The Dell U2721DE is a decent 1440p, 27" monitor. Dell's UltraSharp lineup tends to focus more on office features than gaming, and this one is no exception. It has great connectivity, including USB-C power delivery support, and it even has a built-in RJ45 (ethernet) port, which is extremely rare. Like most Dell monitors, it has excellent ergonomics and a simple design that looks great in any setting. It's not as good for gaming though, as it has a limited 60Hz refresh rate, a relatively slow response time, and no dedicated gaming features, and like most IPS monitors, blacks look gray in a dark room. Overall, it's a very good office monitor and a decent choice for media creation, but gamers are likely to be disappointed by it.
Our Verdict
The Dell U2721DE is a decent monitor overall. It's a very good office monitor, with excellent ergonomics, wide viewing angles, and great connectivity options. This also makes it a good choice for media creation. It's a bit limited for gaming, as it has a low refresh rate and no dedicated gaming features. Like most IPS monitors, it has a low contrast ratio, so it's not as good for watching videos in a dark room.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Excellent connectivity.
- Low input lag.
- No VRR support
- Low native contrast.
The Dell U2721DE is a very good office monitor. The 27", 1440p screen delivers decent text clarity, and it has some great connectivity options. The image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, and it has excellent ergonomics.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Excellent connectivity.
- Low native contrast.
Decent monitor for gaming, but the Dell U2721DE doesn't support any advanced gaming features, like a variable refresh rate. It has excellent low input lag, for a responsive gaming experience, but the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, and the response time isn't very fast.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Low input lag.
- No VRR support
- Low native contrast.
This is a decent monitor for multimedia. The Dell UltraSharp U2721DE has wide viewing angles, great screen real estate, and low input lag. It also has good reflection handling and good peak brightness, so glare shouldn't be an issue in a bright room. Unfortunately, like most IPS monitors, it has a low contrast ratio, so it's not as good for watching videos or playing games in a dark room.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Low input lag.
- Low native contrast.
The Dell U2721DE is a good monitor for media creation. The 27", 1440p screen is great for multitasking, and it has excellent ergonomics, so you can easily adjust it to an ideal viewing position. It also has wide viewing angles, excellent gray uniformity, and good reflection handling. Unfortunately, there's a bit more banding than most monitors we've tested, which might be an issue for media creation.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Low native contrast.
The Dell U2721DE doesn't support HDR.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 04, 2022: There was a mistake in the 60Hz input lag results. We remeasured the input lag at 60Hz, and it's 0.5ms higher than our original results.
- Updated Jun 12, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jun 10, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 08, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Dell U2721DE, and it's also available in a 24" size, but that model has a lower native resolution. There are other models in Dell's UltraSharp lineup, some of which are listed below.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Note |
| U2721DE | 27" | IPS | 1440p | 1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt mode |
| U2421HE | 24" | IPS | 1080p | 1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt mode |
| U2720Q | 27" | IPS | 4K | 2 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
| U2520D | 25" | IPS | 1440p | 1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell U2721DE doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
Our unit of the U2721DE was manufactured in April 2020, you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell UltraSharp U2721DE is a basic 27", 1440p monitor. It has very few additional features, but it's a good choice if you're looking for a workstation to quickly connect your laptop, thanks to the built-in USB hub and USB-C features. See also our recommendations for the best 27 inch monitors, the best USB-C monitors, and the best office monitors.
The Dell UltraSharp U2721DE is better than the Samsung T55. The Dell has a native 1440p resolution, excellent ergonomics, wide viewing angles, decent out-of-the-box color accuracy, and it also has a quicker response time. The Samsung has more gaming features like a slightly lower input lag and FreeSync VRR support. It also has a VA panel that displays deep blacks and its SDR color gamut is wider too.
The Dell UltraSharp U2520D is better than the Dell UltraSharp U2721DE. The U2520D supports HDR, it displays a wider SDR color gamut, has much better out-of-the-box color accuracy, and it has a quicker response time. The U2721DE handles reflections better and it has a wider vertical viewing angle.
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q is much better than the Dell UltraSharp U2721DE. The U2720Q supports HDR, and it has a much higher native resolution, resulting in much clearer text, and better multitasking thanks to the greater screen real estate. On the other hand, the Dell U2721DE has better reflection handling, so it might be a better choice for a bright office environment.
The BenQ EX2780Q is better than the Dell UltraSharp U2721DE. The BenQ has a much higher refresh rate, making it much better for gaming, although even desktop users will notice a difference. The BenQ also supports HDR, although this doesn't add much. The Dell has better ergonomics and a better stand, and it supports power delivery over its USB-C port.
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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