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Dell S3219D Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Feb 22, 2019 at 10:31 am
Latest change: Retest Jul 02, 2021 at 10:03 am
Dell S3219D Picture
6.9
Mixed Usage
6.8
Office
7.4
Gaming
6.8
Multimedia
6.7
Media Creation
5.5
HDR Gaming
This monitor was replaced by the Dell S3220DGF

The Dell S3219D is a decent 1440p VA monitor with mediocre picture quality. It has a high native contrast ratio that can deliver deep blacks in a dark room but cannot get very bright to fight bright room glare. It doesn't support HDR and has disappointing viewing angles and poor out-of-the-box color accuracy. On the upside, the S3219D has excellent color gamut for normal use, good gray uniformity, and good reflection handling. It responds quickly to your actions due to its low input lag, and you can only see a small blur trail behind fast-moving objects due to the fast pixel response time. It supports FreeSync for a tear-free gaming experience, but the refresh rate is limited to 75Hz, which will deter most serious gamers. Overall, it is a good entry-level gaming monitor.

Our Verdict

6.9 Mixed Usage

The Dell S3219D is an alright monitor for mixed usage. It can display deep blacks but cannot get very bright, so it is more suitable for a darker room. It has low input lag and good motion handling with FreeSync support, and it is a good monitor for casual gaming. Unfortunately, it has bad ergonomics which will not make it easy for you to place it comfortably on your desk.

Pros
  • Good dark room performance.
  • Excellent resolution and size.
Cons
  • Poor out-of-the-box color accuracy.
  • Image degrades at an angle.
6.8 Office

The Dell S3219D is okay for office use. While its large size and 1440p resolution allow you to easily multitask, its viewing angles are lacking. Sharing your work with a colleague is not easy, as they will not see the same quality image as you unless they stand directly in front. The bad ergonomics do not allow any swiveling to make things better.

7.4 Gaming

The Dell S3219D is decent for gaming. It has a large screen size, high resolution, and a low input lag that makes it very responsive. A little motion blur is present in fast-moving content, but nothing too bad. It supports FreeSync for tear-free gaming sessions on both HDMI and DisplayPort.

6.8 Multimedia

The Dell S3219D is an okay monitor for consuming multimedia. It has a large screen size and its 1440p resolution is enough to display most content at its native resolution. It is a very responsive monitor due to its low input lag and it is more suitable for use in a darker room where it will display deep and relatively uniform blacks.

6.7 Media Creation

The Dell S3219D is alright for media creation. It has a large screen and 1440p resolution so you can display more of your work on the screen. Unfortunately, it does not favor collaborative work, as the viewing angles are disappointing and the ergonomics are terrible, so sharing your work is an issue. It has low input lag and good motion handling, and it is more suitable for a less bright room.

5.5 HDR Gaming
  • 6.9 Mixed Usage
  • 6.8 Office
  • 7.4 Gaming
  • 6.8 Multimedia
  • 6.7 Media Creation
  • 5.5 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Jul 02, 2021: Changed height adjustment result from 'N/A' to '0' to match our methodology.
  2. Updated Feb 28, 2019: The FreeSync range was incorrectly listed as 40-75 Hz. The actual FreeSync range is 48-75 Hz.
  3. Updated Feb 22, 2019: Review published.
  4. Updated Feb 20, 2019: Early access published.
  5. Updated Feb 19, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Feb 18, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Jan 22, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Dell S3219D, which is the only size of this monitor available.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell S3219D 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.

Model Size Native Resolution Refresh rate Notes
S3219D 32" 1440p 75Hz FreeSync support
S2719DGF 27" 1440p 144Hz FreeSync support

Note: The Dell S3219D we purchased was manufactured in September 2018.

Compared To Other Monitors

Comparison picture

The Dell S3219D is a good monitor for gaming and supports FreeSync variable refresh rate to ensure a tear-free gaming experience. See our recommendations for the best 32-inch monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best budget gaming monitors.

Dell D3218HN

The Dell S3219D and the Dell D3218HN have different panel types so they are better in different aspects. The Dell D3218HN has an IPS panel and wider viewing angles, so it favors collaboration, whereas the Dell S3129D has a VA panel and a better dark room performance. The Dell S3219D also has higher resolution and supports FreeSync, which is great for gaming.

LG 32UD59-B

The LG 32UD59-B is significantly better than the Dell S3219D. The LG has a better 4k resolution and can display more detail on your screen, and has a better out-of-the-box color accuracy. On the other hand, the Dell has a slightly higher refresh rate and marginally lower input lag, great for gaming.

LG 32GK850G-B

The LG 32GK850G is better than the Dell S3219D. The LG 32GK850G has better ergonomics, and you can position it comfortably easier. It also has a faster pixel response time, lower input lag, and a much faster refresh rate, all of which contribute to a much better gaming experience. Also, the LG 32GK850G can get brighter, so it's more suitable for a bright room as it can easily fight glare.

HP V320

The Dell S3219D and the HP V320 are of different types, and they are better suited for different conditions. The HP V320 has an IPS panel and wider viewing angles that favor collaboration. On the other hand, the Dell S3219D has a VA panel with higher resolution that can display deep blacks in a dark room, supports FreeSync for tear-free gaming, and can handle reflections better.

LG 32GK650F-B

The LG 32GK650F-B is better than the Dell S3219D. The LG has better ergonomics but slightly worse viewing angles. The LG is also much better for gaming, with lower input lag, an optional black frame insertion feature, and a much faster refresh rate. On the other hand, the Dell S3219D is much better at displaying gradients.

Dell S3220DGF

The Dell S3220DGF is much better than the Dell S3219D. The S3220DGF has a much faster refresh rate and a lower input lag, which is great for gaming. The D3220 also supports HDR, and its more versatile stand allows you to place it in a comfortable position with ease.

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Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Size 32"
Curved No
Curve radius N/A
Weight (without stand)
16.8 lbs (7.6 kg)
Weight (with stand)
22.0 lbs (10.0 kg)

The design of the Dell S3219D is decent. The entire design does not resemble a typical Dell monitor and looks plastic. It has a sturdy stand coated with a silver finish that supports the monitor well, and the overall build quality is good; you should have no issues with it. Unfortunately, the ergonomics are bad, and you will have a hard time positioning the monitor comfortably. It is a very thin monitor, and it is a good choice if you plan to VESA mount it as it will not protrude at all.

Design
Stand
Width
10.1" (25.7 cm)
Depth
7.8" (19.8 cm)

The stand is plastic with a flat base and a metal finish. It feels quite sturdy, provides good support to the monitor, and prevents wobbling.

0.9
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch portrait/landscape No
Swivel Range N/A
Tilt Range -10Ā° to 5Ā°

Update 07/02/2021: We previously had incorrectly listed the Height Adjustment as 'N/A' as opposed to '0'. The review has been updated to reflect this change, as the Ergonomics score has dropped slightly.

The Dell S3219D's ergonomics are terrible. Your only option is tilting and that is available only within a narrow range. You may have a hard time positioning the monitor in a comfortable position.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The back of the monitor is plain. All of the inputs are housed in the opening where the stand is attached to the monitor. Cable management is serviced by the small opening on the back of the stand, as you can see here.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.5" (1.3 cm)

The borders of the monitor are of average thickness and they will not please those who plan a multi-monitor setup. The glossy finish is prone to fingerprints.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
5.0" (12.7 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
1.9" (4.8 cm)

The Dell S3219D is a thin monitor. Both with the stand and without the stand, it ranks among the thinnest monitors we've tested. It will not protrude if you decide to VESA mount it.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is good. Although entirely plastic, there are no gaps or loose ends, and just like most Dell monitors, you should have no issues with it.

Picture Quality
7.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
LCD Type
VA
Native Contrast
2,904 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
N/A

Just like most VA monitors, the native contrast ratio of the Dell S3219D is very good. The monitor has good dark room performance with deep blacks that enhance the picture quality, just like in the case of the Samsung CF398.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

Local dimming is not supported on the Dell S3219D. The above video is for reference only.

6.4
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
222 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
221 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
222 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
222 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
221 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.001

The Dell S3219D has mediocre SDR peak brightness. It is remarkably constant at delivering the same brightness levels regardless of the window size and this is great. However, if you plan to place it in a very bright room, it will not be able to fight glare.

The measurements were made on the "Custom Color" picture mode.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

HDR is not supported.

5.3
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Shift from Left
38Ā°
Color Shift from Right
39Ā°
Brightness from Left
48Ā°
Brightness from Right
49Ā°
Black Level from Left
13Ā°
Black Level from Right
13Ā°
Curve Radius N/A

The Dell S3219D has disappointing horizontal viewing angles. As soon as you move off the center axis, the image loses accuracy. Anyone looking at the monitor from the side will see a much different image from someone who is sitting directly in front. If you are a gamer and you sit up close, you will notice the uniformity issues at the edges.

5.3
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Shift from Below
28Ā°
Color Shift from Above
29Ā°
Brightness from Below
33Ā°
Brightness from Above
34Ā°
Black Level from Below
13Ā°
Black Level from Above
13Ā°

The vertical viewing angles are just as lacking as the horizontal ones on this Dell S3219D. If you sit up close, the edges will look darker.

8.8
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.511%
50% DSE
0.102%
5% Std. Dev.
0.938%
5% DSE
0.077%

The Dell S3219D has excellent gray uniformity. It is slightly brighter at the center of the screen than the edges, but it is not noticeable under normal use, and there is almost no dirty screen effect.

In dark scenes, the uniformity is even better, and there are no issues. This is very similar to the Samsung CF398.

6.0
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.987%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The Dell S3219D has decent black uniformity. In a very dark room, you'll notice a few flashlighting spots if you're sitting directly in front. In general, black uniformity is among the best we've measured.

4.3
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Cool
Luminance
141 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
75
Contrast Setting
75
RGB controls
N/A
Color Temperature
7,310 K
White Balance dE
6.72
Color dE
4.59
Gamma
2.18

The Dell S3219D has poor out-of-the-box color accuracy. The best results are obtained with the "Cool" picture mode, although the "Standard" picture mode is also acceptable and has a better color temperature. The color temperature in the "Cool" mode is very cold, way above the target of 6500K, and the white balance dE and color dE are high enough that most people will notice the inaccuracies. Gamma doesn't follow the target curve, and some scenes will be brighter, while others will be darker.

9.7
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom Color
Luminance
100 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
40
Contrast Setting
73
RGB Controls
88-92-100
Color Temperature
6,512 K
White Balance dE
0.41
Color dE
0.50
Gamma
2.19

After calibration, the Dell S3219D is almost perfect. Gamma follows the target curve very closely, and the color temperature is almost right on the 6500K target. Color and white balance errors are almost entirely corrected and it is virtually impossible to spot any inaccuracies without a colorimeter.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and should not be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit, even for the same model, due to manufacturing tolerances.

8.8
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
98.3%
Adobe RGB xy
77.0%

s.RGB Picture Mode: Custom Color (calibrated)
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: Custom Color

The color gamut of the Dell S3219D is excellent. It almost entirely covers the s.RGB color space, which is great for normal use. However, if you are a professional in the publishing industry, the coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space is not enough.

9.2
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB in ICtCp
98.8%
Adobe RGB in ICtCp
84.5%

s.RGB Picture Mode: User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: User

Excellent color volume. The monitor can display its excellent s.RGB gamut within a large luminance range. The Adobe RGB volume, though, is not as good due to its limited gamut.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A

HDR is not supported.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 in ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 in ICtCp
N/A

HDR is not supported.

5.7
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.09%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.02%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.05%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.02%

Our test was able to detect some slight image retention even after 4 mins of recovery. However, you will not notice it in normal use, and it shouldn't worry you.

9.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Excellent gradient banding on this monitor. The transition from a darker shade to a lighter one is smooth. The monitor was tested at a 60Hz refresh rate, as it supports 10-bit color depth at this rate. However, at 75Hz, the monitor cannot display a 10-bit color depth and switches to 8-bit.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel row error
0.001%
Pixel column error
0.000%

There is no noticeable horizontal or vertical bleed when large areas of uniform color are displayed, which is great.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections

Decent reflection handling, similar to the LG 32GK850G and the BenQ EW3270U. Reflections are diffused due to the matte finish, but if there is a large bright source, like a window, right behind you, reflections might become annoying.

Motion
8.2
Motion
Motion Blur
80% Response Time
7.2 ms
100% Response Time
13.8 ms
Best Overdrive Setting
Normal

Response Time Normal
Response Time Fast

Very good response time on the S3219D. Only a small blur trail is visible behind fast-moving objects. The best Overdrive setting is the "Normal," as the "Response Time Fast" one creates significant overshoot. If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you will notice that if you switch the Overdrive to "Response Time Fast," it does not affect the response time and the image looks exactly the same as in the "Normal" setting. This is not the case if you have a Radeon graphics card.

7.5
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A

The Dell S3219D has a flicker-free backlight, which is great. Unfortunately, it does not have an optional flicker feature to make motion look crisper. This very similar to the LG 32UD59-B.

8.0
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native Refresh Rate
75 Hz
Factory Overclock
N/A
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
VRR Maximum
75 Hz
VRR Minimum
48 Hz
VRR Maximum With OC
N/A
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort, HDMI

Update 28/02/2019: The FreeSync range was incorrectly listed as 40-75Hz. The actual FreeSync range is 48-75Hz.

The Dell S3219D's refresh rate is 75Hz. This is great for most people, but it will disappoint the more serious gamers looking for something faster. It supports FreeSync VRR on both the HDMI and the DisplayPort, although its range is not very wide. You do not have to do anything to enable FreeSync, as it is automatically enabled.

With the NVIDIA GTX1060 6GB, FreeSync works perfectly.

Inputs
9.0
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
8.2 ms
Non-Native Res @ Native Refresh
N/A
Native Resolution @ 60 Hz
9.8 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
8.6 ms
10 bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

The Dell S3219D has excellent low input lag. The input lag remains low when the monitor is at 60Hz and while it is in FreeSync mode. Most non-native resolutions aren't supported at 75Hz.

8.5
Inputs
Resolution and Size
Native Resolution 2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 3.7 MP
Pixel Density 92 PPI
Screen Diagonal 32.0"
Screen Area 438 inĀ²

Excellent size and resolution on this monitor. The large screen size and the high resolution allow you to display most of the details of your project.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 2 (HDMI 1.4)
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB 2 (USB 3.0)
USB C No
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply Internal

This monitor has a multitude of inputs. One of the two USB 3.0 ports supports the BC 1.2 fast-charging standard, and there is also a USB B upstream port that allows the monitor to serve as a USB hub. The analog audio out port is essentially a line out, as there is no option on the monitor to control its volume.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
Yes
HDR10 No
Multiple input display
No

The monitor has a set of speakers whose volume you can control through the menu but no other additional features.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

The buttons are easy to access and quite intuitive.

Features
In The Box

  • Safety information booklet
  • HDMI cable
  • USB 3.0 type-B
  • Power cable