In recent months, Dell has renewed its UltraSharp range with office monitors offering superior technical features that could also appeal to amateur creatives. With the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2724D, we have here the perfect compromise between the two use cases.
In the field of office monitors, Dell is clearly one of the most represented manufacturers. Its very wide range can sometimes be too dense for its own good but offers quality models for many professional uses.
The UltraSharp range, in particular, is a good compromise between purely office use and technical features for creatives. We have tested one of them, the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2724D, a 27-inch monitor that elevates LCD with a rather enticing proposition for less than 400$.
A Minimalist and Ergonomic Monitor
Dell monitors are recognizable by their sobriety, and this U2724D is no exception. With its matte panel with thin edges, it will fit into any desk. On the front, only the logo is noticeable on the silver-gray support, which we will discuss later.
Aesthetic considerations are secondary here; the monitor focuses on a neat appearance at the back with a joystick button for settings and another power button on the right side, in our opinion much more practical than the numerous buttons on the manufacturer’s older models (even the S range now offers this).
Connectivity
The Dell UltraSharp U2724D offers a complete set of connections with an HDMI 2.1 port, two DisplayPort ports (including one input to chain a second monitor), an upstream USB-C port, and no less than two USB-A ports and one downstream USB-C port supporting the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard at 10 Gbps. The latter supports charging up to 15W for your various devices.
It is possible to configure this monitor with an even more extensive connectivity offer by choosing the U2724DE model, which offers a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port that can serve both as a video connection with DisplayPort alternate mode and charge up to 90W. An RJ45 port is also present on this more expensive model.
Stand
The stand remains in Dell’s great tradition with a simple foot that has the advantage of not taking up too much space, much less than the Oled models we’ve tested. The advantage over some other office models from the brand is its many ergonomic adjustments. In addition to classic tilt forwards and backwards, you can also adjust the monitor in height and use it vertically in portrait mode.
Image Quality
The Dell UltraSharp U2724D monitor offers a 27-inch IPS Black panel with 1440p resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The IPS Black panel stands out from classic IPS with greater contrast and greater color accuracy for various creative works.
We tested the panel thoroughly with our Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus probe using the Calman Ultimate software. First, we wanted to verify the panel’s promises in terms of contrast, which can theoretically go up to a value of 2000:1, much higher than what classic IPS panels offer (around 1000:1).
By default, it’s 1682:1, thus offering deeper blacks than our other Dell office monitor in comparison (the Dell S2721D). To reach the maximum value, we set the brightness and contrast to maximum in the monitor’s menu, and we reach a rate of 1966:1, very close to the technical specifications.
The monitor’s brightness is faithful to that communicated by Dell, with 246 cd/m² on factory settings and a peak at 349 cd/m² once the brightness and contrast settings are pushed to their maximum. This is the norm for this type of monitor, so no issues at this level.
In terms of colors, the promises are almost kept with a coverage of 135% of the sRGB space, 91% of DCI-P3, and 90% of Adobe RGB, so enough to satisfy amateur creatives working on these different spaces. But does the monitor display these colors correctly? Here, we will compare the performance in Standard mode, the default setting, and in the most accurate mode we could measure.
The default color temperature is measured at 6430, an excellent value very close to the D65 white point recommended for normal ambient light conditions. If we switch the monitor to its sRGB mode, this value goes to 6506, almost perfect, even if the difference won’t necessarily be felt by everyone.
It’s in its color accuracy that this monitor impressed us. While the default Standard mode brings us to a Delta-E of 4.54, with deviations on blue tones, a relatively correct value but far from being accurate for the most demanding. By switching the monitor to sRGB mode, this value drops to 0.74, a simply excellent value that confirms the hybrid positioning between productivity and creation of the monitor.
The performance of this IPS Black panel comes at the slight detriment of reduced viewing angles compared to a classic panel; we experienced this by comparing it to an S2721D office panel, and the difference was noticeable. But this shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve properly angled the monitor in front of your eyes.
The panel’s uniformity remains correct even if we noticed some light leaks on the edges of the image, but much less pronounced than some gaming monitors with insufficient quality control. Some chromatic drifts are felt on the different edges of the screen, but nothing too pronounced to be annoying in daily use.
Finally, the contribution of a 120 Hz refresh rate is undeniable for visual comfort, whether for scrolling web pages or moving windows. The trend is increasingly observed on office and creative ranges, good news.
However, don’t imagine playing competitive games on this monitor, even if it can be used for occasional solo gaming with its very good contrast and 4.2 ms latency at 120 Hz. The gray-to-gray response times of 10 ms indeed reserve it only for this type of game, but we won’t judge this monitor on this point.
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the Dell UltraSharp U2724D seemed well-managed by the manufacturer. We measured the monitor according to the standard index of W/m² (number of watts per square meter). On a 10% test pattern displayed via Calman Ultimate, at a brightness of 150 cd/m², we reach 78 W/m² at 120 Hz, and slightly less at 60 Hz (around 73 W/m²).
This is a very good value, significantly lower than some gaming monitors and especially Oled ones that can exceed 100 W/m².
Price and Availability
The Dell UltraSharp U2724D has dropped below the 400$ mark at the time of writing this test. You’ll find it at 388$ on the manufacturer’s official website and around 370 at third-party retailers.
In our opinion, this is a good price for the features it offers, especially its versatility between office and creative work. The U2724DE model with its superior connectivity offer is 100$ more expensive.
Final Test Score
9/10
Dell does not lose its status as a leader in professional monitors, and this UltraSharp U2724D is no exception. If you’re looking for an office monitor but with above-average image quality for possible creative work, then this is the best compromise for less than 400 $.
We appreciate the excellent contrast of the IPS Black panel that offers us much deeper blacks than other LCD monitors of the same type. Coupled with a 120 Hz refresh rate to add fluidity to the picture, comfort is certainly there. The monitor even allows for very good color accuracy (in sRGB mode) if you’re looking for a relatively affordable product for photo editing, for example.
We can fault it for the absence of HDR, quite a shame when we see the image quality of this monitor, but let’s bet that its HDR proposition would have been insufficient for this price. Similarly, we regret the absence of Power Delivery on this model, for which you’ll have to spend 100$ more.
It remains that the UltraSharp U2724D is an excellent monitor that we won’t hesitate to recommend for work and creation without breaking the bank.
POSITIVE POINTS OF THE
- Excellent contrast for an IPS panel
- Excellent color accuracy
- The comfort of 120 Hz
- Very good ergonomics
- Minimalist, all-purpose design
NEGATIVE POINTS OF THE
- No HDR
- No Power Delivery
- Uniformity slightly to be revised
