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 S2417DG is a good monitor for mixed usage. It is very ergonomic and can be positioned to suit any taste and has very good gaming features. It does suffer however from narrow viewing angles as most TN monitors, and its picture quality does not make it a good choice for movie watching.
- Fast 144Hz refresh rate.
- Fast motion is clear due to quick response time.
- Supports G-SYNC Variable Refresh Rate.
- Image looks very washed out at an angle.
- Blacks are gray and cloudy.
The Dell S2417DG is decent for office use. The high brightness capability makes it a good choice for bright lit offices and the ergonomic stand will be well appreciated by the user. Unfortunately, the poor viewing angles will not allow you to work comfortably with other colleagues without having to swivel the monitor.
This is an excellent monitor for gaming. It has VRR support through the G-SYNC technology that will help avoid tearing when playing this high graphics demanding game. Also, the BFI feature will help clear the motion. The low input lag, the 144Hz refresh rate, and the 1440p resolution are all essential factors to gamers and this monitor scores well. So most people will enjoy using it for gaming.
The S2417DG is a decent monitor for use with media. Although the resolution is good at 1440p and the input lag is low, watching movies in darker environments does not look good due to the low contrast ratio. One other slightly disturbing factor is the limited viewing angle which requires you to sit right in front of the monitor to get an accurate picture. Overall it should not be your first option when choosing a monitor for multimedia usage.
Decent performance of this monitor in media creation. It has a great resolution, low input lag, excellent refresh rate and good ergonomics that are a big plus while working in video editing or touching up pictures. However, the lack of good viewing angles is hurting the performance of this monitor.
Unfortunately, the Dell S2417DG does not support HDR like the Samsung CHG70.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 07, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Jul 06, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Jul 04, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jul 04, 2018: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We've tested the 24" S2417DG. The monitor is also available in a 27" size (Dell S2716DG).
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell S2417DG 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.
| Size | Model |
| 24" | S2417DG |
| 27" | S2716DG |
Update 07/09/2018: The S2417DG we reviewed was manufactured in May 2017 (A00 Revision).
Popular Monitor Comparisons
See our recommendations for the best 144Hz monitors, the best gaming monitor size, the best budget gaming monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The Acer Predator XB271HU Bmiprz is marginally better than the Dell S2417DG. The Acer has an IPS panel (vs. the TN Panel on the Dell) that provides it with better viewing angles, which are important when you look at the monitor from the side, such as in an office environment. The Acer has a larger screen size that allows you to work more comfortably and better enjoy multimedia content. On the other hand, the Dell can handle reflections slightly better, and this is great if you place it in a room with many light sources behind you.
The AOC AGON AG271QX and the Dell S2417DG have very similar performance. Both support variable refresh rate implementations. The S2417DG supports G-SYNC and the AG271QX supports FreeSync. The Dell also supports black frame insertion (BFI) through the NVIDIA ULMB, which can help clear persistence blur. It also has better ergonomics that make it easy to position the monitor to your liking, whereas the AOC AGON has a larger screen size which makes it more comfortable to work on.
The Dell S2417DG is better than the Dell U2717D. The S2417DG has a much lower input lag, a faster pixel response time, a much better refresh rate, and better motion handling in general. All these make it a much better monitor for gaming. The Dell U2717D, on the other hand, has an IPS panel (vs. the TN panel of the S2417DG) and this gives it much better viewing angles that are useful in office environments where you might want to share your work with the person sitting next to you.
The Dell S2417DG has a very similar performance than the Dell S2716DG. The differences between the two monitors can be attributed to manufacturing panel variances. Both monitors have native QHD resolution, but the S2716DG is bigger and this makes it more comfortable when you work on it or watch multimedia.
The Dell S2417DG is slightly better than the ViewSonic XG2402. The Dell S2417DG is a G-SYNC monitor, with a higher 2560x1440p resolution, so you can see more fine details in games or multitask easier. The ViewSonic XG2402 is a FreeSync monitor, great for Xbox One S/X gamers, or if you have an AMD graphics card. The Dell also has an option to introduce flicker to help reduce motion blur.
The Dell S2417DG is better than the Acer XF251Q Bmiirx. The S2417DG has much better motion handling, thanks to a much faster refresh rate, faster response time, and optional black frame insertion feature. The Dell also has slightly less input lag. While the Acer XF251Q supports AMD's FreeSync VRR, the Dell S2417DG supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC instead, so the compatibility with your graphics card should be taken into account when choosing between these two.
The ASUS PG279QZ is better than the Dell S2417DG. The two monitors have different panel types, but very similar motion handling and equally low input lag. The ASUS, apart from being larger, has an IPS panel with better picture quality and wider viewing angles that make it easier to share your work with a colleague.
The Dell S2417DG is slightly better than the Dell S2719DGF for most people. The S2417DG has a smaller screen, but it supports NVIDIA G-SYNC and has an optional black frame insertion feature. The Dell S2719DGF, on the other hand, supports FreeSync, which is compatible with more devices, including the Xbox One.
Overall, the Dell S2417DG is slightly better than the MSI Optix MPG27CQ for most uses. The S2417DG has a slightly better stand, with the option to rotate to a portrait orientation. The MPG27CQ looks better in a dark room, as it has better native contrast and an RGB bias lighting feature. The S2417DG supports G-SYNC, whereas the MPG27CQ supports AMD's FreeSync technology.
The Acer Nitro VG271UP Pbmiipx is slightly better than the Dell S2417DG. The VG271UP supports HDR, has a larger screen, and has much better viewing angles. The Dell S2417DG, on the other hand, has a much better stand with excellent ergonomics, and it supports G-SYNC instead of FreeSync.
Test Results
The stand of the Dell Gaming S2417DG is plastic and very similar to the S2716DG. It supports the monitor well, which is great.
The range of ergonomic adjustments is great, so you can adjust it in pretty much any position you like to make it comfortable for your working preferences.
The back of the monitor is very plain. It is made out of plastic that is very glossy and reflective. Because of that, it will show the marks of where you touched it.
The borders of the monitor are very similar to the ones of the S2716DG. They are not thick and they look good. There is a small gap that runs along the border that also serves as a cooling vent of the monitor. And there is also some gap between the bezel and the start of the pixels.
The thickness of the Dell S2417DG is average and will not protrude too much when VESA mounted. The stand footprint is small and allows the monitor to be placed close to the wall if necessary.
The build quality is okay. There are no gaps and the monitor looks sturdy and sound. You should not expect any issues while using it.
The contrast of this monitor is disappointing. It is currently the lowest one we have measured. The monitor is not well suited for dim environments as blacks look washed out, and the image is not vibrant. It is very similar to its big sister, the S2716DG.
The Dell S2417DG does not have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.
The SDR Peak Brightness is very good. It remains relatively constant at various window sizes. It is bright enough to be used in bright office spaces without any issues.
HDR is not supported on the Dell S2417DG.
The horizontal viewing angle is disappointing. Even slight deviations from the middle angle, and the monitor loses color accuracy, blacks wash out, and brightness fades. Those viewing it from the side will not have the same viewing experience as those who look straight up front. This is a typical issue with most TN monitors. It is more apparent, however, the closer you sit to the monitor and the bigger the monitor size.
The vertical viewing angle is mediocre. This is mainly due to the monitor keeping a good color and black accuracy and good brightness levels when viewed from above.
The gray uniformity is very good. The Dell S2417DG has very good uniformity in darker shades of gray and looses some of its accuracy in lighter shades. In the 50% gray image, the edges are slightly darker than the center but this a result of the poor vertical viewing angle rather than a gray uniformity issue. This might bother a little those who want to use it for web browsing, and sit too close to the monitor.
The black uniformity is bad. Clouding is all over the screen and blacks look gray. The lighter artifact in the top half may be some damage to our unit, either during shipping or because of our mishandling. It is not, however, very noticeable in normal content.
The out of the box colors of this monitor are disappointing. Even at the most accurate mode of Standard, the white balance dE was well above our threshold of 3 and the Color dE was almost just as bad. The threshold of 3 is where we believe most people will start noticing the inaccuracies.
Gamma was well below 2.2 and shades looked very dark and the color temperature was too warm, with yellowish and reddish tones.
The post-calibration accuracy of the monitor is excellent. Most inaccuracies seem to have been corrected and the color temperature was almost on target.
To achieve that we entered the custom mode set luminance to 27, contrast to 75 and the RGB colors to 87 - 92 - 100.
You can download our ICC profile calibration here.
This Dell S2417DG has a good SDR color gamut as it covers well the s.RGB color space and about 73% of the Adobe RGB color space. You should have no issues with color representation.
The SDR color volume is good. Almost 90.1% of the s.RGB color volume is covered mainly due to good very good color space coverage. However, due to the lacking coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, the monitor is unable to cover the Adobe RGB color volume and in conjunction with the poor contrast ratio, it fails to deliver very dark tones.
HDR is not supported.
HDR is not supported.
This monitor did not show any signs of image retention throughout the test which is excellent.
The gradient of this monitor is good. There is a little banding visible in the gray and the dark green colors but in general, you should have no issues with it.
Almost perfect score in color bleed, because there is an insignificant amount of color bleed that most people will not notice.
The reflection handing is good. The monitor uses its light-matte finish to diffuse reflections across the screen, which reduces their intensity while producing some haze. In a very bright room, this might be bothersome to some people but in an average room, it should be ok.
Response Time Normal
Response Time Fast
The monitor has an excellent fast response time. When set to Fast overdrive mode it adds a lot of overshoot, so Normal mode is preferred.
The Dell S2417 has a flicker-free backlight and this is great. However, it also has the ability to add flicker so as to remove blur. There is also a Pulse Width option that can change the pulse width of the flicker and can make motion even clearer. This, however, sacrifices some brightness. Unfortunately, when you activate ULMB it adds some overshoot to pixel transitions, that are seen as inverted ghosts following the pattern in the photo. In normal usage, this should not be noticeable.
It should be noted that BFI is only supported on DP and at 85, 100 or 120Hz.
The Dell S2417DG has a refresh rate of 144Hz and incorporates NVIDIA's G-SYNC VRR technology that allows it to change its refresh rate to match that of the graphics card and avoid tearing. G-SYNC is not available over HDMI (see our recommendations for the best G-SYNC monitors).
It's worth noting that HDMI only supports a max refresh of 60Hz.
BFI frequency tested: 120Hz
The monitor has an excellent low input lag in native 1440p resolution. However, when sent a resolution other than 1440p, it does not have a 144Hz refresh rate.
We also couldn't get any non-native resolutions to work over DisplayPort, hence the N/A in the score (even though the manual states that the display supports resolutions like 1024x768, 800x600, and 720x480).
The Dell S2417DG has a native resolution of 1440p which is great for most usages (see our recommendations for the best 1440p 144hz monitors).
One of the 3.5mm analog audio out ports is a headphone port with adjustable volume, while the other is a fixed volume line out port.
One of the side USB ports (the one with the little battery icon) supports the USB BC 1.2 fast-charging standard.
The OSD has a shortcut key option, which can bind options like volume to a quick menu to save time. It has a USB hub with one port (the one with the little battery icon) supporting the USB BC 1.2 fast-charging standard.
During testing a bug made the HDMI port unusable with most inputs until the monitor was factory reset.
