The Dell G2524H is a cheap, entry-level 25-inch, 1080p gaming monitor. Featuring a max 280Hz refresh rate, it's meant for PC gamers who crave high refresh rates without a high resolution. It sits below the Dell G2724D in the Dell gaming lineup and competes against other 1080p gaming monitors with a high refresh rate, like the ViewSonic XG2431 and the ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM. It has typical gaming features, like FreeSync Premium and G-SYNC Compatibility, and different vision modes, including crosshairs. It also has a Console Mode that's meant to support 1080p signals up to 120Hz on gaming consoles. Besides that, it has some extra perks that you normally don't find on low-cost displays, like a USB hub and an ergonomic stand.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
Our Verdict
The Dell G2524H is decent for PC gaming. It has a native 240Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 280Hz over DisplayPort, which is great if you crave high refresh rates. It also has low input lag for a responsive feel and a consistently fast response time across its refresh rate range, but there's still some blur with fast-moving objects. The biggest downside is that it has limited picture quality as it has a low contrast ratio, and blacks look gray. It also lacks any HDR support, so your games don't look vivid.
Consistently fast response time.
Low input lag.
Native 240Hz refresh rate—overclocking to 280Hz.
Supports VRR, including with consoles.
Doesn't support HDR.
Still has some blur with fast objects.
Low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray.
The Dell G2524H is poor for console gaming. It only supports 1080p signals up to 120Hz on the PS5, PS5 Pro, or Xbox Series X|S, and while it supports VRR with them, it doesn't support HDR at all. It also has limited picture quality due to its low native contrast ratio, and blacks look gray. At least it provides a good pure gaming feel with low input lag and a consistently fast response time, but there's still blur behind fast-moving objects.
Consistently fast response time.
Low input lag.
Supports VRR, including with consoles.
Doesn't support HDR.
Still has some blur with fast objects.
Low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray.
Only supports 1080p @ 120Hz signals on consoles.
Lacks an audio jack.
The Dell G2524H is decent for office use. It has decent text clarity, but with a 25-inch display, there isn't a ton of screen space to work with. Luckily, it gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, but visibility is an issue if you place it opposite a sunny window. It also comes with a very ergonomic stand that makes it easy to adjust.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Very ergonomic stand.
Low 1080p resolution.
Visibility is an issue in sunny rooms.
The Dell G2524H is mediocre for editing. Although it has decent color accuracy before calibration, it lacks a dedicated sRGB mode, and you still need a proper calibration for accurate colors. It also doesn't support HDR at all, and it has a low contrast ratio with raised blacks, making them appear gray. While its low 1080p resolution means that your content won't appear full of detail, it still has decent image clarity.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Decent accuracy before calibration.
Doesn't support HDR.
Low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray.
Lacks sRGB mode—needs a full calibration.
Low 1080p resolution.
The Dell G2524H gets bright enough to fight most glare in SDR, but it doesn't support HDR.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Doesn't support HDR.
The Dell G2524H has a very good response time. It's consistently fast across its refresh rate range, but there's still some blur with fast-moving objects.
Consistently fast response time.
Still has some blur with fast objects.
The Dell G2524H doesn't support HDR.
The Dell G2524H has mediocre SDR picture quality. While it displays a wide range of colors, blacks look gray due to its low contrast ratio.
Displays wide range of colors.
Low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray.
The Dell G2524H has good color accuracy. It has decent accuracy before calibration, but without an sRGB mode, colors are oversaturated. So, you need to calibrate it for the best accuracy.
Decent accuracy before calibration.
Lacks sRGB mode—needs a full calibration.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Nov 10, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1.1. We removed the Vertical Viewing Angle test.
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Updated Oct 06, 2025:
Added that the LG 24GS65F-B is another entry-level option that has a low refresh rate.
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Updated Jul 31, 2025:
We updated text throughout to match the new and updated tests with Test Bench 2.1, including in the Verdict section.
- Updated Jul 24, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1. This includes new tests for Direct Reflections, Ambient Black Level Raise, and Total Reflected Light. You can see all the changes in the changelog.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 25-inch Dell G2524H, which is the only size available, and the review is only valid for this model.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Max Refresh Rate | Native Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G2524H | 25" | IPS | 280Hz | 1080p |
Our unit's label indicates it was manufactured in August 2024. We tested it with firmware M3F101.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell G2524H is an entry-level 1080p gaming monitor. With a native 240Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 280Hz, it's a decent choice if you're a PC gamer who craves high refresh rates. Combined with its low input lag and consistently fast response time, it's a reliable gaming option at such a low cost. However, there are trade-offs for getting something so cheap because it has limited picture quality due to its low contrast ratio, doesn't support HDR at all, and only supports 1080p @ 120Hz signals with gaming consoles. This means it isn't versatile for uses other than PC gaming, but you have to spend more if you want better versatility.
Also, see our recommendations for the best 240Hz monitors, the best monitors under $200, and the best 24-25-inch monitors.
The Dell Alienware AW2523HF is a higher-end 1080p gaming model than the Dell G2524H, so it has some advantages. For example, the AW2523HF has a higher 360Hz refresh rate, which is useful if you're a competitive gamer. The AW2523HF also gets brighter and supports HDR, which the G2524H doesn't, but the AW2523HF has limited picture quality in HDR anyway.
The Dell G2524H and the Dell G2725D are both cheap gaming monitors, but there are some differences between them. The G2725D has a higher resolution for a more detailed image and sharper text clarity, and it gets brighter, which is good if you want something for a bright room. However, the G2524H has a higher refresh rate, ideal for competitive gaming, and it has extra features that the G2725D doesn't have, like a USB hub and an ergonomic stand.
The Samsung Odyssey G4/G40B S27BG40 and the Dell G2524H are both entry-level 1080p, 240Hz gaming monitors. They both perform similarly, but the Dell has an overclock feature to raise the refresh rate to 280Hz. The Dell also has two USB ports, which the Samsung model doesn't have; these are useful if you want to connect your mouse and keyboard directly to the monitor. While the Samsung has HDR, it doesn't add much because of its limited picture quality.
The ViewSonic XG2431 and the Dell G2524H are both budget-friendly 1080p gaming monitors with a native 240Hz refresh rate. However, the Dell also has an overclock to boost it up to 280Hz with a DisplayPort connection. However, the ViewSonic has an advantage when it comes to gaming because it has better motion handling, and it also has a customizable backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, which the Dell doesn't have.
Test Results
The Dell G2524H has a simple yet gaming-oriented design. It has a two-tone dark gray plastic body, with some horizontal etched lines on the back. It also has thin bezels on three sides, and a thicker bottom bezel.
The build quality is good. There aren't any obvious issues, and the plastic materials feel good. That said, there's still some flex when you press the back panel, and it wobbles a bit on an unstable desk.
The ergonomics are incredible. You can easily adjust it in a number of ways, and the stand features a cutout for cable management.
The monitor has four buttons and a joystick to control the on-screen display, as well as a power button underneath the bottom bezel.
- DisplayPort cable
- USB-C to DisplayPort cable
- USB-A to USB-B cable
- Power cable
- User guides
The Dell G2524H has a mediocre contrast ratio. Blacks look gray next to bright highlights, and it lacks a local dimming feature to further improve it.
This monitor has no local dimming feature. We still film these videos so you can compare the backlight performance with a monitor that has local dimming.
Settings
- Preset Mode: Custom Color (after calibration)
- Brightness: Max
The SDR brightness is good. It gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, but struggles to combat glare if you have it opposite a sunny window.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
The gray uniformity is great. Although the edges are a bit darker than the rest, the entire screen looks uniform.
The black uniformity is bad. It has noticeable backlight bleed in the top left corner, and clouding throughout.
The accuracy before calibration is decent. As it lacks a dedicated sRGB mode, colors are oversaturated, and it has some other issues with its white balance, but these are minor inaccuracies. Besides that, gamma is off as most scenes are too bright, and it has a cold temperature, resulting in a blue tint. The Gain, Hue, Offset, and Saturation settings are locked out in the 'Standard' mode, and you can access them in 'Custom Color,' which performs similarly.
The accuracy after calibration is remarkable, as it fixes nearly all issues.
The SDR color gamut is fantastic. It has perfect coverage of the sRGB color space used in most web content, with minimal inaccuracies. It also has decent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in professional publishing, but it doesn't display the full range of green and cyan, and slightly oversaturates red and blue.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
The horizontal viewing angle is great. The image remains consistent if you're viewing it from the sides, ideal for sharing your screen with someone else, but it gets darker at really wide angles.
The text clarity is decent. Although there's a bit of blurriness around letters, even with Windows ClearType enabled (top photo), text still looks clear enough to read. These photos are in Windows 10, and you can also see them in Windows 11 with ClearType on and with ClearType off.
The direct reflection handling is decent. The matte coating absorbs some light and spreads it out as well, but it doesn't have very strong mirror-like reflections.
The black levels rise a bit in bright rooms. Combined with its low native contrast ratio, this means that blacks look gray in a bright room.
This monitor has some distracting reflections in a bright room. It's best to avoid placing it opposite a bright lamp or sunny window, but it's fine to use with overhead lights.
The gradient handling is excellent for the most part. However, because it's limited to 8-bit color depth, there's still banding, especially with dark colors.
The Dell G2524H has an Overclock setting that you can use to get a 250Hz, 260Hz, 270Hz, or 280Hz refresh rate over DisplayPort. If your computer can't take advantage of its high refresh rate and you prefer an entry-level option with a lower refresh rate, look into the LG 24GS65F-B.
NVIDIA - G-SYNC Compatibility
Connection
VRR Min
VRR Max
DisplayPort
<20Hz
280Hz
HDMI
<20Hz
240Hz
AMD - FreeSync
Connection
VRR Min
VRR Max
DisplayPort
<20Hz
280Hz
HDMI
<20Hz
240Hz
On top of supporting FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility, this monitor also supports HDMI Forum VRR.
The Dell G2524H has great motion handling across its VRR range. It's consistent as the refresh rate drops, as it has some blur, but it isn't too distracting, and there isn't much inverse ghosting. While all three Response Time overdrive settings perform similarly, 'Super Fast' is consistently the best across the VRR range, while 'Extreme' is the best at high refresh rates.
The refresh rate compliance is good. Although its response time isn't fast enough to make full-color transitions before the monitor draws the next frame at high refresh rates, it's much better at low refresh rates.
The CAD at the max refresh rate of 280Hz is great. Fast-moving objects look sharp without much blur or inverse ghosting. Like some other Dell monitors, its Response Time overdrive settings perform differently depending on whether you enable VRR from your PC or not. At its max refresh rate, motion actually looks the best if you disable VRR and use the 'Super Fast' setting, but if you prefer leaving VRR on, then 'Extreme' is the best. That said, it has a bit more blur than using 'Super Fast' with VRR off.
The CAD at 120Hz is very good. There's a bit of blur and inverse ghosting, but it isn't bad. The overdrive settings perform similarly with VRR on or off, but using 'Super Fast' with VRR enabled produces the best results. That said, if you prefer not using VRR, then 'Extreme' looks the best.
The CAD at 60Hz is good. There's a bit of blur, but there isn't much noticeable inverse ghosting. While using the 'Extreme' overdrive setting with VRR off results in the best motion handling, using 'Fast' is the best option if you want to enable VRR.
This monitor doesn't support backlight strobing to reduce persistence blur.
This monitor has minimal VRR flicker with changing frame rates, so it isn't distracting in dark scenes.
The backlight is completely flicker-free as it doesn't use pulse-width modulation for dimming.
This monitor has very low input lag at any refresh rate for a responsive feel.
This monitor has limited compatibility with the PS5, and you need to enable Console Mode to use VRR.
This monitor has limited compatibility with the Xbox Series X|S, and you need to enable Console Mode to use VRR.
Although Dell advertises that this monitor has an HDMI 2.1 port, it's still limited to 2.0 bandwidth. Besides that, the lack of an audio jack is something to think about if your source doesn't have connectivity for sound, like if you want to use a console with wired speakers.
The easy-to-access USB-A ports are great to use if you want to connect peripherals and you don't have any ports available on your computer.
Connection
HDMI 2.0
HDMI 2.1
USB-C to DP
Max Refresh Rate
240Hz
240Hz
280Hz
VRR Range
N/A
48-240Hz
48-280Hz
HDR
No
No
No
This monitor works well with macOS. If you're using a MacBook over HDMI and close the lid, the monitor goes to sleep, and reopening the lid causes windows to return to their original positions. However, if you're using a DisplayPort to USB-C connection, you can continue working on the screen.
This monitor has a few extra features, including:
-
Game Enhance Mode
- Timer: Displays a timer on the screen.
- Frame Rate: Shows the current frame rate from your source.
- Display Alignment: Overlays a grid to help you align the monitor next to another display.
- Dark Stabilizer: Allows you to adjust the black level so that you can see opponents better in dark scenes.
- Vision Engine: Includes crosshairs and vision modes that your games' anti-cheat tools won't detect.
