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There is a major trend on the market right now towards affordable gaming monitor technology, which doesn’t compromise on quality. You can now pick up a great monitor without facing the prospect of an excessive price - see 'Best Monitors Under $200' - even when banking on 60Hz refresh rates or better and adaptive sync.
In some instances, you even get FreeSync (or G Sync if willing to step up your purchase to something more premium), which makes it into the mix with the Dell SE2717HR gaming monitor. In which case, does the Dell SE2717HR 27 inch screen with full HD stand up against its closest counterparts? Is it a great monitor? It certainly looks great at a glance, but what kind of rating has it earned for gaming and more general everyday use?
What’s worth remembering with the Dell SE2717HR monitor is that this is a large IPS panel with an excellent refresh rate and 1920 x 1080 resolution that sells for little (or nothing) more than a standard productivity panel.
This monitor brings IPS technology to the table (rather than TN), with the addition of FHD resolution and a 75 Hz refresh rate to make for one seriously decent list of specs. The monitor all looks excellent on paper, but its performance in the gaming world matters for those the Dell SE2717HR is primarily targeting.
Would I personally recommend the Dell SE2717HR monitor for gaming?
We’ll get to that later - let’s take a closer look at the details and features of this popular product from Dell (see also 'Best Dell Monitor Reviews').
Dell SE2717HR Technical Specifications
Screen Size | 27 ", 1920 x 1080, LED matrix, IPS |
Response Time | 6ms |
ScreeAspect Ratio | 16: 9 |
Brightness (cd / m2) | 300 |
Number of displayed colors | 16.7 million |
Refresh rate | 75 Hz |
Contrast ratio | 1000: 1 |
Dynamic contrast ratio | 8,000,000: 1 |
Viewing angle (horizontal / vertical) | 178 ° / 178 ° |
Spot size | 0.311mm |
Connectors | One HDMI, One VGA |
Special Features | VESA 100x100, FreeSync |
TV tuner | Lack |
Built-in speakers | No |
Power consumption | 31W |
Certificates | ENERGY STAR Certified, EPEAT (Silver), RoHS, TCO |
Color | Black |
Producer | Dell |
Manufacturer's code | SE2717HR |
Warranty | Door-to-door 24 months |
Net weight in kg | 0, 5.2 |
Gross weight in kg | 6.5 |
Package Dimensions in cm | 16 x 67 x 53 |
Vesa Mount | NO |
Dell SE2717H Review: Specifications
Immediately, there isn’t a great deal negative any realistic customer could say about the great list of features outlined above. The Dell SE2717HR monitor earns 5 stars for the technology it packs for this kind of price, rivaling more or less any other IPS panel up for grabs for this kind of money.
It may be a sticking point for some, but the fact that the Dell SE2717HR monitor is full HD rather than UHD or QHD really isn’t a big deal. Even if you like the idea of ultra high resolution, an FHD screen can still deliver a fantastic gaming experience. Particularly in a screen that ticks the right boxes in terms of refresh rate, great color production, and picture quality in general.
Combine the above with 27 inches of prime real estate and you begin to see why most would recommend the SE2717H monitor for high-quality gaming. You can pick away all you like to find the obvious faults that are there, but it is still a good purchase at this kind of price and you get way more than you actually pay for.
Physical Layout & Connectivity
We have already covered the fact that this (like most monitors from Dell) looks great and the attention to detail in the layout and connectivity options around the back are spot on. It is an imposing size 27-inch monitor that makes its presence known, but nonetheless, the monitor has an elegant and sophisticated exterior that is guaranteed to look great on any desk.
You get the usual bunch of connectivity ports like HDMI port. Cables are also included in the box, including HDMI and VGA cables, a standard power supply, and so on. There is no lapse in quality when using this 27 monitor from almost any conventional viewing angle, so you won’t need to make too many adjustments to the position of the display - you can see it fine from just about anywhere.
Front to back, it is well presented and feels durable enough to go the distance, adding up to excellent value for money once again. There is helpful information in the manual of the monitor as to how to adjust things like color, contrast, brightness, and so on, but the on-screen menu is intuitive enough in its own right. The screen also has the usual anti-glare coating, which is fine aside from extremely bright and/or direct lighting conditions.
Gaming Performance and Verified Feedback
As most people interested in buying the Dell SE2717H monitor have gaming in mind, this is where the crux of the whole thing lies. It is clear that this monitor offers an excellent pack of features and is a solid 27-inch display in general for this kind of price, but does this make it an appropriate purchase for playing games?
The short answer is yes, and I would defy any verified customer not to honestly recommend it to others. It is simple, sophisticated, and discreet in its design, yet packed with way more technology than you would expect for this kind of money.
AMD FreeSync technology support almost completely eliminates screen tearing for a more seamless game experience, while ComfortView reduces blue light emission to keep things comfortable when playing for hours on end. Connectivity options including HDMI and VGA make it easy to hook the Dell SE2717H monitor up to any computer or console, while the maximum 75hz refresh rate keeps things exceptionally smooth.
Even when you put the Dell SE2717HR monitor to the test of the most demanding games out there right now, it gets the job done great. There really isn’t much not to like about its overall performance, when you consider the overall quality to price ratio.
Would the most demanding of hardcore gamers find fault with things like its pixel density and its 1080p resolution in general? Yes, they probably would. Would the other 99% of people find everything about its performance and value for money excellent? Yes, without a shadow of a doubt.
Conclusion: Would Recommend - 5 Stars
In almost every respect, the Dell SE2717H monitor represents the perfect illustration of the kind of quality product you can purchase these days without spending over the odds. It wasn’t long ago that picking up a gaming screen that was even remotely decent would have mean forking out a small fortune. At least, for something you would get any real practical use out of.
Today, you can pick up a seriously impressive screen like the Dell SE2717HR for next to nothing and see in an instant just how far things have come. Browse the verified reviews this thing has earned since its launch and you will scarcely find it in lower than five stars - maybe four stars at a push. And where anyone has left a lower rating for the Dell SE2717HR monitor, you are looking at a case of unrealistic expectations.
Yes, you will find some nit-picking people out there who will poke fun at its FHD resolution - maybe even the fact that it ‘only’ has a 27-inch screen. Others actively make sure they avoid anything that doesn’t take color accuracy to an entirely new level, or have a maximum refresh rate that goes far beyond 75hz.
But in both of these instances, you are looking at minor improvements to a monitor’s performance for a major price hike. Not to mention, improvements a typical everyday user probably would not notice in the first place.
Long story short, therefore, this is more or less the perfect monitor product for the budget-conscious customer looking for a bargain. In no way does it compromise on quality where it matters - the Dell SE2717HR monitor delivers a fantastic all-around gaming experience, no questions asked.
Just as long as you are not expecting it to perform on the same level as a $1,000 screen, there is absolutely no way you will be disappointed with it for this kind of cash.
