BEST DELL GAMING MONITOR

Twisted nematic (TN) monitors get a bad rap, but they are usually the fastest screens for gaming monitors. TN panels have the highest refresh rates and usually the quickest response and lowest input lag when compared to vertical alignment (VA) and in-plane switching (IPS) technologies. And many of the preconceptions about their color quality are not universally true.Today, we’re checking out Dell’s S2719DGF. It’s a 27-inch TN panel with a 155Hz overclock, FreeSync and QHD resolution. It’s also one of the best-looking TN screens we’ve ever seen. In actual use, it can easily be mistaken for an IPS display, and that’s saying something.

 

The S2719DGF is priced at the low-end of the premium category. With an MSRP at the time of writing of $360 / £370.03, it competes with IPS and VA panels sporting similar features. The main attraction is speed. It runs at 144Hz natively and 155Hz when the overclock is engaged and the signal comes through its DisplayPort input. It includes HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4 as well. Adaptive sync is of the AMD FreeSync variety and works down to 40Hz. This wide spread allows for Low Framerate Compensation, which doubles frames when the refresh drops below 40Hz. This way, you’ll never see a tear, even with with less-capable video cards.Aside from its versatility, the S2719DGF comes with one of the best TN screens we’ve ever seen. Its image goes against every preconception.

 

Color is rich and saturated, not to mention accurate. Viewing angles are surprisingly good. And of course, the speed that TN is known for is there. Let’s take a look.Dell’s clamshell-style carton opens to reveal the S2719DGF in three parts: upright, base and panel. The contents are easily assembled without tools. As always, Dell includes quality cables, in this case USB 3.0 and HDMI. There’s no DisplayPort, which seems an odd omission, considering you can only run at 155Hz over DisplayPort. An IEC power cord is also in the box for the monitor’s internal power supply. Supporting documentation is found on Dell’s website.Dell’s familiar design theme is well-represented by the S2719DGF. A thin 6mm bezel surrounds the top and sides, while a slightly wider 14mm strip runs across the bottom. The anti-glare layer is flush-mounted for a bezel-free look when the power is off.

 

Running your fingers across the bottom reveals the tiny control buttons. The power toggle doubles as a white LED, while six more keys provide direct access to picture modes, FreeSync, Dark Stabilizer, brightness/contrast, the on-screen display (OSD) and exit. Every press pops up icons denoting the buttons’ functions, as well as a status bar at the top of the screen.The stand is very solid with a nice weight and firm movements. The height adjustment range is five inches, and you get -5 degrees to 21 degrees of tilt, 45 degrees swivel in each direction and, interestingly, a portrait mode that goes both ways. If you’d rather use a monitor arm or bracket, a 100 mm VESA mount is provided under the snap-on stand.The panel has a gentle curve across the back that makes the side profile of average thickness. Ventilation is cleverly hidden in down-facing grills. The input panel is tucked up under the upright and includes one each of HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2. Only the latter can be used at 155Hz, but the HDMI 2.0 port supports FreeSync up to 144Hz. Audio is supported by 3.5mm input and output jacks.

 

There are no built-in speakers, but you can control volume in the OSD.In general use, the S2719DGF is perfectly competent for things like web browsing and word processing. Its excellent color—particularly its ideal D65 white point—makes it an excellent companion for getting work done or researching your next purchase. Color-critical apps are also a good fit as the S2719DGF sticks very close to the sRGB color gamut. It makes a good tool for Photoshop and other graphics-oriented work and can perform well without any fiddling in the OSD.

 

The Standard picture mode is well-suited for whatever you need to do.

Gaming is a similarly great experience, thanks to FreeSync. We enjoyed playing Tomb Raider at an average framerate around 50 fps. The Dell’s QHD resolution paired well with our Radeon R9 285 video card. After trying all three overdrive settings, we settled on Fast (the middle one) as the best choice. It smoothed out the action nicely without producing any visible ghosting or other artifacts.