Dell SE-24 Series 24" Glossy Black

A 144Hz refresh rate on a monitor that can't keep up with it. Fine for casual use, but serious gamers and color nerds should look elsewhere.

The 144Hz refresh rate is the headline feature, and it does make scrolling and casual gaming feel smoother than a standard 60Hz office panel. But that 8ms response time is a letdown. You'll see ghosting in fast-paced games, and the 1ms MPRT claim is marketing math, not real-world performance. The 300 nits brightness is solid for indoor use, but the 72% sRGB color gamut is about average for budget IPS panels. Nothing here surprised us, honestly. It performs exactly like a $179 monitor should.

The MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 and LG UltraGear 27G810A-B are in a completely different league, with QD-OLED panels and true 1ms response times. But they cost several times more. The Samsung Odyssey G7 G75F is the closest real competitor here, offering a curved VA panel with better contrast and a genuine gaming pedigree. If you're serious about gaming, the Odyssey G7 is the better buy. The Dell SE-24 only wins if you're on a strict budget and need something that does a bit of everything without excelling at anything.

At $179 USD, this is a tough sell. You're paying for the 144Hz refresh rate, but the slow response time and limited color gamut undercut the gaming pitch. For office work, you can get a 75Hz IPS panel with better color accuracy for less. If you need 144Hz for gaming, save up a bit more and get something with a real 1ms response time and DisplayPort. This monitor sits in an awkward middle ground.

The Dell SE-24 Series is a budget 1080p monitor that tries to be a little bit of everything. It's got a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync, which sounds great for gaming, but the 8ms response time and 72% sRGB coverage tell a different story. This is a work monitor wearing a gaming jacket. The one thing to know? It's fine for casual use, but don't expect it to compete with real gaming or color-critical displays.

If you're looking for a serious gaming monitor, this isn't it. The slow response time will frustrate you in fast-paced games. Go get a monitor with a true 1ms response time and DisplayPort instead. If you need color accuracy for creative work, skip this too. A 72% sRGB panel won't cut it. And if you just need a basic office monitor, you can find cheaper 75Hz IPS panels with better color coverage. This monitor only makes sense if you specifically want 144Hz on a tight budget and don't care about response time or color accuracy.

The Dell SE-24 Series is a compromise monitor that doesn't fully commit to any use case. It's not fast enough for serious gaming, not color-accurate enough for creative work, and not cheap enough to be a no-brainer office pick. If you just need a basic 1080p screen with a high refresh rate for casual use, it'll do the job. But for most people, there are better options at this price point or slightly above.