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We've recently released Test Bench 2.0 for Monitors! Read our new VRR Flicker R&D Article and Pursuit Photo R&D Article to learn more.

Dell P2217H Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 14, 2018 at 04:29 pm
Dell P2217H Picture
7.2
Mixed Usage
7.5
Office
7.6
Gaming
7.0
Multimedia
7.0
Media Creation
5.3
HDR Gaming

The Dell P2217 is a decent entry-level IPS-type monitor with a wide viewing angle particularly well-suited for office use thanks to its fully articulating stand. It doesn't offer the best picture quality but its low input lag and motion blur make it a decent gaming monitor. Unfortunately, its poor contrast and non-uniform blacks drastically impact its picture quality in a dark room, and it might be a bit too dim for well-lit environments.

Our Verdict

7.2 Mixed Usage

Decent monitor for a mixed usage. The Dell P2217H is a simple and small monitor fit to be used as a general purpose screen. It doesn't excel in any aspects but it is versatile enough to be a good choice for those looking for a basic monitor. Its flicker-free backlight also makes it comfortable to use for long periods of time.

Pros
  • Excellent stand with easy adjustment
  • Picture quality is well retained at an angle
Cons
  • Very cloudy blacks reduce picture quality
  • Could be brighter
7.5 Office

Good monitor to use in an office. The highly adjustable screen makes it easy to set up comfortably. Its wide viewing angle also makes it easy to share with other office members. Unfortunately, though, its smaller size might be a bit limiting for productivity, and its low overall brightness might cause issues in environments with lots of windows.

7.6 Gaming

Good gaming monitor. The Dell P2217 has a low input lag which keeps it responsive, but it also shows little motion blur which helps keep fast moving objects on screen clear. Unfortunately, its standard 60 Hz refresh rate and lack of variable refresh rate feature make it better suited for more casual users.

7.0 Multimedia

Average monitor for consuming media. The P2217ZH's comes decently accurate out of the factory, but its low contrast and bad black uniformity greatly reduce picture quality. It also lacks HDR support, and it cannot cover wider colorspaces such as DCI-P3 to produce more vibrant colors.

7.0 Media Creation

Average monitor for creating media. While it can be calibrated fairly easily, the Dell Professional P2217H cannot cover the s.RGB color space well enough for professional-grade content. Its wide viewing angle and good screen uniformity make it usable for more basic tasks, but it cannot reproduce wider gamuts such as Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 accurately. In addition, it's only capable of 10-bits of color depth.

5.3 HDR Gaming

HDR is not supported, which is common for most monitors at the moment. For a high-end monitor which supports HDR see the Samsung CHG70.

  • 7.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.5 Office
  • 7.6 Gaming
  • 7.0 Multimedia
  • 7.0 Media Creation
  • 5.3 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Oct 12, 2017: Review published.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Dell P2217H, which is a 2017 model 22" Professional monitor. There are many other sizes and year variants of the Dell P series monitors, listed below.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their monitor doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.

Model Size Year Resolution
P2017H 19.5" 2017 1600x900
P2214H 22" 2014 1920x1080
P2217H 22" 2017 1920x1080
P2317H 23" 2017 1920x1080
P2417H 23.8" 2017 1920x1080

Compared To Other Monitors

Comparison picture

Left: Dell P2417H. Middle: Dell P2217H. Right: Dell U2415
Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The Dell P2217H is an average 1080p monitor with wide viewing angles and good ergonomics, but only decent picture quality. It is a good fit for an office environment or gaming on a budget, but for other uses, there may be better competition. See our recommendations for the best monitors under $200, the best budget gaming monitors, and the best budget monitors.

Dell U2415

The Dell U2415 is a bit better than the Dell P2217H. The U2415 has a larger size and it gives you more space to work on, although the two monitors share the same FHD resolution. It also has slightly better black uniformity which you might notice if you work or watch a movie in a darker room.

HP V320

The Dell P2217H is significantly better than the HP V320. The Dell P2217H has much better ergonomics that allow you to place it in a comfortable position and also has slightly better reflections so that you do not worry about room lighting. The HP V320, on the other hand, is larger but has the same FHD resolution as the Dell, which means that apart from larger size pixels, you do not get more screen space for work.

Dell P2417H

The Dell P2417H is slightly better than the Dell P2217H. The overall performance of the two models is very similar, but the P2417H has better black uniformity, good for darker rooms. The only real difference between the two is the size, so if you want a bit more screen real estate, the 24" P2417H is better.

HP Pavilion 22CWA

The Dell P2217H is a much better monitor than the HP 22CWA. The Dell has significantly better ergonomics that allow you to easily position it to your likings, and this is important for all usages. The Dell also has marginally better motion blur. The Dell also has slightly better picture quality, due to somewhat better black uniformity which is good for dim scenes in a dark room.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Size 22"
Curved No
Curve radius N/A
Weight (without stand)
5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
Weight (with stand)
10.1 lbs (4.6 kg)

The design of the Dell P2217H is good. Although it doesn't have a striking design and won't be the centerpiece of a room, it is very practical with a good range of ergonomic adjustments, some basic cable management, and a small stand footprint. The monitor includes portrait/landscape adjustment, which at this size makes it very convenient as a secondary portrait monitor. The borders are relatively thin too, so it looks good when placed close to another monitor with thin borders. The stand also allows it to be placed close to a wall, which is good for maximizing desk space.

Design
Stand
Width
9.5" (24.1 cm)
Depth
7.1" (18.0 cm)

The stand has a similar design to most other Dell monitors, with a small footprint. Despite the smaller size, it does support the monitor well and feels stable. It also has a hole in the back for basic cable management.

8.5
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
5.1" (13.0 cm)
Switch portrait/landscape Yes
Swivel Range -45Ā° to 45Ā°
Tilt Range -22.5Ā° to 5Ā°

The range of ergonomic adjustments possible on this Dell monitor is great. Although the height can't be adjusted as much as some other monitors, it is possible to swivel, tilt and rotate the monitor very easily.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The rear of this Dell monitor is quite basic but looks good and feels professional. The hole in the rear of the stand allows for cable management as shown here.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.4" (1.0 cm)

The borders are quite thin and do look good. There is only a small space between the edge of the border and the first pixels on the screen.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
5.4" (13.7 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
1.9" (4.8 cm)

Even when placed on the stand, the Dell P2217H can sit quite close to a wall, which is good to maximize desk space. If VESA-mounted, the monitor is also quite thin which is good.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

Like most Dell monitors, the P2217 has a fairly good build quality. The parts feel well made.

Picture Quality
6.2
Picture Quality
Contrast
LCD Type
IPS
Native Contrast
1,147 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
N/A

The contrast ratio of the Dell P2217 is a bit below average. This is a result of the IPS panel used, and so blacks may appear gray when viewed in a dark room. For a bright room, this isn't an issue.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

The Dell P2217 does not have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.

6.2
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
205 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
217 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
216 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
217 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.000

Mediocre peak brightness. While the monitor gets sufficiently bright to be used in a well-lit environment, it cannot get bright enough to combat direct reflections.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

HDR is not supported.

7.2
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Shift from Left
44Ā°
Color Shift from Right
32Ā°
Brightness from Left
50Ā°
Brightness from Right
43Ā°
Black Level from Left
75Ā°
Black Level from Right
75Ā°
Curve Radius N/A

Decent horizontal viewing angle. Blacks remain almost perfect, while brightness and colors are only a little worse near the edges of the screen.

8.1
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Shift from Below
32Ā°
Color Shift from Above
24Ā°
Brightness from Below
39Ā°
Brightness from Above
31Ā°
Black Level from Below
75Ā°
Black Level from Above
75Ā°

Great vertical viewing angle. Blacks remain fairly good at an angle but brightness and color are a little worse near the top and bottom of the screen.

8.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.341%
50% DSE
0.115%
5% Std. Dev.
0.436%
5% DSE
0.052%

The gray uniformity is excellent, which is great for viewing content with uniform colors such as gaming, browsing the web or watching sports. The sides appear slightly darker than the center, but this is unlikely to be very noticeable in normal use.

3.2
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.900%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The black uniformity of the Dell P2217H is bad, which hurts the dark scene performance. Some flashlighting is visible in the bottom left-hand corner, and different blobs on the screen have uneven brightness. This isn't noticeable in a bright room, but when watching dark content in a dark room it can be distracting.

7.4
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom Color Mode
Luminance
210 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
75
Contrast Setting
75
RGB controls
100-100-100
Color Temperature
6,221 K
White Balance dE
3.05
Color dE
3.20
Gamma
2.18

With the factory setting, the Dell P2217 has a decent accuracy. Both the color dE and the white balance dE are hovering around the 3.0 mark, which is noticeable for the enthusiast our there. The gamma is a bit low and the curve not really tracking our target curve.

If you don't plan to calibrate your monitor, the 'Custom Color mode' is the most accurate 'Picture Mode' available followed by the 'Standard Mode' and the 'Multimedia Mode'. Other modes available are not really accurate and should not really be used, especially if you aim to have the best picture quality.

9.4
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom Color Mode
Luminance
101 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
30
Contrast Setting
73
RGB Controls
97-98-100
Color Temperature
6,428 K
White Balance dE
0.56
Color dE
1.00
Gamma
2.19

After calibration, the Dell P2217H accuracy is excellent. With a white balance dE of only 0.56, this monitor white balance is almost perfect, has mostly anything under 1 is not really noticeable. The color dE was also brought down considerably to 1.0, which once again is almost not noticeable. The gamma is not tracking our 2.4 target and the curve also match pretty well our target curve.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here.

8.1
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
91.3%
Adobe RGB xy
71.0%

The Dell P2217 has no issues reproducing a standard color gamut. Its coverage of the s.RGB color space is slightly below average, but still sufficient. Users looking for the wider Adobe RGB colorspace might consider its capabilities to be a bit limited.

8.5
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB in ICtCp
92.7%
Adobe RGB in ICtCp
75.8%

Very good SDR color volume. The monitor covers the s.RGB color volume very well, and its Adobe RGB volume is in line with its color gamut. In both cases, the limiting factor is its contrast ratio which prevents it from displaying very dark tones.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A

HDR gamuts are not supported.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 in ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 in ICtCp
N/A

HDR color volumes are not supported.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

The monitor shows no sign of image retention, which is excellent. Even after displaying our 10-minute high contrast burn-in scene, no elements of the image are visible.

8.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

Great performance while displaying our test gradient image for the Dell Professional P2217H. Besides the 8-bit banding, which is due to the limitation of this monitor, not many irregularities can be noticed.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel row error
0.002%
Pixel column error
0.001%

The Dell P2217 does not suffer from color bleed, so large colored patterns do not affect the screen's uniformity.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections

The monitor is good at handling reflections. The light matte finish diffuses reflections on the screen and reduces their intensity, but this may be an issue for bright rooms.

Motion
8.2
Motion
Motion Blur
80% Response Time
5.9 ms
100% Response Time
16.3 ms
Best Overdrive Setting
Normal

Response Time Normal
Response Time Fast

Great response time, good enough for fast-paced content such as gaming or watching sports. Only a short trail can be seen following the moving logo, which is great. Pixel transition speed can be modified by changing the 'Response Time' (Overdrive) setting. We recommend using the 'Normal' setting for fast response with minimal overshoot. We do not recommend the Fast setting as it adds noticeable overshoot and is only a little faster.

7.5
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A

Like most monitors, the Dell P2217H doesn't flicker and shows each image for a full frame. This does result in smoother motion but also introduces persistence blur in video games as even fast-moving content appears static during the duration of the 60Hz frame. Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't have a BFI setting to reduce persistence blur by adding flicker.

6.7
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
No
Native Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Factory Overclock
N/A
Variable Refresh Rate
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
VRR Maximum
N/A
VRR Minimum
N/A
VRR Maximum With OC
N/A
VRR Supported Connectors N/A

The refresh rate support of the Dell P2217 is decent. It has a native refresh rate of 60Hz, which is standard for most content or browsing the web but results in less smooth motion than a higher refresh rate monitor. It also has no support for variable refresh rate features such as GSync and FreeSync, which would be useful features to reduce screen tearing when gaming.

Inputs
8.8
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
9.8 ms
Non-Native Res @ Native Refresh
9.9 ms
Native Resolution @ 60 Hz
9.8 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
10 bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

The input lag is great and should be fine for almost everyone. The native resolution input lag is a bit higher than monitors with a higher refresh rate due to the longer scan out period of a 60Hz signal.

7.0
Inputs
Resolution and Size
Native Resolution 1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 2.1 MP
Pixel Density 103 PPI
Screen Diagonal 21.5"
Screen Area 197 inĀ²

The 21.5" diagonal of the Dell P2217H results in a good pixel density at 1080p, however, it does limit the available screen area and so isn't ideal for those who want to use multiple windows side-by-side.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 1 (HDMI 1.4)
DVI No
VGA 1
DisplayPort Out No
USB 2 (USB 3.0), 2 (USB 2.0)
USB C No
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm No
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply Internal
Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
No
HDR10 No
Multiple input display
No

This monitor supports a few extra features accessible through the on-screen menus:

  • Comfortview mode for blue light reduction
  • Adjusting response time
  • Adjusting power button LED
  • Supplying power to the USB ports when in standby

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

The controls are located on the border at the bottom right-hand side of the monitor. They are fairly easy to find and press as they stick out from the border slightly.

Features
In The Box

  • Manual
  • Displayport cable
  • VGA cable
  • USB cable