Dell P2418HT review

Dell is a big name in monitors, and we think they’ve hit a home run with the Dell P2418HT. 

The biggest selling point for the Dell P2418HT is its cool matte surface. Unlike the gloss finish of traditional touch screen monitors, a matte screen means reduced glare (and fewer fingerprints), which is great for your eye health as it helps reduce fatigue and eye strain. 

Not only does the Dell P2418HT look good with its stylish design and thin bezels, but it’s a dream to use too. Its flexible, adjustable arm is one of the most sophisticated designs that we’ve seen, as it allows you to easily move the screen to your desired angle with minimal fuss.

It’s also exceptionally comfortable to use thanks to its full HD screen with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution at 60 Hz and intuitive ten-point touch capabilities. The Dell P2418HT is definitely a strong contender and has rightfully earned its spot on our list of the best touch screen monitors. It has an MSRP of $499.99, which can seem quite high, but we’ve consistently seen it on sale for around $399.99 on the official Dell website and Amazon, so if you’re willing to wait, you’ll be rewarded with a lower price. 

Dell P2418HT: Design

• Sleek design with small bezels
• Matte finish on screen reduces glare

Of all the touch screen monitors that we’ve tested, the Dell P2418HT looks the most like a traditional monitor. There’s no garish design choices and the edge of the screen is surrounded by a relatively small 5mm bevel, which keeps the Dell P2418HT looking rather sleek and stylish. if you're looking for a touch screen monitor that announce its presence, try the Acer T232HL.

One noticeable design choice that might split consumer opinion is the screen’s matte finish. This is due to the anti-glare hard coating, which protects the screen, but it also gives it a matte look that some users might dislike. All the other screens that we tested have a typical gloss finish to them. When testing the Dell P2418HT, our sister site - Tom’s Hardware - found that the screen still picked up fingerprints and gave off a brief glow if you pressed down "more than gently" on the screen, which we also observed. At the same time, the matte finish doesn’t reflect nearby light sources nearly as much, so it all comes down to what you prefer.

Dell P2418HT: Display

• Full HD ten-point touch screen.
• Great brightness and color accuracy
• High input lag

We’ve already mentioned the love it or hate it matte finish on the screen, but how do the rest of the specs stack up? Well it’s a full HD screen with a 1920x1080 pixel resolution. During our testing we thought that the brightness capabilities were suitably impressive and the color accuracy was better than most of the other monitors that we tested too. It’s the same story with the response time, which is a measure of how quickly a pixel changes color. A good response time means that it’s a great screen for watching movies or playing games on.

Sadly there is one fly in our monitor’s ointment - the input lag. At 15 milliseconds, the Dell P2418HT had one of the worst input lag times of all the monitors that we tested. Input lag is a measure of how long it takes instructions (mouse movements, touch screen taps etc.) to be registered by the device. It’s not earth shattering and you’ll only really notice if you’re playing games, but it’s still disappointing to see.

The touch screen itself works well, featuring ten-point touch capability. This means it can track ten different touch points at once, allowing you to perform multi-touch maneuvers like zooming in by pinching your fingers together.

Dell P2418HT: Usability

• Highly adjustable stand
• Screen can move slightly during use

One of our favorite features on the Dell P2418HT is the stand, which is a flexible articulating arm attached to the back of the screen. This means that the screen can easily be adjusted on the fly, allowing you to move it forwards and backwards, as well as up and down. You can even slide the screen down into a 60 degree titled orientation that makes it perfect for drawing on.

The downside to this flexibility is that the screen can wobble around a bit when you’re using the touch screen functions and don’t have the bottom of the screen flush with your desk. It’s not going to shake around like there’s an earthquake, but it is noticeable. 

Mercifully, the OSD controls for brightness, contrast, etc. are on the bottom edge of the screen, meaning you won’t accidentally knock them while using the touch screen. This is a mistake that some of the other touch screen monitors we tested have made (we're looking at you, Planar Helium PCT2235), so it’s good to see Dell thinking with its (collective) head on the design of the Dell P2418HT.

Dell P2418HT: User reviews

Although this is an older monitor, people are still singing its praises. Of course, there are better quality touch screen monitors out there, but they are also a lot more expensive – what you get for the price makes the Dell P2418HT pretty good value. For everyday use, people have been impressed with its sleek look, flexibility, and touch response.

Many customers commented on the matte screen being a bit weird to use at first, as touch screen monitors tend to have a shiny, gloss finish, but once they got used to matte surface they found it great – especially as this reduces glare.

Another shortcoming was that people felt that the graphics aren’t that crisp and were sad about the lack of built-in speakers, but for the price the specs are fine. If you’re after premium graphics, you’ll need to pay a more premium price.

Also, Apple users beware! Mac owners have warned that setting up this touch screen is no easy feat – it involves having to find and install a special driver package which just gets complicated.

Should you buy the Dell P2418HT?

Stylish and well designed, the Dell P2418HT monitor is the perfect addition to your home office. It looks good, is indistinguishable from a normal monitor, and will blend in seamlessly with your current home computer or laptop set up. The thing that makes this touch screen unique is its matte finish, while great for reducing glare and in turn eye strain, can also put some people off as it doesn’t feel as smooth as other touch screen monitors out there. We recommend that you do some hands-on testing yourself to see if you prefer a matte or a gloss screen. 

If this product isn’t for you

For those who want the best touch screen monitor but are concerned about space, then the ViewSonic TD2230 is for you. At 21.5-inches and weighing just 7.9 ounces, it’s a compact and portable design that’ll fit nicely on your desk.

If you’re more focused on graphic design, then you might want to consider the Philips 242B9T monitor. It’s a little on the heavier side, but its anti-glare coating and soft reading modes really help to ease eye strain and fatigue – a must for creatives who spend hours poring over their work.

Or if you’re after a touch screen monitor that does it all – built-in speaker, webcam, and microphone – then check out the Planar Helium PCT2485. Not only is it feature-rich, but its flexibility and intelligent ergonomic design choices make it a clear winner in comfort too.