155

Dell Ultrasharp U2721DE Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Dec 21, 2023 3:49 PM

True Score

76
75
1

Experts

83
93

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

The Dell U2721DE has been hailed as a great office monitor thanks to its wide viewing angles, excellent ergonomics, and high color accuracy. However, critics still found it lacking in some areas such as its lack of support for HDR content, low contrast ratio, and slow response time.

Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Dell U2721DE is a mid-tier display that was announced in mid-2020. It may not be a top-tier gaming monitor, but it still handles reflections like some of the best computer monitors around, and similar to the Dell S2722Q, it also has a 60Hz refresh rate. Its got a USB port that allows for power delivery, and its ergonomics are very good. Its 27-inch screen offers more screen real estate than the AOC 24G2 and boasts wide viewing angles for easy group viewing. Reflections are handled quite well, and it also has a wide range of connectivity options.

Consensus

our Verdict

Most critics praised the Dell U2721DE as a great monitor to use in the office. They were impressed with its superb ergonomics and hailed it for being very easy to adjust. Product testers from Rtings were very much pleased with its wide viewing angles, as they had an easy time adjusting it to their preferences. Critics from Monitor Nerds were also delighted with its color accuracy after calibration and felt that the display would be okay for light photo editing. Its refresh rate may not be as high as the Dell S3422DWG’s 144Hz, but it offers great connectivity options thanks to a wide port selection.

Despite all these benefits, the Dell U2721DE still has several issues that experts were not too happy about. They established that the monitor’s contrast ratio was too low for dark room viewing, and that it does not have support for HDR content.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Great ergonomics
  • Wide viewing angles
  • High color accuracy
  • Great connectivity options
  • Good reflection handling

Reason to Avoid

  • No support for HDR content
  • Low contrast ratio
  • Slow response time

Dell Ultrasharp U2721DE Specs

Display TypeLCD
HDMI Inputs1
HDR Formatn/a
Max Resolution2560 x 1440
Panel TypePanel TypeIPS
Refresh Rate60 Hz
Response TimeResponse Time8 ms
Screen size27"
Sync TechnologySync Technologyn/a

All Specs

Test Results

Brightness (nits)314
Contrast Ratio (as ratio x:1)1,014
Color Gamut/Accuracy % (DCI P3 xy)0
Color Gamut/Accuracy % (DCI P3 uv)0
Color Gamut % (sRGB Coverage xy)96.8
Color Gamut % (Adobe RGB Coverage xy)75.3
Color Gamut % (Rec. 2020 Coverage xy)0
Color Gamut % (Rec. 709 Coverage xy)0
Input Lag (ms)8.7
Response Time (ms)7.7
Horizontal Viewing Angle (Washout Left)39
Horizontal Viewing Angle (Washout Right)39
Vertical Viewing Angle (Washout Above)34
Vertical Viewing Angle (Washout Below)32
Reflections % (Total Reflections)6.5

All Tests

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Product Comparison

Dell Ultrasharp U2721DE Review

Dell UltraSharp U2720Q Review

Dell UltraSharp U2720Q Review

True Score

76
77
NR
NR
NR

Ranking

#

155

/

196

#

140

/

196

#

/

196

#

/

#

/

Market Context

The Dell U2721DE is a mid-tier display that was announced in mid-2020. It may not be a top-tier gaming monitor, but it still handles reflections…

The Dell U2721DE is a mid-tier display that was announced in mid-2020. It may not be a top-tier gaming monitor, but it still handles reflections like some of the best computer monitors around, and similar to the Dell S2722Q, it also has a 60Hz refresh rate. Its got a USB port that allows for power delivery, and its ergonomics are very good. Its 27-inch screen offers more screen real estate than the AOC 24G2 and boasts wide viewing angles for easy group viewing. Reflections are handled quite well, and it also has a wide range of connectivity options.

The Dell U2721DE cannot compare to the Gigabyte AD27QD as far as gaming performance is concerned since the latter offers a higher 144Hz refresh rate,…

The Dell U2721DE cannot compare to the Gigabyte AD27QD as far as gaming performance is concerned since the latter offers a higher 144Hz refresh rate, a lower input lag, and support for HDR content.

The Dell Ultrasharp U2721DE is outmatched by the Dell U2720Q with its higher native resolution and support for HDR content. Still, the U2720Q offers better…

The Dell Ultrasharp U2721DE is outmatched by the Dell U2720Q with its higher native resolution and support for HDR content. Still, the U2720Q offers better reflection handling, making it the preferable pick for a bright office environment.

The Dell U2721DE (This review) and the Dell U2722D have a 1440p screen, wide viewing angles, and excellent ergonomics. The only major difference between them…

The Dell U2721DE (This review) and the Dell U2722D have a 1440p screen, wide viewing angles, and excellent ergonomics. The only major difference between them is that the U2721DE has better USB connectivity options.

Despite the Dell U2721DE offering better ergonomics, the BenQ EX2780Q proves to be the better option between the two, thanks to its higher 144Hz refresh…

Despite the Dell U2721DE offering better ergonomics, the BenQ EX2780Q proves to be the better option between the two, thanks to its higher 144Hz refresh rate and support for HDR content.

Display Type

LCD

LCD

HDMI Inputs

1

2

HDR Format

n/a

Yes

Max Resolution

2560 x 1440

2560 x 1440

Panel Type

IPS

IPS

Refresh Rate

60 Hz

144 Hz

Response Time

8 ms

1 ms

Screen size

27"

27"

Dig Deeper

Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD Review →

Score Card

E

Expert Score

75

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

83

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

76

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    71
    The Dell U2721DE is a decent monitor overall. It’s a very good office monitor, with… Read More

    By:

    Samuel Breton

Customer Scores