Dell Ultrasharp U2724D review: A 120Hz monitor for your home office

Dell’s Ultrasharp screens have lengthy ranked amongst my go-to suggestions (and I’ve purchased a pair myself over the previous decade), however excessive pricing and a slender deal with productiveness can restrict their attraction. Dell’s U2724D resolves these points with an IPS Black panel that boasts a refresh charge of 120Hz. It’s responsive, fluid, enticing, and fairly priced.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best home office monitors to study competing merchandise.

What are the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s specs and options?

The Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s fundamental specs are typical for a mid-range 27-inch monitor. It has a local decision of 2560×1440 and a most refresh charge of 120Hz. The one distinction—and it’s a key distinction—is its use of an IPS Black panel, which provides Dell an edge in picture high quality over its competitors.

• Display dimension: 27-inch widescreen
• Native decision: 2560×1440
• Panel kind: In-Plane Switching (IPS) Black
• Refresh charge: 120Hz
• Adaptive sync: VRR
• HDR: None
• Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1 with VRR, 1x DisplayPort 1.4-in, 1x DisplayPort 1.4-out, 1x USB-C upstream (knowledge solely), 1x USB-C downstream, 2x USB-A downstream
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: None
• Price: $384.99 MSRP

Dell sells another model of this monitor, the U2724DE, which helps a a lot wider vary of connectivity together with Thunderbolt 4 and a pair of.5G Ethernet. That sadly means the cheaper U2724D lacks some connectivity I’d count on, like a USB-C port with DisplayPort and USB Power Delivery, although it does retain DisplayPort-out. Sacrificing connectivity lowers the MSRP from $649.99 (for the U2724DE) to $384.99 (for the U2724D).

How is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s design?

Matt Smith

The Dell Ultrasharp U2724D adheres to the model’s aesthetic with a slim design and slender bezels on all sides of the show. They’re so skinny, the truth is, that there’s no room for the Dell emblem on the chin, which ends up in a generic (however super-sleek) look.

View it from the rear and also you’ll discover a swath of vibrant silver plastic that successfully imitates a brushed aluminum end. Plastic is the fabric of selection for the monitor’s exterior, however you’d be hard-pressed to note with out touching the monitor. The monitor feels sturdy when dealt with, too. Panels permit little flex and don’t emit disconcerting creaks or groans.

Dell’s compact, flat stand comes normal, and it’s nonetheless among the many greatest out there. Its design minimizes the monitor’s footprint in your desk and, as a result of the stand is flat, you’ll be able to nonetheless use many of the house it occupies to stack books, devices, or different objects. Cable routing is constructed into the stand and offers sufficient house to handle the facility wire, show cords, and a number of other USB cords.

The stand additionally offers ergonomic adjustment together with 150mm of peak adjustment, 90 levels of swivel (45 levels to the left or proper), 26 levels of tilt, and 90 levels of rotation (which suggests it could actually rotate into portrait orientation). Many residence workplace screens present an identical vary of adjustment, however it’s good to see Dell nail the basics. A normal 100mm VESA mount is included, as properly, for attaching a third-party monitor stand or arm.

How is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s connectivity and menu?

Matt Smith

Connectivity is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s sole disappointment. The monitor has one HDMI port, one DisplayPort-in, one DisplayPort-out, and an upstream USB-C knowledge port. However, the USB-C port lacks DisplayPort or USB Power Delivery help. An audio line-out rounds out the choices (the monitor doesn’t embrace audio system).

That leaves the U2724D with simply two video inputs, which is uncommon for a show in its value vary. Most equally priced screens present not less than three, typically 4, video inputs.

But the U2724D does embrace DisplayPort-out, which makes it potential to daisy-chain a video connection (that means a second monitor might be linked on to the U2724). It’s handy for increasing the video connectivity of a tool with restricted ports or lowering cable muddle behind a desk.

While the USB-C port doesn’t help video or energy, it does join to a few USB downstream ports. Two of those are situated on the monitor’s chin, enhancing accessibility. The U2724D is a helpful, although restricted, USB hub

Whether all this issues will depend on the way you’ll use the monitor. Desktop customers are unlikely to seek out a lot fault, since desktops hardly ever use USB-C for video and don’t profit from Power Delivery. If you propose to dock a laptop computer, nevertheless, you would possibly desire the U2724DE, which has Thunderbolt, USB Power Delivery, Ethernet, and extra USB-C connectivity.

Matt Smith

The U2724D’s ports are managed by means of an easy-to-use on-screen menu accessible with a joystick situated close to the lower-right bezel. While the menu is user-friendly, the vary of picture high quality settings is simply okay. Dell features a customized shade mode, enabling changes to RGB colours, and it offers numerous shade temperature decisions, that are listed in exact increments (like 6500Okay) relatively than obscure generalizations (like “Warm”). The monitor lacks gamma adjustment, although, which looks like a minor oversight.

How is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s SDR picture high quality?

Dell’s Ultrasharp U2724D is marketed primarily as a house workplace and productiveness monitor, however its 27-inch show panel, versatile 1440p decision, 120Hz refresh charge, and mid-range value make it a potential match for almost anybody trying to purchase a monitor. That additionally locations it towards stiff competitors, as there’s no scarcity of inexpensive 27-inch, 1440p, 120-to-165Hz screens. But the U2724D has one thing most screens don’t: an IPS Black show panel.

Matt Smith

The U2724D’s brightness peaks at 328 nits, which is a tad behind the brightness usually seen in current screens, however the U2724D’s brightness precisely matches the U2724DE. That is sensible, given their many similarities, however I used to be nonetheless shocked by simply how intently they mirrored each other. It suggests good high quality management from Dell.

Though a bit dim in comparison with different fashionable IPS screens, the U2724D’s brightness is ok for almost all conditions. It additionally has an efficient anti-glare coating which minimizes glare, particularly when the monitor faces a lightweight supply.

Matt Smith

The Dell U2724D provides a powerful distinction ratio of 2370:1. That’s barely higher than the U2724D, and the most effective distinction ratio results of any IPS Black monitor I’ve reviewed to date. Don’t learn an excessive amount of into that, although. I didn’t discover this slight distinction noticeable in real-world viewing.

Yet the U2724D’s efficiency is notable for one key cause: the value. It carries an MSRP of simply $384.99 (and, if Dell’s historical past is any information, shall be discounted beneath that earlier than lengthy), which makes it probably the most inexpensive IPS Black monitor but.

Previous IPS Black Monitors have been priced excessive sufficient that price range Mini-LED and OLED screens could be thought-about another. That’s not the case with the extra inexpensive U2724D, and it makes the monitor’s distinction efficiency much more interesting. Monitors with a VA panel, just like the Gigabyte GS32QC, can ship superior distinction at an equal (and sometimes decrease) value—however most such screens goal gaming and lack quality-of-life options discovered within the U2724D.

Matt Smith

The U2724D’s shade gamut covers 96 p.c of DCI-P3 and 87 p.c of AdobeRGB, outcomes that precisely match the costlier U2724DE. That’s not the widest shade gamut out there, however it’s stable for the value and delivers a broad vary of shade that’s helpful for content material creators and provides some visible spice to video games.

There are a number of alternate options, just like the Asus’ ProArt monitors like the PA279CRV, which outperform the U2724D’s shade. These are typically costlier, although, and lack the IPS Black panel. Most folks gained’t discover the advance in shade gamut definitely worth the discount in distinction.

Matt Smith

The U2724D’s shade accuracy isn’t distinctive, however it’s greater than sufficient for a house workplace and productiveness monitor. It provides a vivid, lifelike picture that doesn’t fall out of line when displaying any explicit shade. The similar is true of most rivals, nevertheless.

I measured a default shade temperature of 6500Okay, which is precisely consistent with my choice. The picture didn’t seem overly heat or cool out-of-the-box—and as talked about, the menu offers shade temperature adjustment that helps you tune the monitor to the choice.

Gamma was a bit off, nevertheless, with a gamma curve of two.0. That meant content material typically appeared overly shiny and luminous, which may over-boost element in darkish and shadowy scenes and result in a hazy look. The monitor lacks a gamma adjustment, so the issue isn’t as straightforward to appropriate because it might be, although it may be fastened by means of different picture high quality presets or software program calibration.

The U2724D has a local decision of 2560×1440 which, relying in your perspective, might sound disappointing. Dell provides extra inexpensive 4K screens, just like the S2721QS—however these lack the U2724D’s most refresh charge of 120Hz. Pixel density is available in at 109 pixels per inch, which seems fairly sharp on a 27-inch show, although some pixelation is noticeable when viewing very small fonts. On the opposite hand, 1440p is a perfect decision for gaming on a 27-inch show, because it offers robust sharpness with out the extreme GPU necessities of 4K.

Overall, the U2724D has a vivid, lush, and enticing picture with nice shade efficiency and good distinction. Its efficiency is particularly wonderful for a monitor with a sub-$400 MSRP. Most different screens will fall brief in both distinction or shade efficiency, and typically in each, which places the U2724D in an enviable place.

How is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s HDR picture high quality?

The Dell Ultrasharp U2724D doesn’t supply HDR however, given the monitor’s value vary, it’s not a shock. Monitors beneath $500 usually battle to deal with HDR, as they lack the brightness and distinction essential to ship good element in extraordinarily shiny, or darkish, scenes. Those in search of robust HDR efficiency should spend money on costlier screens just like the Innocn 27M2V or Alienware AW3423DWF.

How is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D’s movement efficiency?

Matt Smith

I’ve incessantly complained concerning the Dell Ultrasharp line-up’s restrained strategy to refresh charge. Most screens lack a refresh charge meaningfully enhanced over 60Hz (sorry, Dell, however 75Hz doesn’t rely). Fortunately, Dell has made the leap to 120Hz with a number of screens together with the U2724D (the U2724DE, U2424H, and U2424HE additionally hit 120Hz). It’s a key enchancment. Doubling the refresh charge from 60Hz to 120Hz improves movement smoothness and readability not solely in video games, but in addition on the Windows desktop.

Gamers ought to preserve expectations in verify. The monitor quotes pixel response occasions of 5 to 8 milliseconds, which is slower than a typical gaming monitor (most quote a response time of 1 to 3 milliseconds). Because of this, the U2724D’s movement will not be as crisp as some price-competitive screens with an identical refresh charge. Even the KTC H24T09P, a $150 gaming monitor I lately reviewed, was a tad extra crisp in movement.

But it’s vital to not miss the forest for the bushes. The U2724D can’t stand as much as the movement readability of a gaming monitor, however it’s not too far behind, and it simply defeats a monitor caught at 60Hz. Remember, additionally, {that a} recreation should render at a body charge equal to a monitor’s most refresh charge to essentially see the total good thing about that enhanced refresh charge. That’s price thought when shopping for a mid-range monitor, as I’d guess most consumers wanting on the U2724D don’t plan to pair it with an costly high-performance GPU.

The Dell U2724D helps adaptive sync for clean, tear-free gameplay, however the particulars are complicated. The monitor doesn’t have official AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync help however does help “VRR as per specified in HDMI 2.1.” Despite that, my AMD Radeon 7800 XT video card acknowledged the Dell U2724D as an Adaptive Sync Compatible show over each HDMI and DisplayPort, and adaptive sync was useful in my testing. I count on adaptive sync will work with most AMD and Nvidia graphics options—however, given the shortage of official help, it’s not assured.

Is the Dell Ultrasharp U2724D price it?

The Dell Ultrasharp U2724D is a superb monitor that strikes the suitable steadiness of options, picture high quality, and ergonomics. This makes the monitor a sensible choice for almost any shopper. It’s particularly wonderful for individuals who want a show that’s equally robust in workplace productiveness, content material creation, and gaming. The monitor’s solely weak spot is its connectivity, which forces consumers searching for Thunderbolt 4/USB-C with DisplayPort to improve to the costlier U2724DE. Not everybody wants that function, nevertheless, and the monitor has acceptable downstream USB connectivity. It’s a flexible, enticing show that delivers good worth for cash.