The Dell S2721HGF is a great budget gaming monitor with a curved screen. It delivers smooth and responsive gameplay thanks to its low input lag, excellent response time, and 144Hz refresh rate. It has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature that can improve motion clarity, and it supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. It has a high contrast ratio to produce deep blacks, making it a good option for dark rooms, and it provides good visibility in bright settings. Although it has a VA panel, the viewing angles are okay, good enough for sharing content casually or playing co-op games. However, images still look slightly inaccurate from the side and might not be ideal for sharing work that requires accuracy. Lastly, it doesn't support HDR, and it only allows for height and tilt adjustments.
Our Verdict
The Dell S2721HGF is decent for most uses. It has low input lag, fast response time, and a high refresh rate, making it great for gaming. However, it's only decent for work and media consumption, mainly due to its 1080p resolution and poor ergonomics. Its viewing angles are okay, better than most VA panels. They're good enough for sharing content casually or co-op gaming, but not for sharing work that requires image accuracy. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good reflection handling.
- Large screen size.
- Poor ergonomics.
- 1080p resolution might be too low for some.
- Images look slightly inaccurate from the side.
The Dell S2721HGF is decent for office use. It has a large screen that allows you to open multiple windows side-by-side; however, the 1080p resolution might be too low for some. The viewing angles are okay, good enough for sharing work such as Word documents or Excel spreadsheets, but there's still some loss of image accuracy when viewed from the side, so it might not be ideal if you need to share work that requires precision. Unfortunately, the ergonomics are sub-par as it only allows for height and tilt adjustments.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good reflection handling.
- Large screen size.
- Poor ergonomics.
- 1080p resolution might be too low for some.
- Images look slightly inaccurate from the side.
The Dell S2721HGF is great for gaming. It has excellent response time, low input lag, and a 144Hz refresh rate, resulting in smooth and responsive gameplay. It supports Adaptive Sync and is compatible with FreeSync and G-SYNC to reduce screen tearing. Its 1080p resolution isn't the most immersive, but it helps to achieve a higher frame rate, especially for those with lower-end hardware. It has a VA panel with a high contrast ratio, allowing it to produce deep blacks, great for gaming in the dark.
- High refresh rate.
- Excellent response time.
- High contrast ratio.
- Large screen size.
- Poor ergonomics.
- 1080p resolution might be too low for some.
The Dell S2721HGF is decent for media consumption. It has a large 27 inch screen that feels immersive, but the 1080p resolution might be too low for some. It handles reflections well and gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms, and it has a high contrast ratio that makes it great for dark rooms. The viewing angles are okay and should be good enough for sharing content casually, although there's still some loss of image accuracy when viewed from the side. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good reflection handling.
- Large screen size.
- Poor ergonomics.
- 1080p resolution might be too low for some.
- No HDR support.
The Dell S2721HGF is decent for content creation. It has an excellent SDR color gamut with near-full sRGB coverage and good Adobe RGB coverage. The screen provides plenty of space for multitasking, but the 1080p might not be enough for some people. Sadly, while the viewing angles are okay and quite good for a VA panel, images still look slightly inaccurate when viewed from the side. Also, the ergonomics are poor, so it might be hard to place the screen at your optimal viewing position.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good reflection handling.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Large screen size.
- Poor ergonomics.
- 1080p resolution might be too low for some.
- Images look slightly inaccurate from the side.
- No HDR support.
The Dell S2721HGF doesn't support HDR.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Dell S2721HGF 27 inch gaming monitor, and it's the only size available. There are other similar monitors with various configurations, some of which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Curved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2721HGF | 27" | VA | 1920 x 1080 | 165Hz | Yes |
| S2721DGF | 27" | IPS | 2560 x 1440 | 165Hz | No |
| S2421HGF | 24" | TN | 1920 x 1080 | 144Hz | No |
| S3220DGF | 32" | VA | 2560 x 1440 | 165Hz | Yes |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or their Dell S2721HGF 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 was manufactured in October 2020; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell S2721HGF is a great budget gaming monitor. However, its 1080p resolution might be too low for some, especially for work or media consumption. The AOC CQ27G2 is a great 1440p option that performs similarly gaming-wise, but it doesn't get as bright to combat glare, and it has narrower viewing angles. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best budget gaming monitors, the best 1080p monitors, and the best 27 inch monitors.
The Dell S2721HGF and the MSI Optix G27C5 are both 27 inch VA panel gaming monitors with a 1080p resolution. The MSI has a slightly higher 165Hz refresh rate compared to the Dell's 144Hz; however, the Dell has a much better response time, especially in dark scenes. The Dell has better viewing angles, one of the best among VA panel monitors, and it gets brighter to combat glare. If you care about color accuracy or want to use it for content creation, the Dell has better accuracy out of the box, but the MSI has a better SDR color gamut.
Overall, the Dell S2721DGF performs better than the Dell S2721HGF. The S2721DGF has a 1440p resolution compared to the S2721HGF's 1080p and a higher 165Hz refresh rate. It also has a better response time at max refresh rate and 60Hz, resulting in clearer images in fast-moving scenes. The S2721DGF has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, and the stand allows for more ergonomic adjustments, making it a better choice for sharing content or playing co-op games. If you often game in the dark, the S2721HGF might be a better choice due to its higher contrast ratio.
The Dell S2721HGF and the Samsung Odyssey G55T C27G55T are both 27-inch, 144Hz VA panel monitors, but the Samsung has a 1440p resolution while the Dell is 1080p. The Dell has a better response time, especially in dark scenes. It has better ergonomics because it allows for height adjustment, and the viewing angles are better, quite good for a VA panel. The Dell gets brighter to combat glare; however, you might still have some visibility issues in very well-lit, sunny environments. The Samsung has HDR support, but it doesn't add much since it can't display a wide color gamut.
The Dell S2721HGF and the Acer Nitro VG271 Pbmiipx are both 1080p 144Hz monitors and very similar in terms of gaming performance. The main difference is the panel type. The Dell has a VA panel that makes it a better choice for dark rooms, while the Acer has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles. The Acer is better for bright rooms due to its higher peak brightness, and it supports HDR. Also, it has a faster total response time at 60Hz with less overshoot, making it a better choice for 60fps console gaming.
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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