm in the position where I more or less have to buy something and can't really wait much longer. I figure I'm better off spending a bit more money for something that will have a lifespan and this seems to be the best option for a Mac Pro.

I just wish it was all a little more "it just works". I will be very grizzly if Apple goes and releases a TBD2 in a few weeks sigh.

 

[VirtualRain]

Dell UP2414Q Monitor replacing TBD -- my experience

They are not cheap are they?



Unfortunately I'm in the position where I more or less have to buy something and can't really wait much longer. I figure I'm better off spending a bit more money for something that will have a lifespan and this seems to be the best option for a Mac Pro.



I just wish it was all a little more "it just works". I will be very grizzly if Apple goes and releases a TBD2 in a few weeks sigh.

Depends what you consider "cheap". They are $750 on Amazon which is about half the launch price. At least some Amazon buyers are getting A01 rev hardware which sounds free of issues. And, from what I understand, they are one of a handful of 4K monitors officially supported by the nMP (http://support.apple.com/en-us/ht6008)

Amazon has a pretty good return policy right? So what do you have to lose?

 

[say19]

Amazon has a pretty good return policy right? So what do you have to lose?

True re "cheap".

I'm in Australia so I can't use Amazon for this product unfortunately.

I've emailed sales about pricing for the PP2415Q/2715Q and whether it supports SST or not. The manual for it definitely makes it look like a good product. Will report back what they tell me. Also asked if they will guarantee me a Rev A02 if I order the 2414 from them.

PS Interesting if brief discussion here comparing the 2414 and the 2415 http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1041208850

 

[VirtualRain]

True re "cheap".

I'm in Australia so I can't use Amazon for this product unfortunately.

I've emailed sales about pricing for the PP2415Q/2715Q and whether it supports SST or not. The manual for it definitely makes it look like a good product. Will report back what they tell me. Also asked if they will guarantee me a Rev A02 if I order the 2414 from them.

PS Interesting if brief discussion here comparing the 2414 and the 2415 http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1041208850

Ah, you have the same problem as me then... paying top dollar for stuff that's a lot cheaper in the US!

Be sure to let us know if you hear anything back.

 

[say19]

Ok well I managed to speak to a Dell rep and he was very informative.

I asked if the P2415Q was available yet and at what price (this is specifically in Australia). He replied: no release date has been confirmed, and no price has been confirmed.

I then noted that there had been various problems with the UP2414Q and the 2013 Mac Pro (sleep etc.), but that I had read the Rev A02 seemed to address some or all of these problems. I asked if I ordered a UP2414Q direct from Dell Sales, were they able to guarantee I would received a Rev A02 or later. He said, no, they could not.

I asked if I could return the monitor if it didn't play nice with the nMP. He said they have a 14 day return window. I asked if they would be able to guarantee any replacement unit would be a Rev A02 or later. He said, no, they could not.

At this point some people would probably be frustrated. But for myself I valued the honest replies. It's a lot of money to toss at something which doesn't work to specification.

I'm pretty much decided now I will buy the functional and cheaper S2415H as a stopgap measure, wait for the P2415Q and P2715Q to come out and read some reviews, and make a more informed choice on 4k once the market has settled and the teething problems with the nMP are worked out.

 

[VirtualRain]

Ok well I managed to speak to a Dell rep and he was very informative.

I asked if the P2415Q was available yet and at what price (this is specifically in Australia). He replied: no release date has been confirmed, and no price has been confirmed.

I then noted that there had been various problems with the UP2414Q and the 2013 Mac Pro (sleep etc.), but that I had read the Rev A02 seemed to address some or all of these problems. I asked if I ordered a UP2414Q direct from Dell Sales, were they able to guarantee I would received a Rev A02 or later. He said, no, they could not.

I asked if I could return the monitor if it didn't play nice with the nMP. He said they have a 14 day return window. I asked if they would be able to guarantee any replacement unit would be a Rev A02 or later. He said, no, they could not.

At this point some people would probably be frustrated. But for myself I valued the honest replies. It's a lot of money to toss at something which doesn't work to specification.

I'm pretty much decided now I will buy the functional and cheaper S2415H as a stopgap measure, wait for the P2415Q and P2715Q to come out and read some reviews, and make a more informed choice on 4k once the market has settled and the teething problems with the nMP are worked out.

Thanks for sharing. I'm thinking the same. Unless I get a really good deal on the UP2414Q I'm going to wait for the P2415Q and see how it reviews. I'm not in a rush... my existing 24" Apple LED displays are still very nice.

 

[hkoster1]

Thanks for sharing. I'm thinking the same. Unless I get a really good deal on the UP2414Q I'm going to wait for the P2415Q and see how it reviews. I'm not in a rush... my existing 24" Apple LED displays are still very nice.

Who knows, Apple might still release a 24-inch 4K SST Retina TBD now that there are some nice panels available. I would trade my UP2414Q for one if they did. That said, those problems with the UP2414Q are way overblown -- not planning to trade it for a new UP2415Q.