Dell UP2516D: an expensive 25-inch Quad HD monitor

Presentation

With its 25-inch panel and its Quad HD definition of 2,560 x 1,440 px, the Dell UltraSharp UP2516D monitor displays a rather comfortable resolution of 116 dots per inch (dpi). On paper, it also has it all, with multiple ergonomic settings, complete connectivity and even a KVM mode (screen-keyboard-mouse switch) which can be practical. The Dell UP2516D 25 inch monitor is sold for just under € 600, which is still expensive for a monitor of this diagonal.

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Ergonomics

No frills in terms of design with always something very classic at Dell. The materials chosen are of quality and the finishes are exemplary, as always or almost on the UltraSharp range.

This monitor offers all the possible settings: the height of 13 cm, the tilt from -5 to + 21 °, the rotation of +/- 45 ° and a pivot allowing you to switch to portrait mode.

Level connectivity, the Dell UP2516D is well supplied, even if it ignores the "old connectors" like DVI or VGA. There are therefore two HDMI inputs, a DisplayPort input, a mini-DisplayPort input, a DisplayPort output (for chaining several screens), a hub with 4 USB 3.0 ports, two on the side and a headphone output. The two USB outputs allow you to use the KVM switch; the first is connected to one machine, the second to another.

We measured a consumption of 27 W on our test pattern with a white calibrated at 150 cd / m². Relative consumption then climbs to 157 W / m², which is very high especially compared to the other monitors in our comparison, the average of which is 100 W / m².

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Colors and contrast

Default: average gray temperature: 7 410 K

Default: gamma curve at 2.2

Default: Average Delta E at 4.8

The default monitor calibration is special. The colors are cold (7 410 K) and are not really faithful (average delta E at 4.8). On the other hand, the gamma curve is rather stable with a good average (2.2). This is explained by the factory configuration chosen by Dell. The monitor is set to Adobe RGB mode and the software we use to test the sights does not support this mode since it remains on the classic sRGB color space. Adobe RGB is now supported on all operating systems, but application compatibility remains uncertain. In short, Adobe RGB remains reserved for specific applications.

Manual setting: average gray temperature: 7,320 K

Manual adjustment: gamma curve at 2.1

Manual setting: Delta E medium at 1.8

So we went into sRGB mode and we adjusted the brightness to 50% to obtain a white at 150 cd / m². The colors are finally faithful with an average Delta of 1.8. The gamma curve (2.1) is irregular, which results in slightly faded blacks and slightly greyish whites. The temperature drops slightly (7,320 K), but the rendering remains cold, especially since it is impossible to manage the temperature via the OSD.

Calibrated: average gray temperature: 7,200 K

Calibrated: gamma curve at 2.2

Calibrated: Delta E medium at 1.6

Calibrating the monitor with a color profile makes it possible to smooth the gamma curve, this time with a value of 2.2 perfectly stable over the entire spectrum, while slightly improving the color fidelity (delta E to 1.6). However, this calibration has no impact on the temperature which remains high. This color profile is available on Focus Numérique.

This Dell monitor is equipped with an IPS panel which delivers a contrast of 1100: 1, very common for IPS technology. It is nowhere near as good as the best VA screens like the Eizo Fortis FG2421 or the BenQ BL2410PT which exceed a contrast of 3000: 1. In return, the viewing angles are better.

The average difference in uniformity is measured at only 7% over the entire 25-inch panel and we did not find any light leaks or clouding.

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Reactivity

The Dell UP2516D does not use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to adjust the brightness. It therefore does not flicker and does not cause headaches or eye problems in sensitive people.

By default, the reactivity is good for the IPS (measurement of remanence at 10 ms). This monitor should therefore not appeal to professional players who seek reactivity above all, but it will be suitable for all other uses, whether films, office automation or even casual or solo play. It is possible to adjust the overdrive to improve the response time, but this causes a fairly marked and sometimes annoying reverse ghosting effect.

Finally, we measured the display delay at only 10 ms. There is thus no lag between the action and its repercussion on the screen.

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Conclusion

The Dell UltraSharp UP2516D is a very good monitor with flawless ergonomics, full connectivity and a KVM switch that can come in handy. The image is far from bad, but it is not perfect, which one is clearly entitled to demand in this price range.

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