In all my years of reviewing tech, monitors have always been one of the two hardest things to review. Printers being the top one. No matter which way you call a review, people inevitably have their own issues with the device and often blame reviewers for those problems. The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is the latest and greatest from Dell, and I found it may be a dream come true, at least for some users. Given that the Dell U2723QE had some issues, there are some users eagerly hoping that their dreams are finally here. I think, many people will be happy with the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE, but I guarantee someone will find something they dislike, but nothing is perfect.
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE 27″ is a feature-rich monitor that is going to tick numerous boxes for many users, this might be your huckleberry Doc. Dell says the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE 27 is the world’s 1st enhanced IPS Black monitor that features a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. Plus, you get a ton of connectivity with KVM switching and much more. Let’s dive into this review.
The Quick Take
The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is an evolution for Dell. The company has been trying to make better monitors year over year, and they make really fantastic monitors. But like the laptop space, the monitor space just seemed stagnant, with plenty of monitors that promised a lot but offered little. Here’s where I think the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE Nailed It and where it Needs Work.
Bottom Line and Score
Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE
$699.99
Nailed it
- Classic Dell Monitor design with smaller bezels and less weight
- Fantastic 4K display with vibrant colors, deep blacks, and crisp clean whites
- A very broad feature set that includes 140W power pass through USB-C and KVM switching for multiple desktops. Plus more
- Easy to set up and to use with cables included
- Excellent monitor for everyone from content creators to productivity users
Needs work
- The US pricing is great, the CA pricing is pretty steep
- The design is classic but a sugnificant refresh may be in order
Overall, the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is a beast of a monitor, offering exceptional display quality that will please the normal user and the professional alike. The design is sleek, slim, light, yet stays true to Dell’s monitor design language. The connectivity features are the co-stars to the fabulous display and offer everything from 140W PD for powering up most laptops as well as KVM switching and many more features.
On top of all that, the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE should be compatible with most laptops and desktops. Though I can’t make promises, there is always an outlier somewhere that may decide it won’t work. The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is an easy Top Pick choice for me, and I have no problem recommending this monitor to someone looking for a 27″ monitor.
Specifications
The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE has the following features and specifications:
- Model: Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor – U2725QE
- Diagonal Viewing Size: 684.7 mm (27.0 in.)
- Panel Type: In-Plane Switching (IPS) Black Technology
- Maximum Preset Resolution And Refresh Rate: 3840 x 2160 up to 120 Hz
- Viewing Angles:
- Horizontal: 178°
- Vertical: 178°
- Pixel Pitch:
- Horizontal: 0.1554 mm
- Vertical: 0.1554 mm
- PPI: 163
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (typical)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Backlight Technology: LED Edgelight System
- Brightness:
- 450 cd/m² (typical)
- 600 cd/m² (HDR peak)
- HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 600
- Response Time:
- Normal mode: 5.0 ms (gray to gray)
- Fast mode: 8.0 ms (gray to gray)
- Color Gamut:
- DCI-P3 99% (CIE 1976) (typical)
- sRGB 100% (CIE 1931) (typical)
- Color Depth: 1.07 billion colors
- USB Power Delivery: 140W
- Variable Refresh Rate: HDMI VRR
- Adjustability:
- Height adjustment up to 150 mm
- Tilt -5°/+21°
- Swivel -45°/+45°
- Pivot -90°/+90°
- Display Screen Coating: Anti-glare with hard-coating 3H
- PBP/PIP/KVM:
- Picture by Picture (PbP)
- Picture in Picture (PiP)
- USB Keyboard Video Mouse (USB KVM)
- Daisy Chain: Yes
- Software Compatibility:
- Dell Display and Peripheral Manager (DDPM) for Windows operating system
- Dell Display and Peripheral Manager (DDPM) for macOS
- Color Calibration Sdk Sw: Yes
- Color Calibration With X-rite Colorimeter: Yes
- Voltage Required: 100 VAC to 240 VAC/50 Hz or 60 Hz ± 3 Hz/4 A
- Power Consumption:
- 25.4 W (On mode)
- 0.3 W (Off mode)
- 0.5 W (Standby mode)
- 325.0 W (Max.)
- Dimensions:
- Width with Stand: 612.44 mm (24.11 in.)
- Depth with Stand: 189.00 mm (7.44 in.)
- Height With Stand (Compressed ~ Extended): 385.68 mm ~ 535.68 mm (15.18 in ~ 21.09 in.)
- Width without Stand: 612.44 mm (24.11 in.)
- Depth without Stand: 55.60 mm (2.19 in.)
- Height without Stand: 353.51 mm (13.92 in.)
- Weight with Packaging: 9.73 kg (21.45 lb)
- Weight with Stand Assembly: 7.06 kg (15.56 lb)
- Weight without Stand Assembly: 5.22 kg (11.51 lb)
- VESA Type: VESA (100 mm x 100 mm)
- Ports: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 port with DSC support (DRR for Microsoft Windows)
- 2 x USB-C 10Gbps downstream ports
- 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 port out
- 1 x HDMI port (Supports up to UHD 3840 x 2160 120Hz FRL, VRR as per specified in HDMI2.1)
- 1 x Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (DP1.4 (HDCP 2.2) with DSC support, PD: 140 W, 2/4 Lanes switching)
- 1 x Thunderbolt 4 downstream port (Downstream, Daisy Chain, 15W)
- 1 x USB-C (USB 10Gbps KVM) upstream port
- 1 x Analog 2.0 audio line out port (3.5 mm jack)
- 4 x USB Type-A ports 10Gbps
- 1 x RJ45 port
- Quick Access ports:
- 1 x USB Type-A 10Gbps port with BC 1.2
- 2 x USB-C 10Gbps downstream ports
What’s In The Box
- Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE
- Power cable
- 1 x DisplayPort-DisplayPort cable – 1.80 m
- 1 x USB Type-A to Type-C upstream cable – 1.00 m
- 1 x Thunderbolt™ 4 cable – 1.00 m
- Drivers and documentation media
- QR Card
- Safety Information
Design
The design of the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE isn’t a major talking point here. This is a very familiar look from Dell, and their monitor lineup has used this same design for several years now. There are a few things worth mentioning, but this will be a, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” section.
As usual, the stand is straightforward to put together. It consists of a foot and a leg. Just line them up and screw them together with the captured twist screw on the bottom of the foot. Then, you just align the tabs on the back of the leg to the corresponding holes on the back of the monitor, slide and snap in. Easy to do.
The stand itself is just about the same as all UltraSharp stands, it has a nice cut-out to put your cables through for cable management. The monitor itself is the signature Dell monitor silver color we’re all familiar with. The front of the monitor, looks, well, like a monitor. The bezels are very thin though and that is appreciated.
The back of the monitor is more of the same, there is a power button and navigation stick, pretty much what most Dell monitors look like. The ports and slots are tucked under the mounting point, again like most monitors. The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE does feature a really cool pop out quick-access USB-C and super speed USB 10Gbps ports (which faces the user) with charging of up to 15W of power. This is nice so you can quickly connect without having to go around the back of the monitor.
Ports and connections are all listed above under specifications, and you can see a schematic of them. The entire monitor is made from premium materials, and it has some weight to it, but it’s not too heavy. It is still easily moveable.
Overall, the aesthetic design of the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is what we’ve come to expect from Dell. They have made the bezels smaller and the overall footprint feels and looks better. It’s a nice looking UltraSharp monitor, it’s what Dell’s known for.
Display
To me, the 4K 120Hz display is the star of the show on the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE. I mean, there’s a ton of amazing things to say about the connectivity and feature set, but if you’re getting a mediocre display with a bunch of neat features, then what’s the point?
Dell isn’t disappointing anyone with this display. It’s vibrant and colorful in every way. The black levels are really fantastic for an IPS panel. This is, what Dell calls, the world’s 1st enhanced IPS Black monitor that features a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. What that means is, the black levels are very inky and high contrast content looks spectacular on this display.
Dell says this monitor delivers three times the contrast of conventional IPS displays and 47% deeper blacks. Excellent contrast ratios not only matter for consumers of content but also content creators. Video and photo editors are going to appreciate this display for its contrast and vibrancy.
Dell says that with the monitor’s 99% coverage of DCI-P3 and Display P3, along with 100% sRGB and Rec709 (Delta E < 2 average), it offers exceptional color accuracy. Perfect for color grading of video and photos. The 120Hz refresh rate is also great for gamers. I don’t think this is a dedicated gaming monitor, but I think you could get some gaming done with this display.
Eye comfort is another big selling point on the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE. With improved ComfortView Plus technology significantly reduces blue light emission to less than 35%, all while maintaining color accuracy. The ambient Light Sensor automatically adjusts your screen brightness and color temperature to match the surrounding lighting conditions.
As for any glare and off axis viewing angles, there is some muted glare on the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE because of the coating on the display. It’s not a bad thing at all, and off axis viewing angles are pretty good. The Whites are crisp and clean and the text is sharp with no pix elation or muddiness. At least to my eyes.
Overall, this 4K display is really one of the best I’ve used from Dell, and combining the display goodness with the massive feature set and performance makes this a must consider if you’re looking for a 27″ monitor.
Feature Set and Performance
I’m going to do something I rarely do with monitor reviews with the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE. I will list out most of the feature set of the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE down here below, as described by Dell. There’s so much here that I think you’ll benefit from reading what they have to say about it. I will wrap this section up, by talking about my experience with the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE.
- Enhanced eye comfort: Stay productive while ensuring eye comfort. The 120Hz refresh rate delivers smooth motions visuals, the built-in ambient light sensor intelligently adjusts screen brightness to match your environment, and the improved ComfortView Plus reduces harmful low blue light emissions without sacrificing color.
- Impressive viewing experience: Every detail comes to life on this 27″ monitor with 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution. Experience deeper blacks and brighter white with 3000:1 contrast ratio with the new enhanced IPS Black panel technology and better ambient contrast with a lower reflectance panel.
- Multitasking made easy: Connect two PC sources and multitask efficiently with Picture- by-Picture / Picture-in Picture and Network KVM and Auto KVM.
- See your work in stunning colors: Experience true-to-life visuals with 1.07 billion colors, a wide color gamut including 100% sRGB, 100% BT.709, 99% DCI-P3 / Display P3, and VESA Certified DisplayHDR™ 600.
- Connectivity that powers productivity: Reduce cable clutter with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity that transmits data and video while delivering up to 140W EPR to power a wide range of laptops. Get a stable 2.5 GbE Ethernet connection to your network with RJ45 that comes with PXE boot, Mac Address pass-thru and Wake on LAN features.
- Dell Display and Peripheral Manager:
- Maximize productivity: Easy Arrange tiles apps across screens with pre-set partitions and customizes up to five windows, enhancing multitasking. Easy Arrange Memory saves and restores app profiles manually, on schedule, or at start-up.
- Easy navigation: Control and work across multiple network or USB connected PCs and monitors with a single keyboard and mouse, seamlessly transferring files between them.
- More manageable: Scale up management across your entire fleet of Dell displays and client peripherals with streamlined firmware updates and expanded Command Line Interface features.
The UltraSharp 27 U2725QE feature set is massive, and this is excellent news for those multitaskers with countless peripherals. I’m not one to use multiple desktops or laptops, so the KVM switching isn’t a big deal for me. But I know that it is for numerous users. The 140W power pass through via USB-C is fantastic! This meant I didn’t have to plug my laptop in to the wall separately. I could just connect to the monitor and use that power pass through.
Overall, the feature set on the UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is certainly robust and made to bring a ton of versatility to the end user. Dell has succeeded in making a nearly, do-everything, monitor that also looks spectacular while doing everything.
Price/Value
The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE pricing is pretty competitive and on point in the United States market. I think you’re getting a ton of value in this monitor, though I think I would go for the 32″ version myself, which is a bit more in price. I was pretty surprised at the CA price though, I know things in Canada are a bit more expensive, but just how much a difference it is, surprised me. I don’t know enough about Canadian prices to say if you’re getting a deal. But I suppose, if prices for similar monitors from other brands are the same, then you are. The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is most certainly worth the asking price.
Wrap Up
Overall, the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is a beast of a monitor, offering exceptional display quality that will please the normal user and the professional alike. The design is sleek, slim, light, yet stays true to Dell’s monitor design language. The connectivity features are the co-stars to the fabulous display and offer everything from 140W PD for powering up most laptops as well as KVM switching and many more features.
On top of all that, the Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE should be compatible with most laptops and desktops. Though I can’t make promises, there is always an outlier somewhere that may decide it won’t work. The Dell UltraSharp 27 U2725QE is an easy Top Pick choice for me, and I have no problem recommending this monitor to someone looking for a 27″ monitor.
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