Dell U2724DE Review: 1440p 120Hz IPS Black Monitor With Thunderbolt 4

The Dell UltraSharp U2724DE and U2724D are the first IPS Black monitors with a refresh rate higher than 60Hz, providing you with both deep blacks and smooth motion! The main difference between the two is that the U2724DE offers more extensive connectivity options, such as Thunderbolt 4 and KVM.

Image Quality

Thanks to its IPS Black panel, the Dell U2724DE has a high 2,000:1 static contrast ratio, which results in considerably deeper blacks than that of standard IPS monitors with a typical contrast ratio of around 1,000:1.

Moreover, the monitor has a strong 350-nit peak brightness, meaning that it can get more than bright enough to mitigate glare, even in well-lit rooms.

It also has a wide 98% DCI-P3 gamut coverage (~135% sRGB volume) for vibrant colors. There are dedicated sRGB, Rec.709, DCI-P3 and Display P3 Color Space options available in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu that will properly clamp the gamut and apply the appropriate gamma.

The monitor is factory-calibrated at Delta E < 2, so it’s ready for professional color-critical work right out of the box.

Just like regular IPS panels, the Dell U2724DE has 178° wide viewing angles, meaning that the image won’t degrade in quality at different angles.

IPS glow is also present, which is an expected drawback of all IPS panels.

It can be characterized as visible glowing around the corners of the screen, but it’s mainly noticeable when watching dark content in a dark room with a high brightness setting, so it’s manageable.

Next, the 2560×1440 QHD resolution offers a high pixel density of 108.79 PPI (pixels per inch) on the 27″ screen of the monitor. As a result, you get plenty of screen real estate with sharp details and text. You also don’t need to use any scaling.

Performance

The Dell U2724DE has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, which provides you with a huge boost in motion clarity as opposed to 60-75Hz displays.

As you can see, the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz is a lot bigger than the difference between 120Hz and 240Hz – and this doesn’t just apply to video games, as moving your cursor around and scrolling will also be a lot smoother too.

While the Dell U2724DE isn’t as fast as modern IPS gaming monitors, it’s quick enough for an enjoyable gaming experience. There’s some very minor trailing noticeable behind fast-moving objects, but it’s negligible. Most importantly, there’s no dark-level smearing associated with slow VA panel displays.

There are two overdrive modes: Normal and Fast. We recommend using the Fast mode for gaming at 120Hz.

Variable refresh rate is supported as well with a 48-120Hz dynamic range for tear-free gameplay up to 120FPS. Below 48FPS, the monitor uses LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) to multiply the frames (47FPS -> 94Hz) and prevent tearing.

While there are no official certifications, VRR works without issues as AMD FreeSync over DisplayPort and HDMI for Radeon GPUs, and over DisplayPort as G-SYNC Compatible for supported NVIDIA graphics cards (10-series or newer).

Input lag is very low at around 5ms, which means that there’s no noticeable delay between your actions and the result on the screen.

Features

The Dell U2724DE boasts the 5-star Eye Comfort TUV Rheinland certification.

In addition to having a completely flicker-free backlight with DC dimming and a low blue light filter that can reduce harmful blue light emission to less than 35%, the UltraShapr U2724DE also features an integrated light sensor.

The sensor can automatically adjust brightness and/or color temperature according to ambient lighting, thus ensuring a comfortable viewing experience at all times.

Its 120Hz refresh rate is also a part of this certification as smoother motion also contributes to the overall viewing comfort.

Moving on, at the rear of the monitor, there’s a dedicated power button and a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD menu.

Besides the standard image adjustment tools (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), the Dell U2724DE also supports automatic input detection, display scaling (16:9, auto resize, 4:3, 1:1), sharpness and Picture in Picture / Picture by Picture.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers full ergonomic support with up to 150mm height adjustment, +/- 45° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, -5°/21° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Further, the screen has a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options are abundant and include DisplayPort 1.4, DP 1.4 output for daisy-chaining, HDMI 2.1, upstream Thunderbolt 4 with 90W Power Delivery and DP Alt Mode and downstream Thunderbolt 4 for daisy-chaining and 15W PD.

Other ports include upstream 10 Gbps USB-C, downstream 10 Gbps USB-C with 15W PD, four 10 Gbps USB-A ports, a headphone jack and RJ45.

The Dell U2724DE also has a built-in KVM functionality, which allows you to control two PCs via one set of keyboard/mouse.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Dell U2724DE can be found for $490, which is a reasonable price given its unique specifications. If you can put all (or most of) its features to use, it’s worth the money.

In case you want something different, be sure to visit our best USB-C, USB-C Gaming, and KVM monitor buyer’s guides.

There’s also the cheaper Dell UltraSharp U2724D model without Thunderbolt 4 and KVM, which goes for $385.

Conclusion

Overall, the Dell UltraSharp U2724DE is an excellent monitor for various uses, including gaming, productivity and professional color-critical work and everyday use!

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	2560×1440 (WQHD)
Panel Type	IPS Black
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	120Hz
Response Time	5ms (GtG)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync (48-120Hz)
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, DP-Output, HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4 (DP Alt Mode, 90W PD)
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 4x USB 3.0, RJ45, Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-C
Brightness	350 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	2000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 98% DCI-P3
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)