Initial Impressions: Dell U2515H

Initial Impressions: Dell U2515H

The new Dell UltraSharp 25 Monitor (U2515H) sports a LG AH-IPS panel, features a 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution, and an ultra thin bezel to boot. It was discounted to as low as $529 at the recent Singapore IT Show 2015 from the original promotion price of $599. My friend bought one set and I had a quick hands on for initial impression.

The U2515H looks typical Dell, all business, in a traditional Dell black / silver combination. Sleek, professional – I like it.

Dell has managed to reduce the top and side outer bezel to only a 1mm edge, followed by a screen border of around 6.9mm. It sounds a lot, but a 7.9mm edge is still very thin, and if you are to use this is a multi-monitor setup, the thin bezels allow an inconspicuous seam when paired side by side with another U2515H.

dell-u2515h-monitor-overview-1

The build quality from Dell is top notch and that extends to the packaging. We struggled a bit getting the internal packaging out but once done, it was a no-brainer. It separates out neatly to well-laid out compartments, giving you easy access to the monitor, stand and associated accessories. The Dell monitor stand is well constructed and very sturdy. It allows up / down height adjustment as well as a full range of tilt, pivot and swivel adjustments. The U2515H is VESA-compatible, so you can connect it to your wall mounts or multi-monitor stands. If I need to nit-pick, the bottom base of the U2515H looks out of place with the square shape and does take up quite a fair bit of space.

dell-u2515-unboxing

Specifications of Dell U2515H

  • LG AH-IPS Panel: LM250WQ
  • 2560×1440
  • Thin Bezel
  • 117.49 PPI
  • 0.2162mm dot pitch
  • 2 HDMI(MHL) connector
  • 1 Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 DisplayPort (version 1.2)
  • 1 DisplayPort out (MST)
  • 1 Audio Line out (connect your speakers)
  • 5 USB 3.0 ports – Downstream (4 at the back, 1 with battery charging)
  • 1 USB 3.0 port – Upstream

The Dell U2515H offers 25 inches of superb screen clarity on a sharp QHD 2560 x 1440 IPS Panel. It is a matte display, which are less distracting that glossy types. The panel has a flicker-free (DC rather than PWM dimming) WLED backlight. I tried it out on a black screen for a quick trial and I found the backlight bleeding on the U25415H to be minimal to me. Would be something to test again in a week’s time. And as expected of a qHD screen, the image quality is sharp and it is great that the monitor comes factory calibrated to 99% of the sRGB spectrum suited for general purpose usage. It’s not as if most of us have a colourimeter kept in our homes. Most won’t ever calibrate their monitors – so it’s important that the Dell looks great straight out of the box.

The Dell U2515H features extensive connectivity although drops traditional connector support such as VGA and DVI. There are DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI instead. The HDMI supports MHL, so you can connect and display content from your smartphone or tablet.

The Dell U2515H offers a total of five USB 3.0 ports. Of which, one of the ports support fast charging. It can be used for your mobile phones, smart watches etc, which is a handy feature to have around.

Last Words

In just a few minutes of testing, this monitor really hits the sweet spot in terms of the combination of image quality, excellent size, qHD resolution, adjustable stand, VESA compatibility. The slew of connectivity options ranging from the multiple HDMI ports to the five-port USB 3.0 hub is further icing on the cake. In terms of the monitor market today, Dell continues to be one of the front runners, and it has a great warranty policy too. I think it’s excellent value for the price. However, if you are looking for the cheapest qHD bargain, then the Qnix and Crossover monitors from Korea are a worthwhile consideration too. The Qnix QX2710 (HDMI version) similarly uses a LG-IPS panel, so it’s quite comparable in terms of image quality. However, the other features and connectivity option are rather far off.

Let me know if you have any questions!