Dell Pro 19 Plus P1917S 19" Black 2019

The Dell P1917S scores in the 91st percentile for ergonomics and 80th for compactness, making it a great second screen or portrait-mode document viewer. But the 6th percentile display quality and 6th percentile performance mean it's strictly an office tool. At USD 130 it's a solid buy; at USD 287 it's a ripoff.

The specs here are modest, and the benchmarks reflect it. You're getting a 1280 x 1024 IPS panel at 60Hz with an 8ms response time, or 6ms if you flip on Fast Mode. That's fine for spreadsheets, PDFs, and point-of-sale systems, but our database ranks the overall performance at the 6th percentile. Translation: almost everything else on the market is faster. The 250 nits brightness is adequate for indoor office use, and the 1,000:1 static contrast ratio is standard fare for IPS panels in this class.

Color coverage is where things get rough. Dell lists 84% CIE1976 and 72% CIE1931, which puts it at the 17th percentile for color. That's fine for reading documents and basic web browsing, but don't expect accurate photo editing or vibrant media consumption. The 8-bit panel supports 16.7 million colors, which sounds impressive until you realize that's just the baseline for any modern display. The 178-degree viewing angles are genuinely nice for a monitor this size, especially if you're sharing the screen with a coworker.

Stacked against the competition in our database, the P1917S is playing a completely different game. The LG UltraGear 27G810A-B, ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B, and MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED are all high-refresh gaming displays with resolutions this Dell can only dream about. But that's not a fair fight. The real comparison is against other office monitors, and even there the P1917S shows its age. The Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx offers a 27-inch 1440p panel with better color and faster response times for not much more money. The HP OMEN 27qs G2 similarly outclasses it on every spec except the 5:4 aspect ratio. What the Dell has going for it is that nobody else really makes a 19-inch 5:4 IPS panel with this level of ergonomic adjustment. If you need that specific form factor, the competition is basically zero. If you don't, there are far better monitors for the money.

Pricing on this monitor is all over the place, which is typical for a product that's been around a while. In the US, you'll find it ranging from USD 130 to USD 287 across 5 listings. That's a USD 157 spread, which is wild for a monitor this old. The best deal we're seeing is at the USD 130 end, and at that price it's a reasonable buy for a second screen or office workhorse. But if you're looking at the USD 287 listing, walk away. You're paying more than double for the same panel. Canadian buyers face a similar situation with prices from CAD 190 to CAD 460, a CAD 270 gap. The CAD 190 option is the only one worth considering. At the higher end, you're creeping into territory where modern 24-inch 1080p monitors live, and those will run circles around this thing.

The Dell Pro 19 Plus P1917S sits in a weird little niche, and it knows it. This is a 19-inch 5:4 monitor with a 1280 x 1024 resolution, which sounds ancient until you realize it's basically the only modern-ish option for people who need that near-square aspect ratio. Our database puts it at the 91st percentile for ergonomics and 80th for compactness, which tells you exactly who this is for: office workers, bank tellers, and anyone stacking a second screen next to a widescreen main display. The 4.6-star customer rating across 28 reviews backs that up.

But let's be honest about the other numbers. Display quality lands at the 6th percentile, performance at the 6th, and color at the 17th. This thing isn't winning any beauty contests. It's a 60Hz panel with an 8ms response time and 250 nits of brightness. If you're looking for a gaming monitor or anything for creative work, you're in the wrong aisle. This is a utility monitor, plain and simple.

Skip this if you need a primary display for anything beyond basic office work. The 6th percentile display quality means the 1280 x 1024 resolution will feel cramped for multitasking, and the 17th percentile color coverage rules out any creative work. Gamers should absolutely look elsewhere, the 60Hz panel and 8ms response time are a non-starter. And if you're buying new at the high end of the price range, USD 287 or CAD 460, you're overpaying by a lot. At those prices you can get a modern 24-inch 1080p IPS monitor with better specs across the board. The only reason to buy this is the 5:4 form factor, and if you don't specifically need that, there's no reason to buy it at all.

The Dell Pro 19 Plus P1917S is a niche product that nails its niche. The 4.6-star rating from 28 reviews tells you that the people who buy this monitor are happy with it. The 91st percentile ergonomics score means you can position it however you need, and the 5:4 aspect ratio is genuinely useful for document-heavy workflows. But the 6th percentile display and performance scores are impossible to ignore. This is not a monitor for media, gaming, or anything that requires color accuracy. It's a tool for specific jobs, and it does those jobs well. If you need a compact second screen or a portrait-mode document viewer, grab it at the low end of the price range. If you're looking for a primary display, keep shopping.