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Dell P2815Q 28-Inch 4K Ultra HD Monitor Review
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1. Dell P2815Q 28-Inch Ultra HD Monitor Review

We know from reading your feedback that enthusiasts can never have enough pixels on their desktop computer monitors. The extra density of a 4K screen means you’ll never see the dot structure; just smooth-toned detail that rivals a high-end photographic print.

Like any bleeding-edge technology, greatness does not come without cost, though. Last year’s first-generation models started out north of $3000 and are still selling for around $2000. We’ve reviewed two of those exotic 32-inch IGZO-based screens already: Asus’ PQ321Q and Dell’s UP3214Q.

Now that Ultra HD is more mature, what are the alternatives? Well, you could drop around $800 on one of the 24-inch IPS screens like the Dell UP2414Q. That gives you the extra pixels. But Windows' text is so small without DPI scaling that it’s almost unreadable unless you have the vision of a 12-year-old.

Thanks to Chi Mei Optoelectronics, we now have a 28-inch TN part available that brings the admission price of 4K down to around $500. We saw it first in Asus’ PB287Q. Today we’re checking out Dell’s version in the P2815Q

Panel Type & Backlight
TN
W-LED, edge array
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio
28-inch / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh
3840x2160 @ 30Hz
1920x1080 @ 60Hz
Native Color Depth & Gamut
10-bit (8-bit w/FRC) / sRGB
Response Time (GTG)
5ms
Brightness
300cd/m2
Speakers
-
Video Inputs
2 x DisplayPort in, 1 x DisplayPort out,
1 x HDMI/MHL
Audio
1 x 3.5mm output
USB
v3.0 - 1 x up, 4 x down
Media Card Reader
-
Panel Dimensions
WxHxD w/ base
26 x 17.1-21.7 x 8in
661 x 435-550 x 204mm
Panel Thickness
2.1in / 53mm
Bezel Width
.8in / 19mm
Weight
24.5lbs / 11.1kg
Warranty
Three years

The Internet is already buzzing about the 30Hz max refresh rate of this display. It is true that at 3840x2160, you are capped at 30Hz, even over a DisplayPort 1.2 interface. The only explanation for this is Dell must be using a different scaler chip because every other monitor based on this part can hit 60Hz at its native pixel count.

For gamers, we believe this will be a deal-breaker. Thirty frames per second might be fine for movie-watching, but when you need the fast motion and response that goes along with a modern first-person shooter, even 60Hz often comes up short. Of course, you can run the P2815Q at 60Hz if you switch to 1920x1080.

On the surface, this all sounds ridiculous. Consider, however, that a UHD screen only needs to map incoming pixels two-to-one to upscale FHD content. This means there won’t be any of the artifacts normally associated with image scaling. We quickly confirmed this with our own eyes. Using the P2815Q at 1920x1080 results in a super-clean image. You’ll see the difference in high-end games, but for every other task, it just becomes a really large FHD display without any screen-door effect.

The rest of the tech is quite familiar. The panel is TN-based with white-LED backlights arrayed at the top and bottom of the screen. Color depth is 8-bits with FRC for an effective 10-bit picture. There aren’t any built-in speakers. However, there is an analog audio output for use with headphones or an external sound system.

So why consider the P2815Q? As it turns out, it performs quite well in our color accuracy tests and has some of the best screen uniformity we’ve seen to date. And it’ll put 4K on your desktop for $500. Intrigued? Let’s take a look.

2. Packaging, Physical Layout, And Accessories

All of the monitors we’ve reviewed from Dell lately come in cartons free of Styrofoam. Instead, carefully shaped cardboard baffles are used. They provide good protection, save a bit of weight and are easier to recycle.

The accessory complement is light and consists of an IEC power cord, DisplayPort-to-mini and USB 3.0 upstream cables. A CD contains drivers and the user manual. A printed Quick Start Guide is also included.

All that’s required for assembly is to snap the upright onto the panel’s back; no tools are needed.

Product 360

The P2815Q employs an anti-glare layer that is extremely light. With its microscopic pixel pitch, it can’t afford to have anything stand in the way of clarity. The image is extremely crisp and well-saturated, regardless of content. We had no trouble with reflections in our lab, though direct light sources should be avoided.

The bezel is a nice and thin 19 millimeters all around, making it a good candidate for multi-screen setups. In the lower-right are four unlabeled mechanical control buttons plus the power switch, which glows white when active. Pressing the lowest button brings up the OSD.

The base, upright and trim are all made from high-quality plastic with a nice metallic finish. The rest of the chassis is matte black and devoid of sharp edges or angles. Even the panel’s corners are subtly rounded.

In addition to a portrait mode, the monitor has a 4½-inch height range, 90 degrees of swivel and 25 degrees of tilt. The movements are firm and solid with no excess play whatsoever. Considering the P2815Q is currently the least-expensive 4K monitor out there, it doesn’t look like Dell cut corners with build quality.

From the side, the 2.1-inch thick panel shows a smooth taper and a silver trim strip that covers all sides. If you look carefully, you’ll see slim louvers that help with ventilation. Unfortunately, there are no USB or headphone ports. All the connectivity comes from the bottom-facing input panel.

The smoothness of the P2815Q’s design extends around back. Even the input panel is hidden by a snap-on plastic cover. By routing your cables through the upright’s hole, you can have a very clean desktop. To access the 100mm VESA mount, just remove the upright.

Video inputs are all-digital and include a single HDMI plus two DisplayPort jacks. There is also a DisplayPort output for multi-stream applications. This lets you daisy-chain two monitors into a single video card output. Even though the DP version is 1.2, it won’t support 60Hz operation at 3840x2160.

The audio output is analog-only and can be used for external speakers, headphones or Dell’s add-on speaker bar. USB ports are all version 3.0. There is one upstream and four downstream, with the fourth one facing rearwards.

3. OSD Setup And Calibration Of The Dell P2815Q

The P2815Q’s OSD looks just like every other Dell monitor we’ve encountered, except that it's much simpler. Only basic image adjustments are provided, along with the usual convenience functions.

OSD Tour

Pressing the control button right above Power brings up a quick menu.

The first two options can be changed in the OSD if you wish. Here, they’re set to change picture modes or adjust brightness and contrast. Pressing the third button opens the full OSD.

The control buttons aren’t labeled, but the screen always shows their functions with easy-to-understand icons. Brightness modulates the backlight and, like contrast, ranges from zero to 100. Each click represents about 3cd/m2.

Here, you can change your input source. We used the bundled mini-DisplayPort interface to connect to our test PC and the HDMI port for the performance tests.

Input Color Format comes correctly set to RGB from the factory. If you use a Blu-ray player that only outputs YCbCr, you should change this setting accordingly. To access the white balance controls, select the Custom Color picture mode.

The P2815Q offers eight picture modes. In Movie or Game, saturation and hue adjustments are unlocked. When you select Custom Color, the RGB sliders appear.

The sliders start at their maximums, which means any adjustment reduces contrast. Fortunately, we didn’t have to tweak them too much. In fact, the P2815Q is quite accurate without calibration, so you might not have to manipulate them at all.

Aspect Ratio choices are 16:9 (all resolutions are scaled to fill the screen), 4:3 or 1:1 (pixel-mapped). Sharpness adds edge enhancement, which, at the P2815Q’s native resolution, completely hides fine detail. The default setting of 50 looked alright on our sample.

Dynamic Contrast only works in the Game or Movie modes. It can crush highlight and shadow detail, so use it carefully.

To use the DisplayPort multi-stream feature, set the 1.2 option to Enable. Unfortunately, it won’t enable a 60Hz refresh rate at 3840x2160.

You can see the Energy Use bar in the top-right of the OSD menus. Turning off the power button LED and USB ports can save a bit of juice in standby mode.

The OSD comes in eight languages. If you rotate the P2815Q to portrait mode, you can flip the menu as well. Transparency lets you make the menu opaque or partially transparent and Timer keeps the OSD on-screen for up to 60 seconds.

To control access to adjustments, turn on the Lock feature. Press and hold the lowest bezel key for 10 seconds to unlock.

To allow two-way communication between the P2815Q and your PC, enable DDC/CI. LCD Conditioning runs a series of test patterns designed to mitigate image retention, which is not an issue with LCD panels.

Finally, you can reset all OSD parameters to their factory defaults.

The first two bezel keys are programmable in the Personalize menu. You can have quick access to Picture Mode, Brightness & Contrast, Input Source, Aspect Ratio, and OSD Rotation.

Calibration

The only picture mode that allows a white balance adjustment is Custom Color. Since the P2815Q is already quite close to D65 in its Standard mode, we could only make a slight improvement. Because the RGB sliders start at their maximums, calibration reduced on/off contrast by 18 percent on our sample. You may wish to forgo adjustment to realize the monitor’s full contrast ratio and simply adjust Brightness to taste. The Contrast control won’t clip signal information until it reaches level 79.

Dell P2815Q Calibration Settings
Brightness
89
Contrast
70
Custom Color
Red 100, Green 97, Blue 95

4. Results: Brightness And Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. Brightness and Contrast testing is covered on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Today’s comparison group includes two 4K screens, Asus' PB287Q and Dell’s UP2414Q. Also in the mix are NEC’s EA274WMi, a business-class QHD IPS monitor. Finally, we have BenQ’s BL3200PT, a 32-inch QHD-res AMVA display, and LG’s 34UM95, an ultra-wide IPS screen with 3440x1440 pixels.

Dell exceeds its 300cd/m2 claim for the P2815Q with a measurement of 318.6618. That’s plenty of output for just about any application, productivity or entertainment. It also exceeds Asus' offering, which is based on the same panel part.

The maximum black level is right in the middle of the pack. While many TN-based monitors offer darker blacks than their IPS competitors, this new Chi Mei part does not have that advantage.

We look for at least 1000 to 1 contrast in the best displays. The P2815Q falls a bit short at 904.5:1. It’s not too bad, but there’s not much downward room if you plan to calibrate. Luckily, we found it to be very accurate at its default color settings. If you’re looking for even better contrast, AMVA is the hot ticket right now.

Uncalibrated – Minimum Backlight Level

We like to see a minimum output level of around 50cd/m2. Lower values like those from the NEC are too dim to be practical. The P2815Q’s 42.5035cd/m2 result is pretty close, and just within the usability range if your room is completely dark.

The black level drops accordingly, but it’s still mid-pack in this group.

Overall contrast is slightly lower at 888.9 to 1. You’ll barely notice the difference as you change the backlight setting. I’d call this consistent performance. The image looks pretty good no matter what your chosen output setting is.

After Calibration to 200 cd/m2

Here’s what black levels and contrast look like after calibration with the white level set to 200cd/m2.

The black level suffers slightly because we had to reduce the Contrast control for better grayscale results. As you’ll see later, the gain is slight, so we would consider not calibrating in order to preserve the contrast ratio.

By calibrating, we lose 18 percent of the P2815Q’s on/off contrast. It’s a small reduction. However, the corresponding improvement in color accuracy is also small. Luckily, that accuracy is quite good with or without calibration.

ANSI Contrast Ratio

ANSI contrast holds up pretty well at 713 to 1. Even though this is a budget-priced monitor, its build quality is very good. As you’ll see later, it has superb screen uniformity, too. The only place we can see Dell cut corners is the refresh rate.

5. Results: Grayscale Tracking And Gamma Response

Our grayscale and gamma tests are described in detail here.

This is one of the better out-of-box results we’ve seen. Only a few expensive professional monitors post better-looking charts than the P2815Q. None of the errors are above a visible level. Dell sells several displays with certified factory calibrations. This isn’t one of them, but it performs just as well.

After calibration, we posted slightly better numbers for most of the brightness levels. To the eye there’s no difference. Our only nitpick is that the 20-and 30-percent measurements are virtually unchanged. Dell would have to add a low-range RGB control to make this any better.

Here is our comparison group:

The P2815Q wins the day with an excellent average error of 2.18 Delta E in stock form. It easily earns a place in the “don’t need to calibrate” category.

By making a few adjustments, we reduced the average error to 1.45 Delta E. With the 18-percent contrast reduction, calibration is hard to justify, at least with our particular sample.

Gamma Response

It’s rare that we measure much change in gamma after a calibration. Most monitors only have presets, so there’s typically little control available. The P2815Q has no gamma adjustments at all. Yet, we observe a visible improvement. The pre-cal chart shows a too-light curve with less-than-ideal tracking. The luminance errors grow slightly as brightness levels rise.

After calibration, the curve looks about the same. But it’s much closer to 2.2 than before. Like the grayscale results, this isn’t a huge gain. However, if you’re after ultimate accuracy, it may be worth it to calibrate and sacrifice a little bit of contrast performance.

We return to the comparison group for the gamma tracking and deviation results:

The race is fairly tight, so a fifth-place finish is by no means poor. A .16 range means pretty tight tracking. The values range from a high of 2.24 to a low of 2.09.

Here are the deviation results:

With an average value of 2.15, the P2815Q comes pretty close to the 2.2 standard. We wish there were a few extra presets available so we could choose darker and lighter options based on content. Some games benefit from a lower (brighter) gamma, while film content can be mastered using BT.1886, which requires a higher (darker) setting.

6. Results: Color Gamut And Performance

For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, please click here.

Overall color accuracy is pretty good. We do see issues in the red and blue primaries, though. Red is under-saturated across the board, while blue becomes progressively more over-saturated as the level rises. It’s also a bit off in hue. The only compensation comes at the 100-percent point where blue’s luminance is lowered.

Calibration improves the results quite a bit. All of the luminance values are nearly spot-on and blue is still properly compensated at the 100-percent saturation point. Plus the hue errors are now almost non-existent for the secondary colors. To fix the remaining problems for blue and red would require a CMS. That’s not something one normally sees in a $500 monitor.

Now we return to the comparison group:

Color gamut accuracy is probably where calibration has the most impact. The average error goes from 2.93 to 1.83 Delta E. That may not seem like much, but if your application demands precision, it’s a worthwhile gain.

Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998 And sRGB

The under-saturated red primary prevents the P2815Q from rendering 100 percent of the sRGB gamut. In most productivity or entertainment applications, this isn't a problem. However, photographers may want better performance in the gamut volume metric.

7. Results: Viewing Angles And Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, please click here.

By using TN panels, Dell and its competitors are pushing 4K resolution into an affordable price range. Poor off-axis image quality is the most significant trade-off. When viewed head-on, TN technology looks fine. But at 45-degree vertical and horizontal positions, the picture degrades quite a bit. To the sides, an obvious red cast comes into play, while from above or below, detail is almost completely wiped out.

Screen Uniformity: Luminance

Our sample returned some of the best results we’ve seen in the black field uniformity test. There is no visible light whatsoever. Instead, you get a smooth continuous tone across the screen. We’ve reviewed a few monitors with uniformity compensation look-up tables that couldn’t do better.

Here’s the white field measurement:

Although this is a good result, it’s rare that any display's uniformity is lower in the white field test. It’s only a nit-pick, however. We still couldn’t see any hotspots on our sample.

Screen Uniformity: Color

Color uniformity is quite low as well. It was a weak point of TN-based monitors in the past, though the newest panels post more impressive results. Aside from the viewing angle issue, there’s no reason not to consider TN if it meets your other needs.

Pixel Response And Input Lag

Please click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

We tested the P2815Q at 1920x1080 in order to match the other monitors’ 60Hz refresh rates. At 30Hz, you can expect a result closer to 25 milliseconds. Either way, it slightly bests Asus' effort, which uses the same Chi Mei panel.

The lag results were something of a surprise.

This measurement is more what we’d expect from an HDTV, not a computer monitor. Remember, we’re testing at 60Hz here. Using the P2815Q in its 3840x2160 at 30Hz mode produces so much lag we can see it by just moving the mouse cursor in Windows. Playing Watch Dogs at native resolution is pretty much impossible with a GeForce GTX 780 graphics board. Based solely on the input lag result, we cannot recommend the P2815Q for any kind of motion-oriented gaming.

8. Dell P2815Q: 4K On The Cheap (With A Caveat)

Ever since Ultra HD monitors appeared about a year ago, value-minded enthusiasts have been waiting for an affordable solution. The market is slowly responding with 28-inch TN panels all based on the same part from Chi Mei Optoelectronics. Like the high-priced IGZO and IPS 4K monitors, it represents a compromise. If you’re shopping for more pixels, just remember this: high resolution, high performance, low price – pick two.

The perfect screen isn’t available yet. The expensive models offer large size and professional features in an IPS format, but still cost around $2000. The $500 displays have to settle for a TN panel and business-class performance. And don’t forget the size factor. A 28-inch monitor is large for sure, but with 157 pixels-per-inch, Windows text and icons are really tiny. Heck, they’re barely big enough on a 32-inch screen.

If you’re considering one of the new value Ultra HD monitors, your choices right now are the Asus PB287Q, Samsung U28D590D, Planar IX2850, Phillips 288P6LJEB or Dell P2815Q. They’re all based on the same TN panel, so performance should be similar. We reviewed the Asus already and found this to be true. Evaluations of the other two products should be coming soon. But where Dell departs from the rest is that its maximum refresh rate is 30Hz, while the others can hit 60.

For that reason, you have to decide exactly what you want your 4K monitor to do. Its color accuracy is excellent even without calibration. It offers contrast comparable to business-class QHD screens. And it sports solid build quality. It’s a fine monitor for productivity, although you’ll probably need to use Windows DPI scaling to improve readability. And by the way, Microsoft, could you please improve the font handling of your flagship operating system? Monitor resolution is going to keep increasing, and it’s getting harder and harder to use Windows as pixel densities top 150 ppi. Thank you.

If gaming is a priority for you, then the P2815Q is not suitable. Not only is the 30Hz limitation an obstacle, but so is the extreme input lag. After playing Watch Dogs on an Asus ROG Swift, it was quite a shock to give up G-Sync and the almost non-existent input lag of that monitor.

The one entertainment discipline that Dell masters is movie-watching. Refresh rate is not an issue when a film is showing at 24FPS. And since the scaling from 1920x1080 to Ultra HD is so good, image clarity is top-notch. If your computer use revolves around video editing, the P2815Q makes an excellent choice.

Ultimately, we find ourselves in conflict over the P2815Q. It’s a really good monitor in every way except for the low refresh rate and high input lag. The panel is certainly responsive, so it seems to come down to Dell’s choice of scaler. We don’t know the specific part used, but it’s obviously a different one than the competition. Perhaps that problem can be solved in a future upgrade.

We’re happy to see display manufacturers working to lower the price of Ultra HD screens. The process never happens as fast as we’d like, but progress is being made. For now, our wish list remains the same: Ultra HD at 60Hz in a 32-inch screen with accurate color and low input lag. If you're in the same boat, then our wait continues.