Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP

While 24in monitors still haven't quite hit the mainstream yet, there is no doubt the rapidly dropping price tags are making them a more attractive option. While the company's previous unit, the 2407WFP, had a few issues Dell has done a stellar job correcting them and has now come to market with the latest iteration in this size, the 2408WFP. It performed almost flawlessly in our tests and is one of the best monitors we've seen in recent times.

It sports a 1920x1200 resolution, which is standard for a 24in unit and provides that little bit more real estate for documents and browser windows. Hardcore gamers will also appreciate the enhanced resolution, but be warned; it takes some serious PC power to run modern games at these settings.

If your system has the grunt however, you'll be rewarded with some incredible image quality. In all of our tests the 2408WFP excelled, making it a great choice regardless of what you'll be using it for.

The most notable thing was the contrast. The unit has a 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and a 1300:1 static contrast ratio. It rendered transitions from light to dark flawlessly. We've looked at a lot of monitors in recent weeks and none displayed the intensity ramp charts with such definition between the individual blocks. Everything was perfectly separated even at the very darkest end of the spectrum. The same was true of the colour intensity ramps.

Another specification of note is the 400cd/m2 brightness rating, which is a step up from many competitors offering 300cd/m2. It makes a noticeable difference, with the 2408WFP's image looking brighter and more vibrant than competing units.

Overall the image was sharp and clean in our DisplayMate Video Edition tests with no noise in the moire patterns or on block colours. There was the tiniest hint of stepping on some of the colour charts but it was very minor and text was crisply rendered.

It is hard for 24in monitors to have a truly impressive response time. While other Dell models have gone as low as 2ms this unit operates at a slightly more sedate 6ms which is still fine for most uses. Hardcore gamers may notice a very faint level of ghosting compared to their 22in or smaller displays but it is fairly minimal all up and is comparable if not better than that seen on other 24in units.

In our video tests the contrast performance was excellent with only minor detail loss in dark areas. Black levels were also excellent, which is vital for film watching and thanks to the increased 110 per cent colour gamut colours were rich and vibrant. It is quoted at having 178 degrees viewing angles and while there was some minor colour shift when moving off-centre, on the whole it wasn't problematic.

As well as producing a unit with stunning image quality, Dell has also gone the extra mile in terms of connectivity. There are not only the standard array of VGA and DVI ports but component, composite and HDMI are all also included to help take full advantage of the 1080p capabilities of this model. The usual array of calibration options are present including individual colour levels, contrast and brightness; however, colour temperature is noticeably absent. At times the menu can be a little fiddly, particularly when trying to tweak the colour and having to switch between 'graphics' and 'video' mode, but overall it isn't too bad.

The 2408WFP comes mounted on a sturdy silver stand and can be rotated to a portrait view as well as angled upwards or downwards. It has a somewhat plain aesthetic but the black bezel rimmed with silver is a step up from the plain black design seen on some older models. There is a 9-in-2 card reader built into the bezel as well as several USB ports.