I would just like to add that I have this monitor and it gives me a lot of eye fatigue, even when using it at 0% brightness and with ComfortView mode. I’m really not sure as to why this is the case :(

I am also interested in this. It appears that anything over 1khz shouldn’t cause eye strain but I guess it varies from person to person.

I also get significantly more eye strain using this monitor compare to my old U2515H, which never gave me this much fatigue. At first I thought I just needed to adjust, but even after a week this monitor still strains my eyes quite heavily and quickly. I tried out every possible settings and modes to mitigate but it’s never satisfactory. I think there’s some inherent, underpinning factors at play here, as the eye-friendly color modes only seem to help a bit. And the only thing I can point a finger to is the 20khz flicker rate. It seems impossible that 20,000hz can affect your eyes, but it’s plausible. With that said, I still have my doubt though.

Hi, I have the same eye problem as you. I have had a LG 27GL850 for 10 months with the same panel and I had no problem. I even calibrated Dell to 6500K and 120cd like LG and the problem persists. Here Dell used PWM and it looks like a problem. Other manufacturers can do this without PWM..

Oct 17, 2020 08:50 PM By johny66cz

3

Hi, I have the same eye problem as you. I have had a LG 27GL850 for 10 months with the same panel and I had no problem. I even calibrated Dell to 6500K and 120cd like LG and the problem persists. Here Dell used PWM and it looks like a problem. Other manufacturers can do this without PWM..

Hi, I have the same problem too with eye strain and headache and the fact that you haven’t any problem with the LG it’s interesting and I should buy this model too

We have received other comments about how flicker can cause headaches and eye strain for some people. Because reaction to flicker can be subjective we can’t exactly test for that, but we encourage people that are worried about it to note our screen flicker test results and to factor that into their purchase decision.

Oct 05, 2020 03:03 AM By Mr_Cow

14

I would just like to add that I have this monitor and it gives me a lot of eye fatigue, even when using it at 0% brightness and with ComfortView mode. I’m really not sure as to why this is the case :(

I have a further update. Originally, I never installed a driver. However, since updating the Driver to 24PHN released 27th October 2020 on the Dell website, I believe the problem might now be fixed! I haven’t got the chance to use the monitor a lot since, so will need to do a lot more testing, but I feel as though I don’t get nearly as much eye strain and headaches as before! Any others with this problem, please try updating the driver and let us know if it helped.

I have read online that the issue could be due to the oversaturation of LGs nano IPS panels when displaying sRGB. Whereas the LG has an sRGB mode where I believe it applies an sRGB clamp, the Dell does not. However, it is interesting that even after calibration, johny66cz had problems with the Dell and not the LG. Are you sure you calibrated to the sRGB colour space, or did you calibrate it for another colour space Johny??

I noticed when updating the driver, the Standard colour preset mode, which originally had a blue tinge, now looks pure white. Meanwhile my custom colour preset, which looked white, appeared reddish post the update, I’m not sure what Dell have done - if they have perhaps better calibrated the it for the sRGB colour space? My eye hasn’t noticed any difference in colour saturation post the update - though I’m no colour professional. Could they have perhaps removed any possible high frequency flickering with a driver update? Is that even possible?

Oct 07, 2020 10:20 PM By iKaBanana

5

I also get significantly more eye strain using this monitor compare to my old U2515H, which never gave me this much fatigue. At first I thought I just needed to adjust, but even after a week this monitor still strains my eyes quite heavily and quickly. I tried out every possible settings and modes to mitigate but it’s never satisfactory. I think there’s some inherent, underpinning factors at play here, as the eye-friendly color modes only seem to help a bit. And the only thing I can point a finger to is the 20khz flicker rate. It seems impossible that 20,000hz can affect your eyes, but it’s plausible. With that said, I still have my doubt though.

try lowering brightness, I used to have this problem with all monitors, I had a chronic sinus infection also (for years), and keeping brightness at 0% was helping

Can someone from rtings let me know if installing the new driver update - 24PHN will change your post-calibration settings? I noticed when I installed it my screen got a lot brighter. Can’t tell if I want to keep it, would you recommend to?

Nov 19, 2020 02:24 AM By gunner7

9

Can someone from rtings let me know if installing the new driver update - 24PHN will change your post-calibration settings? I noticed when I installed it my screen got a lot brighter. Can’t tell if I want to keep it, would you recommend to?

We don’t currently have any plans to retest it with that firmware, but keep in mind that updating the firmware could change your settings back to the factory default, which could explain the brightness change.

Nov 13, 2020 05:39 PM By Mr_Cow

14

I have a further update. Originally, I never installed a driver. However, since updating the Driver to 24PHN released 27th October 2020 on the Dell website, I believe the problem might now be fixed! I haven’t got the chance to use the monitor a lot since, so will need to do a lot more testing, but I feel as though I don’t get nearly as much eye strain and headaches as before! Any others with this problem, please try updating the driver and let us know if it helped. I have read online that the issue could be due to the oversaturation of LGs nano IPS panels when displaying sRGB. Whereas the LG has an sRGB mode where I believe it applies an sRGB clamp, the Dell does not. However, it is interesting that even after calibration, johny66cz had problems with the Dell and not the LG. Are you sure you calibrated to the sRGB colour space, or did you calibrate it for another colour space Johny?? I noticed when updating the driver, the Standard colour preset mode, which originally had a blue tinge, now looks pure white. Meanwhile my custom colour preset, which looked white, appeared reddish post the update, I’m not sure what Dell have done - if they have perhaps better calibrated the it for the sRGB colour space? My eye hasn’t noticed any difference in colour saturation post the update - though I’m no colour professional. Could they have perhaps removed any possible high frequency flickering with a driver update? Is that even possible?

Can you provide an update if this eye fatigue issue is really gone with new driver?

S2721DGFA don’t have this problem both using standard or custom color profile

I wonder if it still has with the eye fatigue problem

Had issues with eye strain. Turning off Smart HDR in OSD menu solved it.

Just bought this monitor, and I can also confirm, not only tremendous eye strain, but also dizziness after just about half an hour of usage. I am a very heavy pc user, because I work as a coder and also play games. So it’s only normal to sit in front of the monitor for 8 hours straight everyday. Yet, this monitor quickly strains my eyes. I tried everything except the firmware update that mr_cow mentioned. The problem with this monitor is, when I stare at a white background for a long time, I feel like I can’t properly focus my eyes on a specific spot (something cloudy or fuzzy let’s say). I feel the urge to look away from the monitor just after a couple of minutes passed. I said, ok, it’s because I need to get used to it. But then I pushed my self enough to get vertigo! Also the store I bought the monitor doesn’t accept returns, so I either sell this monitor or keep it in the box. Things I’ve tried: brightness at 0, 60hz, 1080p, 125% scale, several chair/screen positions, settings from rtings, nice room lighting (nice warm cozy room light), I even closed the blue backlight, but with no avail.

Dec 20, 2020 03:13 AM By yyj3927

4

I wonder if it still has with the eye fatigue problem

It certainly does. Mine came yesterday and I can’t stand it for even an hour. Had I read these comments here first, I would’ve never bought it in the first place

i’m also heavy pc user, i don’t experience any diziness or eye strain or headaches with this monitor, i have Dell S2721DGFA which has less default brighness, i use default brighness and contrast, DP 1.4 + 10 bit Full-RGB (GTX1080) using custom color 95-94-100 gain, responce time fast, freesync on, Smart HDR - Display HDR, nothing unusual, doing lots of browsing and watching movies and tv series as well, but i fixed oversaturation in operaGX and MPC-HC+ madvr:

https://i.imgur.com/rnKebyw.png

it is much better now, HDR content is fine, oversaturation is only with Srgb content, my previous monitor was old P2314h so there’s nothing wrong with new monitor, just bigger screen with higher brighness, no flickering as well at 165 herz, only real problem for me is absence of Srgb profile, i use it in bright room, not in dark, i was also afraid that it will cause lots of eye strain but it is more than fine and default brightness is acceptable for my eyes, maybe HDR content might cause some eye strain but at least SDR is fine, i got mine a month ago at 535$, HDR content is little bit dark using Display HDR mode and madvr, but colors are fine at least, monitor has local dimming, just 8 zones but i think it works only in HDR mode, whites are brighter VS SDR mode

Dec 09, 2020 06:45 PM By exusar

2

Can you provide an update if this eye fatigue issue is really gone with new driver?

Hi. A couple months late but I wanted to provide an update. After much use, I can confirm that eye strain / fatigue has not been fixed and is still very much present, sadly.

I bought this monitor and i have the same problem. Extremly eye fatigue and headache after only a half hour. I tried everything, but now i send the monitor back (gladly this is not a problem with amazon).

The only thing that was useful: the comfort view preset. With that it was better, but it dont solved the problem completely.

So the solution about that seems to be the too much use of blue light of this monitor (or even at all nano IPS panels?). Even with the comfort view (that should block a lot of blue light) the monitor had a more “blueish/cold” look then my previous normal IPS Panel monitor. Without it the monitor has a extremly cold/blue/steril picture.

Blue light is known that it can damage the eyes and if the monitor uses it this much, i think that is the problem. Not the 20 khz flicker.
That would be even an explanation why at other nano IPS Panels some people have the same eye problems. Maybe RTINGS should implement overusing of blue light into the testing?

May 16, 2021 08:45 AM By sdshadow

1

I bought this monitor and i have the same problem. Extremly eye fatigue and headache after only a half hour. I tried everything, but now i send the monitor back (gladly this is not a problem with amazon). The only thing that was useful: the comfort view preset. With that it was better, but it dont solved the problem completely. So the solution about that seems to be the too much use of blue light of this monitor (or even at all nano IPS panels?). Even with the comfort view (that should block a lot of blue light) the monitor had a more “blueish/cold” look then my previous normal IPS Panel monitor. Without it the monitor has a extremly cold/blue/steril picture. Blue light is known that it can damage the eyes and if the monitor uses it this much, i think that is the problem. Not the 20 khz flicker.
That would be even an explanation why at other nano IPS Panels some people have the same eye problems. Maybe RTINGS should implement overusing of blue light into the testing?

Hey there! Thanks for the feedback! I can’t say that this is something we’ll be able to implement right away, but we’ll definitely keep this in mind for any future updates! :)

May 05, 2021 12:24 PM By Mr_Cow

14

Hi. A couple months late but I wanted to provide an update. After much use, I can confirm that eye strain / fatigue has not been fixed and is still very much present, sadly.

Just a follow up, I changed to the MSI MAG274QRF-QD and have not been getting any eye strain since! :D Definitely look towards that one if you want the performance of the Dell S2721DGF but are susceptible (or suspect you may be) to fatigue.

Bought Dell S2721DGFA two days ago, for me its seems normal after around 12 hours use, no eyes strain.

May 20, 2021 08:45 AM By technotrach

1

Bought Dell S2721DGFA two days ago, for me its seems normal after around 12 hours use, no eyes strain.

Really interesting, I wonder if the A model is somehow different in some meaningful way that it doesn’t cause eye strain? It’s either that or just some individuals being susceptible to the panel (whether it be high frequency flicker, the nature of nano-IPS technology or something else completely.)

May 22, 2021 12:10 PM By Mr_Cow

14

Really interesting, I wonder if the A model is somehow different in some meaningful way that it doesn’t cause eye strain? It’s either that or just some individuals being susceptible to the panel (whether it be high frequency flicker, the nature of nano-IPS technology or something else completely.)

Sadly it’s not, I have the same model and everything is the same, I believe it’s only the EU variant or something. Still getting eye strain and I’m going to return it.

SRGB emulation tool for nvidia GPU’s finally released, so it might help to reduce SRGB 140% volume https://github.com/ledoge/novideo_srgb/releases

I’m glad to see other people with the same complaints about this monitor. I was beginning to think I was crazy.

I was interested in buying this monitor, it is the best option for a 1440p panel we have in Brazil, now I am afraid to deal with the same issues…

Am I the only one who not just feel unwell with the monitor but actually can see the flickering? Its only noticable on a blue background like a wallpaper of the blue sky though. I had to compare it to other monitors as I wasn’t sure if there was something wrong with my vision but its definitely just with the Dell.