The Dell S2721QS is a budget-friendly 27-inch, 4k monitor meant for everyday and office use. Part of Dell's S Series lineup, it sits below the Dell S2722QC, which has more features, and alongside the larger Dell S3221QS. It comes with an ergonomic stand and even a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode to view images from two sources at once, but it's rather barebones in terms of extra features as it lacks any USB ports. Although it isn't designed for gaming and is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, it supports FreeSync VRR technology to reduce screen tearing.
Our Verdict
The Dell S2721QS is disappointing for PC gaming, but it isn't designed for this. It's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, but at least it has VRR support to reduce screen tearing. While it has low enough input lag for a responsive feel, motion is very blurry due to its poor response time.
- VRR support.
- High 4k resolution.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Poor response time.
- Highlights don't pop in HDR.
- Limited to 60Hz refresh rate.
The Dell S2721QS is bad for console gaming. Without HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, it can't fully take advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but it has a high 4K resolution to deliver detailed images. It has low input lag for a responsive enough feel, but fast-moving objects look blurry due to its poor response time.
- High 4k resolution.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Poor response time.
- Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The Dell S2721QS is excellent for office use. Its excellent ergonomics allow you to adjust the screen to your optimal viewing position, and thanks to its wide viewing angles, you can easily share your work with colleagues. It also handles reflections well and gets bright enough to overcome glare. Lastly, it has a large screen that provides enough space to have multiple windows opened side-by-side and a high resolution that results in fantastic text clarity.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- High 4k resolution.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
The Dell S2721QS is decent for content creation. It has a large screen and high resolution, allowing you to see fine details clearly. It also has excellent ergonomics and wide viewing angles, great for sharing your work with clients and coworkers. That said, it lacks a dedicated sRGB mode, so you need to calibrate it for the best accuracy. It also has limited picture quality, mainly due to its low contrast and lack of local dimming, which is disappointing if you need to edit videos in HDR.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- High 4k resolution.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Highlights don't pop in HDR.
- No dedicated sRGB picture mode.
The Dell S2721QS has decent brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare, but highlights don't pop in HDR.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The Dell S2721QS has a poor response time. There's noticeable motion blur with fast-moving objects.
- Poor response time.
The Dell S2721QS is terrible for HDR. Its low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray, and it lacks a local dimming feature to improve it further. In addition, it fails to display a wide range of colors and makes colors look vivid.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- No local dimming.
The Dell S2721QS has decent picture quality in SDR. Its main downside is that blacks look gray due to its low contrast, but it has decent black uniformity as there isn't too much clouding.
- Displays wide range of colors.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
The Dell S2721QS has good color accuracy. You need to calibrate it for the best accuracy, but once you do, it keeps the image consistent throughout thanks to its good gray uniformity.
- Good gray uniformity.
- No dedicated sRGB picture mode.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Sep 30, 2025:
We added that the Dell S2725QS has a higher refresh rate.
- Updated Feb 21, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0.1. This includes a new test result for DisplayPort 2.1 Transmission Bandwidth.
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0. This includes new tests for VRR Motion Performance, Refresh Rate Compliance, Cumulative Absolute Deviation (CAD), and VRR Flicker. You can read the full changelog here.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch Dell S2721QS, which is the only size available, and the results are only valid for this monitor. Although there's a larger Dell S3221QS available, it's a different monitor with another panel type, and you can see the differences between them below. Dell's S Series lineup also includes the Dell S2722QC, which is similar to the S2721QS but has a USB hub.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | USB-A | Stand Adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2721QS | 27" | IPS | 4k | 0 | Tilt, Height, Swivel, Rotate |
| S3221QS | 32" | VA | 4k | 2 | Tilt, Height |
Our unit was manufactured in July 2020; you can see the label here. We tested it with firmware M2B102.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell S2721QS is an excellent budget-friendly office monitor that offers good value if you need something for work. It has a high 4k resolution that helps provide sharp text clarity, it gets bright enough to fight glare, and it has excellent ergonomics that make it easy to adjust. It's rather barebones in terms of extra features, which is still fine if you need something simple, but if you prefer something with a USB hub, you can check out the higher-end Dell S2722QC instead.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 4k monitors, the best office monitors, and the best budget and cheap monitors.
The Dell S2725QS is an updated version of the Dell S2721QS, and upgrades in a few areas. The main difference is that the S2725QS has a higher 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that makes it a better choice for gaming. The S2725QS also comes with a dedicated sRGB mode, which the S2721QS doesn't have, so colors are more accurate out of the box on the S2725QS.
The Dell S2721QS is a bit better than the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q for most uses. The S2721QS has higher peak brightness and better reflection handling, and it supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing when gaming. However, the U2720Q has better ergonomics and more connectivity options, including a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode.
The Dell S2722QC is an updated version of the Dell S2721QS with many of the same features, but there are a few differences. They're built the same and have similar picture quality with an IPS panel with wide viewing angles and a 4k resolution. However, the main differences are with the inputs: while the S2722QC has a USB-C input and two USB 3.0 inputs, the S2721QS has a DisplayPort input, which the S2722QC doesn't have.
Overall, the Dell S2721QS is a bit better than the LG 27UK650-W. The Dell has better ergonomics, wider viewing angles, and better reflection handling. On the other hand, the LG has better out-of-the-box color accuracy.
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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