Dell SE2717H 27-inch IPS FreeSync Gaming Monitor Review
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Brightness & Contrast
To read about our monitor tests in depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. Brightness and Contrast testing is covered on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
Most gaming monitors price comparable to the SE2717H have 24" FHD screens and support FreeSync. Today’s group contains ViewSonic’s XG2401, AOC’s G2460PF and G2770PF, and Asus’ VG245H and MG278Q. The latter sports QHD resolution as well as a higher price.
Max output isn’t a huge concern for gaming monitors unless they incorporate ULMB. By strobing the backlight, motion blur is reduced but brightness and contrast drop as well. FreeSync displays like the SE2717H don’t have this concern, so we think 290cd/m2 is plenty of light unless you plan to play games next to a sunlit window. The top finishing ViewSonic is bright enough to be used outdoors if you plan to engage in some frag fests while camping, for instance.
Black levels are pretty close among the six screens, with Dell coming in second due to its lower backlight power. Resulting contrast is just under 1000:1 which isn’t too far off the leaders except the XG2401, which excels among TN monitors with a ratio of over 1200:1. The SE2717H fares reasonably well and provides a sharp, detailed picture with good depth and dimension.
Uncalibrated – Minimum Backlight Level
Setting the backlight to zero takes the minimum output level down to 40.9096cd/m2. That’s a tad low for blacked-out room gameplay so we suggest bumping up the setting to five for a little more light. With a mid-pack black level result, contrast for the SE2717H remains constant at 932.1:1; almost identical to the max number. While we’d always like to see more contrast from any monitor, it’s especially helpful for gaming where you're trying to pick out fine details in highlight and shadow areas. We’re still looking towards a future that has more VA panel choices in it. That’s still our favorite monitor technology because its dynamic range is so large.
After Calibration to 200cd/m2
Calibration reduces contrast just a bit, but the SE2717H still maintains its mid-pack placement. Aside from the XG2401, you will see little difference between any of these screens when comparing them side by side. We’re glad to see Dell has set the contrast slider correctly, so no sacrifices are required to achieve maximum color and gamma accuracy. Performance here is pretty typical of the genre. No screens really stand out.
ANSI Contrast Ratio
ANSI contrast is only slightly lower than the sequential value, which bodes well for panel quality and suggests that care has been taken in the manufacturing process. Keeping the grid polarizer perfectly flat is key to creating the highest possible intra-image contrast. Our SE2717H sample also displays excellent uniformity, which enhances this test result.
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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.
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ArnisR Pixel Response & Input Lag diagrams are wrong. They are duplicates of uniformity diagrams.Reply -
Adroid You know, I have been eyeing the ASUS Rog PG279Q because I'm currently running a NVidia card, but at 800$ it's a hard pill to swallow. Seeing a good quality screen like this, when you add a 500$ graphic card, it's still less than the Asus monitor alone, makes you really second guess spending that much.Reply
I'm an "old school" gamer, and I am pretty bummed that 16:10 is essentially a lost cause. People don't realize that it's a superior resolution, in particular for MOBA and RTS games where battles can be taken place vertically... I'm thinking about the 1440p screen because it will give a bit more than the 1920x1200 I'm currently using, but dang I wish I could find a ULMB Gsync/freesync screen with 2560x1600 and at least 120hz - but I'm sure not holding my breath. -
Rassalas Isn't 1080P kind of out of date nowadays? I would think at least 4K would be the lower threshold for something to brag about.Reply -
Adroid 1080p is OK. Depends on what you are doing. You have to consider on FPS games the larger the resolution, the smaller your targets will be. For example, CS:GO at 4k would be very difficult to make "flick shots", which is game lingo for flicking your mouse and shooting faster than your eyes can keep up. It's essentially a controlled shot blind, developed from many hours of play and settings on the mouse that fit the player.Reply
For MMO games, and I'm sure a number of other games and genres, the bigger the resolution, the better - provided the game has proper scaling for text and interface. What I mean is there are certain games if you run at 4k the text is unreadable because it's so small... In this case a smaller resolution is the only answer. 1080p is pretty much the "standard" that all games work towards, so I would guess confidently that most, if not all, games will support it (modern games do undoubtedly).
But to answer your question, no, I wouldn't say it's out of date. It's the most common resolution for streaming, video, and compatible with 99.9% of game systems, TVs, media, and the list goes on (albeit 1080p is not 100% to scale in most video thanks to the biggest blunder of our time). -
photonboy Adroid,Reply
You do not gain anything with a more square aspect, in fact you LOSE by seeing less information to the sides.
Scaling issues aren't much of an issue today either in terms of game text. Also, I have no idea what "blunder" you are referring to with 1080p and video scaling.
16x9 is the ideal ratio for a screen. -
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Syed_Listening How about the after purchase experience on this? Will there be replacement or repair?Reply -
Syed_Listening How about the after purchase experience on this? Does Dell provide a replacement or repair?Reply