Bottom Line
The Dell S2419HM is a bit pricier 24″ 1080p IPS monitor, but it offers HDR, FreeSync, and a gorgeous ultra-thin design which makes it worth the extra cost.
If you would rather get a higher resolution or a higher refresh rate, then you should look elsewhere.
You don’t necessarily need a 4K or a 144Hz monitor for an enjoyable gaming experience and a crisp image quality.
1080p is still the standard, and many users are still perfectly satisfied with their 24″ 1080p 60Hz displays.
Besides, a higher resolution and/or a higher refresh rate also need a more powerful PC rig, which is not something everyone can afford.
The Dell S2419HM is the perfect monitor for those looking for a standard 24″ 1080p monitor but with some bells and whistles.
Image Quality
The monitor is based on an IPS panel with an 8-bit color depth via dithering (6-bit + 2-bit FRC) and 99% sRGB as well as 85% DCI-P3 color gamut.
All in all, this means that you get accurate, consistent and vibrant colors that won’t change in color, brightness, or contrast when the screen is looked at from skewed angles.
The Dell S2419HM monitor also boasts entry-level HDR (High Dynamic Range) support for compatible content.
In essence, the HDR10 content, including compatible PC/console games and movies, get a notable boost in screen brightness, from the standard 400-nits up to 600-nits of peak luminance.
This will result in a notably brighter picture with more prominent details in the highlights of the image.
However, due to the lack of a wider color gamut (at least 90% DCI-P3 with true 8-bit color depth), the 4K UHD resolution and a higher contrast ratio, the HDR viewing experience on the Dell S2419HM is barely a glimpse of what true HDR displays can deliver.
Still, if the Dell S2419HM had all that, it would also be significantly more expensive. So, at this price range, the HDR support is a nice addition.
Performance
The Dell S2419HM HDR monitor also provides a responsive and smooth gaming experience with a low input lag of ~10ms, a quick 5ms response time speed and up to 75Hz refresh rate.
For the best response time performance, select the ‘Fast’ option in the Response Time OSD (On-Screen Display) settings. This will increase the speed from 8ms (Normal) to only 5ms with gray to gray pixel transition.
If you have an AMD graphics card with FreeSync, you can synchronize the monitor’s refresh rate to the GPU, which will eliminate all screen tearing and stuttering within 48-75Hz/Frames Per Second range.
You can also use the monitor with NVIDIA cards, but not the variable refresh rate technology.
However, note that you cannot simultaneously use FreeSync and HDR on the Dell S2419HM display.
The screen of the monitor is flicker-free and has a built-in filter against harmful blue lights, which prevents eye fatigue.
Features
In order to enable HDR, you need to enable the Smart HDR feature in the OSD menu.
There are three presets designed for different usage, including Movie HDR, Game HDR and Desktop.
Other available adjustments are pretty standard and include brightness/contrast, input source selection, color settings, hue/saturation, aspect ratio and two hotkey buttons for feature shortcuts.
Design & Connectivity
As you can see, the design of the Dell S2419HM FreeSync monitor is extraordinary as the connector ports are placed on the stand rather than at the back of the monitor itself.
This also means that the monitor cannot be detached from its base and mounted on a mounting arm, but you can tilt the screen by -5°/21°.
The Dell S2419HM is also one of the thinnest monitors as not only does it have very narrow bezels, its screen is only 5.5mm thin at the thinnest point.
Dell achieved this by placing the connector ports on the stand of the monitor and by using the cutting-edge Corning Iris Glass light-guide plate (LGP).
Connectivity includes two HDMI 2.0 ports and a headphone jack.
Price & Similar Monitors
The Dell S2419HM price is around $250, which is a bit steep considering that you can get a 1440p or a 144Hz monitor for that price.
However, if you just need a 24″ 1080p monitor and you don’t mind paying a bit extra for all the premium features the Dell S2419HM ultra-thin monitor offers, it’s a reasonable deal.
You can also find the 27″ version of the monitor, the Dell S2719DM, with a 2560×1440 screen resolution and true 8-bit color depth, and thereby, VESA’s DisplayHDR 400 certification.
Conclusion
The Dell UltraThin S2419HM offers smooth performance, a vibrant image quality and a gorgeous design.
Are the entry-level HDR support and the innovative design worth the extra cost?
Well, that’s up to your personal preference, but if you don’t need a higher resolution/refresh rate display than 1080p/75Hz, then you might as well get a premium 24″ 1080p IPS display such as the Dell S2419HM.
Specifications
| Screen Size | 23.8-inch |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 (Full HD) |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms (GtG) |
| Adaptive Sync | FreeSync (48Hz-75Hz) |
| Ports | 2x HDMI 2.0 |
| Other Ports | Headphone Jack |
| Brightness | 400 cd/m2 |
| Brightness (HDR) | 600 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 (static) |
| Colors | 16.7 million (6-bit + FRC) |
| HDR | HDR10 |
The Pros:
- Bright image quality with vibrant colors
- AMD FreeSync up to 75Hz
- Strikingly thin design
The Cons:
- Expensive
- Tilt-only design
- Narrow FreeSync range
- FreeSync and HDR cannot work simultaneously
- Low contrast and color gamut for HDR
