Dell Gaming S2716DGR 27-Inch LED Monitor 

Every gamer has in mind what to expect in their gaming monitor. From a high resolution to low input lag, it is understandable why some will take nothing short of 4K and 9ms input lag. But on a limited budget, you have to cut out some to gain some. And that is where a monitor like Dell Gaming S2716DGR comes in.

This s2716dgr monitor is not designed to be super-thin or with the capability to take on hardcore gaming. But it is impressive in the very least owing to its adaptive refresh technology and quick response times though it still has a TN panel like its previous version; Dell Gaming S2716DG.

Pros

• 1440p resolution
• 1ms response time
• Height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustable
• VESA-mountable
• G-Sync adaptive technology

Cons

• s2716dgr Lacks inbuilt speakers
• Poor contrast ratio

Design Features 

Dell S2716DGR comes in a high-quality build that promises reliability in the long run. The bezels are relatively thin at 0.8mm at the sides and 12.7mm at the bottom bezel. It offers all-around adjustments starting at 5 inches for the height, -45 to 45 degrees swivel, -20 to 5 degrees tilt, and landscape to portrait pivot adjustments.

This s2716dgr model comes with a simple stand that has a flat base. It attaches to the monitor using one screw at the base, and it clamps to the rear without the help of bolts. You can access all the mounts at the rear of the monitor and also wall mount it with 100 x 100mm VESA.

We didn’t expect to see any form of sophistication with this monitor, but because it includes a glossy black, plastic housing, it can easily pass for a high-end gaming monitor.

With this s2716dgr monitor, you will get the HDMI, DisplayPort, IEC power, and USB 3.0 cables bundled together so no going back to the store for the necessary accessories.

Controls and Connectivity 

Dell tends to have tiny buttons, and it’s the same with this model. You will be using buttons on the bottom bezel to control the OSD menu. Although you have to press firmly to get a satisfying click, getting to the setting you want on the OSD menu is not very difficult. The menu is intuitively arranged that you will be able to memorize it within no time.

Most of Dell’s ports are at the rear of the monitor. It comes with one HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, four USB 3.0, and two Analog Audio out jacks. Dell also splits the ports such that the headphone jack and two of the USB ports are the side. This way, it won’t feel like you are accessing ports like a mechanic.

Since one of the USB ports is a fast charger, you will find it helpful when you plug in your smartphone.

Display Qualities 

This gaming monitor has a TN panel with an LCD screen that is LED-lit. It features 1440p QHD resolution. With a 144hz refresh rate and fast 1ms response time, the monitor is ready for competitive gaming. It offers flicker-free backlight, and it supports Nvidia G-Sync adaptive refresh technology.

You will never deal with screen tearing and ghosting, and you can enjoy smooth gaming. It has the choice to use Nvidia’s ULMB feature which makes moving images sharper while keeping the refresh rate at below 144Hz. It is the best quality of the display when you don’t have a graphics card that can match the G-Sync feature.

On this monitor, you still have to depend on the DisplayPort to get 1440p at 144Hz because its HDMI port only gets to 60Hz at 1440p.

Back to the display performance, you will notice that the picture quality is not the best on this monitor. Its black uniformity is not close to average as it is very washed out especially when viewing it in a dark room. But its gray uniformity does better in that it is evenly dark in most places except for the center where it is a bit lighter.

The pre-calibrated settings of this monitor are not to die for. It comes with the gamma set at 2.17 which results in washed out colors. You can make a few adjustments like set gamma to 2.18 and adjust RGB sliders which will bring the gray uniformity to an accurate level as well as the color temperature.

Looking at the color gamut, you will find that the reds are under-saturated while the blue is a bit oversaturated. Changing the gamma will also see some significant improvements in the color saturation so you can enjoy some lovely imagery in real-world performance.

Also, DeltaE is at 3.64 while luminance comes in at 260cd/m2. When you recalibrate, you should get to 102cd/m2 luminance and 0.84 DeltaE at 6526K color temperature. These settings should set you on impressive picture quality for everyday gaming.

We can’t be done without looking at the sRGB performance which the monitor covers at only 92.5%. For gamers, it won’t make so much of a difference, but you may notice some color changes when watching movies and videos.

Gaming Performance

Most users have a mixed position on whether or not they should explore Nvidia ULMB when you have Nvidia G-Sync. For some games, running on 125Hz on Nvidia ULMB works if they are older titles that do not do better with higher frame rates.

But for games like Battlefield 4 and Tomb Raider, you will want to kick it up a notch by enabling G-Sync and pairing it with an Nvidia GeForce graphics of superior performance. These games can take advantage of high refresh rates resulting in tear-free gameplay.

This s2716dgr monitor does not suffer processing lag. You will find it can maintain motion resolution while eliminating motion blur altogether.

Flaws of Dell S2716DGR

Our only issue with this monitor is the washed-out blacks. You may notice that the battle colors in games like Overwatch do not pop as they should. It could do better if the contrast ratio was improved in future versions of the monitor.

S2716dgr Conclusion 

While gaming monitors at the Dell S2716DGR price range rarely include adaptive refresh technologies and fast response times, this monitor sticks out from the crowd. It is fun to game on it because the resolution is improved and the refresh rate does not disappoint. The monitor follows through with superb build quality which will keep you glued to your gaming chair for a long time.