Dell Ultrasharp U2412M review

Dell is a very popular monitor manufacturer and the U2412M is its latest mid-range 24in model. It costs over £200 but while you can pick up similarly-sized screens for less, the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M has some very useful features.

The U2412M has a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution so it has noticeably more vertical space than most monitors, which have a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. This extra space is useful for tasks that benefit from more screen resolution, such as photo editing and viewing web pages.

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The U2412M can be titled, rotated, swivelled into portrait mode and its height raised or lowered. Height adjustment is sadly a rare feature on monitors at this price, so it's a welcome addition. The stand is very sturdy too, and only by deliberately wobbling our desk could we see any movement in the screen itself.

The U2412M doesn't stop there though – it also has a four-port USB2 hub built in, which can help save space on your desktop. Oddly, while it has DVI, VGA and Displayport connectors it lacks a HDMI port, although this isn't a big problem as nearly all PCs will have one of the other connectors you can use.

The on-screen menu is accessible using four buttons on the lower right-hand side of the bezel. The sharpness, brightness and contrast can be tweaked very easily. It's also possible to switch between inputs, should you have more than one computer connected to it.

The U2412M uses the latest IPS screen technology, which has wider viewing angles and better, more accurate-looking colours compared with cheaper screens that don't use this technology. Websites, photos and text look very sharp and vibrant. The brightness of our review model was ever so slightly uneven with some parts of the screen brighter than others, but this is only noticeable in a dark room using a black background – not a typical usage scenario.

Although there are cheaper 24in monitors available, the U2412M is worth the extra money if you can afford it thanks to its adjustability and excellent image quality.