The Dell S2721D is a decent 1440p monitor that's well-suited for office use and some casual gaming. It has a 27 inch screen that provides plenty of space for multitasking, and wide viewing angles to make it easy to share work or content. It has low input lag, decent response time, and a 75Hz refresh rate that helps make motion look just a bit smoother than a typical 60Hz panel. Also, it has FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to minimize screen tearing. It has great reflection handling and gets bright enough for use in well-lit rooms; however, its dark room performance isn't as good due to its low contrast ratio, which is typical of most IPS panels. Also, it lacks HDR support, and it has terrible ergonomics. On the upside, it has a flicker-free backlight that can help reduce eye strain.
Our Verdict
The Dell S2721D is an overall decent monitor. It's well-suited for work thanks to its large screen and high resolution. It provides a good gaming experience with its low input lag and decent response time, and it also has variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. It delivers good picture quality, but its low contrast ratio makes it less ideal for dark room viewing, and it doesn't support HDR. Also, it has terrible ergonomics, so it's difficult to adjust the screen for the best viewing experience.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Great reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The Dell S2721D is a good office monitor. It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, and it gets bright enough to fight glare in most lighting conditions. It has a large screen size and a high resolution, allowing you to have multiple windows opened side-by-side. Its 75Hz refresh rate makes the desktop experience feel more fluid, like when scrolling through documents or dragging windows. Unfortunately, it has terrible ergonomics, as it only has a tilt adjustment.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Great reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The Dell S2721D is good for gaming. It has low input, decent response time, and a 75Hz refresh rate that helps make motion look more fluid than a typical 60Hz panel. Also, it has FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It isn't the best choice for dark room gaming due to its low contrast ratio, and its bad ergonomics make it hard to adjust the screen to your optimal viewing position.
- Wide viewing angles.
- VRR support.
- Great reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The Dell S2721D is decent for media consumption. Its 27 inch screen and high resolution help deliver an immersive viewing experience. It provides good visibility in well-lit rooms and handles reflections well. Sadly, it has a low contrast ratio, doesn't support HDR, and its bad ergonomics make it less ideal for sharing content.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Great reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The Dell S2721D is decent for content creation. It has a large screen size and a high resolution, allowing you to see your work in great detail. Its IPS panel has wide viewing angles, so images remain accurate when viewed from the side. It has an excellent color gamut, with nearly full coverage of the sRGB color space. Unfortunately, it's difficult to place the screen to your preferred viewing position or share your work due to its bad ergonomics.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Great reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible ergonomics.
- Doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The Dell S2721D doesn't support HDR.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Dell S2721D, only available in a 27 inch size. There's a Dell 2721DS variant that has a better stand that allows for swivel and rotation to portrait mode, and we expect most of our results to be valid for that model as well. There are many monitors in Dell's S Series, some of which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2721D | 27" | 2560 x 1440 | 75Hz | |
| S2721DS | 27" | 2560 x 1440 | 75Hz | swivel, portrait mode |
| S2721QS | 27" | 3840 x 2160 | 60Hz | swivel |
| S2721H | 27" | 1920 x 1080 | 75Hz |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell S2721D 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 S2721D was manufactured in July 2020; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell S2721D is a decent monitor overall. However, its bad ergonomics make it harder to place the screen to your optimal viewing position and isn't ideal for sharing work or content. There are much better options in its price range, such as the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best office monitors, the best budget monitors, and the best 1440p monitors.
The Dell S2721D is much better than the Samsung T55. The Dell has a higher resolution, much wider viewing angles, and much better reflection handling. On the flip side, the Samsung has a VA panel with a much higher contrast ratio, allowing it to produce deeper blacks.
Overall, the Dell S2721DGF is significantly better than the Dell S2721D. The S2721DGF is a better choice for gaming, as it has a faster response time, lower input lag, and a much higher refresh rate. It also has better ergonomics, wider viewing angles, and supports HDR. However, the S2721D has better screen uniformity and color accuracy out-of-the-box.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Dell S2721D. The ASUS has significantly better ergonomics, it gets brighter, and has wider viewing angles. It also has better color accuracy out-of-the-box, faster response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature. The Dell has better reflection handling and a slightly better SDR color gamut.
Overall, the Dell S2721D is better than the Lenovo Q27q-10. The Dell has faster response time, better color accuracy, and a better color gamut. It also has better reflection handling and gets brighter. On the other hand, the Lenovo is a thinner monitor.
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.
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