Dell S2716DG Review - Is the Dell really so good as the people praise? And how good is the Dell compared to an IPS Panel?
Introduction
Already a bit longer on den market and according to the ratings on amazon as well as other online stores, the Dell S2726DG has better ratings than competing monitors with almost the same specifications. On top, the Dell S2716DG also is cheaper. It uses a TN panel with a WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution with 144 Hz refresh rate, a response time of 1 ms (Grey to Grey), a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and a sRGB colour space of 97%. User love the colors of the Dell S2716DG but is it really true? I don't know which experiences other reviewers have but this definitely is not a true story, at least not with included OSD settings because gamma settings on the Dell are not really good. With proper gamma settings, you can increase the overall image quality drastically, but there is still another big issue on the Dell. Well, let's find out how the Dell competes against the competition and check the response time as well as black levels and other measurements.
NOTE (This was a long article in German before releasing this page in English):
1. Since the article was very long, I cut it and just put all Photos in different slideshows under each topic.
2. Measurements are in German. However, the headings of the columns should be easy to assign
IMPORTANT(!) Updates and new information about the Dell S2716DG can be found at the bottom of the article or in the table of contents (if available). A forum thread on this monitor does not exist(!)
Specifications
| Panel Type | TN (AU Optronics) |
| Brightness | EDGE LED / W-LED |
| Display size and aspect ratio | 24 and 27 Inch / 16:9 |
| Maximum Resolution | 2560x1440 (WQHD) |
| Pixel density | 24 Zoll = 122,38 / 27 Zoll = 108,79 ppi (Pixels per inch) |
| Refresh rate | 144 Hz native |
| Native color depth and color space | 8 Bit / 97% sRGB without calibration |
| Response time (GtG) | 1Ms + ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) |
| Brightness | 350cd/m2 |
| Integrated speakers | No |
| Video inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 1.4, 4x USB 3.0 |
| Audio | 1x 3.5mm out / 1x 3.5mm in |
| USB Hub | Yes 4x USB 3.0 |
| Power consumption | 47W Standart / 90W max (Depending on USB Hub) |
| 27" Panel dimensions WxHxD with foot stand | 546,3 x 612,5 x 200,3 mm |
| 27" Panel dimensions WxHxD without foot stand | 612,5 x 362,5 x 55,6mm |
| Frame width | 8mm (on top) 1,7mm (on the lower frame) |
| Weight | 4,4 Kg |
| Warranty | 3 Years |
| Erconomics | Tilt, Height, Pivot, Swivel |
| Adaptive Sync | G-Sync |
| G-Sync Range | 30-144 Hz |
| Contrast (Nativ) | 1000:1 |
| Vesa | Yes 100mm |
| Curved | No |
Alternatives
Alternative 144Hz WQHD (2560x1440) TN monitor to the Dell S2716DG:
(All other alternatives are listed in the Gaming-Monitor-List. Future releases can be found here)
Find the Dell S2716DG here: Buy on Amazon
G-Sync
Acer XB271HUA Review / Buy on Amazon
Dell S2417DG Buy on Amazon
Asus PG278Q Buy on Amazon
Asus PG278QR Review / Buy on Amazon
AOC AG241QG Buy on Amazon
Asus PG27VQ not released yet
Freesync
Asus MG278Q Buy on Amazon
BenQ XL2730Z Freesync Buy on Amazon
AOC AG241QX Buy on Amazon
AOC AGON AG271QX Buy on Amazon
YouTube Video Review
Delivery
Connections
Foot stand
Design & Processing
Navigation & OSD
Grayscale Test
Black Level
Homogeneity (brightness distribution)
Homogeneity (color purity)
Viewing Angles
Interpolation / Downscaling
Subjective color impression
Response Time
Color Banding Issues (IPS Dell vs TN Dell)
Measuring Data
Unfortunately, I have lost the measuring data of the Dell, while my old PC crashed. Here are the most important info.
Contrast around 700:1
Gamma 1.9
Everything else you can see the comparison charts
Comparison Charts
Pros & Cons
Pro:
- Okay colors
- G-Sync (30-144 Hz/fps)
- Good ULMB brightness
- USB 3.0 hub with 4 x USB 3.0 inputs
- WQHD Resolution "sweet spot" and a sharp image on 27" Inch
- A very good foot stand and a good processing
- Half matte panel coating (much less matt compared to Asus/Acer/HP)
- Nice design and thin bezels
- Overall very good gaming performance
- Dell warranty
Neutral:- No build in speakers
- No build in speakers
- No own profiles (it saves your changes within Dell profiles)
- Overdrive settings on extreme causes ghosting and text ghosting
- Thin gap with dust on the top panel frame
Contra:
- Gamma settings must be changed within the graphics card software or with a hardware calibration
- Huge(!) color banding issues
- Typical TN viewing angles, but they are improved a bit compared to FULL HD TN models
- Clouding issues as same as in the Asus PG278QR or the Acer XB271HUA
- Contrast and blacks are worse compared to the Asus PG278QR or the Acer XB271HUA
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