Dell S2425HSM 24" Ash White 2025

The Dell S2425HSM is a 24-inch 1080p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, FreeSync, and a fully adjustable stand, all for around $150 USD. It's a great budget pick for students, home office workers, and casual gamers who want smooth motion and good ergonomics. The main downsides are no USB-C and weak color accuracy, but for the price, it's a solid deal.

The 144Hz refresh rate is the headline spec here, and it delivers. Combined with the 1ms MPRT response time, motion looks clean and fluid in fast-paced games. FreeSync keeps things tear-free when your GPU can't quite hold a locked 144fps. In our database, the performance score lands at the 73rd percentile, which is well above average for a monitor in this price bracket.

The display itself is a mixed bag. The 1500:1 contrast ratio is actually better than most IPS panels at this price, which helps blacks look deeper than you'd expect. But the color score sits at just the 17th percentile, so this isn't a monitor for photo editing or anything color-sensitive. Text can look slightly pixelated at 1080p on a 24-inch panel, especially if you're used to higher pixel density. For everyday browsing and documents, it's fine. For pixel-peeping, you'll notice it.

Against the LG UltraGear 27G810A-B, the Dell gives up screen size and likely color performance, but costs considerably less. The LG is a 27-inch panel aimed at more serious gamers, while the Dell is a budget-friendly all-rounder. If you want bigger and faster, the LG wins. If you want cheaper with better ergonomics, the Dell makes a strong case.

The HP OMEN 27qs G2 is another step up in both price and performance, with better color and a larger panel. The BenQ MA Series MA270U targets productivity users with 4K resolution, which the Dell can't touch. But none of those competitors include a fully adjustable stand and decent speakers at this price point. The Dell S2425HSM is really competing with itself in the budget category, and it does that well.

At $150 USD, this monitor is a genuinely good deal. The EUR pricing is a bit more scattered, ranging from €177 to €216 across four listings, so if you're in Europe it's worth shopping around. The ergonomic stand alone would cost you $50-80 as an aftermarket add-on, and you're getting it included here. Compared to the LG UltraGear 27G810A-B or HP OMEN 27qs G2, you're spending significantly less while still getting 144Hz. The trade-off is size and color performance, but for a budget 1080p panel, the value proposition is strong.

The Dell S2425HSM sits in that sweet spot where budget monitors are getting genuinely good. It's a 24-inch 1080p panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and AMD FreeSync, all wrapped in a surprisingly clean ash white design. At around $150 USD or €177-216 depending on where you shop, this is aimed squarely at students, home office workers, and anyone who wants a smooth display without dropping serious cash.

Dell is pitching this as a "24 Plus" monitor, and the plus mostly comes from the ergonomics. You get height adjust, tilt, swivel, and pivot, which is rare at this price point. Most budget monitors give you a fixed stand and call it a day. The built-in 3W speakers are also a nice touch if you don't want to clutter your desk with external audio.

Is the Dell S2425HSM good for gaming? For casual and competitive 1080p gaming, yes. The 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support mean smooth frame rates without screen tearing. Just don't expect HDR or wide color gamut, this is a solid everyday panel, not a color-critical display.

Skip this monitor if you need USB-C connectivity for a single-cable laptop setup, or if you do any color-sensitive work like photo editing or design. The color accuracy is weak, sitting at the 17th percentile in our database, so creative professionals should look at something like the BenQ MA Series MA270U instead. If you want a larger screen for immersive gaming, the LG UltraGear 27G810A-B or HP OMEN 27qs G2 are better fits, though they cost more. And if you're a MacBook user who wants clamshell mode with charging through the monitor, this Dell won't work without a separate power adapter.

Should you buy the Dell S2425HSM? If you want a budget 1080p monitor with a high refresh rate, good ergonomics, and built-in speakers, this is one of the easiest recommendations we can make. The 144Hz panel is smooth, the stand is genuinely useful, and the design looks better than most monitors twice the price.

But if you need USB-C connectivity, accurate colors, or a larger screen, look elsewhere. The lack of USB-C is the biggest miss here, especially for laptop users who want a single-cable setup. For a secondary screen or a student desk, though, this thing is hard to beat at the price.