The Dell S2421H is a basic 24 inch monitor with a 1080p panel and very few additional features. It's part of Dell's S Series of monitors, which are mainly entry-level to mid-range monitors designed for everyday use with a few advanced gaming features. The small screen and relatively low pixel density result in only decent text clarity. However, it has good visibility in most environments, with wide viewing angles, satisfactory peak brightness, and very good reflection handling. It has superb low input lag, a good response time, and it supports FreeSync, but it has a relatively low refresh rate, which might disappoint some gamers. Unfortunately, it has terrible ergonomics, so it's hard to place it in an ideal viewing position, and it has low contrast, so it doesn't look as good in a completely dark room.
Our Verdict
The Dell S2421H is an okay monitor for most uses. It's decent for office use, with excellent gray uniformity, wide viewing angles, and good visibility in bright settings. It's also decent for gaming, with low input lag, a good response time, and FreeSync support. It's okay for watching videos or media creation, as it has an excellent SDR color gamut, good gradient handling, and satisfactory accuracy out of the box. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Superb low input lag.
- Very good reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Small, low-resolution screen.
- No DisplayPort input.
The Dell S2421H is decent for office use. The relatively low pixel density results in only decent text clarity, and it's a bit small for multitasking. On the other hand, it has excellent gray uniformity, wide viewing angles, and good visibility, with satisfactory peak brightness and very good reflection handling. Sadly, it has terrible ergonomics, so it's hard to place it in an ideal viewing position.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Very good reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Small, low-resolution screen.
- No DisplayPort input.
The Dell S2421H is a decent monitor for gaming. It has superb low input lag, meaning you can respond quickly to the action on-screen. It also has a good response time, but there's some noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. It supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology, which helps reduce screen tearing. Unfortunately, the relatively small screen doesn't deliver a very immersive gaming experience, and the response time at 60Hz is just okay.
- Superb low input lag.
- FreeSync support.
- Good response time at the max refresh rate.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Small, low-resolution screen.
- No DisplayPort input.
The Dell S2421H monitor is just okay for watching videos. The relatively small size doesn't deliver a very immersive movie-watching experience. However, it has wide viewing angles, great if you're not sitting directly in front or if you're sharing the screen with someone else. It has very good reflection handling, low input lag, and excellent gray uniformity. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR, and it has a low contrast ratio, so it's not a good choice for a dark room.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- No HDR support.
- Small, low-resolution screen.
- No DisplayPort input.
The Dell S2421H monitor is just alright for media creation. It has good viewing angles, excellent gray uniformity, and good gradient handling. It also has an excellent SDR color gamut, but it's limited to the sRGB color space. Sadly, the small, low-resolution screen means you won't be able to see much of your workflow at once. It also has terrible ergonomics, so you can't easily place it in an ideal viewing position or turn it to share the screen with others.
- Image remains accurate at an angle.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Small, low-resolution screen.
- No DisplayPort input.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 24 inch Dell S2421H. There are two other variants: the Dell S2421HN, which has no speakers, and the Dell S2421HS, which has better ergonomics. We expect most of our results to be valid for those variants as well. All three variants are also available in a 27 inch size. The larger models have the same posted specifications as the 24 inch models, but we don't know how they perform.
| Model | Size | Speakers | Ergonomics |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2421H | 24" | Yes | Tilt |
| S2421HN | 24" | No | Tilt |
| S2421HS | 24" | Yes | Height, pivot (rotation), swivel, tilt |
| S2721H | 27" | Yes | Tilt; |
| S2721HN | 27" | No | Tilt |
| S2721HS | 27" | Yes | Height, pivot (rotation), swivel, tilt |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell S2421H doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit of the Dell S2421H was manufactured in August 2021; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell S2421H is a very basic model budget monitor. It delivers okay performance overall, but it doesn't stand out in any way. If you're willing to spend a bit more, there are much better budget models with higher resolution screens and better motion handling, but if you're on a budget, this monitor isn't terrible, either.
Also see our recommendations for the best monitors under $200, the best 1080p monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The HP X24ih is much better than the Dell S2421H. The HP has better viewing angles, a faster refresh rate, and a significantly faster response time, resulting in much clearer motion. The HP also has better ergonomics, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position.
The AOC 24G2 is much better than the Dell S2421H. The AOC is much better for every use, but it's especially better for gaming. The AOC has a faster refresh rate, and a significantly faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur behind fast-moving objects. The AOC also has much better ergonomics, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position.
The BenQ EX2780Q is much better than the Dell S2421H. The BenQ has a larger, higher-resolution screen, better viewing angles, and supports HDR. The BenQ also has a faster refresh rate, and a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur behind fast-moving objects.
The Samsung Odyssey G3 F27G35T is much better than the Dell S2421H, but it uses a different panel type. The Samsung has a VA panel, which delivers much better contrast for dark-room viewing. The Samsung also has much better ergonomics and a faster refresh rate. On the other hand, the Dell has better viewing angles and a faster response time, despite the faster refresh rate on the Samsung.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without 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, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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