Details on the Dell model include an IPS panel and a 3440x1440 21:9 apsect ratio based off of 1440p vertical, rather than the 1080p baseline for the current 2560x1080 U2913WM. The inclusion of the U would indicate the panel is in the UltraSharp family, and the inclusion of the W would continue the nomenclature of the "ultra Wide" naming convention. The lack of the M in the name would mean a departure from LED backlighting.
The exclusion of the LED backlighting would be a step back for the 21:9 series, but the increase in size and pixel count is a definite step forward. Hopefully we will end up with a U2415WM. The 3440x1440 contains 4,953,600 pixels, which is close to 2.5x HD. This puts the panel at a better performance place than Eyefinity or Surround which are 3x HD, and considerably less than 4k UHD which is 4x HD.
The 21:9 aspect ratio is very close to 5x1-Portrait Eyefinity. This slightly lower aspect ratio of 21:9, versus "traditional" 3x1-L multi-monitor, means that there will be less noticeable stretching at the edges of games.
This offering (regardless of manufacturer) offers many positive aspects (pun intended)
- 34" diagonal (large physical size)
- Higher resolution and pixel density (1440p baseline vs 1080p baseline)
- 21:9 aspect (wider than 16:9, but less stretching than Eyefinity or Surround)
- Lower pixel count (2.5x HD, versus 3x HD for EF/S and 4x for UHD)
- No bezels
I've been a fan of the 5x1-P / 21:9 aspect ratio for a while now, even calling it my preferential choice. I eventually went back to 3x1-Landscape, but have fallen in love with the lower pixel count and 21:9 aspect ratio of my Dell U2913WM. The larger 34" panels with higher pixel count, larger physical size and no bezels could be gaming nirvana.
Below is a comparison from Display Wars of a 30" 16:10 vs a 34" 21:9. I think we have a winner...
