Dell Ultrasharp 2209WA Review

Dell Ultrasharp 2209WA Review

I've got with me today the Dell Ultrasharp 2209WA 22" eIPS LCD monitor (that was quite a mouthful). Considering that a lot of people (on this forum and others) have received this monitor but are too dazzled by it to write a formal review, I thought I would take this opportunity and write one of the first few reviews of this monitor on the internet.

A Brief Introduction:

The Dell 2209WA is the latest entrant to Dell's Ultrasharp premium panels range. This one is, however, unique because of the fact that it is the first monitor to be built with an "eIPS" panel. eIPS is basically a cut-down of the more expensive IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel. For the uninitiated, IPS panels are famous for giving high image quality, superior viewing angles and good black levels. Furthermore, they support true 8-bits per channel color, as opposed to 6-bits per channel for regular TN panels. The improved colour reproduction comes at a price of course; most IPS panels are expensive and suffer from a high amount of internal processing lag, also known as input lag. Input lag is basically the finite time delay between the generation of an image by the computer’s graphics hardware and it being rendered onto the screen. This is not noticeable during general use, but is disconcerting for hardcore gamers who employ every resource and skill at their disposal to be faster and to outwit their opponent (it isn't as glorious as it sounds, it's just a bunch of nerds trying to shoot each other in an online game). So the expensive price and high input lag of IPS panels have allowed the cheaper and faster TN panels to establish the major foothold in the desktop computer market. Indeed, IPS panels remain as the monitors of choice for only those that demand superior color accuracy and are, well, loaded with cash. eIPS assumes to buck this trend, by attempting to replicate the image quality and superior viewing angles of a high-end IPS panel at a much lower cost and with a lower amount of input lag. Does it live up to the hype?

Let's find out.