Dell U2713HM Design, OSD, and Specs

The U2713HM is an LED-backlit display that offers the sRGB colorspace and a resolution of 2560x1440. It uses an IPS panel that is 8-bit, but unlike the U2711 doesn’t support AFRC for simulated 10-bit color. Like all Dell monitors I have seen so far, it has a base that supports height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustments. Installation is a snap with Dell’s standard mounting system where you just slip the monitor onto the stand and it clicks into place. The front is nice and clean, lacking any stickers or text aside from the Dell logo, and all the OSD controls are handled by a set of unlabeled buttons on the right-hand side.

I have to complement Dell on the packaging for this monitor as well. Totally forgoing Styrofoam and only using a simple cardboard design, similar to recent Sony Blu-ray players, it both keeps the display safe and doesn’t fall apart, making it easy to reuse the packaging later. If you aren’t keeping the packaging, it also makes recycling the included materials much easier. I appreciate both the eco-friendliness and the ease of removing the monitor from the box. Dell thankfully puts a page detailing the monitor setup at the very top of the box, something other vendors would be wise to start doing.

Dell's U2713HM also offers 2x USB 3.0 ports on the side, and two more on panel with the video connections. The panel offers DisplayPort 1.2, VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs, as well as a connection for Dell’s soundbar speaker. The PSU is integrated into the display so there is a standard 3-prong IEC socket rounding out the connections. Nothing on the U2713HM is flashy or groundbreaking; it's just very utilitarian. It’s not going to stand out in a way that makes you remember it at first glance, but after using so many other displays I also find there isn’t anything poorly designed that stands out either. Overall the design of the Dell U2713HM is clean and well done.

I have always given Dell high marks for their OSD and I will continue to do so here. With four buttons to control it, none of which are labeled, you would think it might be tricky but it is not. With clear on-screen labels and descriptions of the controls, as well as avoiding the common mistake of having keys labeled with arrows control menus that move the other direction, Dell does a good job here of making it easy to navigate and control. The menu options are clear, with your standard preset modes, brightness and contrast, input selection, and more display settings. One missing item is an option for an overdrive or gaming mode to improve pixel response, though in practice we haven't seen major improvements from such modes on other displays. Another missing feature is the ability to automatically select an input, which makes using it with multiple devices a little harder. The OSD remains essentially unchanged from previous Dell displays, but they have no reason to go back and reinvent it either.

Viewing angles are good for an IPS as we expect them to be. There is a light coating of anti-glare, but nothing that I find to be objectionable or that caused issues with the image for me. Unless you're trying to look at the U2713HM from a 170 degree angle or so, you shouldn't have any issues viewing it and seeing color or contrast shifts in normal use.

Dell U2713HM
Video Inputs DisplayPort 1.2, DL-DVI, HDMI, Dsub
Panel Type IPS
Pixel Pitch 0.23mm
Colors 16.7 Million
Brightness 350 Nits
Contrast Ratio 1000:1
Response Time 8ms GTG
Viewable Size 27"
Resolution 2560x1440
Viewing Angle 178/178 Horizontal/Vertical
Backlight LED
Power Consumption (operation) 42W Typical
Power Consumption (standby) 0.5W
Screen Treatment Light Anti-Glare coating
Height-Adjustable Yes, 4.5" of range
Tilt Yes
Pivot Yes
Swivel Yes
VESA Wall Mounting Yes, 100mm
Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) 25.17" x 7.89" x 16.70"
Weight 12.44 lbs. without stand
Additional Features USB 3.0 hub (4 port), Dell Soundbar Power Connector
Limited Warranty 3 years
Accessories DVI Cable, VGA Cable, USB Cable
Price $799

The design and user interface of the Dell U2713HM seem to be up to the task, but how does it perform relative to other 27" models that have recently come through for testing?

Dell U2713HM Brightness and Contrast
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  • p05esto - Monday, October 22, 2012 - link

    One problem with the Ausus is they use that stupid PWM backlight flashing to set the brightness. It can tire your eyes and some people are sensitive to it. This Dell monitor is one of the very few that don't use that old backlight technology.

    Read more here:
    http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/pulse_width_m...

    I wish I knew in real life how this felt. The PWM is supposed to be even more noticable with PED backlit monitors, so I'm leaning towards the Dell right now as a result.
  • johan05156150 - Friday, November 2, 2012 - link

    I had a major backlight bleeding:
    http://i.imgur.com/YqH5e.jpg

    Fartunately I could retourn it.

    July 2012, Rev A00
  • anuprav - Saturday, November 10, 2012 - link

    On 07.11.2012 I have ordered DELL U2713HM after doing lots of survey over the net and found this Monitor to be good choice.

    Eagerly waiting for the delivery and will write comments about it.
  • Calon - Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - link

    Expires Thursday, December 13, 2012 this sale, but it is now $630 at dell's site:

    http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.a...

    with coupon code: GXGR7B6RJP354G

    And ironically on the sales page they quote this review of the product from this site, "Unbeatable performance out of the box", lol.
  • Calon - Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - link

    clicked the submit button too fast before edit
  • jwardell - Monday, December 24, 2012 - link

    Costco.com is selling it for 649.99 inc shipping
  • andreas12941 - Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - link

    The YCbCr problem can be fixed by overriding the EDID data of the display:
    http://embdev.net/topic/284710
  • Bodo - Sunday, February 3, 2013 - link

    Hi,
    I use the monitor with a macbook pro and in the sRGB mode. With the EDID override method I get RBG colors. So far so good.

    But it seems that some light grey colors are more yellow. I notice this first as I look at the Apple website. They use a lot of shadows and these shadows have a yellow tinge. So the shadow effect is looking really bad. WIth the MacBook display everything looks fine and grey is grey. On every other display I have tested the Apple website and the grey tones look normal.

    In the multimedia mode there is no yellow tinge.
    Is this normal for the sRGB mode?
    Or what could be the problem here?

    I have also tested the monitor with a windows laptop. The same problem. So it has nothing to do with
    the macbook pro and the RGB problem.
  • davidm71 - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link

    I just did my own unboxing and as impressive on how they packaged the monitor I suffers from some serious weaknesses such as IPS glow and backlight bleed that is out of control!
  • alesgola - Thursday, August 21, 2014 - link

    Thank you for a great and very usefull review. I would like to make shure what " These only apply to the included sRGB mode in the display, so you should make sure to use that, and reset your video card LUT, to achieve these results." in case of my mac mini (late 2012). Do I understand i correctly, that I should go to Display/Profile menu of MacOs and select the option "Adobe sRGB ..."? Thank you in advance for your reply.

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