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Buyer's Guide: The Best Monitors 
Asus PA246Q vs Dell U2410
Alexandre Botella
Translator: Sam McGeever
Updated: May 9, 2011
Translator: Sam McGeever
Updated: May 9, 2011
| On the left is the Asus PA246Q, the last 24'' monitor to score five stars. It combines usability, responsiveness and accurate colour reproduction. |
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On the right, we have the Dell U2410. It might be older than today's challenger, but it also has a great IPS panel. It too scored five stars in our original review. |
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| IPS | | | IPS |
| 1920 x 1200 pixels | | | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| 6 ms | | | 6 ms |
| DisplayPort + HDMI + DVI + VGA | | | DisplayPort + HDMI + 2 DVI + VGA + Component |
| 178° / 178° | | | 178° / 178° |
| BACKGROUND |
 The PA246Q is a 24'' monitor with an IPS panel and is the flagship of Asus' ProArt range. Although this collection is aimed at professional graphic designers, it isn't beyond the reach of ordinary users. |
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 The U2410 is a lot older, but it's still the big star of Dell's UltraSharp range. It was the first time the manufacturer abandoned PVA displays in favour of IPS. |
| This pair of 24'' IPS monitors bring together a virtually identical spec at a similar price point. But if you want the very best, which is it to be? Will experience triumph over youth? |
| BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN: DELL |
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| As both monitors are aimed at professionals, they have a relatively refined design with clean lines. Neither of them follow current trends, but they aren't lacking in style either. Not much separates them in terms of usability. |
| Audio: Dell has totally abandoned audio on its monitor, unlike Asus. Although the PA246Q doesn't have speakers, it does at least have a headphone jack so you can pick up the sound signal carried by the HDMI or DisplayPort inputs. Accessories: both monitors have a built-in memory card reader and a USB hub, but Dell takes a slight lead by offering four USB ports instead of two from Asus. |
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Video Inputs: again, both competitors have VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort in common, but Dell inches out in front with a second DVI port and composite video. Display: both monitors use the same 1920 x 1200 resolution. The extra 120 lines compared to a 1080p monitor are great for every sort of app—apart, that is, from games if your graphics card isn't up to the job. |
| RESPONSIVENESS: A DRAW |
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Speedy: in both monitors, we measured an identical ghosting time of 11 ms. That means both of them are equally capable of satisfying demanding gamers.
Input Lag: it's not easy to divide them on this front either. Both monitors have an input lag so low that it's invisible to the naked eye, meaning that neither will hold you back when playing multiplayer. |
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| COLOURS: A DRAW |
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The contrast ratio is a little weak, with neither monitor breaking any records in this department. IPS panels are known for two main weaknesses: contrast ratio and energy consumption. Neither of our two test cases got above 700:1. wia
Factory calibration: there's not much chance of either of them going wrong as both manufacturers calibrate their products in the factory for sRGB and RGB before shipping them out. |
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| ENERGY CONSUMPTION: SLIGHT ADVANTAGE FOR ASUS |
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There's not much of a gap: just 5 W separates Asus and Dell, but that's enough to give the Asus PA46Q a slight advantage. |
| VERDICT: ASUS FOR MULTIMEDIA—OTHERWISE, A TIE |
| If you just count up the points, neither monitor comes out on top. There's not much to distinguish between the two displays unless you take into account what you actually want to use them for. Office Use: it's a draw in this department, with only the Dell's two extra USB ports representing a potential advantage. Gaming: they're both ideally-suited on this point, with their performance similar if not identical. Multimedia: the PA246Q's line out for headphones or speakers gives it a slight advantage. It can easily serve as a display for a games console or be connected to an IP TV box. |
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Photography: because both colour reproduction and contrast ratio are factory-calibrated, they're both equally good at satisfying amateur photographers. For Us: opinion is largely divided in the office because there are so few differences between the two monitors. Go for the one you like best! |
