The Best of Both Phone, and TabletDell UltraSharp U3011
Manufacturer: Dell, Inc. Part number: U3011
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Dell UltraSharp U3011 is an impressive monitor and the most feature-rich 30-incher out there.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Once you know, you Newegg! |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/23/2012 |
 | | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25! | as of 05/23/2012 | |
 Dell Home and Home Office | | In stock Free Shipping! | as of 05/23/2012 | |
 PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973. | | In stock Usually Ships Same Day! $0 Pay w/BML. Auth Dell Dealer. | as of 05/23/2012 | |
 | | In stock | as of 05/23/2012 | |
 | | In stock Earn 2% eBay Bucks on qualifying purchases! Backed by e | as of 05/23/2012 | |
 | | In stock | as of 05/23/2012 | |
 | | In stock | as of 05/23/2012 | |
| Provantage | | In stock | as of 05/23/2012 |
CNET editors' review
Dell UltraSharp U3011 price range: $1,168.00 - $1,406.00
- Reviewed by: Eric Franklin
- Reviewed on: 01/31/2011
The good: The Dell UltraSharp U3011 has incredible performance, tons of connection options, and enough OSD features to satisfy most professional artists.
The bad: The Dell UltraSharp U3011 has a higher price than other 30-inchers.
The bottom line: The Dell UltraSharp U3011 is an impressive monitor and the most feature-rich 30-incher out there.
Simply put, the Dell UltraSharp U3011 is the best 30-inch monitor we've yet seen. Not only does it deliver great performance--which is expected from most devices running at a 2,560x1,600 resolution--but it also has tons of connection options and an OSD with a surprisingly high number of calibration features. The only problem is the price. At $1,349, it's about $400 more expensive than the 27-inch Dell UltraSharp U2711, which includes mostly the same features, with less real estate. The U2711 is still the best overall large-screen monitor, but if 27 inches just isn't enough, the U3011 is a fully capable alternative.
Design and features
The 30-inch UltraSharp U3011 takes nearly everything great about the UltraSharp U2711, adds three inches to its screen size, increases the already high resolution, and adds even more On Screen Display (OSD) options. This in itself is nothing to write home about (not that anyone receiving such a message would be the least bit interested anyway), but when we consider that OSD options for the vast majority of 30-inch monitors (including the recently reviewed HP ZR30w) are limited to brightness adjustment options only, the fact that the UltraSharp U3011 includes a full array of OSD options is quite the oddity. In fact, the last 30-incher we reviewed that included OSD options was Dell's own UltraSharp 3008WFP from 2008.
The OSD follows a label-free design that's become the house style for Dell monitors. Five vertically arranged buttons line the lower right-hand corner of the bezel. Pressing any of the buttons brings up the OSD, which pops up parallel to the button array, and each option corresponds to one of the five buttons. Once a new menu is selected, the function of each button changes dynamically, as the top two buttons become the up-and-down arrow buttons used to navigate through the newly seen menu. Since any button labels for the OSD are actually on the screen (instead of on the bezel), calibrating the display in a dark room is easy.
Each OSD button on the U3011 is responsive and depresses just enough to feel satisfying. The OSD menu options include the standard brightness, contrast, and various color options. These color options include custom color controls for gain and offset, each allowing you to adjust the red, green, and blue values in the brighter and dimmer sections of the screen respectively. Also, the hue and saturation options include RGB adjustments as well as cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY) adjustments.
Main screen presets are Standard, Multimedia, Game, Movie, Warm, Cool, Adobe RGB, sRGB, and xv Mode. There are options to adjust the sharpness and additional options for setting the OSD to stay onscreen up to a minute (useful for anyone who will spend a good amount of time calibrating) and OSD transparency level.
Like the U2711, the U3011 has a matte black chassis with a gray highlight running through the middle of the panel. The panel is 1.75 inches deep; however, the back of the display--which houses the backlight, connection options, and ventilation system--extends another 1.8 inches, bringing the full monitor depth to about 3.7 inches. The panel width measures 27.3 inches; the surface of the screen itself is a slightly frosted and smooth matte. The bezel measures 0.9 inch on all sides.
The Dell UltraSharp U3011 has a host of connections including two DVI, two HDMI, DisplayPort, Component, VGA, four USB downstream, one USB upstream, and an SD card reader, making this one of the most robust monitor connection arrays we've seen.
| Design and feature highlights | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | DVIx2, DisplayPort, Component, VGA, HDMIx2 |
| Ergonomic options | 35 degree back tilt, 45 degree swivel, 3.6-inch screen height adjustment range |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 |
| Audio | Option and controls for speaker bar |
| VESA wall-mount support | Yes |
| Included video cables | DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI |
| Backlight | CCFL |
| Panel type | H-IPS |
| Screen film | Matte |
| Pixel-response rate | 7ms |
| Number of presets | 9 |
| Overdrive | No |
| Picture options | Brightness, Dynamic Contrast Ratio |
| Color controls | RGB, CMY, Gain, Offset, Hue, Saturation |
| Gamma control | n/a |
| Additional features | 4 USB downstream, 1 upstream; SD card reader |
Performance
We tested the Dell UltraSharp U3011 through its DVI input, connected to a Windows Vista PC, using the included DVI cable. The display posted a composite score of 97 on CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based performance tests.
The U3011 displayed excellent color reproduction and accuracy. Although the HP ZR30w showed evidence of a green push, the U3011 had no such problems and as a result got higher marks in our color tracking test. In our grayscale bars test, we were able to see dark gray down to level 2, two levels above black, which indicates accurate black-level performance.
The U3011 performed well in our uniformity and dark screen tests, showing only a minimum amount of backlight bleed-through. Unfortunately, as with the ZR30w, we did see clear evidence of static streaking. Static streaking occurs when there are large changes in contrast and either the darker or lighter color "streaks" onto its counterpart, showing, for example, black bars on a white background.
The biggest advantage the UltraSharp U3011 has over the ZR30w is its detailed OSD that allows you to adjust the monitor's output, which can result in better performance.
Text:
In text, we saw no color problems with black text on a white background. Fonts were clearly visible down to a 6.8 size. Not much wrong a monitor can do at this high of a resolution on such a large screen.
Movies:
We tested the Dell UltraSharp U3011 using the Blu-ray version of "Avatar". We saw deep blacks, and accurate color that looked great on the huge 30-inch screen. Faces looked natural with no egregious color tint problems.
Games:
Because of our intimate familiarity with StarCraft II (SCII), it is our new favorite tool for judging color quality and vibrancy in games. It's difficult for a game running natively at 2,560x1,600 to look bad, and indeed SCII looks quite stunning on the 30-inch U3011.
Yes, it has definitely spoiled us as we found ourselves walking (slowly) back to our 24-inch monitor, the bitter taste of regret still palpable on our tongues.
As on the HP ZR30w, the colors and vibrancy on the U3011 are second to none and everything looked detailed and popped from the screen. The U3011 gets the performance edge here, however, as the presets and color calibration options allow for more detailed tweaking of the output.
We also used DisplayMate's Motion tests and found that the U3011, with its 7-millisecond refresh rate, produced noticeably more streaking than the Samsung PX2370, running at a 2ms refresh rate.
Photos:
The Dell U3011 delivered clear photos with good color saturation and accurate color tints.
Viewing angle:
The optimal viewing angle for a monitor is usually directly in front, about a quarter of the screen's distance down from the top. At this angle, you're viewing the colors as the manufacturer intended them. Most monitors are not made to be viewed at any other angle. Depending on its panel type, picture quality at nonoptimal angles varies. Most monitors use TN panels, which get overly bright or overly dark in parts of the screen when they are not viewed from optimal angles. On the other hand, IPS panels usually show only minimal color shifts with angle changes. The Dell UltraSharp U3011 has an LG H-IPS (Horizontal In-Plane Switching) panel, and when viewing it from the sides, we perceived the screen as darkening about 15 inches off from center--indicating it has more than twice as wide of a viewing angle as a typical TN panel.
Recommended settings and use:
We found the game and movie presets were both appropriate when viewing games or movies. Go figure. The game preset includes a warmer tone, which enhanced the vibrant feel of StarCraft II. The Movie preset had a much cooler tone and appropriately gave movies like "Avatar" lower black levels and a more solid feel. We found the Standard preset worked best for general use.
Like most IPS-based monitors, the U3011 is geared mostly toward professional use for which accurate color reproduction is required. Thanks to its robust assortment of OSD options, it's the best 30-incher we've seen that will also satisfy most professional graphic artists. The monitor is also great for watching movies, playing games, viewing photos, and for general use. This is not uncommon with gigantic, hi-res screens.
Power consumption:
The Dell UltraSharp U3011 achieved a poor power consumption rating, with a Default/On power draw of 105.45 watts, compared with 141.7 watts from another 30-incher, the HP ZR30w, in the same test. Not at all surprising, given their gigantic screens, but Dell set the U3011's default brightness low, hence the lower consumption. In our Sleep/Standby test, the U3011 drew 1.33 watts and the ZR30w pulled a lower 1.23 watts. Based on our formula, the U3011 would cost $32.38 per year to run, compared with the ZR30w's $43.12 per year.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 Juice box |
|
| Dell UltraSharp U3011 | Average watts per hour |
| On (default luminance) | 105.45 |
| On (max luminance) | 142.61 |
| On (min luminance) | 75.05 |
| Sleep | 1.33 |
| Calibrated (200 cd/m2) | 103.4 |
| Annual power consumption cost | $32.38 |
| Score | Poor |
Find out more about how we test LCD monitors.
Service and support
Dell backs the UltraSharp U3011 with a solid warranty, including a three-year parts-and-labor deal covering the backlight. It also offers support through a 24-7 toll-free number and 24-7 Web chat. Dell also has a fast 24- to 48-hour e-mail support turnaround time--a better package than from most monitor vendors, which don't offer weekend support. Navigating Dell's Web site and finding the drivers, product manuals, and quick guides was simple.
User reviews
-
-
Stunning , cant find anything wrong with this beauty.
by LucidTrance on August 21, 2011
Pros: Stunning colour for an LCD screen.
Cons: Price is a little steep
Summary: Stunning , cant find anything wrong with this beauty.
Summary: Stunning , cant find anything wrong with this beauty.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Dell's new 30-incher is amazing - Big is better!
by BillNYC on October 12, 2010
Pros: Delivering excellent performance and great colour control. Great screen real estate ? Adobe RGB and sRGB modes ? 10-bit panel ? Reduced screen wake/input switch time ? HDMI PBP with DVI or DisplayPort ? Six-axial colour adjustments.
Cons: The price will stop most though, this monitor is only for the truly serious.
Summary: Dell's new UltraSharp U3011 30-inch IPS LCD display offers a 2,560 by 1,600-pixel native resolution, a plethora of inputs, and a media card reader.
For years, computer ...Summary: Dell's new UltraSharp U3011 30-inch IPS LCD display offers a 2,560 by 1,600-pixel native resolution, a plethora of inputs, and a media card reader.
Sorry there must be a bug in CENT website template (?) don't know why that is...
For years, computer maker Dell has made a name for itself for offering high-performance, reasonably priced computer monitors?and Dell still isn?t afraid to take on Apple in the high-quality display market: the company has just introduced its UltraSharp U3011 30-inch display, offering a native resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, in-plane switching (IPS) technology to reduce colors shifting with viewing angle, and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.
Clearly aimed at graphics and video professionals?although we?re guessing there are more than a few gamers who will be interested?the U3011 sports 178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles, a 7ms response time, and 370cd/m&exp2; of brightness. The monitor also boasts a huge array of inputs, including two HDMI and DVI inputs, a DisplayPort input, VGA input, component connectors, and along with an integrated four-port USB 2.0 hub and a 7-in-1 media card reader. The U3011 also comes with a height-adjustable tilt-and-swivel stand and a security lock slot. The monitor is Energy Star 5 component, and consumes less than 2 watts in standby/sleep mode. However, it?s not exactly lightweight: the panel alone is 25 pounds.
Dell's stand design is now pretty much uniform, the only difference being that larger models like the U2711 and U3011 don't have the capability to pivot 90° into portrait mode. It's still a great stand though, with rack and pinion style height adjustment, tilt and swivel, and a hole through the neck for cable management. As with the U2711 though, you won't be able to remove the panel from the stand unless you have a torx driver. While we do wish that it was easily removable like the U2410, we'd imagine for a panel of this size the extra support the screws provide are needed.The U3011 features a lit mechanical power button at the bottom right, and a proximity sensitive strip above this. Bring the hand near and the bottom button lights up, giving you a perfect in-the-dark interface without having distracting lights all the time. Once you touch this button, the OSD appears on screen, the other buttons light up and are labelled in a context sensitive fashion on screen.
Annoyingly by default all these buttons emit a beeping sound when pressed, which can thankfully be turned off.Dell's cavalcade of options is carried over to the U3011, offering the usual RGB/YPbPr colour space; brightness and contrast; hue, gain, saturation and offset controls. The "Video" and "Graphics" modes have been removed, with all the presets now available under the one mode menu. Dell offers Standard, Multimedia (which has a red cast), Game (green cast), Movie, Warm, Cool, Adobe RGB, sRGB, xv Mode and Custom Color as preset options.
Scaling options are complete too, offering fill, 16:9, 4:3, aspect and 1:1 scaling modes. Sharpness is available on digital inputs, and picture by picture is there too. Here behaviour has changed a bit ? for your source you can only choose HDMI 1, HDMI 2 or component, the secondary picture being provided off any of the other inputs. It's nice to finally be able to have HDMI and DVI side by side, but those hoping for DVI side by side with another DVI connection will be disappointed.
The U3011 like the U2711 before it has support for six-axial colour calibration (RGBCMY) under the hue and saturation settings, which combined with the gain and offset controls should allow people to screw down their colour calibrations even further than the usual.
Dell's new 30-incher is amazing! I have duel monitors and YES! Bigger is better!
This is Billy Amato/NYC
Updated on Oct 12, 20102 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Lossless 5.1 audio for pc.
by teriusj on April 12, 2012
Pros: The only way I can get lossless 5.1 audio with my Logitech Z 5500 sound system. Connect with the HDMI and use the three 3.5 mm audio cables to the speakers, lossless audio.
Cons: Not touchscreen, no 3D, no speakers, no web cam and mic, and no TV tuner. But still get 5 stars.
Summary: If you have the money and want the best pc monitor on planet earth then this is it.
Summary: If you have the money and want the best pc monitor on planet earth then this is it.
-
The Anti-Glare Coating Ruins It
by markmcb on April 19, 2011
Pros: * it's huge
* ports
* buttons / menus
* in theory, a great screen under the anti-glare
* good return policy / serviceCons: ANTI-GLARE DISTORTS/SPARKLES THE COLOR.
Seriously. I couldn't work on this monitor without getting a headache. The anti-glare makes whites and light grays sparkle a lot. The angle you're looking at the screen determines where you see sparkles. So,Summary: This monitor is (literally) not worth the headache. I returned mine about 7 days after receiving it. I kept thinking "I'll get used to it." You don't get ...
Summary: This monitor is (literally) not worth the headache. I returned mine about 7 days after receiving it. I kept thinking "I'll get used to it." You don't get used to it. Order it and see for yourself if you must, but I highly recommend looking for something else. I think I might go for the HP.
1 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Old technology/Heavy/no pivot/Wide frame
by skytop111 on April 1, 2011
Pros: Exceptional image and nice ergonomics
Cons: 10 year old technology. Exceptionally expensive for decade old design. Huge heat creator. Very inefficient.
Dell has fallen behind in producing cutting edge products. Also, Dell does not support their products after three years. Bummer.Summary: If you still refuse to see the writing on the wall, be certain to look for discount coupons for this monitor. Dell is offering big discounts to move this dinosaur.
Summary: If you still refuse to see the writing on the wall, be certain to look for discount coupons for this monitor. Dell is offering big discounts to move this dinosaur.
2 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Completely overrated monitor and way overpriced.
by onetoomany81 on January 6, 2012
Pros: I really can't think of one.... maybe ease of purchasing via dell.com?
Cons: Overpriced, poor product quality, poor gaming performance, terrible support
Summary: Don't be fooled by this CNET review..... If you are looking to waste money and eventually end up with a 30lb paper weight, this is your monitor. Otherwise, save ...
Summary: Don't be fooled by this CNET review..... If you are looking to waste money and eventually end up with a 30lb paper weight, this is your monitor. Otherwise, save yourself the money & frustration of dealing with Dells off-shored support teams.
By the way, it would be great if the CNET review was updated to indicate which revision was actually tested. After trolling many of tech sites & forums, it appears the product quality began to drop with revision A04. Dell is now shipping via A05 which is what my review was based on.
_______________________________________________
After reading a number of positive reviews through various social media outlets & tech sites including CNET, I decided to take the plunge and drop $1400 on this POS.
First off, the actual image quality isn't all that impressive compared to much cheaper monitors with comparable resolution. Also, if your a gamer, the ghosting is immediately noticeable and after a few hours is really quite irritating.
Second, I really question the quality of the components Dell is now having their contract manufacturer use in the latest revision of these monitors (A04 onward). After having my monitor less than 12 hours, the LCD panel has already failed. This is something that can be expected from a cheaply manufactured LCD, but not from what is suppose to be a "high end" monitor based on its price tag.
Having worked in supply chain operations in the past, I am going to assume Dell opted to go with a cheaper components to cut down on the manufacturing costs in the newer revisions and thus increase their profit margin.
In any case, if you do make the mistake of purchasing this monitor which will inevitably fail, have fun working with Dell's support teams. They'll waste 45 minutes of your time to complete what should only take 2-3 minutes to troubleshoot. Then you'll have the pleasure of dealing with their returns process, but I'll save that for another rant.
Updated on Jan 6, 20120 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Dell, Inc.
- Part number: U3011
- Description: Enjoy excellent picture excellent front of screen and multimedia viewing experience on UltraSharp U3011 30-inch widescreen flat panel monitor from Dell. The U3011 utilizes IPS panel technology with 2560 x 1600 resolution, 16:10 wide aspect ratio that provides wide viewing angle, minimal color deviation and great color consistency. U3011 comes with 1.07 billion colors to enable accurate, brilliant and true to life colors. The typical response time of 7ms and a high brightness of 370cd/m2 (typical) provide razor-sharp, ghost-free images when displaying impressive motion images. U3011 offers DisplayPort, 2 DVI-D and HDMI port which help to ensure output of high quality images when viewing high definition content; while a component connector and a 7-in-1 media card reader enables viewing data from peripheral devices a breeze. You can easily plug and play with the 4 USB 2.0 ports. The unique combination of energy-conscious and contemporary design of U3011 communicates a clean and sleek form that is designed for user comfort. The U3011's awesome front of screen performance is significantly enhanced by PremierColor technology. The U3011 is designed to comply with the latest energy-efficiency standards, including Energy Star 5.0 and GSS/TAA availability. Tilt, swivel and height adjustable stand, proximity touch buttons, media card reader features let you adjust the monitor to your most comfortable viewing angle. With all such impressive features and more, the U3011 is an ideal choice for your smart and modern lifestyle!
General
- Display Type TFT active matrix
- Diagonal Size 30 in
- Viewable Size 30 in
- Built-in Devices 7-in-1 card reader
- Panel Type IPS
- Aspect Ratio Widescreen - 16:10
- Native Resolution 1080p 2560 x 1600 at 60 Hz
- Pixel Pitch 0.2505 mm
- Brightness 370 cd/m2
- Image Contrast Ratio 1000:1 / 100000:1 (dynamic)
- Color Support 1.07 billion colors
- Response Time 7 ms
- Vertical Refresh Rate 86 Hz
- Horizontal Refresh Rate 112.5 kHz
- Video Bandwidth 268.5 MHz
- Horizontal Viewing Angle 178
- Vertical Viewing Angle 178
- Screen Coating Anti-glare ,
Hard coating - Backlight Technology Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL)
- Controls & Adjustments Color temperature,
Phase,
Gamma correction,
Saturation,
Sharpness,
H/V position,
Brightness,
Contrast,
Hue,
Noise reduction - Features PremierColor technology,
HDCP,
102% NTSC (CIE 1931) color gamut,
100% sRGB (CIE 1976) color gamut,
99% Adobe RGB (CIE 1976) color gamut,
117% (CIE 1976) color gamut,
Cable management cover,
Picture by picture - Dimensions (WxDxH) 27.4 in x 8.3 in x 18.9 in - With stand
- Weight 27.8 lbs
Audio
- Type None
Input
- Type None
Connectivity
- Interfaces DVI-D (dual link),
HDMI,
USB 2.0 downstream,
USB 2.0 upstream ( Type B ),
DisplayPort,
VGA,
Component video ( RCA x 3 ),
Audio line-out Mechanical
- Display Position Adjustments Tilt,
Swivel,
Height - Tilt Angle 22
- Height Adjustment 3.5 in
- Flat Panel Mount Interface 100 x 100 mm
Miscellaneous
- Features Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable,
1 x VGA cable,
1 x DVI cable,
1 x DisplayPort cable - Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Compliant Standards DDC,
Plug and Play,
VESA EDID
Power
- Form Factor Internal
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
- Power Consumption Operational 110 Watt
- Power Consumption Stand by / Sleep 2 Watt
Software / System Requirements
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
- Min Operating system Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Dimensions & Weight
- Dimensions & Weight Details With stand - 27.4 in x 8.3 in x 18.9 in x 27.8 lbs,
Without stand - 27.4 in x 3.7 in x 17.8 in x 20.5 lbs Environmental Parameters
- Min operating temperature 41 °F
- Max operating temperature 95 °F
- Operating humidity range 10 - 80% (non-condensing)
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 3 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Advance parts replacement - 3 years
Sustainability
- CNET Labs: Operational power consumption 105.45 Watt
- CNET Labs: Calibrated power consumption 103.4 Watt
- CNET Labs: Max brightness power consumption calibrated 142.61 Watt
- CNET Labs: Min brightness power consumption 75.05 Watt
- CNET Labs: Power consumption Stand by / Sleep 1.33 Watt
- CNET Labs: Estimated Annual Energy Cost 32.33 US Dollars
- EPA Energy Star Compliant Yes
- EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Silver
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Dell, Inc. products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Dell, Inc.
- Address:
One Dell Way, Round Rock, TX 78682 - Phone: (800) 274-3355
- Email: LB_Order_Questions@dell.com
