Dell UltraSharp U2724DE vs Dell S2725QS
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 UltraSharp U2724DE
46ppd · sharpNo HDR~$640
Everything the U2725QE offers except the pixels and part of the power budget: IPS Black contrast at 2000:1 rather than 3000:1, Thunderbolt 4 at 90 W rather than 140, the same KVM, at 1440p instead of 4K.
Best for: A docked work laptop where 100% scaling matters more than pixel density
- HDMI 2.1· full speed
- DisplayPort 1.4· full speed
- Thunderbolt (DP 1.4)· full speed
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
| Specification | Dell UltraSharp U2724DE | Dell S2725QS |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$640 | ~$300 |
| Type | Productivity | Productivity |
| Screen size | 27 in | 27 in |
| Resolution | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Pixels per degree | 46 — sharp | 68 — retina-class |
| Pixels per inch | 109 | 163 |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Finish | matte | matte |
| Curvature | Flat | Flat |
| Max refresh | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Response time | 5 ms GtG | 4 ms GtG |
| VRR | Adaptive-Sync | FreeSync Premium |
| 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 | 2,000:1 | 1,500:1 |
| Colour gamut | 98% DCI-P3 | 99% sRGB |
| Colour depth | 10-bit | — |
| HDMI | 1 × HDMI 2.1 | 2 × HDMI 2.1 |
| DisplayPort | 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 | 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 |
| DSC | Not supported | Not published |
| Port speed | 3 of 3 inputs at full speed | 1 of 2 inputs at full speed |
| USB-C | Video in over USB-C | None |
| USB-C power | 90 W — 14-inch class laptop | — |
| Thunderbolt | Yes | No |
| KVM | Built in | None |
| USB hub | 5 ports | None |
| Speakers | None | Built in |
| Stand | height, tilt, swivel, pivot | height, tilt, swivel, pivot |
| VESA | 100x100 | 100x100 |
| Weight | 16.25 lb | 14.26 lb |
| $ per inch | $24 | $11 |
| $ per megapixel | $174 | $36 |
Dell UltraSharp U2724DE: what it gives up
- 90 watts is enough for a thin-and-light and marginal for a 16-inch workstation
- 46 pixels per degree, well short of the 68 the 4K version of this monitor reaches
- One HDMI and one DisplayPort input, so on a three-machine desk the Thunderbolt port has to carry the third
- No HDR at all — Dell does not claim even HDR10 here, and 350 nits would not carry it
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
Full specifications: Dell UltraSharp U2724DE · Dell S2725QS