Bottom Line
The Dell S2425HS is an overall decent budget monitor for everyday use thanks to its IPS panel, high 100Hz refresh rate, fully ergonomic design and integrated speakers with decent audio quality.
However, it lacks VRR support and has limited connectivity options. There are also higher refresh rate and higher resolution monitors available in this price range.
The Dell S2425HS is a popular budget 24″ 1080p IPS monitor with a 100Hz refresh rate. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Image Quality
Thanks to its IPS panel with 178° wide viewing angles, the Dell S2425HS monitor delivers a consistent image that doesn’t degrade in quality when viewed off-angle.
This makes the monitor suitable for entry-level color-critical work as it also covers 99% of the sRGB color space.
Of course, for professional photo and video editing, you will need a colorimeter to calibrate the display for the best accuracy.
The 1920×1080 Full HD resolution provides you with a pixel density of 93 PPI (pixels per inch) on the 23.8″ viewable screen of the monitor. As a result, you get reasonably sharp details and text – noticeably better than that of 27″ 1080p displays with 81 PPI.
Note that there are higher resolution 2560×1440 Quad HD displays around this price range, which provide you with even sharper details and text, as well as more screen real estate. We’ll mention these monitors later in the article.
Next, the Dell S2425HS has a static contrast ratio of 1,500:1, which is a good result as IPS panels usually have a contrast ratio of 1,000:1. However, it’s still low in comparison to that of VA panels (typically around 3,000:1), so blacks won’t be quite as deep.
Moreover, all IPS monitors suffer from IPS glow, which is characterized as visible glowing around the corners of the screen at certain viewing angles. It’s an expected drawback and it’s mainly noticeable when viewing dark content at high brightness levels in a dark room, so it’s manageable.
The peak brightness of the monitor amounts to 250-nits, which is the minimum as far as modern LED-backlit displays go, but it can still get more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions.
If, however, you plan on using the screen in a particularly bright room facing a window without any blinders, the Dell S2425HS might not be able to mitigate glare and you should consider getting a brighter display instead.
Performance
The Dell S2425HS has a maximum refresh rate of 100Hz, which provides you with a noticeable boost in motion clarity as opposed to the standard 60-75Hz displays.
In fact, we find that the difference between 100Hz and 60-75Hz is more noticeable than the difference between 100Hz and ~165Hz.
Further, thanks to the monitor’s IPS panel, you get a quick pixel response time speed for no ghosting behind fast-moving objects.
There are three response time overdrive modes: Normal, Fast and Extreme. The ‘Extreme’ mode is too aggressive as it adds inverse ghosting, so we recommend sticking with the ‘Fast’ mode.
Input lag performance is also excellent at around 6ms of delay, which is imperceptible.
Sadly, the Dell S2425HS doesn’t support variable refresh rate for tear-free gameplay.
The backlight of the monitor is flicker-free and there’s a low-blue light filter mode available in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.
Features
Behind the screen, there’s a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD menu, as well as a dedicated power button.
Besides the typical image adjustment tools (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), the Dell S2425HS also has several advanced settings, such as automatic input detection, 6-axis hue/saturation, sharpness and aspect ratio control (16:9, 4:3 and 5:4).
However, there are no gamma settings or the usual gaming features, such as Shadow Boost, crosshair overlays or on-screen timers.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is robust and offers full ergonomic support, including up to 130mm height adjustment, -5°/21° tilt, +/- 90° pivot, +/- 30° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
Further, the screen has a light matte anti-glare coating that diffuses reflections without making the image too grainy.
Connectivity options include two HDMI 1.4 ports and dual 5W integrated speakers. There’s an I/O cover that conceals one of the HDMI ports.
Price & Similar Monitors
The Dell S2425HS price ranges from $110 to $140, which is a bit expensive. There’s also the Dell S2425H variant for $10 off.
For around $100, you can nowadays get a 24″ – 27″ 2560×1440 100Hz IPS monitor with VRR support, such as the KTC H27T13, whereas Dell’s 1440p 100Hz IPS model, the Dell S2725DS, goes for ~$200, though it offers a fully ergonomic stand and integrated speakers (still no DisplayPort or VRR support though).
You can also find gaming monitors, such as the BenQ EX240 with a 165Hz IPS panel, for the same price.
For more options and information, check our best monitors under $150 buyer’s guide.
Conclusion
The Dell S2425HS is an overall decent monitor for everyday use. However, in the same price range, you can get a higher refresh rate display for gaming – or a higher resolution screen for sharper details and more screen space.
Specifications
Screen Size | 23.8-inch |
Resolution | 1920×1080 (Full HD) |
Panel Type | IPS |
Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
Refresh Rate | 100Hz |
Response Time | 4ms (GtG) |
Speakers | 2x5W |
Ports | 2x HDMI 1.4 |
Brightness | 250 cd/m² |
Contrast Ratio | 1500:1 (static) |
Colors | 16.7 million (8-bit) 93% DCI-P3, 99% Adobe RGB |
VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- Wide color gamut
- Wide viewing angles
- Integrated speakers with decent audio quality
- 100Hz refresh rate
The Cons:
- No VRR support
- No DisplayPort input
- IPS glow and low contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)