HP 2311xi IPS Monitor
by Chris Heinonen on August 13, 2012 12:15 AM ESTHP 2311xi - Design, OSD, and Viewing Angles
HP managed to make the right choices with their 27” ZR2740w monitor, hitting a reasonable price point without sacrificing quality. Now HP has introduced their 2311xi monitor, a 23” IPS display with LED backlighting that is designed with value in mind. Even with their value target, they haven't cut back on features, with multiple inputs and a good amount of adjustments available inside of the display.
With a street price of $200, HP is aiming directly at value priced TN displays that have ruled the low-end of the LCD market for years. We finally might be starting to move to better panels, as the price of IPS continues to come down. Has HP managed to get enough quality into a $200 display that it can convince people to move from TN panels when looking for a value display, or have there been too many sacrifices made in order to hit this aggressive price point?
The HP 2311xi is a very simple monitor on the outside. The only inputs offered are DVI, HDMI, and DSub, with no DisplayPort input. The lower right corner of the screen houses the buttons for controlling the OSD and otherwise the screen is free of any other inputs or outputs. One other item that is missing from the screen are VESA mounting holes for those that wish to use their own stand or other mounting device. The included stand offers tilt adjustment and some swivel, but offers no height or pivot adjustments so there is no way to use the 2311xi in portrait mode.
The OSD system is okay but not great, as you use two buttons for both left/right and up/down control, which continues to be a pet peeve of mine. However it does have a full array of options, including three default color temperatures and a user adjustable one, overdrive, sharpness, dynamic contrast, and more. It also has a DDC mode that works quite well I found, so if your calibration solution supports DDC you can have it configured automatically for you.
As you would expect from an IPS panel, the viewing angles are quite good and far beyond what TN can give you. Moving far off-axis we don’t see any color shift but do start to see a shift in the contrast at the very extreme angles. With a 23” display you aren’t going to run into any issues with viewing angles on the 2311xi no matter how you have it configured on your desk, or likely even if you are watching a movie on it from a few feet away.
HP 2311xi | |
Video Inputs | DVI-D, Dsub, HDMI |
Panel Type | e-IPS |
Pixel Pitch | 0.265 mm |
Colors | 16.7 Million, 72% Color Gamut |
Brightness | 250 nits maximum |
Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
Response Time | 7ms GTG |
Viewable Size | 23" |
Resolution | 1920x1080 |
Viewing Angle | 178 Horizontal and Vertical |
Backlight | LED |
Power Consumption (operation) | 29 Watts |
Power Consumption (standby) | < 0.6 Watts |
Screen Treatment | Anti-Glare Coating |
Height-Adjustable | No |
Tilt | Yes, 0 to 25 Degrees |
Pivot | No |
Swivel | Yes |
VESA Wall Mounting | No |
Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 16.4 x 24.49 x 6.26 in |
Weight | 9.25 lbs. |
Additional Features | |
Limited Warranty | 1 Year Parts and Labor |
Accessories | DVI Cable, VGA Cable |
Price | $200 Online (7/15/2012) |
Now that we’ve had a full overview of the HP 2311xi it is time to put it through our test bench and see how it performs. Calibration and dE measurements were done using ColorEyes Pro and an i1Pro spectrometer, and black and white level measurements were done using an i1DisplayPro and test patterns from CalPC.
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kyuu - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
What? External power bricks are quite common. You can make the monitor significantly thinner, and you don't have to worry about the additional heat generated by the power brick. Honestly, this is a weird complaint anyway.cheinonen - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
I completely agree with disliking the external power brick. I understand it makes it thinner, and easier to design, and possibly easier to ship around the world as you just replace the brick by region, but it makes wiring my desktop more of a pain. The trade-off in thinness isn't worth it to me, but I know some people don't mind, but some do.Impulses - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
It's definitely not for me... Poor stand w/no VESA mounting, 1080p res, and no DP are just too many compromises... But having decent IPS displays like this one available at $200 is great for the consumer in general, two years ago you were looking at $300+ for a display like this, three or four years ago it would've been $400+. Low cost IPS displays are finally in the same pricing realm of rock bottom TN displays, and that's not bad at all.Olaf van der Spek - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
Isn't the U2412M more like a $300 monitor? Even the U2312HM is $260 on NewEgg.No DP & no VESA sucks. :(
cheinonen - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
I mention that the U2412M is more expensive and that the U2312HM might be a better comparison, but as I haven't reviewed the 2312 but have reviewed the 2412 it was the best comparison I could make.mikato - Thursday, August 16, 2012 - link
You can buy the U2412M for $270 right now from Dell with free shipping -http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/78498/dell-small-b...
mikato - Thursday, August 16, 2012 - link
U2312HM is $210 at Dell Small Business right nowhttp://slickdeals.net/permadeal/78498/dell-small-b...
ananduser - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
Chris, when are you guys gonna review some 120Hz monitors ?StickerLover - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
...needs more stickers !Oh, and more glossy plastic !
DanNeely - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
Would it be difficult to reorder the labels for the curves so that the upper left label was in the top left position, the lower right was in the lower right position, etc?