Dell produces monster thirty-inch winner

The sheer size of the 3007WFP sets it apart. True, writes Paul Monckton, there are many larger LCD and plasma displays available (some of which are connected to computers, usually to form home theatre PCs) but none of these is able to offer the ultra-high, 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution of the 3007WFP.

Having a desktop this big is a huge boost to productivity and its 11ms response time and 700:1 contrast ratio give an image quality high enough for a wide variety of applications, including photo and video editing.

Unlike other monitors from Dell, there is no on-screen menu - only touch-sensitive brightness and power switches are provided. Monitor adjustments are instead carried out from the PC using a display control panel plug-in.

The latest Nvidia drivers have support for the 3007WFP built-in. Indeed Nvidia has been flagging this monitor as part of its ultra high-resolution gaming push.

And, if you want to get the best out of this monitor, and at almost £1,500 that's quite likely, you won't want to plug it into any old PC with a DVI cable.

It will work, but if you're graphics card isn't up to the task you'll be stuck at a resolution of 1,280 x 800. To experience the monitor in its full glory you'll need a graphics card with a dual-link connector, which provides the necessary bandwidth to push the resolution up to the maximum of 2,560 x 1,600.

Many such cards exist in PCI Express format, but on old-fangled AGP, your options are limited.

If you've set your heart on a high resolution 30in monitor, it's currently a two-horse race with this 3007WFP or Apple's 30in Cinema HD display.

With almost identical specification it comes down mainly to looks and the fact that this Dell version costs over £300 less, which is just about the right amount to buy yourself that graphics card you'll need to drive it. ?

L'INQ
PCW