For help with video or display issues such as: no video or no display, blank or black screen, flickering, resolution or color issues, horizontal or vertical lines, etc. refer to an expanding section below.
The key features of Dell P3421W monitor
The Dell P3421W monitor has an active matrix, Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and LED backlight. The monitor features include:
This section provides some specifications of the Dell P3421W monitor. To learn more about the specifications of Dell P3421W monitor, refer to the User's Guide at the Dell Manuals website.
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Panel technology |
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Aspect ratio |
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Viewable image |
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Pixel pitch |
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Pixel per inch (PPI) |
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Viewing angle |
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Luminance output |
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Contrast ratio |
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Response time |
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Curvature |
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Color depth |
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Connectivity |
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Ensuring that your Dell monitor is set up properly. Assembling the monitor stand and setting up the monitor ergonomically. Connecting the cables and organizing them. These will only help make the viewing experience the best it possibly can be.
The standard monitor stand is detached when the monitor is shipped from the factory. To learn more about attaching the standard monitor stand. Refer to the Setting Up the Monitor section in the User's Guide of your Dell P3421W monitor.
To learn how to set up any other stand with a monitor, refer to the respective stand setup guide for setup instructions.
Where you put your monitor is almost as important as what model you buy. The monitor should be directly in front of you, at an arm’s length away (between 20-40 inches from your eyes). The top edge of the screen at eye level when you are sitting comfortably. You may need to adjust your chair height or the height of the monitor to achieve this.
To connect your Dell P3421W monitor to your PC:
To learn more about connecting your monitor to the PC, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article: How to Connect a Monitor to a Dell Computer
Dell P3421W monitor orientation must always be in landscape mode. This includes any wall-mounted monitors and monitors on a stand. In a multiple monitor setup, Dell P3421W should not be rotated either to 180° (landscape) or 90° (portrait).
When setting up your Dell P3421W monitor, ensure that the monitor front panel buttons is on the bottom right.
When you the toggle or press the joystick, the Menu Launcher appears to let you access the OSD main menu and shortcut functions, to select a function, move the joystick.
Learn more about using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu. Refer to the Operating Your Monitor section in the User's Guide of Dell P3421W monitor.
Button | Description |
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Button 1 | To launch the On-Screen Display (OSD) main menu. See Accessing the menu system. |
Button 2 | When you move the joystick to the left or right to toggle between the shortcut functions, the selected item will be highlighted and shifted to the center position. Press the joystick to enter its submenu.
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Button 3 | To exit the Menu Launcher. |
Resetting a monitor to factory defaults can help resolve many video or display issues. To reset your Dell P3421W monitor to factory default settings, follow these instructions:
If your Dell monitor has a blank or black screen, fuzzy or blurry image, flickering, distorted or any other screen abnormalities, running a diagnostic test will help determine if the Dell monitor is functioning normally. To learn more about diagnostic options on a Dell monitor, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article: How to Run a Diagnostic Test on a Dell Monitor
It is always essential to isolate the monitor while troubleshooting your computer for the following scenarios:
Your Dell P3421W Monitor provides a self-test feature check that allows you to check whether the monitor is functioning properly. If the monitor and computer are properly connected but the monitor screen remains dark, run the monitor self-test by performing the following steps:
Your Dell P3421W monitor has a built-in diagnostic tool. It helps to determine if the screen abnormality you are experiencing is a problem with the monitor or with the video card on your computer.
During the LCD Monitor manufacturing process, it is not uncommon for one or more pixels to become fixed in an unchanging state. Which is hard to see and do not affect the display quality or usability. For more information, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Dell Display Pixel Guidelines .
This section provides information about troubleshooting steps that can help resolve the most common issues with the Dell P3421W monitor. Alternatively, to learn more about troubleshooting common issues on Dell monitors, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Troubleshooting Display or Video Issues on a Dell Monitor.
Common Problem | What User Experiences | Possible Solution |
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No Video - Power LED Off | No picture |
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No Video - Power LED On | No picture or no brightness. |
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Poor Focus | Picture is fuzzy, blurry, or ghosting. |
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Shaky or Jittery Video | Wavy picture or fine movement. |
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Missing Pixels | LCD screen has spots. |
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Stuck-On/Off Pixels | LCD screen has bright spot. |
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Brightness Problems | Picture too dim or too bright. |
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Geometric Distortion | Screen not centered correctly. |
When using DisplayPort input, the positioning adjustments are not available.
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Horizontal or Vertical Lines | Screen has one or more lines. |
When using DisplayPort input, the positioning adjustments are not available.
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Synchronization Problems | Screen is scrambled or appears torn. |
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Safety-Related Issues | Visible signs of smoke or sparks. |
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Intermittent Problems | Monitor malfunctions on and off. |
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Missing Color | Picture does not have color. |
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Wrong Color | Picture color is not good. |
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Image Retention from a Static Image Left on the Monitor for a Long Period | Faint shadow from the static image appears on the screen. |
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Screen image is too small. | Image is centered on screen, but does not fill entire viewing area. |
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Image Ghosting | Fast moving images leave a trail of shadow images. | On certain video and applications with fast moving images, imaging ghosting, which appears as a trailing shadow, may occur. Change the Response Time to Fast in the Display menu. |
No Input Signal when user controls are pressed. | No picture, the power LED light is white. |
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The picture does not fill the entire screen. | The picture cannot fill the height or width of the screen. |
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No video at HDMI / Display Port / USB Type-C port. | When connected to some dongle/docking device at the port, there is no video when unplugging/plugging the cable from the notebook. | Unplug the HDMI/DisplayPort/USB Type-C cable from dongle/docking device, then plug the docking HDMI/DisplayPort/USB Type-C cable to the notebook. |
Troubleshooting USB Issues | ||
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Specific Symptoms | What User Experiences | Possible Solution |
USB interface is not working. | USB peripherals are not working. |
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USB Type-C port does not supply power. | USB peripherals cannot be charged. |
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SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1) interface is slow. | SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1) peripherals working slowly or not working at all |
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Wireless USB peripherals stop working when a USB 3.2 device is plugged in. | Wireless USB peripherals responding slowly or only working as the distance between itself and its receiver decreases. |
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To learn more about how to view or download the User Guides and Manuals for your Dell product. Refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Manuals and Documentation for your Dell Product.
Using Windows Display Settings
In Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 or 8.1 and Windows 7:
Using Nvidia Control Panel
To change the resolution using the Nvidia Control Panel:
Using AMD Catalyst Control Center
To change the resolution using the AMD Catalyst Control Center:
To reset the Dell P3421W Monitor to factory defaults, refer to the Reset to Factory Settings section of this article.
The Dell P3421W monitor has two built-in diagnostics that are available:
To learn how to run a diagnostic test, refer to the Running Diagnostics on Dell P3421W Monitor section of this Dell knowledge-base article.
The Troubleshooting section of this Dell knowledge-base article provides information about troubleshooting common issues with the Dell P3421W monitor. The section has troubleshooting steps on how to resolve power issues, video issues, color or clarity issues, distortion issues, horizontal or vertical lines, brightness issues or pixel issues and so on.
To navigate the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, use the buttons on the monitor. The monitor control buttons are usually on the right side, either on the side, front, or bottom of the monitor. To access the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, press Button 1 on the monitor.
For more information about using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu and different menu options. Refer to the Operating Your Monitor section in the User's Guide of your Dell P3421W monitor.
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