Dell Ultrasharp U3415W 34" Curved Monitor

[Rivet 16]

Very interesting and useful discussion as I am about to embark on my research to pick a 34" UltraWide monitor and so far the Dell is high on my list. Here is my list of existing (or soon to exist) monitors. Can anyone think of any others I may be missing?

 

1. Dell U3415W - 3440x1440
2. LG 34UC97-S  - 3440x1440
3. Samsung  S34E790C - 3440x1440
4. Asus 3800R - 3440x1440
5. HP Z34c and Envy 34c - 3440x1440
6. AOC  U3477PQU - 3440x1440
7. BENQ XR3501 - 2560x1080
8. Acer X34 (XR341CKA) - 3440x1440

[Jim Young 2,356]

 

 

Wow, just wow Jim, that monitor must have transferred your swimming experience not nothing else! The resolution just makes the cockpit look completely real

 

Thanks!  Remember the view you are seeing spreads completely across the 34 inch screen (you knew that).  Much of it is indeed very stunning.  Here's a new one I just took of the new Carenado Phenom 300 sitting on the KSEA runway....

 

 

Best regards,

[Flic1 975]

My Dell 34" curved monitor came today and I got it set up in no time at all.  I loaded an NGX scenario that I had done last night to compare and......WOW!!!!  This resolution really is perfect for VC flying.  I had zero FPS impact coming from my 24" Dell Ultrasharp screen.  Thanks Jim for the input on this monitor....I can concur it is  absolutely stunning!!

 

Eric

[LittlePaulio 3]

 

 

My Dell 34" curved monitor came today and I got it set up in no time at all.  I loaded an NGX scenario that I had done last night to compare and......WOW!!!!  This resolution really is perfect for VC flying.  I had zero FPS impact coming from my 24" Dell Ultrasharp screen.  Thanks Jim for the input on this monitor....I can concur it is  absolutely stunning!

Congrats on your purchase Flic. I was delighted to hear that you haven't experienced any FPS impact coming from a 24" monitor, as this is exactly what I intend to do.

 

Thanks!  Remember the view you are seeing spreads completely across the 34 inch screen (you knew that).  Much of it is indeed very stunning.  Here's a new one I just took of the new Carenado Phenom 300 sitting on the KSEA runway....

Yet another stunning screenshot Jim, the extra resolution just does so much justice to the Phenom and Carenado planes will certainly all benefit from the extra resolution. Thankfully I've learned my lesson from too many impulsive buys to wait until we see some sort of price drop. And there's constantly new models appearing on the market- The Philips 34" BDM3490UC curved display looks like a beauty- It's a IPS panel with 3440 x 1440 resolution and a 5ms G2G response time and 60Hz refresh rate also sporting an extremely impressive 1000:1 contrast ratio. No official price on it yet, but I know it's gonna be wait out of my league. Good that these monitors are selling though. Have fun with your new monitor Flic- just out of interest, do either you or Jim play other games or watch movies on it?

[Jim Young 2,356]

 

 

Thanks Jim for the input on this monitor....I can concur it is absolutely stunning!!

 

I'm glad you like the monitor too Eric.  Thanks for the update and enjoy!

 

 

 

he Philips 34" BDM3490UC curved display looks like a beauty- It's a IPS panel with 3440 x 1440 resolution and a 5ms G2G response time and 60Hz refresh rate also sporting an extremely impressive 1000:1 contrast ratio.

 

That's looks like a nice monitor too and has the same connections as the Dell 34".  Samsung will have some too.  It's great to see the new technology being developed and released.  It does make this hobby a bit more fun.

 

Best regards,

[Rocky_53 1,566]

Of course, after considering things and doing some measuring, I'm now unsure whether I am prepared to lose the height that I enjoy with my 30" Dell.

[Lon David 3]

I have a 40" LG 4K monitor I picked up last fall for about $800 CDN.  I'm running a 4790K with a 780 GTX in 4K mode and frame rates are tolerable.  What advantage would a 34" curved screen have, other than perhaps improved FPS ?

 

Lon Duncombe

[Jim Young 2,356]

I have a 40" LG 4K monitor I picked up last fall for about $800 CDN.  I'm running a 4790K with a 780 GTX in 4K mode and frame rates are tolerable.  What advantage would a 34" curved screen have, other than perhaps improved FPS ?

 

Lon Duncombe

Hi Lon,

 

When I read your post, the first thing that popped into my mind was that he is referring to "the curve" so apologize if I was wrong.  There are a lot of naysayers thinking this is just a gimmick by the manufacturers, etc., and curved makes it more expensive (not the Dell!!).  I am not going to dispute the naysayers (monitor experts know much more than I do) but I will say there are some who were naysayers and now think the idea is not as bad as they thought - http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/25/curved-monitors-gaming/

 

I did a lot of research before I bought the Dell U3415W.  All of the expert reviews I read said the slight curve was "not a gimmick for gaming and actually made it more immersive". This from PC Magazine.  PC Monitors' reviewers said the following:

 

"We also feel that the curve added just a bit of extra depth to the already engrossing game playing and movie watching experience. As we’ve mentioned earlier on, it also slightly reduced the perceived ‘IPS glow’ – a nice bonus. It certainly doesn’t eliminate it, though, and our sample was ‘blessed’ with backlight bleed that sort of overshadowed that a bit in some cases. We found the curve absolutely fine for general productivity tasks, including browsing the internet (which can sometimes be less productive) and editing documents and spreadsheets. We could understand how those with a keen eye that are used to indulging in creative passions such as design work and photo editing may find the curve a little different. But we would suggest people see this for themselves and judge rather than ruling it out based on what may not turn out to be a complete non-issue for them."

 

And, Tom's Hardware said, "By curving the screen just a little, the extra width fits better into the user’s peripheral vision, and reduces the amount of head-turning necessary to see the entire desktop. Product photos seem to exaggerate the curve somewhat. In reality, it’s fairly subtle — the image is not distorted in any way."  They also stated the calibration of the Dell Monitor was the most accurate they had seen.

 

The Dell is currently running around $800 and that makes this monitor an even better purchase IMHO.  Most of the others cost over $1000. 

 

The 40" LG 4K Monitor (LG 40UB8000 40-Inch 4K Ultra HD 60Hz Smart LED TV) is not a monitor but a 4K LED TV.  The 4K does not work and it is doubtful it will ever make prime time for the gaming industry.  It does not have a "true" HDMI 2.0 port or DisplayPort support whereas the Dell monitor does (and all of the other curved monitors).  That's one major difference.  I have heard a lot of members who have complained about the resolution in HDTV's.  Sure, the screen is huge and provides for better immersion but it is NOT a monitor.  I think it would have been better to have bought one of the $400 and less 4K HDTV's as there is little difference.  If the Dell monitor had cost more than $1000 (or over $1500 Dell was charging for their 32 inch monitors), I would not have purchased it.  Probably would have gone the route you and many others took.  But for now this is the best monitor I have ever purchased.

 

Best regards, 

[hamish7777 1]

I have been the happy owner of 3 x Sony 17" Monitors hooked up to a Triple Head 2 Go for about 8 years now. The resolution is 3840 x 1024 but I must say that these 34" curved Monitors have got me interested. I have had to get used to 2 1 inch bezels where the Monitors meet and I bet not having that would increase the immersion factor coupled with the higher resolution on a smaller desktop space, though I wonder if I would miss the width, probably not.

 

I suppose I need to find one to have a look and make a decision. Do you think the framerates might be slightly higher using one large monitor over 3 seperate ones?

 

Interesting times ahead.

 

 

Hamish.

[gfd 15]

I have the 34" Dell. Excellent monitor. There is some light bleed on a pitch black screen. How often do we use pitch black? Overall, great purchase.

[Flic1 975]

Of course, after considering things and doing some measuring, I'm now unsure whether I am prepared to lose the height that I enjoy with my 30" Dell.

 

I can certainly understand this.  I came from a 24" Dell and the vertical height remained the same for me.  The Ultrawide screen though is just beautiful when using the VC as I appreciate the horizontal view more than a vertical view (I fly the NGX almost exclusively).  I couldn't go back to my old 16:9 screen after doing several flights with this!!

 

Here is a pic showing NGX VC:

 

http://fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/image/cRe

[mosteen 111]

Thanks Jim and the rest of you guys, just ordered the Dell 34 curved as a replacement for my Dell 30.

 

Needed a 30" flat for the showroom at my dayjob, so I got a very good trade

 

Cheers,

[michaelray 236]

A big thanks to Jim and Flic1 for sharing the images of their Dell 34" experience. I have a Dell 24" 1920 x 1200 and was thinking of moving to a 27" or 30". After looking at what the wider view offered I was convinced the widescreen 34" was the way to go.

 

Have now had the Dell U3415W for a week and I must say I am impressed. The "wideness" definitely adds to the immersion factor. Flying the NGX and AS 319 with the extra peripheral vision is just amazing.

 

I am an AA junkie (yes hard to achieve good AA in P3D). On the previous 24" Dell I ran 4 x SGSS to help out with the AA. At 4 x SGSS on the Dell 34" it looked absolutely amazing (obviously helped by the tighter pixel pitch). However only the slightest bit of weather and the GTX980 is maxed out and we have a slideshow. Handles 2 x SGSS ok and looks marginally worse than 4 x SGSS on my 24" Dell.

 

As previously stated there is some light bleed at the lower left and right extremities along with the standard IPS glow you will get with these panels. So flying in a totally dark room is not the best and I find I have to introduce a level of light into the room to reduce the above traits of this type of panel.

 

For those who work and play on the same monitor, 34" is great for productivity also. In summary I am very happy with this purchase and once again it greatly increases the immersion factor for me.

 

Michael M

[LittlePaulio 3]

I am an AA junkie (yes hard to achieve good AA in P3D). On the previous 24" Dell I ran 4 x SGSS to help out with the AA. At 4 x SGSS on the Dell 34" it looked absolutely amazing (obviously helped by the tighter pixel pitch). However only the slightest bit of weather and the GTX980 is maxed out and we have a slideshow. Handles 2 x SGSS ok and looks marginally worse than 4 x SGSS on my 24" Dell.

 

Thanks for the feedback Michael. I can't deny I'm disappointed by 'weather' affecting performance so drastically. I only use REX 4 for my weather, no engine, but with all the highest resolution textures, and I love flying aa Beechcraft Baron lor a Cessna Skyyhawk through a building storm. I reckon I should reconsider and just go for a regular 30". It would still be a dramatic upgrade from a 24 ", and would probably work better with TrackIR as well. Gotta be realistic, and the price difference between the two different models and their specs is considerable. Thanks for the continuing feedback in here of the different experiences ppl have had with the 34" curved model. They been overwhelming positive, but I don't think I will be complaining with a 30" monitor as my new VC! And it's always nice to have another upgrade to aim for!

[TheDanger 182]

 I can't deny I'm disappointed by 'weather' affecting performance so drastically.

 

Me too. I've been looking at this particular monitor and was strongly thinking of purchasing one but think I will drop to a 29" IPS monitor for half the price.

 

I am running an i7 3440k @ 3.4 stock with GTX 670 for FSX on a 24" Dell 1920x1080 and an i5 2550k @ 3.5 stock with GTX 970 on a 50inch LCD TV for gaming.

 

I was going to purchase the Dell U3415W and move the GTX 970 into my FSX rig but think I will pass for now.

 

Surely my GTX 670 must be ok with a 29" IPS 2560x1080 monitor. If there's a chance of losing substantial performance then I will stick with my 24" Dell from 2008. Still going strong even though a tad on the small side by todays offerings.