Dell 2001FP 20" LCD Monitor Review

[BigEyes]

Thanks bratboy.

The thing I'm wanting to get some idea of is the COST of this stuff, and also the

By the way, there is a reveiw of the 2001FP on the Dell Forum site:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=33424

This review has some very good photos of the unit.

[firstadopter]

How is TV/cable on 2001FP directly connected? How is the video quality?

[Strict9]

Hey all,

I finally got my Dell XPS with the 2001FP, After setting it all up...which took just minutes. I powered the system up (I love the smell of a fresh silicone heating up) made a few adjustments to the monitor and was blown away. I was a little scepticle about the picture quality on the LCD since I always used good 21" CRT's. But I got a say i was impressed. I did find one dead pixel in the middle of the screen but like some of you said here before, I only noticed it on an all black or white screen, and its sooo tiny that you can even forget that its there. I loaded up UT2004 and cranked the Res to 1600x1200 and the details to high and loaded up the Primevil Onslaught map, and I was in gaming bliss. My mistake was loading up the game @ 11:40pm to test it out before i hit the sack, an hour and a half later I was able to pull myself away from gaming heaven to go to bed. Tonight I will try FarCry and see how well that holds up.

[firstadopter]

Everyone that owns a 2001FP please vote on the "Number of Dead Pixels Poll" on the thread below!

http://www.firstadopter.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=166

[GregP]

Thanks for the welcome and quick reply, guys.

So it sounds like the backlight bleedthrough thing is not uncommon and maybe I shouldn't be bothered by it. I figure I have almost a month left to think about it so it's no big deal right away anyway.

BluepointVance, you still here? Any comments on the bleedthrough?

[CAG]

To all,

Don't know if any of you are using the 2001FP's USB ports but I've hooked up a 2d printer to one of the back ports and one of those flexible USB LED lights to one of the side ports. I love the light...I position it over the keyboard and its great at night. Its an IOGEAR 8-LED USB Flex Light and I got it here http://www.comcatonline.com/ioggca18ledu.html

[TheAngryIntern]

Well, I finally got my refurb 2001FP today, and FIVE dead pixels....boooo. I'm kinda bummed about this, but I shall see what Dell says when i call them tomorrow.

other than the dead pixels, this monitor absolutely Rocks!!! Unbelievable!!! The amount of screen real estate i have is simply stunning. I played a little Day of Defeat in first in 1280x1024, and that was pretty good, and then I cranked it up to 1600x1200, and WOW was the first thing that popped out of my mouth, or maybe it was Holy S**t!!! I'm not sure which. I also playe Sacred for a few minutes, and I thought it looked great, too. One question: How do I turn on that cleartype thing in windows???

anyway, hopefully dell will send me a new one minus the dead pixels. I will keep you all informed as to my dealings with Dell.

[CAG]

TAI,

Here's a link to WinXP ClearType http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/tuner/1.htm?fname=%20&fsize=

[firstadopter]

Dell Small Business has a 20% off sale right now. FYI.

[CAG]

I saw that...20% off from the $1,050 price...still a good deal.

[firstadopter]

The 25% off sale is up for the 2001FP till 4/28. $749 according to Ben's Bargains.

"It returns. Dell Business has 25% off their Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1" 1600x1200 Digital LCD with coupon code G53VQ6JVS$2PL4 [Exp 4/28], bringing it to $749 with free shipping. This is the thing to get to cause envy amongst your peers."

[organic]

It's really at $787.46 (25% off $1049, it's not worth $999 anymore) and the biggest problem is tax - in New York, it's $68 of taxes, which adds up to a final price of $855.38 (granted, free ground shipping is pretty nice).

I would've grabbed it if I could have applied my $50 off 500 or more coupon, but it's a dell home coupon unfortunately. I guess I'll have to wait some more.

Come to think of it, has that 25% discount ever applied to dell home?

[TheAngryIntern]

YAY!!! I got the new monitor. There are only 2 dead pixels now, and they are not really all that noticeable, so I think I'm going to keep this one. I agree with whoever said it that there is no point in trying to find the perfect one. Just for fun, when I got the new one, I set up a quick dual monitor system, just to see what 3200x1200 looks like!!!! It is also newer than the last one, and they remembered to put all the right cables in it this time!!!! All in all this monitor absolutely kicks ass!! Well, anyway, thanks to everyone for their good reviews and advice!

[TheAngryIntern]

just a quick pic I took of the brief (but absolutely awesome!!!) dual monitor setup with the 2 2001FP's. The bum one on the left and the new one on the right!!

[organic]

Man that setup makes me jealous. That is hot.

I ordered it, even though it was $855. I couldn't wait anymore. This 15" Sony LCD just isn't cutting it!

[organic]

Wow. I don't think I've ever seen Dell AND UPS deliver a package in so little time. Ordered Monday afternoon, delivered Wednesday afternoon. That must be some kind of record. And I picked ground shipping!

Anyway, in the spirit of following TAI's lead, here's my picture of my 2001fp showing his dual 2001fp picture: http://www.pbase.com/image/28414992/large.jpg

the full picture can be seen at this link (http://www.pbase.com/image/28414992/original).

[CAG]

Hi, organic.

Since Dell usually ships things they don't build (like monitors, DVD burners, etc.) from regional warehouses, you get them much sooner than if you ordered a PC from them. Great pic of your 2001FP...I still think its the best looking monitor going. BTW, I thought that the empty Sprite bottle was a nice touch...kinda gave the whole thing some balance and color.

CAG

[Low Roller]

Just got my 2001FP hooked up. My Ti4200 only has VGA out and I'm using 1280x1024.

Still, with these less than optimal settings, the 2001FP KILLS my 22" CRT in IQ. Of course its a hell of a lot smaller too.(~same screen size)

There is so much depth and detail in the images displayed than before. Text is razor sharp. These are just my initial impressions.

I can't wait to see this beaut at 1600x1200 using DVI. That won't happen till I upgrade to the new PCI-express stuff later this year unfortunately.

Low Roller

[CAG]

Hello Low Roller. Welcome to the forum. Congrats on your new 2001FP. It may be a while before PCI-Express is available...from what I've seen of the Intel and AMD roadmaps, you may be looking at another year before the dust has settled on the technology. With the new high-end ATi (X800XT) and nVidia (Geforce 6800 Ultra) cards coming out in another couple of weeks, their present top-of-the-line cards should be dropping price...you may be better off getting one of these for the time being.

Again, welcome to the board.

CAG

[Low Roller]

Thanks, CAG. I do need to upgrade. However, up until FarCry, I was content with my 1800XP/Ti4200. I mean I was able to run FC on low settings, but when I saw how the game looked on my buddy's P4 2.8/9800PRO setup, I really became jelous. I was the first time I became aware of just how outdated my gear is.

Still, I'm going to hold off for a bit longer. I heard PCI-E was coming out in June/July. Is this incorrect?

LR

[hadji]

Hello all:

Just been browsing the posts here recently, and wanted to let you know that I am taking the plunge. I am going the refurb root, due to the fact that Dell had one helacious deal today for their 2001fp's in the Outlet. They were $598 with $14 shipping(no tax), so $612 to my door. Considering that the base price actually went up to $1049 recently, I would say that this is a steal. It does come with a 14 day return policy and 90 day warranty, so like many have said, I will go over this with a fine tooth comb once I receive it. Thanks for all the input, good and bad. I will report back once I get it set up and tested. Can't wait to play BF Vietnam and Nascar Racing 2003 on this bad boy!!

[welphd]

I ordered a refurb 2001FP yesterday thru dell outlet for $612 shipped. Cant wait to get it. I have a P4 prescott 3.0Ghz / 9800pro (overclocked to 420/360)/1GB pc3200 ram. I hope I can run UT2004 and future games doom3 and HL2 smoothly at 1600x1200 with decent image quality settings.

[Dark Man X]

Hey everybody. I've been lurking for a while... And I've just finished reading this thread *phew*. I was in search for a mildly affordable 19" LCD monitor for a pretty long time to go with my new computer. Finally, I've decided to go for this one... To tell you the truth, the main thing that lured me was the USB hub... I never have enough USB slots. After reading this thread I see the many other advantages.

Anyway, I wanted to ask, my new computer is basically a 1GB RAM, Athlon 3400+, 9800XT. The reason I bought this computer is to run games at the highest detail, so I wanted to ask if it'll do it with 1600X1200 native. Also, just as a sidenote do you think I should wait for the R500/NV40 or just go with the XT?

P.S: I download lots of movies and such, and I like to watch them from my bed, which is placed pretty low in relation to the computer, will I be able to see it from a downward position? Or for that matter from the side, etc.

[Low Roller]

I assume you mean R420 or R423, not R500. The Specs on the R420 should be out within the next week or so. Then the whole world will see how the R420/NV40 compare to each other.

I'm in a similar situation as you. I'll be upgrading soon, but I'm waiting to for both of the new cards with PCI-e to be out, if I can stand the wait.

The 9800XT is a great card, and the machine you decribe is blazin fast. But I'm willing to wait that extra month or two, because the new cards will both be quite a bit faster than the 9800XT and 5950.

Its all personal choice anyway. Certainly nothing wrong with pulling the trigger now. Then you'll have a great machine NOW, and don't have wait.

LR

[Dark Man X]

Yeah, I keep getting confused between the R420 and R500 which I have no idea what that is. Anyway, my current computer is not in a very good state... So I'll have to replace it pretty soon. I might get the 9800XT just to get it over with, and perhaps upgrade in like half a year when games will really demand for the next-gen cards... And besides, I'll probably have 500$ in the summer anyway, so I'll be able to buy it.

The only thing I want to know is whether the 9800XT will handle 1600x1200 with all the details on...

[welphd]

Originally posted by Dark Man X
Hey everybody. I've been lurking for a while... And I've just finished reading this thread *phew*. I was in search for a mildly affordable 19" LCD monitor for a pretty long time to go with my new computer. Finally, I've decided to go for this one... To tell you the truth, the main thing that lured me was the USB hub... I never have enough USB slots. After reading this thread I see the many other advantages.

Anyway, I wanted to ask, my new computer is basically a 1GB RAM, Athlon 3400+, 9800XT. The reason I bought this computer is to run games at the highest detail, so I wanted to ask if it'll do it with 1600X1200 native. Also, just as a sidenote do you think I should wait for the R500/NV40 or just go with the XT?

P.S: I download lots of movies and such, and I like to watch them from my bed, which is placed pretty low in relation to the computer, will I be able to see it from a downward position? Or for that matter from the side, etc.

I just cancelled my order due to the concern that my 9800PRO may not be able to run future games like Doom 3 and HL2 at 1600x1200 with good frame rate (at least >60fps). I am going to get a 18 or 19inch 1280x1024 LCD instead. If you're gonna get the new 6800 or X800 card, then a 1600x1200 LCD is good for you.

[Low Roller]

Originally posted by welphd
I just cancelled my order due to the concern that my 9800PRO may not be able to run future games like Doom 3 and HL2 at 1600x1200 with good frame rate (at least >60fps). I am going to get a 18 or 19inch 1280x1024 LCD instead. If you're gonna get the new 6800 or X800 card, then a 1600x1200 LCD is good for you.

I'd be surprised if even the new cards could run D3 and HL2 at 1600x1200/60fps with max eye candy. So far we already know the 6800 can't come close to this with Far Cry at 1600x1200, or 1280x1024 for that matter.

LR

[welphd]

Originally posted by Low Roller
I'd be surprised if even the new cards could run D3 and HL2 at 1600x1200/60fps with max eye candy. So far we already know the 6800 can't come close to this with Far Cry at 1600x1200, or 1280x1024 for that matter.

LR

There are various preliminary benchmarks on the new cards, some (xbitlab, for example) claim 2x the performance of 9800XT and some claim 50% increase. But these are PRELIMINARY. Nothing is convincing till the cards AND the games are actually released to the market.

[Low Roller]

Sure, everthing so far is preliminary. And so these 'preliminary' numbers have the 6800 running Far Cry 1600x1200 4xAA 8xAF at just over 30fps.

I'm just saying anyone who expects these new cards to run D3 and HL2 at 60fps 16x12 max details very well MAY be disapointed.

Anyway, back on topic. I'm very happy with my 2001FP, and I'm thinking about getting a second one.

LR

[CAG]

hadji, welphd, and Dark Man X, welcome to the forum.

I think tomorrow or Wednesday ATi will be officially launching the X800XT Pro (12x pipeline) and the X800XT Platinum (16x pipeline). And, supposedly, nVidia may introduce a GeForce 6800 Ultra "Extreme" to again leapfrog ATi. Things are going to get pretty interesting.

[CAG]

Originally posted by Low Roller
Thanks, CAG. I do need to upgrade. However, up until FarCry, I was content with my 1800XP/Ti4200. I mean I was able to run FC on low settings, but when I saw how the game looked on my buddy's P4 2.8/9800PRO setup, I really became jelous. I was the first time I became aware of just how outdated my gear is.

Still, I'm going to hold off for a bit longer. I heard PCI-E was coming out in June/July. Is this incorrect?

LR

You are correct that June/July is about right for PCI-E. I know that Intel's Grantsdale/Alderwood chipsets will support it and I read that ATi and nVidia will have video cards that support it by then. My comment in my earlier post about allowing the dust to settle was more of a reference to allowing the technology to mature a little. But, if you are in need of an upgrade, go for it. I look forward to your reviews on it.

[MailManX]

Chances are, those boards will fall into the category of "If ya gotta ask how much they are, you can't afford them." At least real estate prices are up and interest rates are down. A good home equity line of credit should do the trick.

[CAG]

Yes. A second (or third) mortgage should not slow down a true gamer. And wait until the PCI-X cards come along...

[Low Roller]

Originally posted by CAG
I think tomorrow or Wednesday ATi will be officially launching the X800XT Pro (12x pipeline) and the X800XT Platinum (16x pipeline). And, supposedly, nVidia may introduce a GeForce 6800 Ultra "Extreme" to again leapfrog ATi. Things are going to get pretty interesting.

Things are getting interesting. Nvidia's going to pull an "6800Ultra Extreme Addition" out of their a$$ not to be outdone, and now ATI seems to be doing the same with an "X800XT Platinum."

This it too funny. I just hope this king of the hill whirlwind will extends to pricing, that would be nice.

[Low Roller]

Here ya go...X800 info

http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?p=646488#post646488

[welphd]

Originally posted by Low Roller
Sure, everthing so far is preliminary. And so these 'preliminary' numbers have the 6800 running Far Cry 1600x1200 4xAA 8xAF at just over 30fps.

I'm just saying anyone who expects these new cards to run D3 and HL2 at 60fps 16x12 max details very well MAY be disapointed.

Anyway, back on topic. I'm very happy with my 2001FP, and I'm thinking about getting a second one.

LR

Don't know where you get that Far Cry number from. But here is a 6800 benchmark on Far Cry with 90fps result at 16x12:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/nv40_31.html
As I said before, this is just preliminary.

back on topic, if you buy 1600x1200 LCD, make sure that that resolution will be actually USEFUL to YOU.

[Low Roller]

Geesh.............that was from Anantech (http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=2023&p=17) WITH 4xAA AND 8xAF..................and I also said they MAY be disapointed, not they WILL be.

Can we stop beating a dead horse already?(Before you answer, realize that was a rhetorical question)

Take a look at the link in my previous post, THG numbers comparing the 6800's and X800's, if anyone's interested.

LR

[CAG]

welphd and Low Roller,

From the links you guys posted, it looks like the ATi and nVidia cards are pretty close performance-wise. Anyway, within the next week, every enthusiast site on the planet will have reviewed these cards in more detail than anyone could care about (and, in my case, ever possibly understand).

For those of you who may be having issues with your 2001FP (I'm on my 2nd monitor b/c of start-up issues with my ATi card), this FAQ that was posted by a Dell tech moderator on the Dell monitor board may be of some help http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=33721&view=by_date_ascending&page=1 It applies to all Dell LCD's.

CAG

[mase]

Well, since Dell had refurb 2001FPs on their site tonight for $598 + $14 shipping + CA tax, I couldn't resist any longer and ordered one. Plus, I just got news today that I got a new job that I have been trying to get that will give me a nice pay raise - so, it's kind of a gift to myself to celebrate. It came out to $662 for me shipped to my door.

CAG seems knowledgable about these 2001FPs, and he kept saying the refurbs are good, so I took the plunge.

I have had a Sony 21" E540 CRT monitor for about 2 years now, and I got that instead of an LCD back then due to my serious Counter-Strike gaming. I've always wanted an LCD and this seems the right one to get for gaming.

I am extremely sensitive to visual performance whenn playing CS. I can immediately detect the difference between CRT 85 fps and 99 fps. I play CS about 3 hours every night, if I detect any problems that may give me a disadvantage over my opponents due to this LCD, it will go right back. I don't even really care about dead pixels - I just want performance, decreased eye strain, precision text, beautiful colors, and my darn desktop back! :)

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it turns out.

[CAG]

Welcome to the forum, mase. Great deal on the 2001FP! I've visited Dell Outlet several times over the past day or so and I've not been able to find any 2001FP's in inventory. Where are you guys finding these?

[Happynic1]

For the people that are intrested in the dell 2001fp lcd from Dell Outlet for a very low price of $598 you'll have to check out their inventory at off hours like 3:30am, 10:30pm, 2pm. and so on. Well that's when i see them on their inventory search results. But they go quit,, in just minutes 100s were sold off in about 15 minutes after they were place in inventory. So just check on it once i awhile, whenever you have free time.. but the offer ends on 5/5/04 so you'll have 2 more days. They restock many times a day and they restock in 50s, and 100s, so if you really want one, you should be able to get one.


Here's the link:
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/monitor?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

just click on "view inventory" for the Dell 2001FP Flat Panel on the LEFT SIDE of the page.

oh this is my first post,, hope it helps.

[CAG]

Thanks for the info, Happynic1, and welcome to the forum. I'll have to set my alarm clock tonight and see what they've got.

CAG

[mase]

Yes, I concur with Happynic1, the past two nights I've personally seen them in stock for quite some time around the hours of 2-3am.

[CAG]

Got my clock set for 2 a.m...you guys better be right.

[Johnny Postman]

Good thread guys... I just got my 2001fp as part of a bundle with a new XPS and found this site through Google. Was going to stick with my CRT for gaming and sell the 2001 on Ebay but from the great reviews here, I'm reconsidering this and will most likely at least take it out of the box to try it out.

One question... how do you check for dead pixels? I saw the post saying that examining a full red/green/blue screen is the best way but how do you set the screen to all one color? Forgive the newbie question but am coming from a Mac. Also, any recommendations on the best way to calibrate an LCD or does it even need it?

[CAG]

Welcome to the forum, Johnny Postman. I'm pretty confident that you'll keep the 2001 FP after you try it...its a pretty awesome monitor. You can use this to test for dead pixels http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixels.html I never had to calibrate mine...worked great right out of the box.

BTW, the XPS is a great rig. What are your system specs?

CAG

[Johnny Postman]

Thanks for the tip CAG.

I was going to get a system in 6 months or so for the advances like PCIx, the latest graphics card and the Tejas chip but my old computer is on it's last legs and Dell had too good of a deal to pass up. Besides, they say the latest system is obsolete 10 minutes after you take it out of the box so why wait.

Anyways, here're the specs from the packing slip...

3.2Ghz P4 Prescot
1GB RAM
256MB ATI 9800XT
2x250GB SATA HD RAID 0
120GB ATA HD
8x DVD+R/RW
48x CD-RW
SB Audigy 2 THX
XP Pro
2001FP LCD
Logitech Z-5300 speakers

Blows my 400Mhz G3 iMac away plus it's nice to actually play the best games instead of just hearing about them from friends.

[mspeed]

Just went to the Dell site and the monitors are now $100 more at $698. Was ready to buy refurbished, but that's too close to the deal prices I've heard about for new ones with three year warranty. Think they'll go back to $598?

[Happynic1]

not sure,, I just check on them and all of the 2001fp are now up by $100. I guess too many people were buying them enough for them to charge $100 more or most of them are just straight returned brand new LCDs.

[CAG]

I saw that the price is now $698. That's still a good deal...Viewsonic's selling the same panel for around $1,200.

[CAG]

Originally posted by mspeed
Just went to the Dell site and the monitors are now $100 more at $698. Was ready to buy refurbished, but that's too close to the deal prices I've heard about for new ones with three year warranty. Think they'll go back to $598?

Welcome to the board, mspeed. Dell's had these sales before so its a good bet that you'll see the $598 price again.

CAG

[mspeed]

Thanks for the welcome, CAG. Sure hope I see the $598 price again, or discounts on the new one's that bring the price down into the 700's again. Next time I won't hesitate.

Been shying away from LCD's because I like my occasional FPS game, but this one looks like it can handle anything coming out in the forseeable future. It's just not twice as good as a $500 CRT, so can't justify spending $1000 or more to get one.

[CAG]

Originally posted by Johnny Postman
Thanks for the tip CAG.

I was going to get a system in 6 months or so for the advances like PCIx, the latest graphics card and the Tejas chip but my old computer is on it's last legs and Dell had too good of a deal to pass up. Besides, they say the latest system is obsolete 10 minutes after you take it out of the box so why wait.

Anyways, here're the specs from the packing slip...

3.2Ghz P4 Prescot
1GB RAM
256MB ATI 9800XT
2x250GB SATA HD RAID 0
120GB ATA HD
8x DVD+R/RW
48x CD-RW
SB Audigy 2 THX
XP Pro
2001FP LCD
Logitech Z-5300 speakers

Blows my 400Mhz G3 iMac away plus it's nice to actually play the best games instead of just hearing about them from friends.

Nice rig! Good thing you weren't holding on until Tejas arrives. According to this article http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=15749 , looks like Intel will be canning it and moving forward with developing its Pentium M architecture. From what I've been reading over the past month, I kinda suspected this would happen.

[silentdog]

Hi,

I've just got my 2001FP today, pretty happy with it so far. But I cant seem to get the screen to pivot to Portrait mode properly. Dell's documentation support suck. Did anyone else have the same problem?

So far I've tried the driver off ftp.dell, the driver on the cd, update my Geforce 4 ti 4400 driver to the latest, to no avail.

Please help, thanks

SD

[CAG]

Hi silentdog. Welcome to the forum.

As for your Portrait Mode question, this is from the Dell documentation for the 2001FP:

"Note: To take advantage of the "Display Rotation" function (Landscape versus Portrait view) an updated graphics driver is required for your Dell Computer not included with this monitor. Please download the graphics driver from http://www.support.dell.com and refer to the "download" section for "Video Drivers" for latest driver updates.

Note: When in "Portrait View Mode", you may experience performance degradation in graphic-intensive applications (3D Gaming etc.) "

The link is here http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/monitors/2001fp/en/tiltswiv.htm

I haven't tried mine yet in portrait mode but I'm going to do so tonight to see if my ATi 9800 np supports it.

CAG

[CAG]

Comes to $839.96...but no free shipping.

[Johnny Postman]

*Thunk* -- That's the sound of my jaw hitting the desk after hooking up the 2001fp. I can't even describe how incredible just the desktop looked after booting up. Guess I'm going to have to keep it after all.

One thing... CAG... I did the test for dead pixels and when the screen was full red/green/blue, things looked ok. When the screen was full black I noticed 8 or so little colored(various r/g/b) dots spread across the screen -- I think these are subpixels right? Should I be worried at all about this? I'm still in the 30 day return period but does this qualify as a reason for returning? In normal use, I don't really notice it unless a black area falls where the pixels are located and I look but then again the LCD has seen only an hour of use so far. Any opinions?

The XPS is amazing as well. If I can just fix the mess I made trying to do a clean install of XP (got two copies of Windows now on different drives - get to choose each time at boot which I want) , I should be set.

Well, time to try out the Far Cry Demo and see how that looks. :-)

John

[silentdog]

I dug through all the settings in my NVidia display menu, and I finally found the screen rotate dialogue box, and I was able to change my screen to portrait mode manually, and I added a hotkey so I can toggle between landscape and portrait with a few buttons.

But I thought it was supposed to be automatic when you rotate the screen, am I wrong or is it just the way the screen is?

SD

[CAG]

Originally posted by Johnny Postman
*Thunk* -- That's the sound of my jaw hitting the desk after hooking up the 2001fp. I can't even describe how incredible just the desktop looked after booting up. Guess I'm going to have to keep it after all.

One thing... CAG... I did the test for dead pixels and when the screen was full red/green/blue, things looked ok. When the screen was full black I noticed 8 or so little colored(various r/g/b) dots spread across the screen -- I think these are subpixels right? Should I be worried at all about this? I'm still in the 30 day return period but does this qualify as a reason for returning? In normal use, I don't really notice it unless a black area falls where the pixels are located and I look but then again the LCD has seen only an hour of use so far. Any opinions?

I figured you'd keep it...it pretty much blows away any CRT I've seen. As for your pixel issue, here's Dell's dead pixel policy http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?dn=1018431 I don't know what if any difference there is b/t dead pixels and dead subpixels (if you can see them, that should be enough) but if they bother you (they would bother me but its a matter of personal preference) you can certainly have Dell replace the monitor. I would suggest that you contact Dell customer service with regard to the length of your return period...I just got a new Dimension 8300 for my son and I noticed on the invoice that comes with the packing slip, etc., that I had 21 days from the shipment date to return it. So, don't make any assumptions about how much time you have.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by silentdog
I dug through all the settings in my NVidia display menu, and I finally found the screen rotate dialogue box, and I was able to change my screen to portrait mode manually, and I added a hotkey so I can toggle between landscape and portrait with a few buttons.

But I thought it was supposed to be automatic when you rotate the screen, am I wrong or is it just the way the screen is?

SD

As far as I know, manually moving the panel to portrait mode does not automatically change the display to portrait mode. It would be nice if it did...add a little electric motor to rotate the panel and Dell would really have something.

CAG

[mspeed]

Quote:
...it pretty much blows away any CRT I've seen.

Well, maybe I should rethink that "not twice as good as a CRT" statement. I haven't seen this particular monitor in action, and I guess it's just hard to imagine, especially in FPS games, that it could look that much better than a good CRT costing far less. You've convinced me, CAG, I'll check it out.

[CAG]

Originally posted by mspeed
You've convinced me, CAG, I'll check it out.

You won't be disappointed.

[Johnny Postman]

After living with the monitor for day, I have to agree with you CAG, The dead pixels are annoying, particularly the 5 spread along the top quarter of the monitor. Now that I know they're there, my eyes just get drawn to them. Really notice it in dark cutscenes or watching a dvd. Here's hoping the second time's a charm.

I saw that 30-day trick also. System ordered on 4/9, shipped on 4/16.. will have to call Dell tonight/tomorrow so there's no chance they might weasel out of replacement.

[CAG]

I know the feeling. I had 1 dead pixel on my 1st 2001FP (returned it for other reasons). It was black and right dead center of the screen. Nobody but me could see it but it stood out like a gallactic black hole. My replacement was a refurb..older build but perfect in every respect. That's why I don't discourage folks from refurbs...most times they're better than "new".

Let us know how it turns out for you, JP.

CAG

[TheAngryIntern]

My first 2001FP had about 5 dead pixels, 3 in the center of the screen and at least two obvious ones in the upper left hand corner. I called Dell on a Thursday afternoon, PST, and on Friday when I got home from work, around 3 pm PST, the door tag from FedEx was already on my apartment door. How's that for service?? The new one has 2 or 3 that are really only noticeable using that test. During normal operations I don't notice them at all, so the 2nd on is a keeper. This monitor totally rocks. I've been playing City of Heroes at 1600x1200 with all the eye candy turned on, and i must say it is completely mind blowing how good this monitor looks while playing that game. I have yet to fire up Far Cry with it, as City of Heroes and Day of Defeat have been taking up all my time lately, but I will go back and play that game soon. Call of Duty really looks good at 16x12 as well. I've noticed no ghosting at all playing games. I need to play a DVD to see how that works, but honestly I really don't use my computer to watch DVD's much. I'm glad that everyone seems to like their 2001FP as much as I do, and the guys here at FirstAdopter should get a bonus from Dell or something for selling so many 2001FP's for them!!!!

[reynvlietstra]

I'm sitting in south africa, thanks for the reviews. I just ordered a 2001fp, amounted to +- $1200, which I bought through a friend who works for a company that has some deal with dell. The 17" LCDs here costs that much :( It'll arive in 2 weeks, I'll post a review then. I hope south africa doesnt get the crap you ppl sent back ;)

[tbirdman]

Okay, I might be interested in getting one of these bad boys, but I've had bad luck with other refurbished hardware in the past, and would rather go with new. I was looking at Ebay, and some people advertise that they have new, not refurbished units for sale. I'm always queasy buying from someone other than a dealer, ESPECIALLY on Ebay! How can some of these guys get 20 or 30 units, new, to sell? And should I trust them, even if they have a great feedback rating?

[firstadopter]

My personal opinion is never trust anyone on eBay for expensive products.

For LCD monitors, I would also only buy new because if you buy used, there's a higher probability you will get one with dead pixels as those are the ones people return most.

[CAG]

Hi all...been away for a while. Welcome to the forum, reynvlietstra and tbirdman.

reynvlietstra, looking forward to your review.

tbirdman, I'd get a refurb from Dell before I'd buy one, new or refurb, on ebay. It's not that I don't trust ebay sellers...its that I've never been sure about the warranties...at least with Dell, you can return it if it isn't right.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by TheAngryIntern
the guys here at FirstAdopter should get a bonus from Dell or something for selling so many 2001FP's for them!!!!

AGREED...let's all send Mickey Dell the link to this forum...we've gotta be entitled to no-dead-pixel insurance or something.

[Johnny Postman]

After jumping through Dell's tech support hoops(yes the cable is connected properly), they were suprisingly helpfuul and sent out a replacement. Fed Ex made the first attempt today so I'll pick it up tomorrow after work. Here's hoping for no dead pixels(or just a couple.)

One trick Dell suggested that I thought was strange but actually worked a bit was to lightly rub/tap the dead pixel area. One of them did go back to normal but no luck with the other 7.

Even with the pixel problems, the 2001fp(and the XPS itself) is amazing. Been cranking up the FarCry and UT2004 demos at max visuals and had no trouble with framerates at all. Can't recommend this monitor enough!

[mase]

Well, I got the monitor. I don't see any dead pixels and I don't care to look real hard for them either. The monitor has good looking graphics.

Except, and this is one big except, it sucks for gaming. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm a serious gamer. And all of you that said that this monitor shows no lag in games are all NOOBs. This thing has so much lag that I can't get anywhere near the level of gameplay that I once had. Flick shots are impossible, unless it's dumb luck. Damn noobs fooled me.

Even on the 1600x1200 windows desktop, I can see blurring when I move the mouse or just move windows around. Lame. ggkthx.

Originally posted by mase
Well, since Dell had refurb 2001FPs on their site tonight for $598 + $14 shipping + CA tax, I couldn't resist any longer and ordered one. Plus, I just got news today that I got a new job that I have been trying to get that will give me a nice pay raise - so, it's kind of a gift to myself to celebrate. It came out to $662 for me shipped to my door.

CAG seems knowledgable about these 2001FPs, and he kept saying the refurbs are good, so I took the plunge.

I have had a Sony 21" E540 CRT monitor for about 2 years now, and I got that instead of an LCD back then due to my serious Counter-Strike gaming. I've always wanted an LCD and this seems the right one to get for gaming.

I am extremely sensitive to visual performance whenn playing CS. I can immediately detect the difference between CRT 85 fps and 99 fps. I play CS about 3 hours every night, if I detect any problems that may give me a disadvantage over my opponents due to this LCD, it will go right back. I don't even really care about dead pixels - I just want performance, decreased eye strain, precision text, beautiful colors, and my darn desktop back! :)

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it turns out.

[CAG]

Hi mase.

It doesn't seem that any of us on this board or the hundreds of folks whose posts I have read on other boards are experiencing the same ghosting/blurring that you are. How do have the monitor connected, analog or DVI? The performance of these monitors is terrible on the analog connection. If you're on the analog connection, use the DVI connection instead.

CAG

[firstadopter]

Mase, I'm sorry the 2001FP isn't working out for you. I hope you're using the DVI connection because analog is definitely not as good.

I played UT2004, BF1942, Far Cry, and Call of Duty and see no blurring or lag whatsoever. Maybe you have better eyes than all of us. :)

But it sounds like something is wrong, especially if you see blurring and lag on the windows desktop.

[TheAngryIntern]

you are seriously smoking crack, or are WAY too picky. I've been playing Day of Defeat and City of Heroes both at 1600x1200 and have noticed no appreciable lag or ghosting, even when doing really quick look arounds and just moving the mouse all crazy. You must have the analog connection, cuz the DVI connection is great for games. I think that this monitor is just as good if not better than my 21" CRT.

"I am extremely sensitive to visual performance whenn playing CS. I can immediately detect the difference between CRT 85 fps and 99 fps."

I'm going to throw a huge BS flag on that one buddy. I've played CS and many of the other HL mods, and they jump all over the place for fps. I go anywhere from 60-99 fps on DoD depending on where on the map I am, and that's using a 9800XT. I'm pretty sure that you are not that sensitive, you just need to give yourself time to adjust to the change from the LCD. Like i said earlier, I play Day of Defeat at least 2-3 hours a day on the 2001FP, with all the eye candy cranked (not that there is much eye candy on a 6 year old game!!!) and at 1600x1200 and I've notice absolutely NO lag or ghosting with my graphics.

[CAG]

Hi again mase.

Not to beat a dead horse but I've never heard of a ghosting/blurring problem with the 2001FP...at least not one as bad as what you are experiencing...Unless, of course, you're using the analog connection...then you'll get all sorts of performance problems. If you're still having these problems with the DVI connection then there is something else wrong with the monitor and I would suggest that you contact Dell tech support.

Please post back and let us know how this turns out for you...it'll certainly be helpful to other in the forum.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by Johnny Postman
After jumping through Dell's tech support hoops(yes the cable is connected properly), they were suprisingly helpfuul and sent out a replacement. Fed Ex made the first attempt today so I'll pick it up tomorrow after work. Here's hoping for no dead pixels(or just a couple.)

One trick Dell suggested that I thought was strange but actually worked a bit was to lightly rub/tap the dead pixel area. One of them did go back to normal but no luck with the other 7.

Even with the pixel problems, the 2001fp(and the XPS itself) is amazing. Been cranking up the FarCry and UT2004 demos at max visuals and had no trouble with framerates at all. Can't recommend this monitor enough!

Pick-up the monitor yet? I read about rubbing/tapping the pixel and tried it myself on the dead pixel I had on my 1st 2001FP...didn't work. Anyway, hope you don't have to even try it on the new display.

[mase]

I'm using a DVI connector to a ATI 9700 pro, 3.0ghz, 512mb x2 corsair ram. Thanks for asking.

[mase]

Originally posted by TheAngryIntern
you are seriously smoking crack, or are WAY too picky. I've been playing Day of Defeat and City of Heroes both at 1600x1200 and have noticed no appreciable lag or ghosting, even when doing really quick look arounds and just moving the mouse all crazy. You must have the analog connection, cuz the DVI connection is great for games. I think that this monitor is just as good if not better than my 21" CRT.

"I am extremely sensitive to visual performance whenn playing CS. I can immediately detect the difference between CRT 85 fps and 99 fps."

I'm going to throw a huge BS flag on that one buddy. I've played CS and many of the other HL mods, and they jump all over the place for fps. I go anywhere from 60-99 fps on DoD depending on where on the map I am, and that's using a 9800XT. I'm pretty sure that you are not that sensitive, you just need to give yourself time to adjust to the change from the LCD. Like i said earlier, I play Day of Defeat at least 2-3 hours a day on the 2001FP, with all the eye candy cranked (not that there is much eye candy on a 6 year old game!!!) and at 1600x1200 and I've notice absolutely NO lag or ghosting with my graphics.

I'm not smoking crack.

I am using a DVI connection.

Noobs like you that don't even know how to stabilize max fps in CS, shouldn't say I'm BS'ing. I get 99 fps stable with my 21" CRT on ALL standard maps and almost all custom maps.

Are you getting over 60fps in DoD on your 2001fp? lol

[TheAngryIntern]

yes I get a pretty stable 99 fps, unless it is a part of the map where there is a lot of action going on, then sometimes it drops lower, but the only way I notice that it has dropped is cuz i have net_graph 3 open. And I wouldn't say I'm a Noob....i've been playing various HL mods for over 4 years now, starting with TFC classic, very briefly playing CS (didn't really like it, don't like the pace, don't like having to wait till the end of the round to respawn, too many damn cheaters), then DoD when it first came out, and now all i play is DoD.

I was calling BS on the fact that you claim to be that sensitive to fps changes. Once you get over 60 fps, there really isn't an appreciable difference. The diff between 85 and 99 is not that much, so I'm doubting that you can really notice it. You just need to give it a few days to adjust yourself. I had to, but now that I'm used to the new monitor, i don't think I would ever go back to a CRT. This monitor rocks for games, hands down. Even dropping the resolution back down to 1280x1024 looks amazing, still with no ghosting at all. So either you got a bum monitor, or you are just WAY too picky. But if you want to give up a great monitor to go back to the clunky old CRT, by all means. But you don't know what you'll be missing.

[TheAngryIntern]

p.s. N00bs play CS, real gamers play DoD!

CS is for wankers!!!!

[mase]

Angry, I saw your previous post about you wondering how the in-game text will look at high res and those other noob questions -lol - 'nough said. kids like you have wasted enough of my time with buying this lame monitor. Real gamers stick wtih CRTs - That is a fact.

[Dark Man X]

I just wanted to say that it is possible to notice the difference between 85 fps and 99fps, but only if it keeps switching between the two, if its one minute 85fps and the next 99fps there's no way you'll notice it. This is from a long-time CS gamer. But there is a difference between 60fps and 100fps - but that usually depends on your graphics card.

There's a little delay with my monitor... It should be here by the end of this month... The delay has something to do with money... I guess I don't have it o_O.

[firstadopter]

Ha.. this is the first bit of sniping I've seen on FirstAdopter. Let's not get personal guys.

[MailManX]

Daddy, what's a wanker?

[TheAngryIntern]

i was just joking about the cs is for wankers bit, by the way. I do play CS on occasion, but i just prefer DoD's gameplay. To each his own. And I'm 26 years old, so don't call me a "kid." I was asking those "noob" questions because I have never used an LCD monitor before and wanted to get the facts from the people who have prior to spending that much money. It's called "Research," so if that makes me a noob, then so be it, I'm a noob.

This thread is full of people, many of whom are pretty hardcore gamers, who have done nothing but rave about this monitor, and are one of the reasons that i decided to go ahead and get the 2001FP when i it was time to get something not quite as big (moved into a diff apartment with a roomie, so i don't really have room for a bulky 21" CRT) But you are right, mase, CRT's are better for gaming, but this monitor is a pretty close second, and a hell of a deal, compared to other 20+" LCD monitors, especially when desk space is a consideration.

If you haven't sent it back already, give it a few days. It took me that long to get used to it, as it is a big change from my CRT. I've actually gotten a little bit better at DoD since I got this monitor. I'm not sure if it is due to the new monitor, but I've noticed my game has improved quite significantly. Anyway, I'm done. I love my 2001FP and don't regret buying it at all.

[TheAngryIntern]

Originally posted by MailManX
Daddy, what's a wanker?

LOL!!! nice mailman!!!

[TheAngryIntern]

Originally posted by Rendition
Ha.. this is the first bit of sniping I've seen on FirstAdopter. Let's not get personal guys.

sorry rendition, but i get a bit upset when people call me a noob, when I've been using computers for as long as I have. I've generally found it that the people who call others "kids" and "noobs" are kids and noobs themselves who are just trying to boost their self esteem or whatever by making themselves out to be computer experts. I've been messing around with computers since I was about 14, and I by no means consider myself an expert. That is what I love about computers. The technology is constantly changing so there is ALWAYS something new to learn. It keeps my brain challenged, and that is what keeps us young, right?

[CAG]

Went to bed last night, got up this morning, got to my office, logged on to the forum...and was greated with a full-on flame war...gotta be a first for FirstAdopter. Anyway, I don't liked to be called a noob, certainly not in a derogatory way. And, although I'm pretty sure I've got a wanker, I wouldn't want to be called one of those either. So, please guys, express your opinions w/o the name-calling.

Thanks,

CAG

[MailManX]

Sounds like it's blown over, now. That's great! Compared to some other forums I've been a member of, that wasn't a flame war at all. It was barely the flicker of a match. And I'm glad because this is a great forum! The members have always shown a lot of class.

[firstadopter]

Hehe. This is amusing and funny, but let's get back to the program. No more messages except about the 2001FP please. Thanks!

[FatsoElvis]

The ghosting on the 2001fp that is unacceptable for gaming
may be the result of a bad monitor? or just a bad combination of video card, drivers, etc...

Someone at the DELL forum posted a video of the blurry 2001fp
that is apparent even when just moving the mouse around slowly.

I hope it is not the case for everyone.

I am thinking of getting a 2001fp very soon

If the 2001fp is really that bad, please make a comment. I won't buy it.

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=33319&view=by_date_ascending&page=4

see post by airjrdn
he put up the link for his video of the 2001fp

[CAG]

Welcome to the forum, FatsoElvis (great nic).

My system has a P4 2.6C, 1024MB RAM and a 9800np w/Cat. 4.4 drivers and I don't notice any blurriness with my mouse or in games or anywhere for that matter. Anyway, this is really one nice monitor and I strongly recommend it. If you see things that the rest of us don't and/or can't live with, send it back...Dell is really good about those things.

Again, welcome to the board. Post back and let us know how things work out for you.

CAG

[mspeed]

After reading this review of the Viewsonic VP201B:

http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=vp201b&page=1&cookie%5Ftest=1

I ordered one from Amazon. Free shipping and no tax, came to about $100 more than refurbished 2001FP.

Sorry CAG, but the posts about blurriness in gaming that I read here and on other forums had me leary.

It should be here in about a week, and I'll let ya'll know how it works out.

I searched the 'Net, but couldn't find out who makes the 2001FP for Dell. Be a bitch if it was the same monitor, eh?

[CAG]

mspeed,

From the specs, it appears to be the same panel. Anyway, sounds like you got a great deal. And no need to say "sorry"...Its true that I love my 2001FP but BenQ is coming out with a 23", 16ms, 1920X1200 WUXGA panel soon...so I'm saving my $. Besides, my son is dying to get his hands on the Dell!

Let us know how things work out with your new monitor.

Thanks,

CAG

[Johnny Postman]

Just a quick post to say that the latest MaximumPC has a full review of the 2001fp and give it a 9 rating with a "Kick Ass" award. The only gripe they had was a minor thing about gray scaling.

[CAG]

Thanks for heads-up, JP. Nice to know that hardware reviewers feel the same as we do about this panel.

I went to their site. Is it the "Maximum PC Challenge: LCD Showdown" article? Looks like they post their reviews on the site about 2 months after the magazine issue comes out. BTW, what other panels were in the "showdown"?

CAG

[Johnny Postman]

My bad CAG.. I shoulda been more specific. Last month's issue(May) had the LCD roundup. This month they had a followup of full reviews for the 3 monitors that passed the test for gaming.

The Maximum PC site is always pretty far out of date it seems but here's the list of the monitors they tested....

NEC/Mitsubishi LCD1980SX
KOGI L9CH-TA
Viewsonic VP201S
Samsung 172X
Planar PL1700
Xerox XL795D
Dell 2001FP
Benq FP767-12

They tested each for Ghosting/Brightness & Contrast/Interpolation at non-native resolutions and compared them with the Sony F520(Just discontinued by Sony, also according to the lastest issue.) Of the 8, three got passing marks for gaming use(Dell, Samsung and Planar) and these are the ones with the current full review.

[Johnny Postman]

BTW... Picked up the replacement 2001fp from FedEX but between installing new software and checking the latest E3 news haven't yet hooked it up. Will get to it this weekend. Also, I recently discovered that instead of the 3.2G Prescott chip ordered for my XPS, Dell has given me a 3.2EE. Since the 30 day return period has just ended, I guess I'll have to live with it. :-)

Seen on the .my dell dimension XPS site that this has happened to other people. I'm guessing delays in Dell getting enough Prescott chips has led them to substitute the extreme edition in some cases.

[TheAngryIntern]

very nice JohnnyPostman....sounds like you are really bummed about "having" to keep that awesome processor!!!!

[CAG]

I'll have to pick up the MaximumPC issue, JP. BTW, some "tough luck" you got on that processor swap...I should get you to pick my lotto tickets.

[FatsoElvis]

Someone please download this 15M video of the DELL 2001fp
displaying UT2004? and tell me if your 2001fp blurs like that


DELL thread on discussion of 2001fp, aand video link

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=33319&view=by_date_ascending&page=4


link for video only (also on DELL forum page)

http://www.show-n-sell.net/misc/2001FP_Blurry.avi


please comment, compare, etc...
thanks

[mase]

Yes, Fatso, that's how this monitor performs in FPS games. I see the same thing on mine.

[CAG]

Not on mine, guys.

[Shaggy]

Hello,

If this was addressed already I apologize.
I've searched the forums but had no luck as of yet.

This monitor sounds great but one concern I have is
if I need to game at a lower res (say 1280x1024 or even 1024x768) due to low fps how does it look?

I'm not sure how much the pixel interpolation ends up effecting the picture quality; horribly, not so bad, or not at all other
than it being at a lower res than 1600x1200.

Any input is greatly appreciated. I plan on upgrading from
my GF ti4200 soon but even with the newer vid cards (x800, gf 6800) there are sure to be games soon that slow down a bit below acceptable frame rates at 1600x1200 w/ AA AF on etc...

Thanks for your help
and set me straight if needed!

btw, this forum rocks

[firstadopter]

Fatso, the blurring in that video is NOTHING like what UT2004 looks on my 2001FP. There is no perceptible blurring whatsoever.

Shaggy, running interpolated lower resolutions does NOT look good. HOWEVER the 2001FP has this neat features that lets you run lower resolutions with sub-section square on the screen, so you get 1:1 pixels with no scaling. If you run this 1:1 pixel mode, it looks great, but you get a black border around the picture depending on the resolution.

[mase]

I'm not able to do the 1:1 pixel option with no scaling, since with a DVI connection those settings are not selectable (greyed out).

[TheAngryIntern]

me neither....when i lower the resolution to 1280x1024, it stays in full screen. I really haven't noticed much of a picture degradation when lowering the resolution, either. It isn't quite as crisp as 1600x1200, but it's not that bad, either. Or maybe i'm just not that picky...who knows.

[firstadopter]

That is weird. The 1:1 scaling works for me with a DVI connection. I just tried it again, works perfectly.

[Shaggy]

Just want to thank everyone for the feedback.

Helps when you're considering a purchase like this.

Thanks Again! :)

[Johnny Postman]

Well, just got through hooking up the replacement 2001fp and while I didn't expect it to have no dead pixels, I figured it would at least be better. Boy was I surprised that it's 2-3 times worse!

Didn't really count them all but each color (R/G/B) has 3-6 dead pixels along with another 4 permanently "on" pixels on the black screen test. Back this one goes and hopefully the 3rd time's a charm.

BTW.. found another site that has an awesome free utility that not only tests the pixels but lets you look for ghosting/blurriness along with other odds & ends. Check out...

http://www.monitorsdirect.com/toolkit/

and click on the "Launch Calibrator" tab.

[TheAngryIntern]

gg johnny! that's a handy little tool. No ghosting streaking on my monitor, and still only that one little dead pixel that doesn't even bother me anymore!!!!!

[CAG]

Sorry to hear about your replacement, JP...send it back.

CAG

[FatsoElvis]

Thanks guys for confirming the 2001FP_Blurry.avi
video.

It appears to be a defective monitor, or it just isn't working properly because of some combination of video card, drivers, etc...

[organic]

I personally think playing in 1024x768 or above is just fine, it's with 800x600 or lower that it gets a bit frustrating. Starcraft in 640x480 makes me want to cry, that's for certain (and forget about 1:1, i'd need a microscope to play it with that setting).

With that said, You get used to everything, even playing Starcraft on what feels like a badly blown up picture.

As for bluriness and ghosting, honestly, it's a bum monitor. I don't care how anal anyone is, if they see ghosting on the 2001fp, either they're Neo from the Matrix or they need a new monitor. I'm an avid FPS gamer, I've been playing doom, duke nukem, quake, soldier of fortune, counter-strike for ever... And I see absolutely no issues with playing an FPS on this thing.

I really wanted to get a 21" CRT, but reading the reviews of the 2001fp completely changed my mind. After having this monitor for a few weeks, I am really glad I did. I can't wait to play half-life 2 and Counter-Strike on its new engine, and as soon as the game's released I am grabbing the latest ATI video card and a new stick of RAM.

[Blackhat00]

Well after a bad experience with bulk email nabbing my forum registration at Yahoo so I could only read and not post, I'd like to finally say hello!

I wanted to thank you all for all of the incredible posts about the Dell 2001FP. My 19" CRT is slowly going and I've been shopping around and leary about Flat Panels no matter how sexy they look because I do like to play games. Your posts have convinced me to go with a 2001FP.

My wife ordered mine on Friday for $699 from a yahoo shop, though I think I'm going to cancel the order and order from Dell just to be safe as the company seems a bit flaky suddenly.

I can't wait to get my hands on this thing after all of your posts, I'm nearly drooling in anticipation.

Couple quick questions,

Does the Dell have a glass screen or a plastic screen (for care issues)?

How do you think this thing is going to perform in RTS games, I'm a pretty avid Warcraft III player and I'm still a little nervous about the few reviews I've seen concerning flat panels with RTS games. Does anyone have any actual hands on experience with Warcraft III or similar RTS games and this monitor?


Great site, better forum. Glad to be here.

Cheers,
Blackhat00

[CAG]

Welcome to the forum, Blackhat00.

$699 is a great price...maybe too good...probably better that you get the monitor from someone that can give you a warranty that you can rely upon (e.g., Dell). I don't play any RTS games but I'm sure somebody here can answer your question.

Glad to have you on board.

CAG

EDIT: Looks like Dell SB is running another 20% off sale on the 2001FP...price is $839.96.

[TheAngryIntern]

i only paid $698 for mine from Dell's Refurb department, but that was before tax and shipping....all told it came to about $780-something. I haven't tried Warcraft III yet with this monitor, but i will here in a bit and i will get back to you! Welcome to the forum!

[TheAngryIntern]

well, i just installed Warcraft III on my computer and played it briefly. I must say it looks pretty amazing at 1600x1200 on the 2001FP. I'm just home on a break from work for a few minutes, so i didn't get a chance to get into the game too much, but hopefully this screen shot i'm posting will help you get some idea how it looks.

[arogan]

Umm just wanted to point out something....If you used a screen capture program or a built in screen capture feature in the game you are grabbing the frame right out of your video card's frame buffer. It shows more of how good your video card is (and what graphic options you have turned on). It has nothing to do with the monitor or how the monitor would display the picture. For that you would need to take a digital photo of the game being played on the monitor.

If this is a digital photo then dang you have a very nice digital camera.

[firstadopter]

Well the screenshot at least gives a preview on what 1600x1200 gaming looks like, which is helpful. :)

[Blackhat00]

Wow, I'm drooling again... stop that!

My main concern however was with ghosting with an RTS.

However, I have been trying to cancel the $699 monitor from Eagle Computers and I ordered a brand new one from Dell under their small business program with total after taxes (free shipping) at just a hair over 900 which makes me feel a lot better to get that warranty.

It's due on the 21st, wish me luck on the dead pixels.

[TheAngryIntern]

i thought about that after i posted the screenie, that it really wasn't a shot of what the monitor would show, just what my vid card can do. In the 10 min or so that I played the first level of Warcraft III I didn't notice any ghosting or streaking. When I get home tonight, I'll borrow my roommate's digi camera and take a shot of that to give you a better idea what RTS's will look like.

[Blackhat00]

*bow*

Thank you. In truth it's a done deal though, well barring sending it back to Dell. Eagle Computers cancelled my order, Dell estimates the 21st for my delivery. I've got the jitters like a little kid geting a toy. Gah, why can't my toys be that cheap anymore for me to get that feeling?

[Shaggy]

Anyone know a good resource to find out which tft panels
different computer companies are using? (meaning the original tft manufacturer)

I trying to find out if the HP L2035 uses the same panel as Dell's 2001fp. The specs seem to be the same but I haven't had any luck finding out the original manufacturer.

If HP uses the same panel as Dell's I'd feel confident with the panel quality and I would be able to get a discount with HP through a family member.

Thanks in advance for your help!

- Shaggy

[Blackhat00]

the panel manufacturer might be the same but that's only the panel, you also have to take into account the controller and other little items that make the over-all quality, that's up to the reseller for the most part, such as Dell.

[Shaggy]

Good point Blackhat

I think the HP L2035 has had good reviews / features but earlier I found one or two spots on the internet where a 25ms response time was noted (instead of 16ms).

However since then everywhere I've read that it runs at 16ms.

Never know what to trust!

[CAG]

How's this for a set up

[CAG]

...and this

Two HP L2335's...23", 16ms...not sure of the native res...1920X1200 I think

[Blackhat00]

Just a reasonably quick first impression, it's a varied lot so let's hit it point by point:

- I ordered the 2001FP from Dell Small Business late yesterday morning. I paid 906 and some change including tax, 20% off, free 3 - 5 day shipping. It arrived this afternoon. Wow! First impression here is nothing short of amazing. Almost makes me wonder if I had ordered expidted shipping.

- Set - up is VERY easy. Click the monitor on to the stand, very easy to do even for such a large monitor, and BAM, just plug in cables and good to go. I suppose this should be more impressive than it is to me. It's a monitor, it shouldn't be difficult so I'm not overly impressed here.

- I use DVI first. No picture at all. You can see that it's obviously getting some kind of signal but nothing is happening. Hitting the menu says that it's in sleep mode and to hit a key. I do so, nothing. I'm not impressed, not in the least, not even a little bit.

- I go to the infamous D-Sub connector, your standard Analog. Picture comes up right away on boot. Auto Adjust box pops up everytime the screen changes. This is annoying, very annoying. I'm not impressed again.

- I was in 1280 X 1024 when I log into Windows (XP Pro). I didn't even realize it till I went to go play around with advance settings to see if there's some kind of special DVI option with my Radeon ATI 9600 Sapphire drivers (if there is, I missed it).... Windows XP in 1600 X 1200 in glorious color... I'm impressed, very very impressed.

- Head to the dead pixel page to see what I can see. If I have a dead pixel I don't see it anywhere therefore it doesn't bother me, therefore it doesn't exist. I'm happy.

- There's obvious ghosting going on even just inside of regular windows. It's not bad and if I wasn't looking for it so hard I would have missed it. I can see the screen door effect and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm fairly happy, I want DVI.

- Far Cry AMD Fort Demo in 1600x1200, wow.

- I am working from home and this thing is overkill for that. It's beautiful but overkill. Finally, work day ends. Try DVI again now that I have the resolution set to 1600x1200. NO dice. Try reversing the cable (it doesn't look unidirectional but who knows, right?), NO dice. I'm not happy.

- Overall first impression... This is rough. My 19" CRT was aging fast. It was faded, washed out, had diagnol lines going through it. It's not a fair comparison really. I love this thing compared to it. The colors are rich and vibrant, it's really easy on the eyes. Is it worth 900 and some change? *sigh* Yes... no..... If you have the money to blow and you would like to reclaim a little bit of useable desk space then yeah, it's probably worth it (first impression only mind you), otherwise spend half the money and get a 19" or 21" Sony CRT that will have just as good color and 0 ghosting if you play games and no screen door effect and no compatibility issues with your video card etc... and even better you can take the money you save and buy the latest greatest video card that has roughly the computing power of a 1990's super computer (and probably more RAM).

My impression might change over time. I really do like this thing but it's hard to see this as a 900 dollar monitor. Aside from space, I'm not seeing what makes this that much more expensive, especially considering the current technological drawbacks (ghosting, screen door, etc...) If the CRT and the 2001FP were identically priced I'd go with it just out of cool factor (hence I have mine now), but otherwise I can only recommend this for First Adopter types that just gotta have the latest greatest and the geek chic that comes with it.

Cheers,
Blackhat

[CAG]

I'm confused...are you saying that the ATi 9600 does not have DVI output (that would surprise me) or that you didn't get the DVI cable (the one with the white ends) w/the monitor? This monitor performs much much better w/DVI.

[Blackhat00]

I got the DVI cable from Dell with the monitor and my ATI 9600 does have a DVI port.

When I hook everything together, however, nothing happens. There's obviously a signal of some sort coming through because you can see the screen change and the right hand status light goes from orange to green but nothing ever comes up on the screen.

When I hit the menu button it says that it's in power save mode (or sleep or something to that effect) and to hit a key on my keyboard or move my mouse. I do that and still nothing. I'm pretty baffled. A 9600 isn't cutting edge but it should be suffecient to power a DVI connection.

Cheers,
Blackhat

[CAG]

Sounds like you have a "power save mode" issue. Try this http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=33721 Although Dell won't admit it, it is believed to be a problem with the quality of the DVI cable they ship.

[Blackhat00]

Well, despite the fact that I'm tired changing cables out once an hour trying something new I decided to give this a shot.

The good news is that it had an effect, the bad is that it ultimately didn't work.

This time, before it went into power save mode, it came up with a message it cannot display in that mode then it went to sleep. *sigh*

I suppose I should call Dell and see what they have to say but I'm more sure they'll just yank me around.

[firstadopter]

I remember it took a while to get my DVI working (couple of hours), I forget what I exactly did.

Tinker with your driver settings and make sure you turn off your monitor and then turn it on again to see if signal picks up.

You might want to uninstall your current ATI drivers, install the latest ATI drivers, and then re-boot with DVI connected.

It should work, I bet it's just a tinker/setting.

The power save bug is something different, for me it was once in a while when I boot the computer the monitor goes alseep. All I have to do is turn off the mointor and turn it on, and the windows comes up and everything is fine. This bug stopped happening after I downloaded the latest ATI drivers.

ALSO make sure you are cycling through the input modes: analog, DVI, s-video (the first silver button on the left)

I also want to add DVI performance is NIGHT AND DAY vs. analog.

[TheAngryIntern]

did you try changing the input that the monitor sees? It's the most left button, the one kinda by itself....you have to tell the monitor to look for the DVI signal in order for it to see it. the other options are d-sub, svideo, and composite. Just an idiot check, but worth it cuz i had problems like that with my other LCD (a samsung 172w) when I first got it.....plugged in, powered on, no picture....wtf??? then i realized i had to hit the input button...doh!!! Well, just a suggestion.


edit: damn you rendition....you beat me to the punch by a few seconds....!!! lol

[Blackhat00]

Okay, quick hardware check here:

Using Catalyst 4.4 drivers
4.5 is available but it seemed to be about Windows XP Media Center Edition so I have for now elected not to DL and install them. I might change my mind on that later.

I discovered the input button right away and yes it was on DVI-D input.

Latest round of messages I'm getting on boot is Cannot Display in This Mode, and In Power Save Mode, Hit a Key or Move your Mouse, yada yada yada... Can't get it to display in DVI mode at all.

However I've gone back to D-Sub and just for grins threw in Warcraft III and watched a replay of a particularly vicious battle I saved from online and WOW, it's amazing to watch in this incredibly brilliant color and clarity at 1600x1200. There is some reasonably serious ghosting if you scroll a lot, like across the entire map but it doesn't seem like it would affect gameplay. I can say I'm very impressed there, it probably would be just as impressive with a large well made CRT but still, it's damn impressive.

Been looking at some old artwork I've done in various graphics programs. At least now I understand some of the negative commentary I was getting on some of it because my old monitor really sucked. The colors on this are amazing, it should improve my results radically.

I can't wait for DVI, but I'm actually reasonably satisified for the moment with the old Analog. This weekend I'll probably play with the DVI some more, maybe upgrade my graphics card if for no other reason that to be able to handle all the eye candy at 1600x1200.

I'm still open to suggestions and will try them out as time permits this week. Thank you for all your tips so far, we've made some progress if nothing else.

Cheers,
Blackhat

[CAG]

One of the regs in the Dell monitor forum says that Dell's DVI cable is generic and causes signal loss/corruption. He uses a Monster Cable DVI400 cable. Here's a shot of it

[Blackhat00]

Well I suppose that's one way to spend the 20% discount I got on the 2001FP from Dell. ;)

My thought is that even if the cable is generic and prone to corruption/interference, etc... so is the Analog cable (even more so really from what I've read) and SOME signal should be coming through. It might look bad but something recognizable should be showing up on the screen instead of forcing it to sleep mode.

Gah!

[CAG]

Blackhat,

If going into the ATi contol panel and making the changes described in the FAQ I posted didn't correct the problem, try a good DVI cable from CompUSA/BestBuy, wherever. If that doesn't work, call Dell.

[Blackhat00]

What, you mean you guys aren't the official Dell online support and advertising team? Geesh, you guys sold me on the monitor, I want it fixed now! ;) JK

That's more or less my plan, thought I gotta admit going for a 100 dollar Monster DVI cable really would irk me, it would irk me even more if it worked. Dunno if that makes sense or not.

Anyways, once again thank you for all your tips and tricks. Hopefully I'll get this sorted out. It's a great little toy I got here, okay big toy.

[Shaggy]

Hey Cag,

Can you use a wall mount with the Dell?

Just curious. Wouldn't use it right now even if I already had the monitor but might in the future.

Cheers,

- Shaggy

[Blackhat00]

It's a standard VESA mounting on the monitor, there should be a variety of VESA compatible wall mounts you can use.

here's a store that specializes in them:
http://lcdmonitorarm.com/lcd_arm_9.htm?Google&VESA_Wall_Mount&vesa_wall_mount

[Shaggy]

By the way Blackhat,

I really (note REALLY; since I'm considering this monitor) hope you are able to sort out your problem with the DVI connect.

Good luck. My good thoughts are with you.

- Shaggy

[TheAngryIntern]

another idiot check....did you try just turning the monitor off, then back on....sometimes when i start up my computer with the monitor on, it goes to a black screen when windows loads, which is due to some bug with the catalyst drivers, but if I turn the monitor off, then right back on, the picture comes up fine.

[Blackhat00]

Oh yeah, I've taken a couple months of on/off use away from that button. That was my first thought to. Don't let that scare you off the idiot checks though, you're dealing with a first class idjit here, I'm bound to have missed something really good like plugging it in... um, yeah, okay, got that one covered, but you know what I mean.

[TheAngryIntern]

rgr, i'm another first class idiot....nice to meet you!!! do you go the the monthly IA meetings? LOL. Anyway, we just want you to be able to enjoy this monitor as much as we do. I still can't believe you got the damn thing that fast!!! That's amazing. I think if you had gotten the faster shipping, dell would have distorted time, and you would have actually gotten it before you ordered it!!!!

[Blackhat00]

Thanks Shaggy...

I'm going to kind of repeat what I said earlier about this monitor. If you got the cash to blow on a monitor and you really gotta have an LCD monitor, get this monitor. If you got the space, buy a big CRT and save the dough.

Don't misunderstand, this thing is nothing shy of incredible but I still can't see any reason for it other than a moderate savings of desk space (buy an L extension for your current desk for a third of the price, or a large shelf for your current monitor, or even a hutch to increase your desk space, all much cheaper) or of course the all important cool factor/greekcred.

[TheAngryIntern]

i think we are all here in this forum cuz we are into the cool facter/geek cred!!!!! I agree with what blackhat says, shaggy. This monitor totally rocks, but if you don't want to spend the money and have the space for a nice 21" crt, go for that instead. I got this one mainly cuz i moved into a place with a roommate (i lived alone before) and i don't have nearly the room i did before for my puter stuff, so i needed a smaller footprint for my monitor.

[Shaggy]

Thats the only problem.

In the Oakland / San Francisco area where I live space is at a premium.

Therefore I currently live in a studio where my bedroom / living roon / computer space are one in the same.

I plan to move back to SF soon and space will most likely be just as tight. Hopefully the Dell will work out.....

[CAG]

Originally posted by Blackhat00
What, you mean you guys aren't the official Dell online support and advertising team? Geesh, you guys sold me on the monitor, I want it fixed now! ;) JK

That's more or less my plan, thought I gotta admit going for a 100 dollar Monster DVI cable really would irk me, it would irk me even more if it worked. Dunno if that makes sense or not.

Anyways, once again thank you for all your tips and tricks. Hopefully I'll get this sorted out. It's a great little toy I got here, okay big toy.

Your not the only one with the power save mode problem http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=33907&view=by_date_ascending&page=1 (and the links posted therein). BTW, this is an issue that occurs with other branded monitors and which has apparently caught the interest of ATi http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33758906 Apparently, NEC's, Samsung's, ViewSonic's, etc., all exhibit the same issues and ATi (and nVidia AFAIK) are trying to determine if their cards/drivers might have something to do with it.

With my first 2001FP, I'd get display corruption during boot-up (someone described it as the "pink storm") and, on about every 10th boot-up, the monitor would go into a safe/sleep mode. I found that if I then turned the computer off and then on, the monitor performed fine. I also found that if I turned the machine on and then turned the monitor on about 10 seconds after that, everthing was fine (except of course if I ever wanted to boot into safe mode, etc.). Anyway, that and the 1 dead pixel in the center of my screen was enough to convince Dell to replace it. With the second monitor, the only issue I had was the "pink storm" and the ATI control panel fix solved that.

[CAG]

Originally posted by Blackhat00
If you got the cash to blow on a monitor and you really gotta have an LCD monitor, get this monitor. If you got the space, buy a big CRT and save the dough.

Don't misunderstand, this thing is nothing shy of incredible but I still can't see any reason for it other than a moderate savings of desk space (buy an L extension for your current desk for a third of the price, or a large shelf for your current monitor, or even a hutch to increase your desk space, all much cheaper) or of course the all important cool factor/greekcred.

Yes...and a Yugo and a BMW will both get you from Point A to Point B...I'm sorry but CRT's are big, ugly, and I've disliked them ever since I tried to clean my first CRT's screen with Windex. Anyway, get used to LCD's b/c if you want anything bigger than 21" or so, that's what your gonna get.

[Blackhat00]

I've always wanted to go to the local monthly meeting for IA but I can never figure out how to get there, or I forget my keys, sometimes I accidently lock myself in my car, never seems to work out.

And yeah I'd like to get the full capability out of this monitor. If this crippled analog version is this good I can't wait for the full deal.

[arogan]

http://www.jeffgeiger.com/stuff/dvi_recover.htm

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF THIS BLOWS UP YOUR MONITOR.

Seriously my wife's planar DVI stopped working all of a sudden after about a month. I ran this thing. It didn't do me any good (and I didn't expect it to but it was interesting looking at the EDID information, etc.)

I ended up swapping out the planar under warranty and the refurb they sent me worked fine. That's one thing I do like about planar, fast hassle free, cross shipped quickly, they paid shipping both ways. So I just want to say do not discount that the DVI might just be dead on your monitor. I know I wasted several hours trying different pc's, video cards, reading thousands of posts (like this one here :D), etc with no luck.

Oh and several reviews have already documented that analog ghosts WAY MORE than dvi on the 2001fp.

[Blackhat00]

So, the good news, as I write you right now I am using the DVI link. Seems I have the classical boot POST problem. I booted into Windows then switched out to the DVI cables while live (makes me shudder doing that) and voila! DVI connect.

So, I suppose my next route is to go get the Belkin or Monster cable this weekend and see how that works out.

Might DL the Catalyst 4.5 drivers for grins though I doubt that will make the difference. Very peculiar problem going on here (widespread, not just mine), I think some big brains from the companies making a lot of money off these monitors and video cards need to conference together and get this fixed. Samsung can host at their expense as they make the vast majority of LCD panels out there.

CAG, just to make it official, you rock brother. Great links that led me to trying this.

[TheAngryIntern]

has anyone tried/had success with the Omega drivers???

[FatsoElvis]

Originally posted by Blackhat00


- There's obvious ghosting going on even just inside of regular windows.


Blackhat,

Is the ghosting reduced when using DVI iso Analog?

Is the ghosting in analog or DVI as bad as in the blurry.avi
video ?
http://www.show-n-sell.net/misc/2001FP_Blurry.avi

Uisng older drivers, maybe 3.7 might fix the bootup DVI problem so you don't have to buy a new cable

It would be nice if someone could post a video of a non-defective 2001fp that doesn't ghost. Just pan the mouse around in a game or something


This is driving me crazy. I'm on razor's edge in deciding whether to get the 2001fp or not. It will be my first LCD.

[CAG]

Originally posted by TheAngryIntern
has anyone tried/had success with the Omega drivers???

If you mean in respect to Blackhat's powersave mode issue, the omegas have no effect. I contacted "Mr. Omega" when I was having my problems and he told me that he knew of nothing in his drivers that would fix it. Also, a number of posters in the Rage3D forum tried them with no luck.

[CAG]

Originally posted by FatsoElvis
Uisng older drivers, maybe 3.7 might fix the bootup DVI problem so you don't have to buy a new cable

Certainly worth a try...I tried the 3.7's with my first monitor. The problem was less pronounced with them than it was with more recent drivers. It seems that what fixes or almost fixes these issues varies depending on the monitor, video card, system (and the weather for all I know).

[Blackhat00]

If you're going to get a panel for whatever reason you want a panel, then I honestly believe that this is the panel to get.

The price is right, the colors are vivid, the ghosting even with analog is minimal as compared to other LCD's I have examined at stores (Fry's, Best Buy, etc...).

The only ghost check I did with the DVI was another Warcraft III replay. Yes there is still ghosting when you scroll rapidly across the map. Is it better or worse? Probably a bit better but either way it would not affect the way I play the game (this said without having played a game yet with either Analog or DVI). On FPS games, well I'm just not a big FPS player. I have the Far Cry Demo and I am signed up for PlanetSide but I haven't spent signficant amounts of time in either since I got the monitor and even when I do, I'm not a twitch monkey, a little ghosting probably wouldn't even be noticed by me or wouldn't affect my game play.

Sorry if it's not detailed enough for you but I can say again, that if you are going to get an LCD monitor, this is the one to get, it's absolutely gorgeous. Yes there are monitors with potentially a little faster response time, and there are monitors that reproduce colors more accurately, I doubt you're going to find one that can do both as well as this one does.


Originally posted by FatsoElvis
Blackhat,

Is the ghosting reduced when using DVI iso Analog?

Is the ghosting in analog or DVI as bad as in the blurry.avi
video ?
http://www.show-n-sell.net/misc/2001FP_Blurry.avi

Uisng older drivers, maybe 3.7 might fix the bootup DVI problem so you don't have to buy a new cable

It would be nice if someone could post a video of a non-defective 2001fp that doesn't ghost. Just pan the mouse around in a game or something


This is driving me crazy. I'm on razor's edge in deciding whether to get the 2001fp or not. It will be my first LCD.

[CAG]

Well put, Blackhat.

I'd like to add one other thing, FatsoElvis...The powersave/sleep mode/"pink storm" issue that I spoke of in my last few posts was, at least in my case, more of a minor annoyance than a problem...it never affected the performance of the monitor. In fact, knowing what I know about it now, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another 2001FP. So, don't let this issue weigh too heavily in your purchase decision.

CAG

[Shaggy]

I agree with FatsoElvis.

If anyone could post an avi like the infamous "blurry" clip mentioned above but from a properly working 2001fp/video card setup that would be of great help (and comfort to the potential buyer / fps player).

Thanks all!:)

- Shag

[CAG]

Shaggy and FatsoElvis,

Given Dell's liberal return-it-for-any-reason policy period (I think its 21 days from the shipping date but check on this), it would seem to me that the absolute best thing to do would be to buy the monitor, play with it and, if it didn't pass muster, send it back. While viewing a movie clip would be OK, its clearly no substitute for having your hands on the real thing.

[Blackhat00]

Okay, so while out to lunch I realize there's a Gamestop next door. So I've bought an RTS I've never played before (Age of Mythology) in order to give you at least one side of the gaming view of this monitor. Mind you, I only did this for the team and for FirstAdopter, not for my own personal pleasure.

I will be playing the first few sessions with the Analog cable and this weekend I'll pick up a new DVI cable to see if that fixes my problem.

If possible I'll get some FPS time in, probably with Far Cry AMD Fort Demo and/or PlanetSide so I can give you a taste of that.

[TheAngryIntern]

age of mythology is a pretty fun game, from teh makers of the age of empires series, which were all very fun games. i'm sure you will enjoy this game, but thanks for taking one for the team!!!

[CAG]

I hope this guy's ebay seller comes through for him http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=34247 My ebay buying strategy is a little like my gambling startegy...I never spend more than I can afford to lose.

[MailManX]

Sheesh! I was away from the forum for a couple of days and you guys posted four more pages! I had to play catch up.

When I read the posts from Blackhat about the DVI not working from the get-go, it caught my interest because I had the same problem when I got my 2001FP a couple months ago. It took me a couple hours to solve it. Turned out to be a driver problem for me. I have an nVidia card (MSI GeForceFX 5900XT) the issue was with the nVidia control panel. I deleted the driver, then reinstalled the latest and it has worked fine ever since, and I'm just using the generic DVI cable that came with the Dell.

Blackhat, I wish you best of luck in achieving a satisfactory and final resolution to your DVI problem!

Michael

[CAG]

New ones for $799.20 at Dell Home and refurbs for $723.00 at Dell Outlet

[Dark Man X]

Question... I use my computer as a TV (Like I said I download movies and TV series'), and I usually put it on and night and fall asleep with it... My bed is pretty low, and my computer is relatively high, so will the picture get darker like most LCD's when you tilt your head? Also, is it too bright that it will light up my room at night and I won't be able to fall asleep?

Yeah, I know wierd question... But hey o_O.

[firstadopter]

An AVI movie with low frames per second (15) and crappy resolution from a crappy camera/camcorder will NOT capture the ghosting etc In my opinion.

Just trust the HUNDREDS of people online who say there is NO perceptible ghosting on first person shooters with the 2001FP. Read this forum, read the Anandtech.com review, the forums on Ars-technica... this is the best gaming monitor on the planet.

Buy the monitor, use DVI, you WILL be satisfied.

[Dark Man X]

No offense man, but I wasn't talking about ghosting o_O. Read the question again... Or were you talking to someone else? :\

[CAG]

The 2001FP has a wide viewing angle (88 degrees horizontal and vertical); therefore, tilting your head won't affect image quality. Also, after your movie is done, it should eventually go into standby mode and go completely dark...at least, that's been my experience.

CAG

[Dark Man X]

Originally posted by CAG
The 2001FP has a wide viewing angle (88 degrees horizontal and vertical); therefore, tilting your head won't affect image quality. Also, after your movie is done, it should eventually go into standby mode and go completely dark...at least, that's been my experience.

CAG

Nah, I have the entire Seinfeld series on my computer, so it stays on all night... But happy to hear about the viewing angle :)

[CAG]

Originally posted by Dark Man X
No offense man, but I wasn't talking about ghosting o_O. Read the question again... Or were you talking to someone else? :\

Rendition was talking to Shaggy and FatsoElvis.

[Dark Man X]

Alright, no problem... Sorry 'bout that. Anyways, is the image too bright to go to sleep with?

[firstadopter]

Ha that was funny.

Image is not too bright because you control the brightness with a user setting. :)

[CAG]

Originally posted by Rendition
Image is not too bright because you control the brightness with a user setting. :)

I think what Dark Man X is saying is that he falls asleep with the movies running...so, he probably won't be able to adjust the brightness. I'm just wondering if there is a timer or something in Windows that you can set that will put the whole system into standby or something. Anyway, sounds like he'll have an expensive night-light.

[Dark Man X]

Thanks for the prompt replies. I guess I'll just adjust the brightness before I go to sleep... Man, this monitor + the X800 XT + Far Cry = Beauty. I can't wait.

[Johnny Postman]

Along with the current $799 price on the 2001fp you can use code BVQNJDBZ3H4M4H ($30 off $400 in peripherals) to get a little bit better deal.

[Shaggy]

Hey CAG, Rendition & all others.

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated and again
great forum you all have going here.

Hopefully I'll be able to give an update soon on a new 2001fp!

Cheers,

-Shag

Btw, not sure if everyone already saw this but here is a link
for a pdf copy of Maximum PC's May Gaming LCD comparo.

Looks pretty good for the 2001fp as one might expect!

http://www.planar.com/Advantages/Planar_In_The_News/docs/MaximumPC_5-01-04.pdf

[reynvlietstra]

Got my 2001fp today. I upgraded from a 19" crt so the sizes was as expected.

I havent really looked for dead/stuck pixels but there doesnt seem to be any.

The only minor thing thing I can 'complain' about is minor grainyness. It's almost like a dithering effect, but it doesnt really bother me, and is only visible with some colors.

I'v played ut2004, nfsu and collin mcrae rally with it. I wont be able to play UT2004, but all the other games I'v played have very very minor ghosting. NFSU runs and looks great at 1280x1024 as does the rally game. Its almost like 3rd person games look more acceptable because you have a character to focus on. Freedom fighters for example looks good. My UT2004 does look like the video shown online, maybe not that bad. When the camera rotates it feels like my eyes are going out of focus(or has the same effect)

There's no issues with watching videos or posting to forums ;-)

I'm primarally going to use the screen for coding.
Got 1600x1200(dvi) going on linux and windows, the extra 400pixels makes a big difference. The sharpness of the fonts make up for their size, not that they are that small :-)

I'v got an ipaq on which I cant activate cleartype, it just doesnt look good, but on this it does.

I can finally activate all the sidebars and stuff in VS.net and eclipse and still have an editor left. 1024x768 just doesnt do it anymore :-|

If there's any other south africans out there that want to buy the 2001fp, I would recommend it, dell doesnt seem to send their old crap here and the 18"s at incredible connection just suck at the same price.

hmm, just checked, REV A00, october 2003 B9D ... that seems a bit odd ? Wasn't there any issues with A00 ?

For the people who say there's no ghosting: Whats your system specs ?
What is your UT2004 settings ?
Whats the REV and date on your 2001fp ?

Thanks again for the forum.

--------------
3ghz Intel
GF4 Ti4200

[firstadopter]

I have a 2.6ghz P4 with ATI 9700. My best guess is that what you perceive as ghosting is probably just your video card not being able to push 1600x1200.

Ti4200 isn't powerful enough to show current generation games at 1600x1200 in its full glory.

[reynvlietstra]

Yes, I'v done a few tests and when UT runs above 60fps[1024] (yes yes the refresh rate) it does seems to look better, but the 'out of focus' feeling is still there. Its not that bad tho, maybe its because I'm running at 1024(the other games looked good at 1024)

I havent seen a game on any other lcd, so theres no means of comparison, but still, looks great. I'm a happy camper :)

6800 here I come ...

ps. Theres a one black pixel sized image at the top left of this forum which almost gave me a heart attack ;)

[firstadopter]

Yeah, it sounds like you're running 1024 resolution which does make the screen blurry (due to the resolution scaling).

1600x1200 is awesome though.

[scot]

Has anyone used this monitor (or know someone who has) with a Mac G4? I'd like to get some opinions before I order. Thanks.

[CAG]

Scot, welcome to the forum, and reynvlietstra, welcome back to the forum.

Scot, as to your question, I can't speak from mac experience but if you've got a video card that supports DVI and analog (there isn't one that doesn't), you're good to go.

reynvlietstra, great review. If the dead pixel is not dead center of your screen and doesn't look (to you, at least) like a hole in the galaxy, forget it.

BTW, NEC, Philips, Viewsonic, Eizo (and I think BenQ) all use the same 20.1" panel.

Also, found this thread @ the Dell forum http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=34295 Check out the price/coupon in the last post.

[DaCypher]

I've been thinking about getting this monitor for a while now and after reading through some of this thread, I've been more and more tempted.

Some people say that this monitor has a lot of issues, but are there any comporable LCDs that don't have these issues? It seems that this monitor has gotten a slightly bad rap due to its popularity. That is, the more people that get it, the more people exist that have problems, but that is just due to the overall amount of these monitors that exist in the market. Please correct me if I am wrong here.

I apologize for being somewhat redundant, but 44 pages is a bit intimidating to read through. Do games look ok when played at lower resolutions (I never plan on going below 1024x768)? I know in the past that LCDs would look quite poor when using a non-native resolution.

I am currently using a 19" Trinitron based CRT on my machine with a Radeon 9600 Pro video card. Does anyone foresee any issues with replacing this monitor using this video card (using DVI hopefully).

I am sorry for the newbie questions, but I am particularly cautious with this type of purchase as its quite a lot of money and the monitor is a rather important part of the computing experience. :)

Thanks in advance for any info.

[FatsoElvis]

Has anyone tried the DELL AS500 Sound Bar ?

The speakers that attaches to the bottom of the 2001fp

How is the sound for playing DVDs?

Is the stereo effect pronounced enough to play games?
(the speakers are very close together, so I'm not sure if the stereo effect is apparent)

[Chaka]

Well, I hope you're all happy. After following this thread for weeks, I too have bit the bullet and ordered the 2001FP. :)

I sat at my computer this morning staring at the sale price on the Dell website for an hour (I'm not kidding, lol) until I finally broke out my credit card and took the plunge.

I do quite a bit of gaming and must admit I'm a little leary of this monitor. My current monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster 955DF. Nothing extraordinary, but it's sharp and clear. The 2001FP will be my first experience with an LCD and I'm really hoping it will hold up to CRT quality while gaming.

This thread/forum has really been a great place for feedback on this monitor. My thanks go out to the site admin.

I'll post my opinion of the monitor when I receive it in about 10 days. :)

-Chaka

[CAG]

Originally posted by DaCypher
I've been thinking about getting this monitor for a while now and after reading through some of this thread, I've been more and more tempted.

Some people say that this monitor has a lot of issues, but are there any comporable LCDs that don't have these issues? It seems that this monitor has gotten a slightly bad rap due to its popularity. That is, the more people that get it, the more people exist that have problems, but that is just due to the overall amount of these monitors that exist in the market. Please correct me if I am wrong here.

I apologize for being somewhat redundant, but 44 pages is a bit intimidating to read through. Do games look ok when played at lower resolutions (I never plan on going below 1024x768)? I know in the past that LCDs would look quite poor when using a non-native resolution.

I am currently using a 19" Trinitron based CRT on my machine with a Radeon 9600 Pro video card. Does anyone foresee any issues with replacing this monitor using this video card (using DVI hopefully).

I am sorry for the newbie questions, but I am particularly cautious with this type of purchase as its quite a lot of money and the monitor is a rather important part of the computing experience. :)

Thanks in advance for any info.

Welcome to the forum, DaCypher.

You are correct about the amount of "print" this monitor has gotten, mostly great and some not so great. As for comparable monitors, I don't think there are any that anyone has written about. Like I said in an earlier post, there are about 5 mfgr's that use the same panel but their prices are generally higher. You may want to look at "The Definitive LCD Thread" at ArsTechnica here http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x?q=Y&a=tpc&s=50009562&f=67909965&m=4190936913&p=169 Its 169 pages long and the 2001FP stuff starts about page 100.

As for the rest of your questions, your whole notion of what resolutions games look good at, etc., is going to radically change...after your 19" CRT, you are going to be absolutely blown away by this monitor. And it'll perform fine with your 9600 PRO.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by FatsoElvis
Has anyone tried the DELL AS500 Sound Bar ?

The speakers that attaches to the bottom of the 2001fp

How is the sound for playing DVDs?

Is the stereo effect pronounced enough to play games?
(the speakers are very close together, so I'm not sure if the stereo effect is apparent)

I've not seen any posts or reviews about the soundbar. You may want to post your question on the monitor board of the Dell Community Forum. There site is down right now but I'll be back to you with the link. Anyway, like anything else you get from Dell, if you don't like it, you can send it back.

CAG

EDIT: Here's the link http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board?board.id=dim_monitor

[CAG]

Originally posted by Chaka
Well, I hope you're all happy. After following this thread for weeks, I too have bit the bullet and ordered the 2001FP. :)

I sat at my computer this morning staring at the sale price on the Dell website for an hour (I'm not kidding, lol) until I finally broke out my credit card and took the plunge.

I do quite a bit of gaming and must admit I'm a little leary of this monitor. My current monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster 955DF. Nothing extraordinary, but it's sharp and clear. The 2001FP will be my first experience with an LCD and I'm really hoping it will hold up to CRT quality while gaming.

This thread/forum has really been a great place for feedback on this monitor. My thanks go out to the site admin.

I'll post my opinion of the monitor when I receive it in about 10 days. :)

-Chaka

Welcome to the board, Chaka.

I know what you mean about ordering...in the words of the Borg: "Resistance is futile". I think your going to love the monitor but let us know.

CAG

[pauly]

I've read this whole thread and found it very helpful. I am about to take the jump this week. Probably through an ebay power seller, about $700-750 either monitor. As for the best monitor out there. for me it would be the IBM T221. 3840x2400 res (2 DVI cables running the best cards to the max) when I have a spare $4-6K I'll get one.

Are there any CAD draftsman out there using any of the 20" Dell LCDs?
I am a CAD draftsman and work behind a monitor 40 hrs a week focussing on fine coloured lines on a black background. I am trying to choose between the 2000fp and the 2001fp. I have been told the reason why the 2000fp dosen't suffer from screen door as much is because it is a Samsung based panel where the 2001fp is not. I dont use it for gaming (40 hrs is enough) or photo editing. Maybe lug it out to the lounge to watch a DVD a bit (we dont have a TV). Would the 2001fp screendoor effect blur fine coloured lines on a black background? and will the 2000fp do a better job? looks doesen't bother, performance does.
Depending on your answer, does anyone want to get rid of their old 2000fp if it comes up trumps/
I can get one for $710 but it feels too steep for a superceded model. Any thoughts

[CAG]

Hi pauly. Welcome to the forum. Its always that spare $4k-6k that we can never seem to come up with.

I've read that of the 2 monitors, the 2001FP is clearly "better" and I'd say go for the 2001FP but I've never used a 2000FP and I can't give you the comparison you want and what may be better for some may not be for you. If no one else on this board can help you, you may want to post your question on the monitor board at the Dell Community Support Forum here http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board?board.id=dim_monitor

Let us know what you find out as it may help someone else here.

Thanks,

CAG

[CAG]

For those who are about to pull the trigger...

First go here http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-1578 then use coupon code 6H1Z3J$Q9QWV9N for the $25 off a $350+ Software & Peripheral purchase. Expires TONIGHT, 5/24/04, or after only 1500 uses. Make sure you copy the coupon code as-is with no space at the end.

[DaCypher]

Actually, for a slightly better deal goto www.entertainment.com and buy a book. The total will be $15 for the book. Make sure you register it immediately after going through the order. Then go to www.entertainment.com/dell and use the Dell Home $50 off $500 or more coupon. This coupon expires 12/31/04 so you have plenty of time to think it over, thought the Dell 20% off only lasts through this Wednesday I believe. This will bring the cost of the monitor to $749 (plus tax if applicable in your state), plus $15 for the book, but there are tons of other coupons in the book that you can use to save money so its an indirect cost.

I'm not sure if the $25 off $350+ coupon is stackable with the $50 off, but its worth a try.

I just bit the bullet using the $50 off coupon, can't wait to get the monitor.

BTW, I just noticed that you are from Boca also CAG. :)

[makoto]

Well, I came home with the intent to only buy a Radeon 9800 Pro tonight, but checked Dells website for another 2001fp deal, then found your site, and just now, after finally reading all of this thread, ordered it. (whew, that was quite a sentence)

Thanks for helping me spend $1000 in one night, but Im sure it will be well worth it. :)

And another good thing: I have now found another forum to post on while at work. Excellent.

Now the waiting begins.

[CAG]

Originally posted by DaCypher
I just noticed that you are from Boca also CAG. :)

I'm just off SW 18th Street east of Boca Pointe just before you get to Military Trail :cool:

[CAG]

Originally posted by makoto
Well, I came home with the intent to only buy a Radeon 9800 Pro tonight, but checked Dells website for another 2001fp deal, then found your site, and just now, after finally reading all of this thread, ordered it. (whew, that was quite a sentence)

Thanks for helping me spend $1000 in one night, but Im sure it will be well worth it. :)

And another good thing: I have now found another forum to post on while at work. Excellent.

Now the waiting begins.

Welcome makoto :) Looking forward to your posts. While you're waiting, think good thoughts like: "Please, God, no dead pixels!"

CAG

[pauly]

Well guys, I bit the bullet and purchased as well. missed the deadline for the 1st coupon, picked up the entertainment wld coupon (they were stackable) and did it for $749.80 Thanks for your advise. Cadalyst reviews ended up giving me confidence on the 2001fp. However in all traces of threads I could pick up in the forums, almost everyone who had a 2000fp said it had a better/stronger display that the 2001fp. I trust this will do the job anyway. I am at greater risk with return issues as I am over in Australia (I'm getting a friend in the U to ship it on.)
Maybe I can con Dell Australia to deal with it. mmmmmn probably only a US warantee (not like their notebooks) oh well, let's see how we go.
Thanks again

[DaCypher]

Originally posted by CAG
I'm just off SW 18th Street east of Boca Pointe just before you get to Military Trail :cool:
I'm just off of 18th St also, just west of Dixie Hwy.

[CAG]

Originally posted by pauly
Well guys, I bit the bullet and purchased as well. missed the deadline for the 1st coupon, picked up the entertainment wld coupon (they were stackable) and did it for $749.80 Thanks for your advise. Cadalyst reviews ended up giving me confidence on the 2001fp. However in all traces of threads I could pick up in the forums, almost everyone who had a 2000fp said it had a better/stronger display that the 2001fp. I trust this will do the job anyway. I am at greater risk with return issues as I am over in Australia (I'm getting a friend in the U to ship it on.)
Maybe I can con Dell Australia to deal with it. mmmmmn probably only a US warantee (not like their notebooks) oh well, let's see how we go.
Thanks again

I'm not sure what they meant by "better/stronger" but you should be very happy with the 2001FP. Let us know how it goes for you.

CAG

[welphd]

I got my 2001FP today. No dead pixels. Playing UT2004 for a few hours with it, no noticable ghosting, but don't expect this thing to be as good as a 21" fine CRT since the max FPS is 60.

As to the 2000fp vs. 2001fp, it's possible that 2000fp have better color etc. if 2000fp indeed has Samsung panel. 2001FP has a LG Philips panel. The 2001FP's selling point is its 16ms response time. But Samsung is very goodon other aspects (color fidelity, interpolation, etc). For gamer, the choice is clear. If you don't play game, that might be another story.

[makoto]

I was just reading this thread again and one on Dell's website about the blurriness in UT2k4. Both Mase and the guy on Dells forums are using Radeon 9700 Pro's. Anyone on here using this card without the same blurring problems?

I dunno. Im just wondering if that card has something to do with it. I havent really read thru the rage3d.com forums to see if there is more evidence of this...forgive my laziness.

edit: spelling.

[CAG]

Trust me...you don't have to be forgiven for not wanting to read thru a Rage3D thread :D Anyway, I have a 9800np and UT2004 plays crisp and clear...could be the card but the 9700Pro is a good card.

[makoto]

Hehe. Yeah, those threads can be tough to bear at times.

I agree about the 9700 Pro. I think its a wonderful card, and would have bought it a long time ago if I was on top of these things, but it just seemed to correlate with the UT blurring issue.

Anyways, Ill update after my screen shows up, without any dead pixels of course. :)

[DaCypher]

Ok, so I got my monitor, my impressions...

I immediately notice one dead pixel slightly off center (stuck green). Its only really noticeable when the screen is black, but I see it immediately.

This thing is really bright, even with the brightness turned all the way to 0 and the contrast at 50 (can't seem to adjust it in DVI), it still seems bright. Kind of giving me a headache actually.

I can actually notice a slight lag when moving my/moving windows and stuff even just in windows. This lag is about as perceptible when in games, so I guess if I get used to it, it won't be too bad.

I can also slightly notice the ghosting effect as well, again, even just in windows.

Overall, the picture doesn't seem especially sharp. I can understand what was meant by the grainyness.

Games were quite disappointing as well. I felt like I was running at 16bit color. Counter-Strike looked quite poor as well.

Overall, I am quite a bit disappointed. I'm thinking of returning it.

[FatsoElvis]

Originally posted by DaCypher


I can actually notice a slight lag when moving my/moving windows and stuff even just in windows. This lag is about as perceptible when in games, so I guess if I get used to it, it won't be too bad.

I can also slightly notice the ghosting effect as well, again, even just in windows.

Overall, the picture doesn't seem especially sharp. I can understand what was meant by the grainyness.



DaCypher,

How does your monitor performance compare to the blurry video?
http://www.show-n-sell.net/misc/2001FP_Blurry.avi


I'm surprised your Radeon 9600 Pro is not fast enough to drive the monitor even in windows.

Just guessing, but maybe a small percentage of the monitors don't meet the system specs and should be considered defective.

I plan to use the X800 Pro with the 2001 FP.

Are you using native resolution of 1200x1600?

Did u select : Reduce DVI frequency on high-resolution displays

[DaCypher]

Originally posted by FatsoElvis
DaCypher,

How does your monitor performance compare to the blurry video?
http://www.show-n-sell.net/misc/2001FP_Blurry.avi


I'm surprised your Radeon 9600 Pro is not fast enough to drive the monitor even in windows.

Just guessing, but maybe a small percentage of the monitors don't meet the system specs and should be considered defective.

I plan to use the X800 Pro with the 2001 FP.

Are you using native resolution of 1200x1600?

Did u select : Reduce DVI frequency on high-resolution displays
That video is much worse than anything that I have experienced. I don't think tere is anything defective with my monitor, I think I am just a lot more picky/scrutinizing than most people.

I am running at 1600x1200 and I have selected the option to reduce the DVI frequency in the ATI control panel.

I did try to run Counter-Strike at 1600x1200 which looked a lot better, but I can't really play that game at that resolution for some reason. If I could play Far Cry at 1600x1200 I would be a little more satisfied.

I can see the screendoor effect even from several feet away from the monitor (3-4 ft away). Its especially apparent on white background.

Again, I don't really feel that my monitor is defective (I apologize if my complaints seem exaggerated). I consider myself quite a stickler for quality (especially visual quality), and I don't feel as though this monitor meets my demands.

[CAG]

No need to apologize for your complaints, DaCypher...if the panel doesn't meet your expectations for any reason, return it (frankly, I would have returned it for the one dead pixel in the middle of the screen). Anyway, let us know what you finally get. :)

CAG

[paladin]

I just received my 2001fp Tuesday.

Everything is great about it, no ghosting, just as bright as my crt, easy to read text, etc. but one thing; The graininess or so called screen door effect . It is especially bad on grays. I really want to keep the monitor but my eyes keep picking up the small grid on everything gray beige or white and its just too annoying to spend $800 on. I really hope the next revision uses a larger pixel and less of a black border around each one. I really want to use a LCD but I don’t think I can quite yet.

I love gaming on this thing though. WC3, City of Heros, and Far Cry look amazing and i don’t pick up the screen door when playing them.

I guess I’m in the minority who are bothered by the thin black grid, same boat as DaCypher on the previous page. I wish I wasn’t because I really like this monitor.

I'm going to make my final decision on Monday after a weekend of use. Maybe ill get used to the grain. Otherwise back to dell it goes :(

[JasonU]

I too jumped on the 2001fp this week when I saw it was on sale. After the review in Maximum PC (one of the few PC magazines who's reviews I trust), and reading this thread ALL THE WAY from page 1, I decided to pull out the credit card.

This is my first LCD monitor, my last monitor was a MAG DX700T trinitron CRT I bought in 1998. When I set this up and turned it on, I was amazed at how bright the picture was. Text is very clear and sharp. Viewing web pages at 1600x1200 is an amazing experience. I like the construction of the monitor, controls are intuitively layed out.

I did notice a single red stuck pixel about 2" from the top center of the screen. It is extremely small, and I only notice it on completely black screens. I tried the q-tip rubbing trick to try and revive it, but no luck. It's stuck.

I have played Battlefield: Vietnam and Knights of the Old Republic so far, and they are fantastic looking. I haven't noticed any perceptable ghosting. I have to play at 1024x768 because I'm still using an old ATI Radeon 8500DV, connected with a DVI cord. The 8500DV just can't keep up at 1280x1024 and higher. The resolution seems to scale down well. Unless you're an extremely picky gamer who fusses at the slightest blurriness, I think you'll be happy with the picture quality. I haven't really noticed the "screen door" effect everyone mentions, perhaps I just don't know what I'm looking at, but the picture looks fantastic to me.

I have to say, after the initial sticker shock, I'm very happy with this monitor. Considering the other LCD screen I was looking at (Samsung 172X) was only $200 less and only 17", I'd say that this monitor is a great deal when on sale. Had it had zero dead-pixels, I would be able to recommend this monitor 100%.

[FatsoElvis]

Originally posted by paladin
The graininess or so called screen door effect . It is especially bad on grays.

I really hope the next revision uses a larger pixel and less of a black border around each one.


If the screen door effect is from the black border surrounding each pixel, then wouldn't it be mitigated by reducing the brightness of the screen?

I like the screen dark for surfing or other windows applications.
But when I play games or movies, I increase the brightness by a lot.

If the screen is fairly dark, would the screen door effect be reduced even on a white or gray backgound?

The screen door effect is not noticeable when watching a movie?

[CAG]

paladin and JasonU, welcome to the forum and thank you for your reviews. :D

As to the screendoor effect: Before I bought my 2001FP back in Feb, I did alot of research and was concerned about the screendoor effect but, after reading hundreds of posts about it and experiencing it after I got the monitor, I am convinced that I probably would have never even looked for it had I not read about it first. In fact, after a couple of hours on the monitor, I didn't notice it and haven't since (except when someone posts about it). When I do notice it, it's usually on a white/light grey background (like this forum's background) where there is no movement. But in games, movies, surfing the net, and on virtually every other background, it doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned.

Having said that, whether its something that you can "live with" is a matter of personal choice...I don't see any screendoors but I cannot stand dead pixels...if I have one, the monitor goes back...again, a matter of personal choice and one's annoyance threshold. Put simply, you have to get the monitor and judge for yourself.

For those who want to read more about the 2001FP, I would suggest reviewing the posts in Ars Technica's "The Definitive LCD Thread" if you have not already done so. Although everthing there has been covered here (and more so), you'll at least be able to read some more opinions of the screendoor and the 2001FP generally. The thread is 171 pages long but this link starts you off at page 121 in 11/03 when the 2001FP first came out http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=67909965&m=4190936913&r=2470941495#2470941495

CAG

[JasonU]

The whole "screen door" thing reminds me of the complaints people had with the two thin black lines on Trinitron screens. I didn't mind the lines because the trinitron picture was so nice. I can live with the screen door too because this monitor is fantastic in all other aspects.

I've considered trying to return my 2001fp for the single red pixel I have, but I just don't think it's worth the hassle to ship it back and wait for another. If I had more than one, or is was dead center on the screen, I'd probably do it, but this one is so subtle I never really see it unless I look for it.

[paladin]

CAG, I think you are right. I don’t think I would be bothered nearly as much if I had never heard of the screen door effect. For example I had my view sonic PF790 19” CRT for over a year before I noticed the 2 black lines, and they don’t bother me at all. I think if I just change my theme to a color which picks up the effect less (my current theme, Windows classic rainy day probably picks up the effect best of all) I can get used it and be happy. None of my friends see what I’m talking about which also makes me believe I’m being over critical, though my dad does see it. There are so many positive things about this monitor to let this one ‘feature’ ruin it for me.

I actually have two 2001fps right now. Semi long story; the just: bought the $840 ($890 with tax) small business deal then saw the $770 (no tax charged) a few days later with an hour left on the coupon. Here is a pic for anyone who wants to see how they look side by side.

Warning: huge pic straight off my camera. sorry anyone on a 56k
www.umich.edu/~rmcmacki/2001fp.jpg

Both of them have 4 stuck green pixels which are very apparent and each has a number of stuck red pixels which do not bother me. These must be from a poor batch because each has over 10 stuck pixels total. I am sending both back one for a refund, and the other I am still debating on whether or not I want to keep.

[DaCypher]

I heard a few people mention the screendoor effect before I purchased the monitor but thought nothing of it, and didn't even look into exactly what they meant by it. However, immediately after turning on my monitor I knew exactly what they were referring to. This could be something that you get used to like the thin lines in a Trinitron monitor, however, this is my 3rd day using this monitor, and it still gives me a headache after looking at my monitor for a decent amount of time.

I'm currently waiting for my replacement from Dell and hoping that it has no dead pixels and the screendoor effect will somehow be less noticeable (although, I really doubt this is going to happen). By the way, Dell will send you the replacement monitor and you send them yours once your recieve it so you won't have to be without a monitor (and they cover shipping costs).

[makoto]

I woke up this morning to my 2001fp sitting at the front door.

This is an awesomely huge, beautiful monitor. I can see the screen door effect you all are talking about, but it doesnt bother me very much. I have to look for it to really notice it anyways.

I do have one dead pixel, in the bottom right, about 2 inches up, and 2 inches left.
I also have 2 stuck subpixels, one on blue, one on green. Both kind of in the center of the screen, but hardly noticeable. I saw the dead pixel immediately when I turned it on. Considering having them send a new one, but truth be told, I really could live with it, even the dead pixel. This thing is gorgeous.

I just played UT2004. Its very vibrant, and the colors are extremely rich. No massive blurring or ghosting like the 2001fp_blurry video.

Now, should I be trading this in for a new one based on 1 dead pixel and 2 subpixels? I could live with this yes, so maybe its safer to just accept my one dead pixel and go with it. Ill actually be watching it over the next few days to see if i find anything else.

But first impressions are very good.

[makoto]

Ive now played Hitman:Contracts, Far Cry, and Call of Duty. All look wonderful, even with them scaled down to 1024x768, and 1280x1024. Obviously, 1600x1200 looks magnificent, but Im hardpressed to really see a difference at the lower resolutions. This is good, because I doubt Ill be able to play Doom3 or Half-Life 2 at 1600x1200.

Also, this monitor is capable of some very dark settings. Hitman Contracts has points where I think Ill need to up the gamma in the game to see in those areas. This should be great for Thief : Deadly Shadows, which I hope to get soon. This surprised me because the Anandtech review gave me the impression it couldnt do very good darks, but it seems very capable.

Even browsing the web is a nice thing. With my old Samsung SM900p, set at 1600x1200, I would sometimes have to sit a bit closer just to read text, but this at 1600x1200 is much easier to read from a distance, especially with Cleartype.

[CAG]

Originally posted by DaCypher
I heard a few people mention the screendoor effect before I purchased the monitor but thought nothing of it, and didn't even look into exactly what they meant by it. However, immediately after turning on my monitor I knew exactly what they were referring to. This could be something that you get used to like the thin lines in a Trinitron monitor, however, this is my 3rd day using this monitor, and it still gives me a headache after looking at my monitor for a decent amount of time.

I'm currently waiting for my replacement from Dell and hoping that it has no dead pixels and the screendoor effect will somehow be less noticeable (although, I really doubt this is going to happen). By the way, Dell will send you the replacement monitor and you send them yours once your recieve it so you won't have to be without a monitor (and they cover shipping costs).
The conventional wisdom is that CRT's give you headaches and eyestrain, not LCD's, which leads me to believe that you got a bad panel. Anyway, let us know.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by JasonU
The whole "screen door" thing reminds me of the complaints people had with the two thin black lines on Trinitron screens. I didn't mind the lines because the trinitron picture was so nice. I can live with the screen door too because this monitor is fantastic in all other aspects.

I've considered trying to return my 2001fp for the single red pixel I have, but I just don't think it's worth the hassle to ship it back and wait for another. If I had more than one, or is was dead center on the screen, I'd probably do it, but this one is so subtle I never really see it unless I look for it.

Exactly what I thought of the screendoor effect...had I not heard about it and, more importantly, not heard that it was an "issue", I would have never noticed/considered it...It's amazing how the mind works...I wonder what we all would have thought of the screendoor if the 1st person who ever reviewed the monitor said that he/she liked it. :)

As to your pixel, here's Dell's fixed pixel "guideline" http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?dn=1018431 Its not really a policy but if you call and complain about 5 or less dead pixels, this will likely be their response. Its significant to note that this "guideline" is over 2 years old and it is my opinion that, given the state of technology today and what we pay for these panels, the consumer should get NO dead/fixed/stuck pixels :mad: ...but that's my personal pixel rant. If it's below your "can't live with" threshold, JasonU, forget it.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by makoto
I just played UT2004. Its very vibrant, and the colors are extremely rich. No massive blurring or ghosting like the 2001fp_blurry video.

Now, should I be trading this in for a new one based on 1 dead pixel and 2 subpixels? I could live with this yes, so maybe its safer to just accept my one dead pixel and go with it. Ill actually be watching it over the next few days to see if i find anything else.

But first impressions are very good.
My take exactly on UT2004 vis-a-vis the "blurry video" issue and thanks for the comparison. If memory serves me and w/o going back to the Dell thread, the guy who posted the blurry video never posted his system specs...for all anyone knows, it could have been a bottle-necked system problem instead of a monitor performance issue.

As to the pixel issue, read my post to JasonU...if you can live with it, keep the panel...if not, send it back...Dell's really good about replacing stuff. :) Just make sure you read the invoice that came with the panel as to how much time you have. ;)

CAG

[OLinOZ]

Ok. Firstly A1 forum and a thread full of good and useful information. I am from Australia and the 2001FP is selling here from Dell for $1750.

I use my computer solely for gaming and mainly play warcraft 3: the frozen throne and Battlefield 1942.

My question is, before I make any plunge, is this the best gaming monitor out there or is it better for graphics design? I'm after someone who has played these heavily on their monitor, not just loading up a single player scenario where there is hardly anything on the screen.

IE warcraft 3 played online on battle.net then look at the battles happenning - that would do the trick.

Secondly BF1942 played with all eye-candy turned on.

If anyone has the time to add a digital photo of BF1942 in action (not just a pic of your dude standing there) and a report on war3 - that would be FANTASTIC!

I really like this monitor and I am prepared to sleep in the dog house until my missus talks to me again if I buy it, but want to be sure this is the one for me.

I live in the outback Australia so I don't have a local department or computer store that I can visit to check them out on the floor. Bummer hey!

From what I have read here and on the net, this monitor rocks for everything but there are two things holding me back.

One is reports from people on here saying "Hardly any ghosting" which means there is some...

Second one being, what else is coming out just around the corner that may be better for gaming?

I am going to buy a new graphics card X800 when the XT's come out so I can play maximum eye candy details on.

Again, congrats Rendition on a top thread, and to CAG for so regularly answering peoples questions.

It seems a top monitor and I hope it will fit my needs!

Overlord

[OLinOZ]

I better clarify - is this the best LCD monitor out there for gaming, I get sore eyes from CRT's - even at 100Hz...

Cheers

[OLinOZ]

You have played and commented on first person shootem up's.

You mentioned:
No massive blurring or ghosting like the 2001fp_blurry video

Does this mean there is light or moderate blurring?

These slight omissions imply blurrying/ghosting!

I'm dying to hear "no ghosting or blurring!"

Can you help out?

[dpnaugle]

Well I bought it. Dell 2001FP. $865 (US) to my doorstep. Ill have it in a few days. But I just noticed that My Video Card doesn't a DVI out (ATI AIW 9600XT) so I will be runnign this monitor Analog. What do u all think good bad doesnt matter? I will be using it for DVD, TV, Internet, and Games FPS mostly.

[JasonU]

Originally posted by dpnaugle
Well I bought it. Dell 2001FP. $865 (US) to my doorstep. Ill have it in a few days. But I just noticed that My Video Card doesn't a DVI out (ATI AIW 9600XT) so I will be runnign this monitor Analog. What do u all think good bad doesnt matter? I will be using it for DVD, TV, Internet, and Games FPS mostly.

$865? You didn't get free shipping I assume?

Also, you have an AIW card that doesn't have DVI? I thought all the ATI AIW cards had DVI outs. I haven't tried my 2001fp in analog yet, buy everything I've read says digital is clearly superior to analog. I think the 9600 has an S-video out, you could try that as an alternative.

[paladin]

OLinOZ I can confirm there is absolutely no ghosting or blurring. I have used a CRT for gaming ever since wolfenstien and to my crt trained eyes cannot see any ghosting at all on my 2001fp. In ut2004 or farcry anyway. I was flying the raptor at full speed against a white sky and looking for ghosting. None.

WC3 is awesome on this monitor, huge and vibrant I really enjoy it.

All that said I will be returning my 2001fp for a refund. The graininess or 'screen door effect' is just to annoying in windows, also I have 10 stuck pixels. I will be looking into getting a samsung 213t or just sticking with my PF790 crt until LCDs get just a tad better.

[dpnaugle]

Yea Shipping was included.
$799.20 + tax 65.93=$865.13


Yea no DVI out. But you say I may be able to use the S-video? How?

Some ppl are saying that analog is the best for games, but I will be using it for DVD also.
DN

[JasonU]

Originally posted by dpnaugle
Yea no DVI out. But you say I may be able to use the S-video? How?

The 9600 has an S-video out cable. Just hook it up to the S-video port on the back of the monitor and compare it's image quality to the standard analog monitor cable. It's worth a shot.

[paladin]

I have changed my mind again, after going back to my crt for a day I have to stick with the 2001fp. Everything is just crisper and over all better on the 2001fp and the screen door is becoming less and less annoying. Yes, I still see it but it’s not as big a deal. I do not want to go back to my crt nor do I want to pay $500 more for the 213t just to have a different complaint (ghosting). So right now I feel this is the best monitor for me. For the price it cannot be beat.

[DaCypher]

After having some stability issues with this monitor (Win XP would crash on boot and go into this loop continuously), I have rehooked up my CRT. Sometimes Windows is able to boot, but the ATI drivers seem to crash when XP finishes loading the desktop.

My eyes are definitely going through an adjustment period.

Things I immediately appreciate on my CRT:

-There is no lag at all when I move my mouse. This reaffirms my suspicion that the lower refresh/update/something is apparent (to my eyes at least).
-There is no screendoor effect (yes!). Everything is sharp and smooth. However, I have to disable SmoothFonts, but I can live without it.
-System boots right up (no instability issues, see above).
-Picture is smaller. I only have 17.x" viewable on this monitor instead of 20" on the 2001FP. I think I'll miss this the most. Maybe I should use the money I get back from this monitor on a 21" CRT, any recommendations?
-Edit: Ok, I just played a couple games and I must say, its like night and day when it comes to image quality. The only time, IMO, the 2001FP can compare to a CRT (at least mine) while gaming is playing at 1600x1200, even then barely on par. I think I'll be sticking with CRT technology for a few more years.

[JasonU]

Originally posted by DaCypher
Sometimes Windows is able to boot, but the ATI drivers seem to crash when XP finishes loading the desktop.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you haven't yet, get the newest Catalyst drivers from ATI. Also there's a program called Driver Cleaner that will purge all the old ATI drivers from your computer before you install the new ones.

[OLinOZ]

Where's my welcome to the forum from Cag?!? :P

Anyone else looked into my question?

Is this the best gaming LCD out there?

Cheers blokes...

(And chicks)


Overlord

[CAG]

Originally posted by OLinOZ
Where's my welcome to the forum from Cag?!? :P

Anyone else looked into my question?

Is this the best gaming LCD out there?

Cheers blokes...

(And chicks)


Overlord

Welcome to the forum, OLinOZ :) (sorry but Ive been away the last day or so). On to your question:

For the price, its the best gaming LCD around. As far as I know, almost every other 16ms 20.1" monitor on the market made by other mfg's is the same LG-Philips panel that Dell uses but they are generally more expensive. HP has a 21" or 23" 16ms LCD out now (and BenQ is coming out with one) but these are in the USD$1,400-$1,500 range.

Again, welcome.

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by DaCypher
Maybe I should use the money I get back from this monitor on a 21" CRT, any recommendations?
Have you looked at the NEC MultiSync FP1355? I really don't know that much about CRT's but I came across this one...its 22" (20" viewable) and around $750...~$1 per pound (sorry, couldn't resist:D).

CAG

[CAG]

Originally posted by JasonU
This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you haven't yet, get the newest Catalyst drivers from ATI. Also there's a program called Driver Cleaner that will purge all the old ATI drivers from your computer before you install the new ones.
Yes...DriverCleaner is good...ATi's driver removal utility is also very good http://mirror.ati.com/support/drivers/misc/catalystutils.html

[DaCypher]

I've been running Catalyst v4.5 since they came out and I have used the cleaning utilities that have been mentioned (despite the ATI guys on the Rage3D forums swearing that they aren't necessary).

I actually found a NEC/Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2060u 22" CRT for $315 (brand new). Seems like a pretty damn good deal, especially considering its supposed to have unparalleled picture quality (even compared to LCDs).

[CAG]

Originally posted by DaCypher
I've been running Catalyst v4.5 since they came out and I have used the cleaning utilities that have been mentioned (despite the ATI guys on the Rage3D forums swearing that they aren't necessary).

I actually found a NEC/Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2060u 22" CRT for $315 (brand new). Seems like a pretty damn good deal, especially considering its supposed to have unparalleled picture quality (even compared to LCDs).

Alot of the Rage3D guys also format their HD's every time they change drivers...kinda anal imo. Great price on the CRT. BTW, is it a flat panel? Give us a review when you get it :).

CAG

[firstadopter]

All I do is uninstall my old drivers, re-boot with plain VGA drivers in low resolution. And then install the new ATI drivers. Works fine everytime for me.

[morf77]

Hi

I am about to buy a Dell2001FP monitor but have seen there are two versions. A 'Midnight Grey TCO 99' and a 'Dual Tone Grey TCO 2003'.
What is the difference? Is the TCO 2003 a better version and what about the colour? Is the Dual Tone Grey also close to black?

[CAG]

Hi morf77. Welcome to the forum :). Here's a link I found regarding the TCO'99 and TCO'03 designations http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/environment/en/prod_design?c=us&l=en&s=corp&~section=004 Can you give us a link to the monitors you're referring to...I only thought that there was one version of the 2001FP.

[morf77]

Hi CAG

Thanks a lot and thanks for the link :)

At Dell's danish site and the UK site too, there are two versions of the monitor.
The two different versions at the UK site is listed HERE (http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productlisting.aspx?c=uk&l=en&cs=ukdhs1&category_id=5194&first=true)

I just got a reply from Dell support today and was told that it is only the colour which is different, so I ordered the Dell UltraSharp 2001FP Midnight Grey one.

Found another page this morning too comparing TCO designations.
http://www.boivie.se/labellingprint-eng.html

According to this table TCO 2003 monitors may not have dark bezels (frames) so I guess the colour of 2001FP Dual Tone Grey is very light / silver.

[morf77]

Btw the 1901FP is also avaible as Midnight Grey TCO99 and Dual Tone Grey TCO2003 and pictures can be found HERE (http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productlisting.aspx?c=uk&l=en&cs=ukdhs1&category_id=211&first=true) for bezel colour comparison.

[CAG]

Thanks morf77...I can see the difference in the colors...the midnight grey seems to be the one sold in the US. I never knew another color was available...wonder why Dell doesn't sell both in the US? Anyway, let us know what you think of the monitor.

CAG

[DaCypher]

Ok, got my replacement from Dell today... Just about the same exact issues with the first one are present here as well except this time the dead pixel is a little closer to the lower right. Oh well, UPS will be coming tomorrow to pick up both monitors...

[paladin]

Originally posted by DaCypher
Ok, got my replacement from Dell today... Just about the same exact issues with the first one are present here as well except this time the dead pixel is a little closer to the lower right. Oh well, UPS will be coming tomorrow to pick up both monitors...

Yeah both of mine had over 10 dead pixels, im starting to wonder if i should change my mind again and return this one for a refund. To get a dead pixel free monitor ill probably have to cycle though 5 or so. There is still the nagging screen door. But on the other hand this is my only choice for a 1600x1200 gaming lcd.

Anyone know of any other 20 or 21 inch 16ms lcds coming soon?

[otti20vt]

Can someone make a photo of the screen where one the picture in picture mode sees?

Sorry for my Bad English :o)

[CAG]

Originally posted by paladin
Anyone know of any other 20 or 21 inch 16ms lcds coming soon?

NEC 2080UX+, Dell 2001FP, Philips 200P4, Viewsonic VP201S/B and Eizo E540s all use the same 20.1" 16ms panel. HP has the HP L2335...23", 16ms, 1920X1200 nat. res...~$1,700. BenQ is coming out with a similar monitor.

[CAG]

Originally posted by otti20vt
Can someone make a photo of the screen where one the picture in picture mode sees?

Sorry for my Bad English :o)
Welcome to the forum otti20vt :). I tried the PIP (picture-in-picture) mode but it won't display. My menu says my PIP source is off...maybe my ATi 9800 doesn't support it.

Anybody been able to use their PIP? Maybe you can post a screenshot for otti20vt.

Thanks,

CAG