Dell's excellent S2721DGF Fast IPS monitor is $230 off today
A 27-in 1440p 165Hz screen with superior motion handling
Right now, the sweet spot for gaming monitors is clear: 27 inches, 1440p resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. That's where you get the most for your money, an upgrade over the default 1080p 60Hz monitors in two key areas. Unsurprisingly, there are a ton of monitors that hit these two specs, but the very best use LG's modern Fast IPS panels, combining the extremely good motion handling you'd normally find on a TN panel with the wide viewing angles and excellent colour reproduction of IPS.
The LG 27GL850 is one such monitor that we featured recently, but there is a better option available - the Dell S2721DGF, which today is reduced to $380 when you buy it from Dell direct - a $230 reduction from its MSRP.
The S2721DGF is better than the 27GL850 for two main reasons: refresh rate and ergonomics. Dell are able to push the panel to 165Hz, providing a small boost to image clarity in fast-moving scenes, and they've also equipped the monitor with a much better stand than LG do. This makes it easy to adjust the height of the monitor, rotate it into portrait orientation and generally get it dialled in just the way you like it.
Katharine hasn't had the chance to review the Dell S2721DGF just yet - it's a bit harder to find in the UK, perhaps as Dell is an American company - but the S2721DGF shares a lot of attributes with other models she rates as the best gaming monitors. Another outlet, RTings, has reviewed this model and rates it very highly indeed, mentioning its "great all-around performance" with "excellent response time... outstanding low input lag... outstanding ergonomics... [and] high peak brightness."
The only real strike against this monitor is one common to all monitors at this price point: HDR is supported, but the monitor isn't able to produce the eye-searingly bright highlights that make HDR really pop. Unfortunately, you aren't realistically going to get a brighter DisplayHDR 600 or DisplayHDR 1000 display without spending significantly more, so the Dell doesn't suffer too much in this regard. Similarly, VA monitors like the AOC Agon AG273QX, which Katharine rates as the best 1440p monitor, offer much better contrast with deep blacks, but tend to struggle with motion clarity and viewing angles, so there are always trade-offs to be made.
So - all things considered, the S2721DGF is a great monitor, that's won strong reviews in pretty much every outlet that's reviewed it - you can check that yourself. The biggest issue with recommending this monitor has been that it's hard to find in stock at a good price, so this is the perfect opportunity to pick it up a healthy $230 discount.