Dell is an American technology company that produces a wide range of consumer products, from keyboards to laptops to monitors. They make many monitors at various price points that are meant for office use and productivity and are easy to buy for an entire workspace. On top of that, they even have their own gaming lineup known as Alienware, which is starting to grow in the gaming market, competing with other gaming brands. Overall, Dell is a reliable brand that offers plenty of options, and they have monitors available for a variety of different needs and budgets.
We've bought and tested over 55 Dell monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors from Dell.
Note: We recently published our Test Bench 2.0, and we're updating our reviews to this new test bench. As such, it may seem that two similar monitors have wildly different scores, but scores aren't comparable between different test benches.
Updates
- 05/03/2024 Dell U4025QW reviewed
- 04/25/2024 Dell G2724D updated
- 04/23/2024 Dell Alienware AW2725DF updated
- 04/04/2024 Dell S2721QS updated
- 04/03/2024 Dell Alienware AW3423DWF updated
Best Dell Monitors
-
Best Dell Monitor
Mixed Usage7.6Office8.4Gaming6.7Media Consumption7.7Media Creation8.6HDR6.9Size27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzNative Resolution3840 x 2160The best Dell monitor we've tested is the Dell U2723QE. It's part of their high-end UltraSharp lineup that's packed with a ton of office features, making it an impressive choice for productivity. It has a massive USB hub with five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports, one of which supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery, so it can charge most laptops with a single cable. It also has a KVM switch that lets you switch between two sources and use the same keyboard and mouse.
One thing that makes this monitor unique from other displays, even other models in the Ultrasharp lineup, is that it uses IPS Black panel technology to display a decent contrast ratio in dark rooms. It even has a dedicated sRGB mode that has excellent accuracy before calibration. Lastly, it has a 27-inch screen with a 4k resolution that delivers exceptional text clarity, and the screen is big enough to open multiple windows at the same time. If you want something bigger, you can also check out the Dell U3223QE, but considering it costs more for similar performance, only go for it if you want the bigger size.
-
Best Mid-Range Dell Monitor
Mixed Usage7.7Office8.6Gaming7.1Media Consumption7.6Media Creation8.4HDR6.4Size27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you find the Dell U2723QE too expensive and prefer something cheaper, Dell offers plenty of mid-range options. One of those is the Dell S2722QC, which is part of the S Series lineup. It's different from the U2723QE in the UltraSharp lineup because it isn't so much focused on content creation with extremely accurate colors; instead, it provides good all-around use for an affordable cost. It has a 4k, 27-inch screen like the U2723QE, but there are a few differences in features. It doesn't have a dedicated sRGB mode, so you'd need to calibrate it for the most accurate colors, and it has a lower contrast.
The S2722QC has a smaller USB hub than the U2723QE, and it doesn't have a KVM switch either, but that's the trade-off for getting something cheaper. It still has two USB-A ports and a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode and 65W of power, so you can charge smaller laptops while using them.
-
Best Budget Dell Monitor
PC Gaming5.9Console Gaming4.5Office8.5Editing7.4Performance Usages: Brightness7.2Response Time4.7HDR Picture4.8SDR Picture7.2Color Accuracy7.7Size27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you're looking for a Dell monitor on a budget, look into the Dell S2721QS. It's a step-down model from the Dell S2722QC, which means it has fewer features, but other than that, it performs similarly. It has no USB ports, but if you need a basic 4k monitor for office work, you'll be happy with it.
Like the S2722QC, it's another great choice for a well-lit space thanks to its high peak brightness and good reflection handling. It's also easy to share your screen with others as its wide viewing angles keep the image consistent from the sides, and it has excellent ergonomics that make it easy to adjust.
-
Best Dell Monitor For Gaming
PC Gaming9.1Console Gaming8.6Office8.2Editing9.3Performance Usages: Brightness6.8Response Time9.7HDR Picture9.4SDR Picture10Color Accuracy9.6Size32"Pixel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzNative Resolution3840 x 2160While most people often associate Dell monitors with office use, they also have a brand of gaming monitors known as Alienware. These monitors focus solely on gaming with higher refresh rates than their regular lineups. If you're looking for the best Dell gaming monitor, the Dell Alienware AW3225QF is an excellent option with stunning picture quality. It has a high 4k resolution that delivers sharp images, and its 240Hz refresh rate is great even for PC gamers. It also has a near-instantaneous response time thanks to its QD-OLED panel, resulting in sharp motion.
This QD-OLED panel lets it display perfect blacks in dark rooms while making colors look vivid and highlights pop. This means it also displays life-like and realistic images while gaming. You can get other QD-OLEDs from Dell, like the Dell Alienware AW2725DF, which has a 360Hz refresh rate and 1440p resolution, and the ultrawide Dell Alienware AW3423DWF. However, these are all high-end monitors, so if you want something cheaper, the Dell G2724D is a great low-cost option that provides good value with sharp motion. It doesn't deliver the same high-end picture quality as the AW3225QF, which is the trade-off for getting something cheaper.
Compared To Other Brands
-
Versatile ergonomics.
Many Dell monitors have easily adjustable stands, allowing you to place the screen in the ideal viewing position. This is ideal for office work, especially if you need to adjust the screen next to others. -
Included office features.
Their office monitors tend to have good features, including USB hubs and Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes for multitasking. They also have a bunch of 4k monitors, which are ideal if you want sharp text clarity. -
Growing gaming lineup.
Dell's Alienware gaming lineup has been growing in the past few years with the addition of QD-OLED and high refresh rate monitors, so if you're a gamer, you'll likely find what you're looking for with Dell.
-
Limited availability at many retailers.
Dell monitors aren't sold at as many retailers as other brands, so if you want to buy one, it's best to get it directly through their website. -
Gaming monitors not as versatile.
Dell's Alienware monitors aren't as versatile for productivity as their dedicated work monitors, so these monitors are really meant for gaming.
Dell vs ASUS
While Dell has better high-end gaming monitors than those from ASUS, Dell doesn't have as many gaming monitors available, and ASUS has more options for competitive gamers. On the other hand, Dell has a wider range of models for office use, and they include extra productivity features.
Dell vs LG
Dell and LG compete against each other and are both reliable brands. Dell monitors generally have much better ergonomics and are generally better suited for office use. Dell also offers QD-OLEDs with better picture quality, but LG has more non-OLED gaming options available, including those with a 4k resolution.
Buying a Dell monitor is generally a safe bet for most people, especially for office use. They have a bunch of productivity monitors available, often including dedicated features like USB hubs. This means Dell's monitors are often amongst the best office monitors; they also have options available at a wide range of price points. They've even been growing in the gaming monitor market, with more budget monitors coming out, too, but these models aren't as versatile for productivity. This means their productivity and gaming lineups are meant for those specific uses, so you have to choose one or the other.
Lineup
Dell's lineup ranges from basic, cheaper models to more advanced professional monitors. Their naming scheme is easy to understand, so you know almost exactly what you're getting by the model number.
Dell model numbers start with a letter, which indicates the series:
- C: The C Series includes monitors with a built-in webcam for video conferencing.
- E: This stands for the Essential Series. They're cheap, basic, and are smaller displays.
- P: Dell's Professional Series monitors tend to have the most productivity features.
- UltraSharp: The UltraSharp lineup features high-end monitors with accurate colors, which are ideal for content creation. They also have a ton of features.
- S: The S Series is their most popular lineup for work, and it's more of a mid-range and budget alternative to the higher-end P Series and UltraSharp lineups.
- AW: This is for Alienware monitors, which is Dell's gaming lineup.
- G: This is for their gaming lineup that isn't part of the Alienware series. Some of these models also start with S but still have a G at the end of the model name.
Next in the model code comes a set of numbers to identify the size and model year. The first two are the size, and the last two numbers are the model year. The model year is often the year after the monitor is released—so a monitor released in 2024 has 25 in the model code.
Most Dell model numbers end with one or more letters, which are used to identify certain features and the resolution. This isn't a complete list, but here are some of the most common suffixes:
- E: Ethernet port
- W: Ultrawide aspect ratio
- H: 1080p resolution
- D: 1440p resolution
- Q: 4k resolution
- F: AMD FreeSync support
- G: NVIDIA G-SYNC support
You can see an example of their naming scheme here:
- U2723QE: UltraSharp 27-inch model with a 4k resolution and an Ethernet port. 2023 model, but released in 2022.
- AW3225QF: Alienware gaming monitor with a 32-inch screen and 4k resolution released in 2024.
- G2724D: Entry-level gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution, and it's a 2024 model that was released in 2023.
Recent Updates
-
Apr 30, 2024: Replaced the Dell Alienware AW3423DW with the Dell Alienware AW3225QF for consistency with other recommendations, as the AW3225QF is better.
-
Jan 11, 2024: Replaced the Dell U3223QE with the Dell S2722QC and renamed it to 'Best Mid-Range Monitor' for consistency with other articles.
-
Sep 05, 2023: Removed the Dell S2722QC because it went down in price and added the Dell U3223QE as the 'Best Dell Monitor For Photo Editing' for consistency with other articles.
-
May 11, 2023: Removed the Dell S2421H as the 'Best Cheap Monitor' because it's hard to find; updated text for clarity throughout.
-
Feb 13, 2023: Replaced the Dell S2721D with the Dell S2721QS because it went down in price; updated the text throughout for clarity.
Conclusion
Dell monitors range from basic, small monitors that are great for students to the most advanced professional displays for photo editing, media creation, or general office use. They also have a few great gaming monitors in their Alienware lineup. While their gaming lineup has grown, they're still just a step behind the competition, especially regarding motion handling on their non-QD-OLED monitors. Luckily, Dell monitors are well-built, and almost all have great ergonomics. That said, buying a Dell monitor is usually a pretty safe bet, especially if you need one for the office.