Back in March, 4 months ago, I bought myself a Dell UltraSharp U3415W computer monitor, through Amazon. It was $992 plus tax, and I thought I had gotten a great bargain seeing as how the street price was ~$1100-1200 at the time.
Well, that monitor has recently dropped to $900 at many Dell dealers, and Amazon has discounted it further, to $810! I’ve kept this monitor in my “save for later” Amazon cart, in case the need for a second one came up, and although it hasn’t, it’s how I became aware of this new lower price.
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So what’s the big deal about this monitor? It’s a 34-inch wide curved display with 21:9 aspect ratio. It’s supposed to be give you “an immersive panoramic experience.”
Update: My wife tells me that this post sounds a little too enthusiastic. What can I say, I really like the monitor. Reviewing it today made me feel better about not being able to take advantage of the great sale price.
Super-wide displays like this are supposed to be great for gaming, watching movies, and things like that, but I’ve been using it for productivity, project, test & measurement, and ToolGuyd content purposes. Its “WQHD” resolution gives me a 3440 x 1440 pixel working area.
There are other features as well, such as an adjustable stand, VESA-compatible mount, built-in speakers (which sound eh, okay), USB ports (which I don’t use), and a range of modern inputs.
You’re supposed to be able to connect multiple input sources simultaneously, but I haven’t tested this or the PIP features out yet.
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Okay, so why am I telling you about a computer monitor on a tool news and review site?
In short, this monitor has changed the way I work. I had been using multi-monitor setups for over a decade now. Most of the time I’ve had 2 monitors hooked up to my desktop PC, and for a short time I worked with 3.
Working with 2 monitors provides a HUGE productivity boost. Being able to put multiple windows up at the same time allows for faster and more efficient working. This is as true for when I’m working on ToolGuyd content as when I have electronic test equipment software up and running. When working on a project nearby, I’m able to have plans up in one window, notes in another, and I don’t have to close one to access another.
But the combination of windows was never quite right. Before I bought my Dell U3415W, I had a Dell 27-inch display (previously reviewed on GearGuyd), and a 23-inch display. The colors never matched right up, the windows never aligned perfectly due to the different vertical resolutions, and going to two 27-inch displays would have taken up way too much desk real estate.
I have a nice older Samsung 24-inch display that would have worked better with the 27-inch Dell, but it doesn’t have a VESA mount and so I couldn’t mount it to an arm, a big downside. Its colors also weren’t as good as the 23-inch Dell’s.
I tried LG’s non-curved 34″ display, model 34UM95 ($916 via Amazon). The first one was defective, the second didn’t look good and I realized how poorly adjustable the mount was. 34-inches is a lot for a flat panel screen, and made things at opposite sides look too further away. It was uncomfortable to view two windows side by side.
So then I splurged on the Dell U3415W. I kept my 2-monitor setup up and on my desktop, just in case the new 34-inch curved Dell didn’t work out. A day later, the Dell was the only display on my desk.
It has now been nearly 4 months since I’ve been using this fantastic monitor, and I don’t regret my purchasing decision at all. Do I regret that I spent $992 plus tax when the display is now regularly priced at $900 and on sale at Amazon for $810? Not at all, because this display has given me 4 months of improved productivity.
The $810 price is really, REALLY good. Even the new $900 regular street price is excellent. But aside from that, this is a really, REALLY good monitor.
Dell emphasizes things like the curved display’s “wrap-around viewing experience,” but that really only applies to games and movies. For working with productivity, photography, or engineering software, the slight curvature can mess up the perspective of straight horizontal features. I’ve found this to be easily forgivable for the more comfortable viewing experience it provides compared to the non-curved LG display I tried.
I still have to shift my body at times. I typically work on the left side of the display, but shift my body to face the center when I need back-and-forth left-and-right attention.
There’s something to be said about being able to put 2 main windows up on the same display at the same time. Speaking as someone who has worked with 2 side-by-side monitors for at least 10 years, this is the best single-monitor solution I have ever used.
I really thought that this is what I would have gotten with my 27-inch Dell monitor, but what I didn’t know was that the dot pitch really requires you to zoom in on text. At its native resolution and windows at 100%, it was hard to read text in side-by-side windows on the 27-inch display. But on my new 34-inch Dell, I am able to zoom the text to 110% or 125% for 2 side-by-side windows, and there’s plenty of room to spare. I often have multiple side-by-side window pairs up, and they’re staggered to allow for quick shifting from one pair to another.
Right now, I’ve got this ToolGuyd post up on the left side of the screen, the Amazon product listing on the right. Last night I had a CAD program on the left, and realtime multimeter display on the right (I was running a battery test). Before that, I had some Adobe programs (Lightroom and Photoshop) running full-screen so that I could edit the next batch of Milwaukee NPS15 photos. And later, I’ll have a ToolGuyd coding window on the left, preview window on the right, as I try to tweak an aspect of the site look and layout.
It wasn’t easy for me to spend so much on a computer monitor, but I took a gamble, and not only am I working with greater productivity these days, but I have recovered some extra space on my desktop.
I was a multi-monitor advocate. Now that I’ve been using this Dell 34-inch display, I don’t think I’ll ever turn back.
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Important Note: Not all computers can support the 3440 x 1440 pixel resolution of this monitor. My aging video card couldn’t. I bought a GeForce 750 TI ($140 via Amazon), which seems to handle it just fine. I have the display connected via DisplayPort.
My only complaint is how the turning off the monitor disconnects it from the computer, something that my computer will do with other DisplayPort monitors as well. I’ve looked into it, and none of the “remedies” worked for me. If I wake the computer from sleep but don’t turn the monitor back on until after, sometimes it’ll resize all my windows to itty-bitty size. Every now and then it’ll do this even if I turn the monitor on first.
Andrew
I use this monitor as well and love it. Highly recommend. The 810 price is tempting for a second!
Jim Felt
I love the fact that “tools” can mean nearly anything useful. I’m not sure about the curved screen but if my two 27s at work ever fail (and they all do eventually) I might just try this size and shape. Thanks for the heads up.
(Sadly our home personal ‘puters are all iMacs. While my work office has the Mac Mini which will power anything. And once you see 5K resolution it’s odd so see the lower resolutions. But that’s the nature of tech. Always onward)…
TonyRockyTiger
Usually those cheap 27″ monitors only have 1080 vertical lines, versus this model’s 1440. For things like coding, web-browsing, photo-editing, etc, this extra 33% of vertical real estate is *huge* and is worth the extra cost. The cheapest 27″ 1440p monitor on Amazon is around $350. With monitors, you usually get what you pay for.
TonyRockyTiger
oops this was suppose to be a reply to HoboPete below
HoboPete
I like 1 big external monitor for home use with a laptop. But that’s a big nut for a home monitor especially when you can find 27’s for under $200
For work I Use four 24′ monitors . (3 wrapped across 1 on top)They all need to be the same size or it doesn’t work as seamlessly. Right now in my task bar i have 33 windows open and who knows how many tabs. The good part of multiple monitors is that you can physically separate what your doing. For example say you need to share screens with a coworker, you only share “monitor 3” and keep all of the constant IM pings on monitor 2 and the emails on monitor 1 and the Terminal server sessions on monitor 4. Also with a single large monitor your constantly re-sizing windows. With multiples you just move the full size to a different monitor. But of course different strokes for different folks.
Tyler
Good review. I thought about buying a single mount for my dual monitors at home. While I can deal with different screen sizes and resolutions, the thought of having one unified size and perfectly matching colors is tempting. I’m known to drag windows around and sometimes maximize them to fit the monitor. Do you have any programs running that allow you to quickly (without dragging corners) fit them into certain portions of the screen?
I’d like to hear more about this multimeter you had running and was visible on the screen. I often wondered if you would pick back up on your GearGuyd site. I hope this might be crossposted and inspire you to do more.
Stuart
I’ve got 2 Agilent/Keysight 34461A benchtop multimeters – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/agilent-34461a-benchtop-multimeter-tool-buy/%3C/a%3E . Agilent/Keysight’s Benchvue software is pretty darned good and convinced me to splurge on additional Keysight equipment. Benchvue is so much easier to use than Labview or worse – proprietary single-tool software.
While I’d like to resume development of GearGuyd and continuation of content there, I unfortunately just don’t have the time right now.
Tyler
That looks great! I missed that article. I’m ok with proprietary software, so long as it serves the purposes I need, for as long as my needs dictate and is cost effective to meet my own criteria. Is having something a little more open better? Yes, usually, but I’m realistic. Companies need to make money and that’s usually where the innovation comes from.
I fully understand about GearGuyd. There is only so much time for work, websites, family and personal free time and hobbies.
Stuart
Oops, I meant single-tool proprietary software. Benchvue is also proprietary software, and so it won’t work with other brands’ equipment, but it’s at least not limited to a single tool or tool category.
Keysight recently expanded the Benchvue software with added capabilities that are tied to license fees. I wish it was fully-featured for free, but I suppose institutions that need the advanced features are capable of paying the license fees.
Benjamen
If you are going to use two monitors side by side, I highly recommend buying two identical monitors at the same time. I had an old configuration where I had two monitors, but one was a few years older and a slightly different model number. I had problems with color matching and getting the displays to line up perfectly.
One of those monitors burnt out so I went to best buy and bought to identical monitors. I’ve never been happier. The displays are exactly the same size and the colors are identical. I also recommend monitor stands that clamp to the back of the desk like these:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082808&p_id=5400&seq=1&format=2
You save a ton of space on your actual desktop over having the stock monitor stands. and the desk just looks cleaner.
I don’t know if I would utilize a one larger monitor as well as I do two smaller ones. I like having the delineation of my primary workspace and my secondary workspace. I have my main screen free of any clutter like files, or taskbars, or trays and have all that organized on my secondary screen. I’ll work on my primary screen and then bring up another site I need to look at or my photo album, etc. on the second.
Stuart
While very pricey, I went with 3M monitor arms. I’ve used Ergotron in the past, but the entry-level model, and wanted smoother adjustments. The 3M proved to be spectacular. Right now the Dell 34″ isn’t on any arm, but eventually I might attach it to a 3M arm as well. I think it’s slightly above the weight limit, but have to check.
firefly
The 3M mount that you mentioned look very similar to ergotron LX series that I have. I imagine they operate very similar as well. I got a 30″ Dell LCD on mine and the adjustment is very smooth. They also price in about the same range. I made a mistake and ordered one of the entry model ergotron neo series and it was very clunky to adjust… Unfortunately I keep it a little too long so I didn’t get to return it. It was quickly decommission after the 30 days.
firefly
This look very intriguing, I wonder how well would this work in a dual monitors setup.
I think Dell made the best monitor for professional use. I personally have two 30″ 2560×1600 in front of me right now.
I have used a lot of monitors at home/work ranging from Dell, Samsung, LG, HP, Compaq, Planar, Asus, Viewsonic, Monoprice… My personal favorite so far are Dell and Planar. LG gotta be my least favorite. The only LG monitor was so flashy it look like a toy. It didn’t even have the standard vesa mount. Needless to say the LG was promptly returned.
All the Dell that I used have a professional matte finish. Even though I never use the stand that come with the monitor. I love my ergotron mounts. I have found that Dell monitor have the best stand out of all the one that I have encounter. They are easy to adjust with the wide range of motions. Most Dell monitor stand is spring loaded to counter the weight, it also have a quick release in the back, Just a very well thought out piece all around.
You brought up a good point about video card. A big upgrade for the monitor usually require an upgrade with the monitor as well. This is not to mention if you have a KVM set up. I had to upgrade my video card/KVM when I upgraded to the dual 2560×1600 setup.
Stuart
I considered going with a 30″ monitor, but discovered 21:9 aspect ratio ultra-wides and abandoned the idea.
The problem with the 27″, which has 2560 x 1440px resolution, is that the dot pitch is very small. I MUST zoom browser windows to 125%, or lean in way too close. A 30″, with the same horizontal resolution and greater vertical resolution, probably wouldn’t require text enlargement to be easily legible.
But, after having a 3440px-wide workspace for a couple of months now, I don’t think I could make do with 2560px width anymore.
I’ve only worked with Dell’s UltraSharp displays, and they are wonderful. The stands are very adjustable, the screens anti-glare, and colors are reasonably good. They’re not perfect, even on this one, but they’re definitely better than on lesser monitors.
firefly
It depend on what you do. The extra vertical space (1600 vs 1440) has struck a sweet spot for me. I have tried a 4k monitor before but I didn’t like it as well. I have found that 1400-1600 horizontal line work best for 30″-50″ monitor. More than that I have to physically move your head up and down to read from top to bottom vs just scanning the whole screen with my eyes.
When I said professional I should I have industrial and typical office setting. There are monitor that are aimed at the graphic professional that are much much nicer but are much more expensive as well. So yeah I agree with you the color reproduction is not perfect nor but I haven’t found any flaw with mine.
Plus none of my Dell monitors have any dead pixel and some of them are more than 7 year old. Overall I have found the Dell monitor to give me a very refine experience all around that I didn’t appreciate until I tried some of the lesser monitors.
Matt
I had no idea they made curved monitors for PC’s Hmm……………………
Stuart
I wouldn’t buy a curved TV, and was hesitant about curved PC monitor until I tried LG’s non-curved 34″ 21:9 monitor.
Since I’m the only user/viewer, the curvature makes sense here.
RX9
Well Stuart, if you think about it, this isn’t really so off topic. There have always been items which, although not technically tools, have been rather indispensable to craftsmen, tradesmen and hobbyists alike. Modern information appliances (computer, smartphone, etc.) are as indispensable a part of the 21st century toolguy’s kit as pen, paper, and compass were to our forefathers.
neil heuer
Cool review. I just checked and the price is up to $899 so that is a bummer.
Also if you go to camelcamelcamel.com you can monitor pricing of amazon items. See their trend and have them email you when pricing is below a setpoint. I have nothing to do with this site – I am just a user.
Aaron385
Try disabling DP 1.2, it helped with the auto window resizing on my U3415W though it still seems like the monitor shouldn’t be disconnecting every time it’s turned off (but it does).