The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q is a good 4k monitor that comes with HDR support and wide connectivity options. Like its predecessor, the Dell U2718Q, it features an IPS panel with good viewing angles, allowing you to easily share your work with colleagues. Images and text look sharp due to its high resolution, and its 27 inch screen provides plenty of space for multitasking. If you want to do some gaming on the side, it has a good response time and low input lag, however, there's no VRR support of any kind. On the bright side, its ergonomics are excellent and its USB-C input supports DisplayPort Alt Mode.
Our Verdict
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q is a good monitor for most uses. It's a great choice for any productivity task, as it provides enough screen real estate to have multiple windows opened simultaneously, and its 4k resolution makes text and images look incredibly sharp. Its input lag is low and response time is good, but it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technologies. It has impressive coverage of the Adobe RGB color space for content creators, although you may want to calibrate the monitor first, as its out-of-the-box color accuracy is only decent.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Good viewing angles.
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HDR support.
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No VRR support.
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HDR local dimming feature is terrible.
The Dell U2720Q is a great office monitor. Its 27 inch screen is great for multitasking and text looks sharp with its 4k resolution. You can easily adjust the screen to your optimal viewing position thanks to its excellent ergonomics, and it has an IPS panel that provides wide viewing angles, which is great when you need to share your work with coworkers. It should perform well in most rooms, although it's not recommended for very bright rooms with a lot of light shining directly on the screen, as its reflection handling is mediocre.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Good viewing angles.
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HDR local dimming feature is terrible.
The Dell U2720Q is a good monitor for gaming. It has low input lag and its response time is good, but its refresh rate is limited to 60Hz and it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technologies. It's not the most ideal for dark room gaming, as it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look grayish. On the upside, the monitor's 4k resolution and large screen size are great for atmospheric or RPG games, as it's able to bring out every little detail in your game for an immersive gaming experience.
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Good viewing angles.
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60Hz refresh rate.
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HDR local dimming feature is terrible.
The Dell U2720Q is a good monitor for media consumption. It has an excellent resolution and screen size to provide great immersion, and its wide viewing angles let you share content with others. Gray uniformity is excellent, as there's very little dirty screen effect, but black uniformity is only passable and its IPS panel has a low contrast ratio, making it less suitable for dark room viewing.
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Good viewing angles.
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HDR support.
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HDR local dimming feature is terrible.
The Dell U2720Q is a great monitor for media creation. It has a large screen size and a high pixel density, resulting in sharp and detailed images. The IPS panel provides good viewing angles and its excellent ergonomics let you adjust the monitor however you like. It has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, but its out-of-the-box color accuracy is only decent, so calibration is highly recommended.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Good viewing angles.
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HDR support.
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60Hz refresh rate.
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HDR local dimming feature is terrible.
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Good viewing angles.
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HDR local dimming feature is terrible.
- 7.6 Mixed Usage
- 8.5 Office
- 6.7 Gaming
- 7.6 Media Consumption
- 8.5 Media Creation
- 6.6 HDR
- Updated Dec 08, 2023: Changed the Text Clarity score to 9.0 to better reflect other monitors that we've tested.
- Updated Apr 20, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p @ 60Hz works on this monitor with the PS5.
- Updated Jul 04, 2022: We incorrectly stated that this monitor didn't have a VESA DisplayHDR Certification. It's certified DisplayHDR 400.
- Updated Jun 23, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
- Updated Jan 17, 2022: Discovered it has a local dimming feature and updated the results.
- Updated Jun 04, 2020: We've retested the pre-calibration color accuracy, as we've discovered that the monitor has a dedicated sRGB mode. The score has been adjusted accordingly.
- Updated Jun 03, 2020: We retested text clarity, as the scaling was set incorrectly. We also updated the input specifications, as we had incorrectly stated that the monitor supported Thunderbolt 3
- Updated May 27, 2020: Review published.
- Updated May 22, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated May 11, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 07, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Apr 30, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q and it's available in a 27 inch and 43 inch size. There are also three other models that are slightly different, which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell U2720Q | 27" | IPS | 4k | 2 x USB-C, Displayport Alt mode |
| Dell U4320Q | 43" | IPS | 4K | 2 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt mode |
| Dell U2720QM | 27" | IPS | 4K | 2 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
| Dell U2520D | 25" | IPS | 1440p | 1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
| Dell UP2720Q | 27" | IPS | 4k | Includes built-in colorimeter |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Dell U2720Q 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 U2720Q was manufactured in April 2020, you can see the label here.
Compared To Other Monitors
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q performs largely the same as its predecessor, the U2718Q. There are some improvements in terms of HDR peak brightness and color gamut, but its response time is slower, resulting in a bit more motion blur. For other options, you can also check out our recommendations for the best 4k monitors, the best monitors for dual setup, and the best 4k gaming monitors.
The Dell U2723QE is a newer version of the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q with a few more features. The U2723QE has a bigger USB hub with a KVM switch, allowing you to control two devices with the same keyboard and mouse. It also has Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes, which the U2720Q doesn't support, and it has daisy-chaining support, which you can't do with the U2720Q. The U2723QE also displays deeper blacks than the U2720Q, thanks to its IPS Black panel, but the contrast is still low.
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q and the Dell S2722QC are similar 4k monitors. The picture quality is about the same between both, but the S2722QC is better for well-lit rooms because it gets brighter and has better reflection handling. On the other hand, the U2720Q has a better selection of inputs because it has an extra USB-C and USB 3.0 input compared to the S2722QC, and it also has a DisplayPort input. While both monitors have ergonomic stands, the one on the U2720Q offers a wider swivel range and higher height adjustment.
The Dell U2720Q is a 2020 refresh of the Dell U2718Q. Aside from some slight differences in their outer design and the added USB-C ports on the U2720Q, both monitors offer identical features. Performance is largely the same as well, although the U2720Q has a higher peak brightness, better SDR and HDR color gamuts, and it also has better reflection handling. However, the U2718Q has a faster response time and lower input lag.
The Dell S2721QS is a bit better than the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q for most uses. The S2721QS has higher peak brightness and better reflection handling, and it supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing when gaming. However, the U2720Q has better ergonomics and more connectivity options, including a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode.
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q and the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV are 4k monitors intended for content creation. The ASUS has an advantage in most areas as it gets brighter, has better reflection handling, and displays a wider range of colors in SDR and HDR. Each monitor has a USB hub with the same ports, but the ASUS has a few extra features, like Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes.
The Apple Studio Display and the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q are both good work monitors, but they have a few differences. The Apple is a 5k monitor targeted at macOS users, and it has a few extra features, like a webcam, that the Dell doesn't have. The Apple also gets much brighter and has significantly better color accuracy if you want to use it for photo editing. However, the Dell is more versatile for other uses because it has DisplayPort and HDMI inputs, supports HDR, and has much better ergonomics, making it easier to place in an ideal position.
The Dell U2720Q and the LG 27UK650-W have very similar performance overall. The LG has a faster response time, better color accuracy, and it supports FreeSync. The LG also has better gradient handling. On the other hand, the Dell has a better build quality, better ergonomics, and it gets much brighter in HDR content.
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q performs significantly better than the BenQ EL2870U for most uses. The Dell has much better ergonomics, it gets much brighter, and it has wider viewing angles due to its IPS panel. Also, the Dell supports HDR, its black uniformity is much better, and it has more connectivity options. However, the BenQ has a faster response time and is more color accurate out of the box.
For most uses, the Acer Predator X27 bmiphzx performs better than the Dell U2720Q. While they both have the same screen size and resolution, the Acer has a much higher refresh rate of 144Hz and it supports G-SYNC to reduce screen tearing when gaming. In addition, the Acer has a faster response time, a higher HDR peak brightness, and it handles reflections better. However, the Dell has much better ergonomics and it comes with two USB-C ports, which the Acer doesn't have.
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q is a bit better than the Dell UltraSharp U2520D, mainly because it's a bigger monitor and it has a 4k resolution. The U2720Q also has slightly better ergonomics as it has a wider tilt range. The U2520D is better for gaming since it has a much quicker response time and a lower input lag.
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 Dell UltraSharp U2720Q is much better than the Lenovo Q27q-10. The Dell has a higher resolution screen, resulting in sharper text that's easier to read. The Dell also has much better ergonomics, a much faster response time, it supports HDR.
Video
Test Results
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q has a simple and professional-looking design that fits well in any office setting. The bezels are thin on all sides and the stand has a flat rectangular base.
The build quality is good, even though it's entirely made of plastic. There are no obvious issues with the construction, and while the stand feels a bit flimsy, it supports the monitor well.
Ergonomics are excellent. The stand allows for all manner of adjustments and the screen can rotate to portrait mode in either direction. If you need a wider swivel range to share work or content, check out the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV. Like most Dell monitors, the back is plain and there's a circular cutout on the stand that serves as cable management.
The stand has a flat rectangular base and although it has been shrunken down a bit compared to the Dell U2718Q, it still supports the monitor well and there's very little wobble.
The monitor's controls are located at the bottom right corner of the screen. There's a power button as well as four other buttons to navigate the on-screen menu.
- USB-C cable
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- DisplayPort cable
- Power cable
- User guide
As is the case with most IPS monitors, the contrast ratio is disappointing. This results in blacks looking like gray when viewed in a dark environment. It has a local dimming feature that automatically turns on with HDR signals, and there's no way to disable it. Sadly, it worsens the contrast because all the dimming zones are on with our test pattern.
The Dell U2702Q has an edge-lit local dimming feature that automatically turns on with HDR signals, and there's no setting to disable or enable it. It has about 10 big zones, and an entire zone turns on where there's a small highlight, which could become distracting. However, most content triggers all the zones to turn on, and the local dimming isn't do anything. It's disappointing that you can't disable the local dimming in HDR because it performs terribly.
Good SDR peak brightness. It performs best in dark to moderately-lit rooms, as it can't get bright enough to overcome glare in very bright rooms. If you want something even brighter, then look into the Dell S2722QC.
Decent HDR peak brightness. The brightness is much more consistent than what we had observed on the U2718Q, but there's a noticeable drop in the 2% windows that's likely due to brightness compensation.
The Dell U2720Q has good horizontal viewing angles, which is great for sharing content or work with others.
Great vertical viewing angles. The image should remain accurate even if you sit up close, with only a slight loss of brightness and color at the top and bottom of the screen.
Excellent gray uniformity. The sides of the screen appear darker, but thankfully, there's very little dirty screen effect.
Black uniformity is passable without the local dimming feature enabled. There's some backlight bleed at the bottom edge of the screen, and there's some blooming around the test cross. Sadly, the local dimming makes the uniformity worse because there's more blooming around the center cross.
Before calibration, the Dell U2720Q's color accuracy is decent. Most colors and white balance are slightly inaccurate, and the color temperature is warmer than our 6500K target, resulting in a slight reddish tint. Gamma doesn't follow the target curve at all, with most scenes appearing darker than they should.
After calibration, color accuracy is outstanding. White balance, gamma, and color temperature are nearly perfect. There's still some inaccuracy with the color blue, which is typical for LED monitors.
Outstanding SDR color gamut. The monitor has full coverage of the sRGB color space used in most content, and it has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, which is mostly used by professionals such as photo and video editors.
Outstanding SDR color volume, but it can't display dark and saturated colors well due to its low contrast ratio.
The Dell U2720Q has a decent HDR color gamut. It has great coverage of the commonly used DCI P3 color space, but coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 is just okay.
Decent color volume. It's mostly limited by its HDR color gamut and low contrast ratio.
The Dell U2720Q has mediocre reflection handling. It should be fine in dark to moderately-lit rooms, but it's best to avoid having bright light shining directly on the screen.
Text clarity is excellent, even without ClearType (bottom photo). The pixels are blurry due to the monitor's matte anti-reflective coating.
Outstanding gradient performance. There's still some banding when displaying dark greens and grays, though it shouldn't be noticeable in most regular content.
Unfortunately, the Dell U2720Q has a basic 60Hz refresh rate and doesn't support any type of variable refresh rate technologies. If you want a similar monitor that supports VRR, check out the Dell S2721QS.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
| fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
The Dell U2720Q has a good response time, although there's still a bit more motion blur than gaming monitors. We recommend using the 'Normal' overdrive setting, as it has the least amount of overshoot. If you prefer a monitor with a much quicker response time but a lower resolution, check out the Dell UltraSharp U2520D.
The Dell U2720Q doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature.
The monitor has a flicker-free backlight that can help reduce eye-strain.
The Dell U2720Q has an excellent low input lag, and it remains low even in 10-bit HDR.
The monitor's 27 inch screen and 4k resolution are excellent for a wide range of uses. It provides enough space to have multiple windows opened at the same time and the high pixel density is great for text clarity.
Update 06/03/2020: We incorrectly listed this monitor as supporting Thunderbolt 3. It doesn't.
The Dell U2720Q has two USB-C ports, which support DisplayPort Alt mode as well as power delivery of up to 90W. One of the USB-C port can be used for charging even when the monitor is off.
This monitor works well with recent MacBook Pros. Windows return to their original position when you wake your computer from sleep, and power delivery over USB-C works great. HDR works properly. The default scaling is set to 1080p, but you can easily adjust this from the macOS Display settings.
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Comments
Dell UltraSharp U2720Q: Main Discussion
Let us know why you want us to review the product here, or encourage others to vote for this product.
- 21010
thank you!
However, I’m confused because I thought the 2022 in the RTINGS review said it had flicker even though the flicker graph was flat while the 2021 review indicated no flicker but then it’s flicker graph had bumps in it. Wondering if both reviews were off to start, and were both years reviews updated or just the one? Also do you know if there are any iPhones and also any iPads that would work for me at certain brightness settings, that is without flicker? I want one of each. And do you do any consulting away from RTINGS. If I were to buy a MacBook Air (or iPhone/iPad) could we have it shipped to you and have you test it for flicker (within the return window) and maybe configure it, of course for a fee?Hi,
I think there’s a bit of confusion regarding the actual model. There’s no 2021 MacBook Air. The M1 came out in 2020, while the M2 came out in 2022, and the M3 came out in 2024. Are you referring to the MacBook PRO from 2021?
As for iPhones and iPads, most recent models flicker as far as I’m aware. Unfortunately, we don’t do any consulting work to test specific products.
- 21010
thank you!
However, I’m confused because I thought the 2022 in the RTINGS review said it had flicker even though the flicker graph was flat while the 2021 review indicated no flicker but then it’s flicker graph had bumps in it. Wondering if both reviews were off to start, and were both years reviews updated or just the one?
Also do you know if there are any iPhones and also any iPads that would work for me at certain brightness settings, that is without flicker? I want one of each.
And do you do any consulting away from RTINGS. If I were to buy a MacBook Air (or iPhone/iPad) could we have it shipped to you and have you test it for flicker (within the return window) and maybe configure it, of course for a fee?
- 21010
Thank you for all this information. Can you tell me what other sizes the M2 2022 Macbook comes in besides 13"? And what memory options, and where to buy?
Hi,
The M2 MacBook Air is available in a 13- and 15-inch. However, the 15-inch has been discontinued, so you can only get it from a thrid-party seller or marketplace like Amazon or Bestbuy. The 13-inch is still available from Apple and other retailers. RAM options vary from 8GB up to 24GB. Apple has recently discontinued the 8GB model and made the 16GB the baseline spec, though you can still get the 8GB from third-party sellers.
- 21010
Thank you for all this information. Can you tell me what other sizes the M2 2022 Macbook comes in besides 13"? And what memory options, and where to buy?
- 21010
Did the iPad Pro M4 measure any flicker? Is there any super simple “no set up” tool to measure flicker at home? Rereading your comments, still some confusion whether the 13" MacBook from 2021 or 2022 measured flicker-free, or if both measured flicker-free? When you say “IF” the 2021 13" MacBook is flicker-free then according to the Apple Tech the larger variants from that year should also be flicker-free, it is the Rtings review of the 2021 13" MacBook that says it is flicker-free, so are you thinking it is possible there is flicker on that model but the Rtings review measurement tool just was not able to pick it up, or how should I understand the “IF”?
Yo! The iPad Pro M4 does measure with flicker at 480Hz.
Opple Lightmaster meters are a consumer-grade luminance tool that will give you a bunch of information on the display (brightness, color temperature, flicker, etc). I’ve not personally used one as I have access to much more sophisticated tools, but the reviews seem to be positive about the tool itself, but the app being more of an annoyance than anything. I’m hesitant just because it doesn’t tell me all the thresholds for it’s reading capability, so I’m concerned it wouldn’t be able to identify flicker above a certain cap, which they don’t tell us.
Another method is to use a camera and set the shutter speed to 1/4000 and you might be able to identify it. The thing you’ll see more of with this method is the stroboscopic visibility, which would be the seen as wide gaps in the line. The Macbooks don’t have a wide stroboscopic visibility so this method isn’t really useful for you in this particular circumstance.
Sorry, I’ll try to make it a bit clearer. It does get a bit confusing.
So, the M1 Macbook Air we tested from 2021 does have flicker (this should be updated in the review soon). The M2 Macbook Air from 2022 does not have flicker.
What I meant by “if” was more a reference to the information I received from the Apple Store genius. I can confirm what I have here but any variants of our products (so in this case a larger M2 Macbook from 2022), I cannot verify. I can only say what Apple employees have told me. So the “if” is a lack of my ability to 100% guarantee that information. What I can guarantee is that the M2 Macbook Air 13" 2022 does not have flicker.
- 21010
Thank you so much again! You are going above and beyond to help me figure this out, and I really appreciate it. I hope they give you a raise because it sounds like you deserve it haha. There’s not much more I can ask of you, other than if there’s any way to find out if the larger 2022 MacBooks also have a flicker-free screen like the 13-inch one. I tried going to the Apple Store, but they had no idea. I also tried calling customer support, and I don’t think they even knew what flicker was. If there is some Apple customer support number to actually talk to their engineers, then maybe I could get an answer myself, but I don’t know if there is or who to contact. Do you know anyone who owns that model and could measure it, or, if not, do you have any way to do it? Please let me know, or if you have any ideas on who I could contact. If you can do it, great, but if not, I understand.
Did the iPad Pro M4 measure any flicker?
Is there any super simple “no set up” tool to measure flicker at home?
Rereading your comments, still some confusion whether the 13" MacBook from 2021 or 2022 measured flicker-free, or if both measured flicker-free?
When you say “IF” the 2021 13" MacBook is flicker-free then according to the Apple Tech the larger variants from that year should also be flicker-free, it is the Rtings review of the 2021 13" MacBook that says it is flicker-free, so are you thinking it is possible there is flicker on that model but the Rtings review measurement tool just was not able to pick it up, or how should I understand the “IF”?
- 21010
It’s all good! It wasn’t a waste or anything, so no worries about that. :) If the information I received from Apple is correct, than if one of the models is flicker-free than all models regardless of size within that same category should be flicker free as well. So the 2021 13" Macbook Air being flicker free should mean that the larger sizes of the Macbook Air from that year should be the same. I hope that answers your question!
Thanks so much! If you ever get a chance to confirm this by measurements or some other means let me know, otherwise thanks again for your time and help.
- 21010
I’m sorry but I think I goofed. I just looked on rtings.com at the 2021 13" macbook air review and that is the model that is flicker free, so I was hoping you could find out if the larger models were also flicker free for that year. I realize you’ve already spent quite a bit of time on this.
It’s all good! It wasn’t a waste or anything, so no worries about that. :)
If the information I received from Apple is correct, than if one of the models is flicker-free than all models regardless of size within that same category should be flicker free as well. So the 2021 13" Macbook Air being flicker free should mean that the larger sizes of the Macbook Air from that year should be the same.
I hope that answers your question!