Dell S2716DG Review: 1440p 144Hz 1ms G-SYNC Gaming Monitor

The Dell S2716DG 27" 1440p 144Hz 1ms G-SYNC ULMB gaming monitor delivers premium performance at a reasonable price.

Bottom Line

The Dell S2716DG delivers flawless gaming performance at 1440p/144Hz/1ms for NVIDIA GPU users. Moreover, it features a high-quality design and extensive connectivity. However, it has a TN panel and it’s overpriced.

Design:
(5.0)
Display:
(4.0)
Performance:
(4.5)
Price/Value:
(1.5)
3.8

If you have a PC rig capable of running 144Hz at 1440p, it would be a shame not to have a display that can fully utilize that power.

The Dell S2716DG is one of the fastest 1440p 144Hz gaming monitors and it has a native G-SYNC module.

Keep in mind that the Dell S2716DGR is the exact same monitor where the extra ‘R’ stands for ‘Retail model’ whereas the S2716DG is sold directly from Dell.

Image Quality

Now, the image quality of the Dell S2716DG 27″ gaming monitor is not its strongest trait, but it’s also not intended to be.

What this display delivers is a flawless performance for competitive fast-paced video games thanks to its quick response time, among other things.

In order for a monitor to provide a response time speed of only 1ms, it’s based on a TN (Twisted Nematic) panel, which unlike other panel types (IPS and VA), has narrow viewing angles.

The viewing angles will cause the image to shift in color and contrast when you’re looking at the screen from any angle other than being directly in front of the screen.

However, thanks to the fully adjustable stand with tilt, height, and swivel ergonomics, you can always adapt the screen to your viewing position.

Another thing is that TN panels have the worst color quality in comparison to IPS and VA panels. So, if you’re okay with sacrificing image quality for performance, the Dell S2716DG is for you.

While the colors may be a bit off and certain black shades a bit grayish, the monitor does deliver a bright and crisp image quality mainly due to its 2560×1440 WQHD resolution, which ensures a high pixel count per screen inch.

The Dell S2716DG calibration settings need to be adjusted out of the box for the best image quality. As each display unit is at least slightly different, try out a few different color settings and Dell S2716DG ICC profiles.

Performance

While the 1ms response time speed eliminates ghosting and motion blur of fast-moving objects allowing you to concentrate on your fleeing targets, the Dell S2716DG input lag performance of only ~4ms ensures instantaneous response to your commands.

For the most responsive and fluid fast-paced competitive gameplay, a 144Hz refresh rate does wonders as it refreshes your screen more than twice as fast in comparison to regular 60Hz displays, therefore reducing input lag and perceived screen tearing.

Moving on, the Dell S2716DG monitor offers a variable refresh rate for NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible graphics cards.

Enabling G-SYNC will allow the display to change its refresh rate according to the GPU, which fully eliminates screen tearing and stuttering at virtually no (less than 1ms) input lag cost up to 144FPS.

Alternatively, you can use ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) feature, which inserts black frames between the regular frames to decrease trailing and ghosting.

This technology works only at fixed refresh rates (85Hz, 100Hz, and 120Hz) and can’t be used at the same time as G-SYNC.

Those with AMD graphics cards will be able to use the monitor, but not the ULMB nor G-SYNC features, and should look for a monitor with AMD FreeSync technology instead.

Features

The monitor’s hotkeys and the power button are uncomfortably tiny, clunky, and hard to press, but considering its ultra-thin design, the Dell S2716DG wouldn’t look as nice if the buttons were any bigger.

Luckily, the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu is intuitive and easy to navigate. Available standard settings include contrast, brightness, color temperature, RGB, and input source selection.

You will also find the Response Time setting with Normal and Fast options. We recommend using the Normal option as ‘Fast’ introduces pixel overshoot.

Since enabling ULMB reduces the monitor’s brightness, there’s a feature called ULMB Pulse Width, which changes the sensitivity of backlight strobing. So, you can increase the brightness but at the cost of more motion blur, and vice versa.

Design & Connectivity

dell s2716dg amazon

The Dell S2716DG G-SYNC gaming monitor offers amazing build quality with a wide range of ergonomics, including 26° tilt, +/- 45° swivel, 90° pivot, and up to 130mm height adjustment.

It’s also VESA mount compatible, has an anti-glare coating, a cable management hole, and thin bezels.

Display connectors include DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4. Only the DisplayPort input supports 1440p at 144Hz and G-SYNC, while the HDMI port maxes out at 1440p at 60Hz.

You will also find two USB 3.0 ports and an audio line-out port at the back of the monitor, as well as an additional two USB ports and a headphone jack on the side of the monitor.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Dell S2716DG price amounts to around $500, which is too expensive.

We recommend getting the MSI G273QF for ~$300 instead. It is just as fast, but also offers much better colors and wider viewing angles, as well as smooth variable refresh rate performance with both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.

To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

The Dell S2716DG gaming monitor ensures perfect performance for hardcore competitive gaming thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time speed, and low input lag.

However, nowadays you can find an IPS variant at the same price range, which will in addition to smooth performance provide you with better image quality.

Specifications

Screen Size27-inch
Resolution2560×1440 (WQHD)
Panel TypeTN
Aspect Ratio16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate144Hz
Response Time1ms (GtG)
Adaptive SyncG-SYNC
PortsDisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4
Other Ports4x USB 3.0, Headphone Jack, Audio Line-Out
Brightness350 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (static)
Colors16.7 million (true 8-bit)
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • G-SYNC
  • Low input lag, quick response time
  • Full ergonomic support
  • Rich connectivity

The Cons:

  • Calibration out of the box is required
  • Narrow viewing angles
  • Expensive

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.