Dell S2725QS vs BenQ GW2790QT
The Dell S2725QS is 22 pixels per degree sharper at a desk distance — 68 against 46, and that is the line between sharp and retina-class. Every other published specification for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Dell
Dell S2725QS
68ppd · retina-classNo HDR~$300
About $300 buys 4K at 120 Hz here, with a stand that moves every way a $900 monitor's does.
Best for: A cheap sharp desktop for a console and a recent graphics card
- 2×HDMI 2.1· full speed
- DisplayPort 1.4· depends on DSC, which is not published
BenQ
BenQ GW2790QT
46ppd · sharpNo HDR~$300
White, quiet and built around one USB-C cable, this is a video-call monitor before it is anything else: the microphone has noise cancellation, the speakers have a noise filter, and an ambient sensor trims brightness as the room changes.
Best for: A home-office desk where the laptop docks with one cable and the calls never stop
- HDMI 1.4· full speed
- DisplayPort 1.2· full speed
- USB-C (DP Alt Mode)· full speed
| Specification | Dell S2725QS | BenQ GW2790QT |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$300 | ~$300 |
| Type | Productivity | Productivity |
| Screen size | 27 in | 27 in |
| Resolution | 3840×2160 | 2560×1440 |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Pixels per degree | 68 — retina-class | 46 — sharp |
| Pixels per inch | 163 | 109 |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Finish | matte | matte |
| Curvature | Flat | Flat |
| Max refresh | 120 Hz | 75 Hz |
| Response time | 4 ms GtG | 5 ms GtG |
| VRR | FreeSync Premium | None |
| HDR tier | No HDR | No HDR |
| HDR certification | None | None |
| Peak brightness | 350 nits claimed | 350 nits claimed |
| SDR brightness | 350 nits | 350 nits |
| Local dimming | — | None |
| Static contrast | 1,500:1 | 1,000:1 |
| Colour gamut | 99% sRGB | 81% DCI-P3 |
| Colour depth | — | 8-bit |
| HDMI | 2 × HDMI 2.1 | 1 × HDMI 1.4 |
| DisplayPort | 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 | 1 × DisplayPort 1.2 |
| DSC | Not published | Not supported |
| Port speed | 1 of 2 inputs at full speed | 3 of 3 inputs at full speed |
| USB-C | None | Video in over USB-C |
| USB-C power | — | 65 W — Thin-and-light laptop |
| Thunderbolt | No | No |
| KVM | None | None |
| USB hub | None | 4 ports |
| Speakers | Built in | Built in |
| Stand | height, tilt, swivel, pivot | height, tilt, swivel, pivot |
| VESA | 100x100 | 100x100 |
| Weight | 14.26 lb | 18.5 lb |
| Released | — | 2023 |
| $ per inch | $11 | $11 |
| $ per megapixel | $36 | $81 |
Dell S2725QS: what it gives up
- 1500:1 contrast is ordinary even by IPS standards, so dark scenes go grey in a dim room
- No USB ports of any kind — no hub, and no USB-C to bring a laptop in on one cable
- Dell publishes only 99% sRGB coverage and gives the panel as 1.07 billion colours without saying how it reaches them; fine for documents, thin for photo work
- No HDR certification at all, and 350 nits over an edge-lit backlight would not carry HDR if it had one
BenQ GW2790QT: what it gives up
- 75 Hz, 5 ms and no adaptive sync at all — this is not a monitor to game on
- 99% sRGB and no wide-gamut mode, so print or video colour work needs something else
- HDMI here is 1.4, with only just enough headroom for 1440p at 75 Hz and none for anything past it
- No HDR support of any kind, not even the DisplayHDR 400 badge its rivals carry
Full specifications: Dell S2725QS · BenQ GW2790QT