Dell P2715Q and P2415Q 4K IPS Displays

[mjfutures]

Do you guys notice a performance degrade when using both the RMBP and the 27" 4k simultaneously? I find the system feels faster when my RMBP is in clamshell mode. I would like to buy multiple 4K's but am worried the RMBP can't handle them all. I have the i7 2.5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 750M GPU.

I also have a 2013 Mac Pro (base with 512gb ssd upgrade), but haven't had a chance to test it out on that yet.

 

[xav8tor]

Do you guys notice a performance degrade when using both the RMBP and the 27" 4k simultaneously? I find the system feels faster when my RMBP is in clamshell mode. I would like to buy multiple 4K's but am worried the RMBP can't handle them all. I have the i7 2.5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 750M GPU.

I also have a 2013 Mac Pro (base with 512gb ssd upgrade), but haven't had a chance to test it out on that yet.

Don't have an MBP, so I'm not sure, but I think the MBP only has a single TB bus. Therefore, I doubt you'll run two UHD displays at 60 Hz. The number of pros is not the same as the number of bosses.

No problem at all with the nMP you have. See other posts in this thread. It will run 2 4K at 60 and another at 30. Apple recommends one 4K monitor per bus, and nothing else on that bus if possible. It's all about the bandwidth.

 

[jgbr]

I am not sure about that due to the 2 thunderbolt 2 ports on many MBPs. This would limit the dock and per phials performance. Also the internal SSD sits on the PCIe bus.

I hope it doesn't limit performance as I have a dock and external TB storage plugged in etc. probably best to keep displays daisy chained direct to one port and everything else on another.

 

[jordygreen]

Do you guys notice a performance degrade when using both the RMBP and the 27" 4k simultaneously? I find the system feels faster when my RMBP is in clamshell mode. I would like to buy multiple 4K's but am worried the RMBP can't handle them all. I have the i7 2.5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 750M GPU.

I also have a 2013 Mac Pro (base with 512gb ssd upgrade), but haven't had a chance to test it out on that yet.

I found a slight performance degrade when using it at 4K res with both rMBP monitor and the Dell. Nothing not useable until I was in Photoshop. As soon as I put in clamshell mode it was perfect, just as i was using the built in rMBP monitor no lag, no performance degrade.

I'm only on the 2GHz i7 with 8GB RAM and built in graphics rather than a separate card, if you have more powerful machine it would be able to handle it for sure.

 

[jgbr]

It might be more of a integrated v discrete graphics problem then PCIe bandwidth issue. Its *unlikely you are saturating bandwidth with a monitor.

 

[tirexstorm]

Just set my P1527Q up. I am having issues with my USB hub like several others have had. Has anyone resolved this?

Also every time I power the monitor down, all of my windows are resized when I power back on. This is connected to a rMBP in clamshell mode. Any suggestions on how to prevent this?

 

[xav8tor]

It might be more of a integrated v discrete graphics problem then PCIe bandwidth issue. Its *unlikely you are saturating bandwidth with a monitor.

Nope. With 4K to run at 60 Hz. you need TB 2, and even that won't run two 4K's at 60. It IS about the TB bus bandwidth. Whether the GPU supports 4K is a separate issue.

 

[jgbr]

Nope. With 4K to run at 60 Hz. you need TB 2, and even that won't run two 4K's at 60. It IS about the TB bus bandwidth. Whether the GPU supports 4K is a separate issue.

Blimey , roll on TB3 then! on MBPs I think it is best to keep them monitor(s) on one Tb connection and everything else on another.

 

[xav8tor]

Blimey , roll on TB3 then! on MBPs I think it is best to keep them monitor(s) on one Tb connection and everything else on another.

Bingo. Apple states that you should run 1 4K monitor per TB bus (NOT port), and if you must use another TB port on the same bus, make sure it has low bandwidth demands. For instance, if you have an external drive, use the USB port.

 

[Giev]

A question for the Dell P2715Q owners: anyone tested the interpolation on these monitors?

In theory it should work properly (no blur, etc) at 1920x1080 as there is no need for interpolation. Obviously it wouldn't look as sharp as a HiDPI 1920x1080 (which is actually 4K) but I am wondering how the normal (low) DPI 1920x1080 would be. (image quality, text , etc)

I am planning to share this monitor between my PC and rMBP 15 (mid 2014/750m) and although I would use it at HiDPI settings with my MacBook, I don't want to stress the GPU with 4K resolution for games...

Would you please be so kind and test it at normal 1920x1080 res?


Thanks

 

[jgbr]

Bingo. Apple states that you should run 1 4K monitor per TB bus (NOT port), and if you must use another TB port on the same bus, make sure it has low bandwidth demands. For instance, if you have an external drive, use the USB port.

Do you have the link or documentation to this from Apple?

This is worrying for people who have docks attached and other thunderbolt accessories. I am sure having the extra graphics card does help tho!

 

[xav8tor]

Do you have the link or documentation to this from Apple?

This is worrying for people who have docks attached and other thunderbolt accessories. I am sure having the extra graphics card does help tho!

I do for the Pro but not MacBook. That diagram is a few pages back, I think. You can't expect UHD at 60 Hz and much more from a single TB bus. Just because you have two ports doesn't mean you have two busses. There are a couple of discussions in this thread, and others on the Apple forums, and here maybe on the Macbook threads. Apple support FAQ's also address this to some extent. I seem to recall reading over on the Apple support forums that the rMBP has a single TB bus and two ports, so you might get one 4 K 60, another at 30, but not much more without problems. I posted a link somewhere around here to a discussion over there about what works and doesn't on the MBP. My only Apple laptops are a couple of Airs so, sorry, I can't be of much help on the rMBP.

 

[packeted]

P2715q

Hey guys,

I've been keeping an eye on 4K monitors ever since I bought my Mac Pro back in November of last year and the specs, reviews and price of the P2715Q finally tipped me over the edge.

It arrived today. Sadly I missed out on the multiple coupon deal with Dell, but did manage to get 10% off with this coupon (D98VWMJMXTZCVZ) and free 2-day delivery with the Dell club. With tax it's about $670 all in.

Initial impressions were that the build quality is similar to my U2412M, the stand is metal and has a bigger forward footprint. I was surprised that it doesn't seem that much taller than my U2412M but it's clearly a fair bit wider.

It comes with the display port to mini-DP cable so it was a very simple plug in and play. I'm running 10.10.2 btw. I've tried the different scaling settings and seem to prefer the middle one and it lets me reasonably switch between this and the U2412M next to it.

No dead pixels. It does seem warmer than my U2412M despite playing around with the settings, I guess I need to do some proper calibration.

But all in all it's a very nice experience, things look very crisp and loving the increased real estate. I also tried the display with my 2013 Macbook Air - the highest resolution it can deliver is 2560x1440 which looks a bit blurry.

One quick question I do have is whether it matters which thunderbolt sockets I plug the two monitors in to. At the moment in system preferences, it seems both screens are being driven by one card - are there any performance gains to having one card driving one monitor each?

Cheers,
Francis
PS. photo of my desktop attached, sadly no space to have the nMP on display. Desktop amp is a Topping VX1. New pet peeve - 16x16 pixel favicons.

 

[jgbr]

Hey guys,

I've been keeping an eye on 4K monitors ever since I bought my Mac Pro back in November of last year and the specs, reviews and price of the P2715Q finally tipped me over the edge.

It arrived today. Sadly I missed out on the multiple coupon deal with Dell, but did manage to get 10% off with this coupon (D98VWMJMXTZCVZ) and free 2-day delivery with the Dell club. With tax it's about $670 all in.

Initial impressions were that the build quality is similar to my U2412M, the stand is metal and has a bigger forward footprint. I was surprised that it doesn't seem that much taller than my U2412M but it's clearly a fair bit wider.

It comes with the display port to mini-DP cable so it was a very simple plug in and play. I'm running 10.10.2 btw. I've tried the different scaling settings and seem to prefer the middle one and it lets me reasonably switch between this and the U2412M next to it.

No dead pixels. It does seem warmer than my U2412M despite playing around with the settings, I guess I need to do some proper calibration.

But all in all it's a very nice experience, things look very crisp and loving the increased real estate. I also tried the display with my 2013 Macbook Air - the highest resolution it can deliver is 2560x1440 which looks a bit blurry.

One quick question I do have is whether it matters which thunderbolt sockets I plug the two monitors in to. At the moment in system preferences, it seems both screens are being driven by one card - are there any performance gains to having one card driving one monitor each?

Cheers,
Francis
PS. photo of my desktop attached, sadly no space to have the nMP on display. Desktop amp is a Topping VX1. New pet peeve - 16x16 pixel favicons.

What about clarity of text and OSX text? I found Yosemite looked fussy on the 2713H?

----------

I do for the Pro but not MacBook. That diagram is a few pages back, I think. You can't expect UHD at 60 Hz and much more from a single TB bus. Just because you have two ports doesn't mean you have two busses. There are a couple of discussions in this thread, and others on the Apple forums, and here maybe on the Macbook threads. Apple support FAQ's also address this to some extent. I seem to recall reading over on the Apple support forums that the rMBP has a single TB bus and two ports, so you might get one 4 K 60, another at 30, but not much more without problems. I posted a link somewhere around here to a discussion over there about what works and doesn't on the MBP. My only Apple laptops are a couple of Airs so, sorry, I can't be of much help on the rMBP.

So IF the machine struggles then disabling the MBP screen may help although I have reservations on cooling grounds of clamshell mode. Only one bus could be an issue as I have a TB1 disk array , dock etc.

 

[ilikewhey]

has anyone tried gaming on this? i have a 2nd display waiting to be returned but if the 9ms isn't that bad for ghosting maybe i'll open it and use it with my gaming pc.

 

[macsplusmacs]

2711H

Was this last years model?

I need an app to keep up with all these Dell Naming schemes!!


I would imagine any text fuzziness is due to what is the final resolution setting one chooses. People in this thread seems to have found one that is not the native 4K but still looks nice as a 2500x (normal 27:" rez) "retina" display.

 

[jgbr]

Was this last years model?

I need an app to keep up with all these Dell Naming schemes!!


I would imagine any text fuzziness is due to what is the final resolution setting one chooses. People in this thread seems to have found one that is not the native 4K but still looks nice as a 2500x (normal 27:" rez) "retina" display.

Sorry i have a 2713H and i find even with it running 2560 x 1440 that the text is fuzzy in yosemite.

 

[macsplusmacs]

I own a retina macbook for my home and i used an Apple thunderbolth 27 at work. I hear you. the 27" text is (relative term here) "blurry" compared to my macbook.



That's why I am looking at picking up one of these Dells for my home. Big screen but retain the clear text.

Also, OHHHHH the "13" and "15" or the years the model was release / or year model. I feel sort of dumb now.

 

[jgbr]

I think multiple factors are at play here, yosemite is blatantly tailored towards retina screens but also many have been holding out for IPS. Many claim the text is very clear on this monitor but I've yet to see pictures of it.

from isthisretina website

http://isthisretina.com

3840 x 2160 at 27inch diagonal (specs of this monitor we are discussing) becomes retina at

21inch's, 163PPI on a 16:9 - so yes this monitor is retina

 

[itcrashed]

I think multiple factors are at play here, yosemite is blatantly tailored towards retina screens but also many have been holding out for IPS. Many claim the text is very clear on this monitor but I've yet to see pictures of it.

from isthisretina website

http://isthisretina.com

3840 x 2160 at 27inch diagonal (specs of this monitor we are discussing) becomes retina at

21inch's, 163PPI on a 16:9 - so yes this monitor is retina

I think you might be misinterpreting the calculator. 3840x2160 on the P2715Q will appear as "retina" at a viewing distance of 21". At a viewing distance of 10-12", it is not "retina".

This whole "retina" verbiage is all marketing - it's really left to the user when actual pixels are perceptible. For me, I have 2x P2715Q at a viewing distance of about 30" and they look "retina" to me I cannot make out the individual pixels at this distance.

 

[mangotears]

For anybody who has experience with both - does 4k scaled down to 1440p offer a noticeably better experience than a native 1440p display? (particularly when it comes to UI/text/programming?)

A few months ago, I would have likely gone for a solid 27" 1440p display; there was no really enticing 4k displays that offered an IPS panel, 60hz refresh, and headache-free at an appealing price point.. plus, driver support was only beginning to mature. But the p2715q/p2415q and upcoming pb279q changes that scene. I'm still curious as to how much actual gain it'll benefit from after OSX's supersampling and downscaling process.. Is it enough to justify the extra quirks associated with a 4k display.. should I worry about any general performance losses(non-gaming)?

 

[edanuff]

For anybody who has experience with both - does 4k scaled down to 1440p offer a noticeably better experience than a native 1440p display? (particularly when it comes to UI/text/programming?)

A few months ago, I would have likely gone for a solid 27" 1440p display; there was no really enticing 4k displays that offered an IPS panel, 60hz refresh, and headache-free at an appealing price point.. plus, driver support was only beginning to mature. But the p2715q/p2415q and upcoming pb279q changes that scene. I'm still curious as to how much actual gain it'll benefit from after OSX's supersampling and downscaling process.. Is it enough to justify the extra quirks associated with a 4k display.. should I worry about any general performance losses(non-gaming)?

I tried out several 27" 4K monitors running at HiDPI 1440p before deciding on dual 24" 4K monitors at 1080p. If you're really mostly doing text and programming, you actually can get a very good experience with 4K regardless of what effective resolution you choose because all the text is already drawn in a resolution independent way and, from my understanding of the Apple High Resolution Guidelines, sampling isn't really involved in text rendering. It's really no different than if you go and choose 150% scale in your web browser. It's going to be with images where sampling is occurring, and may or may not be noticeable to you. Seeing the different responses on this thread, though, makes me recommend you try any monitor for yourself and don't hesitate to return it if it just doesn't work for you.

 

[ilikewhey]

has anyone tried gaming on this yet

 

[Chuck Rodent]

For anybody who has experience with both - does 4k scaled down to 1440p offer a noticeably better experience than a native 1440p display? (particularly when it comes to UI/text/programming?)

I just set mine up yesterday using a Mac Pro 6.1. My other two monitors are NEC PA271 which are wide gamut 27" monitors at 2560 X 1440. The difference in text quality is noticeable even without direct comparison between screens, running the Dell at 2560 X 1440.

I also have the Retina iMac 5k, and the difference in text is mostly due to the glossy screen compared to the Dell which is slightly non-glare. I prefer the glare screen on the iMac. Overall for the price the Dell is a great value, only giving up the wide gamut for photo editing. I'll probably replace one of the NEC monitors with the 32" wide gamut when they finally are in stock.

 

[edanuff]

DDC/CI and frozen monitor on wake

Just a follow-up on the monitor freeze on wake issue. It was suggested earlier on this thread that turning off the DDC/CI setting in the Dell OSD Menu would prevent this. To test this, I disabled DDC/CI on one of my two monitors and left it on on the other, since on each previous time I'd encountered the problem, it struck both monitors at the same time. Because the freeze issue is very infrequent, I haven't actually experienced the problem for a couple of weeks and had pretty much forgotten about the issue. I just went and woke up my computer and saw that only one of the two monitors had woken up, and it was the one where DDC/CI had been disabled. The one with DDC/CI enabled was frozen (black screen, buttons unresponsive, power switch lit but unresponsive) and it had to be physically unplugged and replugged to wake back up. In the interests of verifying this as the workaround, I'm now turning off DDC/CI on the monitor where it was on and switching it back on on the one where it had been off. If DDC/CI is the problem, then the next time I see the freeze, it should be the other monitor that exhibits it. In the meanwhile, if anyone is seeing the freeze problem, I'd suggest disable DDC/CI to see if it fixes it for you. Conversely, if you have switched it off and still experience the problem, please share that fact here.