Dell S2721HGF 27" Gray 2020

The Dell S2721HGF is a 27-inch curved 1080p gaming monitor with a 144Hz VA panel and G-Sync compatibility. It delivers surprisingly good motion handling for a VA panel, with minimal black smearing and a sturdy, ergonomic stand. It's a great value for 1080p gamers, though color accuracy and connectivity are weak spots.

The headline specs are 144Hz, 1ms response time, and G-Sync compatibility. In practice, this thing feels smooth. Fast-paced shooters and racing games benefit from the high refresh rate, and the adaptive sync keeps tearing and stuttering out of the picture. Our database puts the overall performance in the 73rd percentile, which is solid but not chart-topping. The gaming score lands at 45.4 out of 100, which sounds low, but remember that's against all monitors, including 4K OLED panels that cost three times as much.

The VA panel is the real story here. VA panels are notorious for black smearing in dark scenes, but Dell's implementation keeps it to a minimum. Multiple owners say it's the best VA panel they've used for gaming. The 1ms response time is likely a marketing number with overdrive cranked, but even in real-world use, ghosting is minimal. The Dark Stabilizer feature helps with shadow detail in dark games, and the FPS counter overlay is a nice touch for competitive players.

Stacked against the ASUS ROG Strix XG27UCDMG or the MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2, the Dell S2721HGF is playing a completely different game. Those are 4K and 1440p OLED panels that cost significantly more and deliver dramatically better color and contrast. The LG UltraGear 27GX790A-B and Samsung Odyssey G60SD are also in that premium tier. If you're comparing the Dell to those, you're comparing a budget commuter car to a sports sedan.

A more realistic comparison is against other 1080p 144Hz VA or IPS panels in the $250 to $400 range. The Dell's biggest advantage is the curved VA panel with surprisingly good motion handling. Most budget IPS panels in this range will have better color accuracy but worse contrast. The Samsung Odyssey G60SD, while pricier, shows what a higher-end curved panel can do. For pure 1080p gaming value, the Dell holds its own, but the connectivity is a weak spot. You get HDMI and DisplayPort, and that's about it. No USB hub, no USB-C, nothing extra.

At $366 USD, the S2721HGF is a solid deal if you're sticking with 1080p. You're getting a curved VA panel, 144Hz, adaptive sync, and a proper ergonomic stand. The catch is that 1440p monitors have dropped in price significantly, and for not much more you can step up to a 1440p 144Hz IPS panel that'll look sharper and have better colors. But if your GPU can't push 1440p at high frame rates, or you just want the smoothest possible 1080p experience, this Dell delivers. The 98th percentile social proof score tells you people are buying it and liking it.

The Dell S2721HGF is a 27-inch curved gaming monitor that sits in the budget-friendly 1080p high-refresh space. It's a VA panel pushing 144Hz with a 1ms response time, and it plays nice with both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. At around $366 USD, it's aimed squarely at gamers who want smooth motion and an immersive curve without dropping OLED money.

People searching for this monitor usually want to know two things: is the VA panel any good, and does 1080p look rough at 27 inches? The short answer is the panel is genuinely impressive for a VA, with minimal black smearing, which is the usual dealbreaker for this panel type. And while 1080p at 27 inches isn't as sharp as 1440p, the curve and the high refresh rate make it a solid pick for competitive and casual gaming alike.

Dell also threw in a height-adjustable stand with tilt and swivel, which is more than you get from a lot of budget gaming monitors. The tapered stand has a small footprint, and the whole thing feels sturdier than the price suggests. It's VESA certified too, so mounting is an option if the stand isn't your thing.

Skip the S2721HGF if you do any serious photo or video editing. The color accuracy sits in the 17th percentile, which means it's not great for color-critical work. If you're planning to upgrade to a 1440p or 4K GPU soon, you'd be better off putting that $366 toward a higher-resolution panel now. And if you need USB-C connectivity or a built-in USB hub for a laptop setup, look elsewhere. The connectivity options here are minimal. For office work, the 44.7 out of 100 office score tells you this isn't a productivity monitor. A flat IPS panel with better color and sharper text would serve you better for spreadsheets and documents.

Should you buy the Dell S2721HGF? If you're a 1080p gamer who wants a curved screen, high refresh rate, and adaptive sync without spending a fortune, yes. The VA panel is genuinely good, the build quality feels premium, and the ergonomic stand is a nice bonus. The 4.7-star rating from nearly 3,000 reviews isn't an accident.

But if you're thinking about upgrading to 1440p anytime soon, or you care about color accuracy for photo or video work, skip this one. The color performance is weak, and 1080p at 27 inches has visible pixel density limits. This is a gaming monitor first, and for that job, it does it well.