Before we check out the displays quality and performance, let's take a closer look at the specs.

Specifications

Diagonal Size: 18.1"
Viewable Size: 18.1"
Display Type: Flat panel display/TFT active matrix - desktop
Depth: 8.78"
Features: Anti-glare, Hardness 3H
Height: 16.97"
Weight: 17.19 lbs
Width: 15.98"
Image Max H-View Angle: +/- 80° (typical)
Image Max V-View Angle: +/- 80° (typical)
Analog Video Format: RGB
Analog Video Signal: RGB, 0.7 Volts ± 5%, 75 ohm input impedance
Compliant Standards: Plug-and-play, ENERGY STAR, VESA® DPMS
Connectivity Technology: Cable
Device Type: Flat panel display/TFT active matrix - desktop
Digital Video Format: DVI-D
Dimensions (WxDxH): 15.98" x 8.78" x 16.97"
Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight: 15.98" x 8.78" x 16.97" / 17.19 lbs
Dot Pitch: 0.2805 mm Pixel Pitch
Enclosure Color: Midnight Gray
Environmental Parameters: Temperature: 41 °F to 95 °F; Humidity: 10% to 80% (non-condensing)
Factory Preset Resolution Modes: 720 x 400 @ 70 Hz, 640 x 480 @ 60 Hz, 640 x 480 @ 75 Hz, 800 x 600 @ 60 Hz, 800 x 600 @ 75 Hz, 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz, 1024 x 768 @ 75 Hz, 1152 x 864 @ 75 Hz, 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz, 1280 x 1024 @ 75

Image Brightness: 250 cd/m2 (typical), 200 cd/m2 (minimum)
Image Contrast Ratio: 350:1 (typical), 200:1 (minimum)
Max Operating Temperature: 95 °F
Max Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Max Sync Rate (V x H): 85 Hz x 80 kHz (analog)
Min Operating Temperature: 41 °F
Port(s) Total ( Free ) / Connector Type: 1 x 15-Pin D-Sub, 1 x 24-Pin DVI-D
Power: AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 1.0 (RMS) max
Power Consumption Operational: 50 Watts (normal), 55 Watts (maximum)
Power Consumption Operational ( Standby : 50 Watts (3 Watts or less)
Voltage Required: AC 100-240V 50/60 Hz
Humidity Range Operating: 10% to 80% (non-condensing)
Diagonal Size / Viewable Size: 18.1" / 18.1"
Compatibility: PC

Quality and Performance

To test the quality of an LCD display, we use a program called Checkscreen.  This software application runs a series of test patterns to help detect any visual problems or defects the LCD may have.  We ran the following tests using the DVI connection with an ATI AIW 7500 video card. 

Broken/Dead Pixels:  This is the very first test we run.  While some manufacturers consider a few broken pixels acceptable, I strongly think anything over two would be unacceptable considering their much higher price tag.  We found one dead pixel located at the far right hand corner of the screen right near the bezel.  Luckily, because of its location, we were not able to detect it prior to running this program.  The dead pixel was only slightly noticeable on a white or light green background.

Brightness/Contrast:  Excellent considering its low 350:1 contrast ratio.  Great shading on the grays.

Colour:  No issues found here.  All of the following colors were bright and consistent over the entire screen:  red, green, blue, black, gray and white.

Smearing:  Used to test the displays response time, an issue that plagues all LCD's.  The 1800FP showed moderate streaking when performing this test.  We will also see just how well the display handles movies and games in this review.

Other Comments:  I would like to point out that considering its not so impressive specs, the 1800FP handles variations in dark colors perfectly.  Blacks and whites look great.  Whites do not have any pink or blue hue which is sometimes found in other models.  Overall, I'm quite impressed with its picture quality.

Motion Video & DVD's

To test how well the Ultrasharp 1800FP handles movies, I popped in a couple of my favorite DVD's, The Transporter and The Matrix.   Both movies have some pretty intense fighting scenes so they would be an excellent choice for movie testing.

DVD playback on the DELL Ultrasharp 1800FP LCD is quite enjoyable.  Handles them perfectly with no noticeable ghosting making it an excellent choice for those who love to watch movies on their PC.  I would like point out that they were played using PowerDVD with hardware acceleration enabled.

Gaming

This is probably a potential buyers main concern when deciding which LCD to buy.  Aside from the new Planar PX171, their is no LCD in the market suitable for hardcore gamers.  Until we start seeing more LCD's with a response time lower than 25ms, we will still encounter a few issues in this category. 

I'm only a casual gamer so I did not test a wide variety of games on this display.  I played my two favorites, Forsaken and Max Payne.  Both games looked amazing and played very well.  I did not experience any ghosting issues.   I was actually quite impressed when playing Forsaken.  Ghosting is usually apparent on these high fps games.  Overall great gaming performance.

Next: Conclusion