The Dell S3221QS is a good 4k monitor that's well-suited for a wide variety of uses. Its 32 inch curved screen allows you to work comfortably with multiple windows opened side-by-side and delivers an incredibly immersive gaming experience in atmospheric games like RPGs. It has a VA panel that can produce deep blacks, which is great for those who like gaming in the dark. Its response time is decent, input lag is low, and it supports FreeSync to help minimize screen tearing. Unfortunately, there are some downsides, as it has mediocre viewing angles and poor ergonomics. It has HDR support; however, the overall experience is unremarkable due to its low HDR peak brightness.
Our Verdict
The Dell S3221QS is a good monitor for most uses. It has a large screen and high resolution, making it a good choice for work, gaming, or watching videos online. It has low input lag, decent response time, and supports variable refresh rate for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. It performs well in dark rooms and gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit environments. Unfortunately, it has mediocre viewing angles and limited ergonomic adjustments.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Large screen and 4k resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Poor ergonomics.
- Mediocre viewing angles.
- Doesn't get bright enough for HDR content.
- No local dimming.
The Dell S3221QS is a good office monitor. It gets bright enough to overcome glare in most lighting conditions and handles reflections well. Its large screen size lets you open multiple windows side-by-side, and text looks exceptionally sharp thanks to its high pixel density. Sadly, it's difficult to adjust the monitor to your preferred viewing position due to its poor ergonomics. Also, its mediocre viewing angles make it harder to share your work with coworkers.
- Large screen and 4k resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Exceptional text clarity.
- Poor ergonomics.
- Mediocre viewing angles.
- Doesn't get bright enough for HDR content.
- No local dimming.
The Dell S3221QS is good for gaming. It has low input lag, decent response time, and variable refresh rate support to help reduce screen tearing. It's great for atmospheric games like RPGs, as it has a large screen and high resolution to deliver an incredibly immersive experience. Unfortunately, the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, and its poor ergonomics make it hard to adjust the screen to your optimal viewing position.
- Great contrast ratio.
- VRR support.
- Large screen and 4k resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Poor ergonomics.
- Mediocre viewing angles.
- Doesn't get bright enough for HDR content.
- No local dimming.
The Dell S3221QS is good for media consumption. It has a large 32 inch screen with a 4k resolution to deliver an immersive viewing experience. It has a high contrast ratio to produce deep blacks, making it a good option for dark rooms. Unfortunately, it has poor ergonomics and mediocre viewing angles, so it isn't ideal for sharing content.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Large screen and 4k resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Poor ergonomics.
- Mediocre viewing angles.
- Doesn't get bright enough for HDR content.
- No local dimming.
The Dell S3221QS is good for content creation. Its large screen allows you to work comfortably, and its high resolution lets you see the fine details of your work. It has a high contrast ratio, full sRGB coverage, and decent color accuracy out-of-the-box. It isn't the best option for sharing your work, though, as it has mediocre viewing angles and poor ergonomics.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Large screen and 4k resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Poor ergonomics.
- Mediocre viewing angles.
- Doesn't get bright enough for HDR content.
- No local dimming.
- Large screen and 4k resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Poor ergonomics.
- Mediocre viewing angles.
- Doesn't get bright enough for HDR content.
- No local dimming.
Changelog
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Updated Aug 07, 2025:
Added that the Dell S3225QS is a newer version of this monitor with a higher refresh rate.
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Updated Jan 15, 2025:
Added that the Samsung Smart Monitor M8/M80D S32DM80 has a remote control and a smart OS.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Changed the Text Clarity score to 9.0 to better reflect other monitors that we've tested.
- Updated Jun 02, 2023: Added that the MSI Optix G321CU is a 4k, 32-inch monitor with a higher Refresh Rate.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 32-inch Dell S3221QS. There's a smaller 27-inch variant, the S2721QS; however, it has an IPS panel, and we expect it to have very different performance. There are many monitors in Dell's S Series with various configurations, some of which you can see in the table below. It's since been replaced by the Dell S3225QS, which is another 4k, 32-inch monitor, but it has a higher 120Hz refresh rate.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Refresh Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3221QS | 32" | VA | 3840 x 2160 | 60Hz |
| S2721QS | 27" | IPS | 3840 x 2160 | 60Hz |
| S2721D | 27" | IPS | 2560 x 1440 | 75Hz |
| S2721H | 27" | IPS | 1920 x 1080 | 75Hz |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell S3221QS 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 S3221QS was manufactured in July 2020; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell S3221QS is a good monitor overall. It's well-suited for a wide variety of uses; however, its poor ergonomics make it less ideal if you often need to share content or work. If you don't mind a lower 1440p resolution, the Dell S3220DGF has significantly better ergonomics and provides a much better gaming experience. For other options, check out our recommendations for the best office monitors, the best 4k monitors, and the best monitors.
The Dell S3225QS is a newer version of the Dell S3221QS. Although the newer model also has a 32-inch, 4k screen with a VA panel, there are a few differences between them. The new one is flat instead of curved, like the old one. The S3225QS also has a higher 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of modern gaming consoles. On the other hand, the S3221QS has a few extra features, like an audio port and a USB hub.
The Dell S3221QS is better than the AOC CQ27G2 overall; however, they aren't intended for the same use. The Dell is an office monitor with a much bigger screen, a higher resolution, and it gets a lot brighter. The AOC is a gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, a much faster response time, and lower input lag.
The Dell S3221QS and the BenQ EW3270U are very similar overall. The main differences are that the Dell gets brighter in SDR and HDR, and the BenQ has faster response time. The BenQ has wider viewing angles, but still not as good as most IPS panels.
The LG 27UK650-W is better than the Dell S3221QS. The 27UK650-W has much better ergonomics, wider viewing angles, and gets a lot brighter. It also has significantly faster response time, making it a better choice for gaming. However, the Dell S3221QS's VA panel is better for dark rooms, and its 32 inch screen provides much more screen real estate for multitasking.
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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