Dell S2719DGF 155Hz Gaming Monitor Review: Speedy QHD

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Brightness and Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. We cover Brightness and Contrast on page two.
Asus ROG Swift PG27V
Acer RG270
Acer XF251Q

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Our comparison group is mostly 27-inch screens: Asus’ ROG Swift PG27V, MSI’s Optix MPG27CQ, LG’s 27UK850 and Acer’s RG270. We round out the charts with Acer’s 25-inch XF251Q.

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The S2719DGF handily beats its 350 nits claimed brightness with over 358 nits in our test. Coupled with an average black level, that results in 860.7:1 contrast. This is the monitor’s one weakness. Though it has excellent color (as you’ll see on the next page), its dynamic range is a tad below average for the category. Obviously, the lone VA panel here takes that contest by a mile, but we would like to see at least 1,000:1 contrast from any monitor.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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With the brightness set to 200 nits, the monitor retained its fifth place finish in the black level comparison, and contrast dropped to 802.1:1. You’ll barely see the difference, but it is a point in favor of not calibrating the S2719DGF.

The ANSI result is slightly disappointing at only 628:1. Our sample’s screen uniformity was partially to blame for this. We measured hotspots in the corners of the screen that affected the score. The flush-mounted front layer is also sensitive to pressure, so we expect varying results from different samples. The upside is that its color is so good, we barely noticed any of this. If you want the deepest possible dynamic range, VA is your best option. But it won’t quite deliver the speed of TN.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • digitalgriffin
    poor contrast, poor gamut, poor viewing angles, simulated bit depth through dithering?Yep it's TN
    Reply
  • thealmightyeyeball
    I bought one of these and returned it. It had a nice picture for TN, but I was getting horrible tears playing DooM using freesync. My old reliable monitor does not do this.
    Reply
  • derekullo
    Will an 11hz refresh rate overclock do much more than let them put 155hz on the box?
    Reply
  • richardvday
    Yea 11hz is nothing to get excited about.
    Seems high for a tn monitor. Meh
    Reply
  • AlistairAB
    They get a deservedly bad rap. Gamma will be all way off. Look at the file explorer icon for example, it will bloom on TN monitors. Painful to look at unless you are very young. It's garbage, and they should stop making TN monitors. "Rap" comes from experience.
    Reply
  • beshonk
    Why is the screen size in your table listed as 24.5 inches? It's a 27 inch...
    Reply
  • milkod2001
    make it 4k at 32" size, 120Hz would do. Is that so much to ask in nearly 2019?
    1440p monitors are so 2010. Still have one, there is no way i'lll get another only because it has faster refresh rate.
    Reply
  • barryv88
    Am i missing something here?? This is a FREESYNC monitor for goodness sakes. Which means, Tom's was supposed to test it with an AMD card, then report to us how well Freesync worked in games. Come on guys, pull up your socks....
    Reply
  • jaexyr
    TN right at the beginning, that's all I needed to see
    Reply
  • Giroro
    I mean ... at least it's not curved.
    Reply