- Overall
Review of Dell SE2717H
Gaming monitors are highly sought after by a lot of consumers for their fantastic speeds, aggressive design cues and a plethora of extra functionalities making them an excellent choice for people looking to upgrade from aging and typical displays or for those who are building new battle stations. The biggest caveat of this endeavor is cost. Manufacturers place a high premium on these offerings, and that extra carries over to your total spending on a capable system with a fast CPU and a capable graphics card. So it isn’t surprising that a vast majority of consumers usually only get a model which is within a lower price range, putting a larger chunk of the cash on better computer specs instead of a fancy monitor.
Manufacturers are starting to offer affordable solutions so their customers can still get in on the action on a slightly smaller scale. Enter the Dell SE2717H, an enterprise solution coming from one of the leading companies known for excellent displays like the S2716DG and the exotic Alienware gaming portfolio of products. The SE2717H looks like it was designed to fit into your workplace, but it has a certain amount of gaming pedigree thrifty enthusiasts will appreciate.
Dell SE2717H Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution:1080p FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Response Time:6ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Brightness: 300 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: No
- Stand: Height – Yes (5.9 Inches)
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: No
- Connectivity: HDMI x 1, VGA x 1
- Dimensions With Stand(WxHxD): 24.5″ x 7.3″ x 18.1″
- Weight: 12.87lbs
Design and Features
The Dell SE2717H sports the company’s typical no-nonsense exterior design, making it a neat and timeless looking product. Bezels are reasonably thin at 10mm on three sides and 15mm on the bottom so that they won’t distract your oglers from the 27-inch screen. The cabinet has a piano black finish which attracts hairline scratches and fingerprints easily, but if you take extra care of it, the screen will look like a classy piece of kit on your desktop. The side view of this offering looks slim enough to contend with high-end models, but unfortunately, the SE2717H does not come with all the dazzles its similar-looking, but higher priced siblings have.
Connectivity is rather limited in this budget product since it only has HDMI and DVI for signal input. There are also no USB ports for accessories or audio-related hardware installed on the I/O layout. Dell could have at least added a bit of variety to the available options, but these omissions are understandable and justified by the low price. DisplayPort is ideal for Freesync operation with faster refresh rates, but by only updating your AMD drivers, you can use the function with HDMI. We prefer expanded I/O layouts so the product can bank more on the value it presents so that users can add other host devices such as consoles and Blu-ray players. There are also no built-in speakers for the Dell SE2717H, but that is a feature rarely missed by a lot of consumers.
Dell imbued the stand with the standard minimalist design they use across their product range, but this model only offers limited tilt adjustments. This fact, however, is not a deal breaker since you will not need a lot of fidgeting with the screen’s position to get a comfortable and maximized view of the IPS panel. There is a cable-tidy hole which is slightly too big considering you only have two connectivity ports on the back, but as always, the design feature is welcome for a clean setup. The material used for this part looks metallic, but it is a good quality plastic shell covering a steel frame. The build quality on the SE2717H is superb for a budget offering, and the whole product has the adequate heft to keep it stable on your desk.
Display and Performance
The Dell SE2717H has a 27-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1080 native resolution suitable for casual needs. At this day and age, this setup seems obsolete, but when you factor in that this model has an excellent IPS panel at sub $200, you won’t argue much further. There are multiple color modes in the OSD, but we found the Standard preset to be the most accurate out of the bunch. Accuracy and vibrancy are middling when compared to other options, but the undersaturation in the blue and red hues are rarely noticeable unless you need a professional monitor for photo editing. Contrast and grayscale output are also acceptable for casual applications, but If you want to squeeze out every ounce of performance from the SE2717H, calibration or tweaking using the Custom Color option among the built-in filters. Despite being a budget-oriented offering, we found this model to be capable of near Delta E 2.2 and capable of around 870:1 contrast ratio which are excellent results almost similar to high-end gaming offerings’ outputs.
Dell advertises a maximum brightness level of 300cd/m2, and in our tests, we have seen the SE2717H to have as much as 290cd/m2 for the maximum setting. The uniformity on our unit was excellent for the most part, and we did not notice any detrimental backlight bleeds or IPS glow which could hamper contrast and details in games. The maximum refresh rate for this model goes up to 75Hz, and the accompanying Freesync does its magic at 48Hz to 75Hz. The range is a bit narrow, but adjusting in-game settings on practical terms will produce stable FPS even on demanding titles such as Battlefield 1. 1080p is relatively easy to run with a wide selection of graphics cards even on the midrange bracket, so your enjoyment is covered. The pixel response is a bit slow when compared to expensive and exotic offerings like the Asus PG279Q which has 4ms, but we did not find any massive lagging issues when it came to the controller to screen output. For casual gaming and after hours enjoyment, the Dell SE2717H will prove its affordable worth. Our Battlefield 1 sessions ran fine and enjoyable, but FPS still does not go over 70Hz, which is ideal, so you won’t experience additional input lag which ensues when Freesync goes out of range, making buffering and V-Sync take over.
Conclusion
Dell chose to omit a lot of attractive features and accessories from the package of the SE2717H, and the specs can feel outdated for some. But at its current sub-$200 price range at the time of this review, 27 inches of Freesync-enabled eye candy is hard to contest. The IPS panel which is already a big plus by itself is capable of accuracy and vibrant colors out of the box, but you can even calibrate or tweak to get an improved output if you wished to do so. Products with this capability are getting harder and harder to find in the vast market for a wallet-friendly price, but the Dell SE2717H is a pleasant surprise. It’s fantastic capabilities justify the omissions and limitations Dell had to make to keep pricing low gracefully. The budget-conscious will surely get a kick out of the value this product brings to the table, so it is safe to say that the Dell SE2717H is a highly-recommended product.
Alex says
Hello, i have this monitor, happy with the performance. Question is, can you attach a standard monitor arm support instead of the stand, it is too low and bad for posture. I bought a monitor arm assuming it had the spot to attach on the back of the monitor, now cant work it out. Thanks heaps!
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Alex! You will need to buy a separate adapter like this one if you want to use a VESA mount with the Dell SE2717H. Cheers!
Alex says
Thanks heaps Paolo, but like which one? Cant see a link, do you have a model number? Thanks very much!!
Alex says
Oops found it sorry! Thanjs again!
Paolo Reva says
You are welcome, Alex!
Ilias says
Hello from Greece!
Thank you for your great reviews. Thay’ve been very helpful.
I’m currently building a budget system for basic use (mostly browsing – word/excel – youtube) but i ‘m thinking of doing some gaming also. (planing on going with ryzen5 2400g and using intergrated graphics moving to a GPU additiion in the future). (currently on a 19” 10 year-old monitor)
This monitor is sold for 169 euros right now and I think it suits my needs but i am a bit concerned of bying a 1080p 27” monitor in late 2018. Do you think that this monitor is somewhat oudated and I should go for a higher resolution (up to 250 euros for better value)?
Thank you in advance!
Pete says
I have one of these and want to connect it to a Blu-ray player. Last time I tried I didn’t have much luck getting a watchable picture out of it. What might I be doing wrong?
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Pete! Your Bluray player might be trying to send a 4K signal to a 1080p monitor. Check its settings to see if you can downsize its output to 1920 x 1080. Good luck!
Jason Davis says
G’Day from Australia. This model monitor retails for around $380 AUD down under. I run a 2014 MacBook Pro to edit video in Premiere Pro and need more screen real estate. I have the 24in Dell which works fine but thinking of purchasing two X 27in monitors to give me more room to move. I’d prefer something similar to this model but with VESA to allow mounting. I’m happy to spend up to $500AUD per monitor and struggling to identify a great model suitable for editing and compatible with Mac. The Apple Store sell a 5K LG far above my budget and hasn’t been able to recommend other suitable monitors. Would appreciate your advice. Cheers. J
Paolo Reva says
Hey, Jason! Moving to a bigger monitor with the same resolution will not provide you with the extra space you require. We suggest opting for a 1440p monitor like the BenQ PD2500 (25-inch) that fits in your budget perfectly. If you are willing to splurge a bit more cash for 27-inch displays, check out the BenQ PD2700Q. Just make sure you have enough connectors and you are good to go! Good luck!
Eoghan O'Donnell says
Hi Paolo,
Thanks for the great review, very detailed
I’ve recently set up a new business and need monitors to act as secondary screens for use with 12″ MacBooks. They will be used for everything from email to Adobe CS.
Unfortunately here in Ireland, these are nowhere near as cheap as the US – just shy of $300.
Would they suit my needs or do you have any recommendations for something better suited? I’m on a shoestring budget but need a screen badly.
Thanks,
Eoghan
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Eoghan! The Dell SE2717H is perfect as an office display, but it’s disappointing that it’s as expensive as you say. Do your MacBooks have a single USB-C slot? If so, you can use the Dell SE2717H provided that you connect a dock with an HDMI output port like this one. We know, it’s an added cost, but a monitor with a USB-C slot isn’t cheap either. I suggest you look if your local retailers have a USB-C monitor and compare the cost of getting one versus the Dell SE2717H and an adapter.
Louise says
Hi
I am after a monitor to support my engineering tasks, I do 2D & 3 D CAD along with circuit design down to excel etc.
Would you recommend the above Dell or something else?
I can afford to spend more than the cost of the dell if you think there is something worth purchasing.
Thanks
Louise
Paolo Reva says
Hey, Louise! Thank you for coming to Monitornerds. The Dell SE2717H is well-suited for mixed use, but it would be more beneficial for you if you buy a job-specific monitor with a higher resolution. You can check out the BenQ PD series of monitors which are built to suite your needs. Cheers!
Henry says
Hello Paulo,
Thanks for the review.
I use my monitors to read architectural drawings and text documents on a dual setup. Is the SE2717HR better then the BenQ GL2760H? I am able to get the BenQ refurbished for the same price as SE2717HR.
Thanks
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Henry! The differences between the two monitors are mostly negligible since they both belong to the same category or group of monitors. Making a choice between the two will come down to design preference and pricing, but we would prefer a brand new unit over a refurbished one any day.
Jeff Spence says
Hi! Thanks for the great review on this. I actually just picked one of these up for casual needs. That said I have an opportunity to swap it out for the hp27er for virtually the same price. The “no-bezel” look of the hp is definitely slick and there’s an additional HDMI port. The other difference is glossy vs. the anti-glare on the dell. Wondering if you are familiar with the hp and what your thoughts are? Thanks!
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Jeff! The difference is minimal between the two, so it will come down to which one you fancy and if you prefer glossy or matte AG coatings. If you like the HP 27ER better, we won’t stop you! Good luck!
Dave says
Would this be a decent monitor for Xbox One X? Or does it not have HDMI 2.0 so I wouldn’t realize the Xbox’s full capabilities?
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Dave! No, the Dell SE2717H does not have an HDMI 2.0 port because it doesn’t need one. This monitor can only display 1080p or full HD, whereas your Xbox can put out 4K visuals. You won’t get to enjoy this console’s true potential with this model.
Paul says
Hello,
Thanks for the review. I am thinking about buying this. I play a few video games, including RTS and FPS (Call of Duty WWII, Overwatch, Company of Heroes 2). My GPU is a bit dated now (GTX 660), but I will probably upgrade it at some point in the next year. I usually buy the $200-250 GPU of the day, not the latest and greatest.,,
I’m in Canada where selections are slightly more expensive and I have narrowed it down to the following options:
1. Dell SE2717H 27-inch IPS FreeSync Gaming Monitor – On sale for $170 right now
2. Acer 24″ 144Hz 1ms GTG TN LED Gaming Monitor (GN246HL Bbid) – $250
3 Acer Predator 24″ FHD 1080p 144Hz 1ms TN LED Gaming Monitor (Predator XB240H) – $300
Note that 2 and 3 are 24″ and I would prefer a 27″, but debating sure if it is smarter to go for 144MHz for gaming and future-proofing. I expect I will hang on to the monitor for a while…
Thanks!
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Paul! If you are planning to keep your monitor for a while, we would recommend any of the two 144Hz monitors which would be more future proof. The Dell’s 27-inch size makes it more attractive, but from experience, we know you will enjoy the 144Hz screens more, especially once you get to upgrade your GPU. Cheers!
Michael says
Hi, thanks for the review 🙂
I’m interested in purchasing this monitor but I have a few questions.
1. I noticed this monitor comes in different models (se2717h, se2717hx, se2717hr .etc) , are there any performence differences between them? And which one should I purchase?
2. I noticed this monitor has a very gray/faded viewing angle from the sides when displaying videos or dark pictures (not as noticable with games)
https://ibb.co/euki9m
is that normal?
3. I’m looking for a 27″ freesync monitor for gaming and watching videos with very good viewing angles for around $200, any suggestions? Or is the se2717 as good as it gets?
Paolo Reva says
Hey, Michael! Thank you for coming to Monitornerds. There are no performance differences between the three variants regarding performance. As for the fading, no it isn’t normal, but it could be some backlight leakage. The SE2717H is already the best in its class for under $200. It’s difficult to find a 75Hz IPS monitor with FreeSync at this price range.
Pranav Jadhav says
Which one would you recommend for casual use between Dell SE2416H and BenQ GW2406Z for same price?
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Pranav! You can’t go wrong with either, but the BenQ GW2406Z is the better choice since it is a newer model so it includes an improved IPS panel over Dell’s 2015 module. Good luck!
Darwin Easter says
My wife is writing another book and needs a monitor (27 inch or so) that is the easiest on her eyes. She spends lots of hours doing research. We can not afford the high end. What are your recommendations”
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Darwin! Thank you for coming to Monitornerds! The Dell SE2717H is an excellent budget monitor for your wife’s needs. However, we suggest getting a 1440p monitor for sharper text and images plus more viewing and working space. models like the BenQ GW2765HT and the Lenovo L27Q are affordable and up to the task. Happy hunting!
Catherine says
Hi, I’m looking for a reasonably priced monitor for gaming. This Dell and the LG 25UM58-P fits right at the cap of my current budget, and seem to offer a lot for the pricepoint. Is there another contender I should consider?
I play various games, but I suspect the most demanding will be Overwatch. I have a 1060 GPU and realise that I won’t be able to utilise the Freesync on the Dell, but the 75Hz refresh rate is very attractive. Is there something else I should also consider?
Thanks!
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Catherine! We would recommend the Dell SE2717H over the LG 25UM68-P any day since the latter is too narrow and short for gaming purposes. If you are willing to spend a bit more cash to maximize your GTX 1060, the Acer ED273 or the AOC G2460PF 144Hz monitors both go for a little over $200. Otherwise, stick with this Dell monitor for a better and more comfortable viewing experience.
tony says
HI THERE
DOES THIS MONITOR HAVE A MATT OR GLOSSY DISPLAY?
THAnks
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Tony! The Dell SE2717H uses a 3H matte anti-glare coating. Cheers!
Ez101 says
Hi, I was looking at this monitor and I have seen it up close in a big box store and it looks great. I was disappointed to learn that there isn’t VESA support as I’d like to be able to set these up as a pair using a dual stand. Is there anything comparable to this quality and price range that I could use in this configuration?
Paolo Reva says
Hello Ez101! The closest affordable monitor we can think of is the BenQ GW2780 which costs a little bit more, but is VESA compatible and uses a similar IPS panel. You can find it by clicking this link. Enjoy!
Jason says
I am a graphic designer looking for a good deal on an IPS monitor and I think this may be the monitor for me. I can’t spend much over $100 right now. Do you think this may be the best option right now?
Thanks!
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Jason! The Dell SE2717H is an excellent starting point for budding designers like you. We think that for the price, you can’t go wrong with this entry-level monitor.
Henry says
Greetings!
I’m thinking of getting this monitor, as its on sale for $130. I don’t play much FPS games, will the lag of 6 ms be noticeable? I play games similar towards Civilization V and Simulator games.
Another concern is, I have a NVIDA GTX 1060, will I not get 75 Hz since this monitor is FreeSync?
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Henry! Thank you for coming to Monitornerds! For the types of games you mentioned, we think the Dell SE2717H will be sufficient. The 6ms specified refers to the pixel transition time and not input lag where the Dell SE2717H clocks in at only 11ms which is excellent. the GTX 1060 is more than sufficient to reach 75FPS to maximize this model’s 75Hz refresh rate which you can utilize, but FreeSync cannot activate since it requires a compatible AMD GPU. FreeSync is AMD’s version of Adaptive Sync. Don’t worry though, because it shouldn’t be difficult for your GPU to push this monitor to its limits. Good luck!
Johan says
So I’m down to choosing this monitor and the BENQ RL2755HM for my Nintendo Switch.
Which of the two would you recommend? Thank you and more power to you guys!!! Keep up the good work.
Paolo Reva says
Hello again, Johan! To be honest, the Dell SE2717H is a great value monitor, but for your purpose, I think the BENQ RL2755HM will serve you better since it is faster. Thank you for coming to Monitornerds and liking what we do best. You can support us by using our links to purchase your new monitor.
Matthew Muller says
Hi there
I have been eyeing this monitor for video editing purposes but you say that the blues and reds are under saturated and not ideal for photo editing. Is there any other low end monitor you could recommend for photo editing between 24″ and 27″ ? Or do you think I could get away with this monitor?
Paolo Reva says
Hello, Matthew! If your work requires absolute accuracy then you might need to look at other upmarket options than the Dell SE2717H. Although for its price, we don’t think it would hurt your edits at all so it still could be a good starting point in monitors for you. Good luck!
Christian says
What are the calibration settings at 90 brightness
Thanks
Paolo Reva says
Hi Christian, try setting your Contrast to around 75, RGB to 100, 97, 97 respectively and work your way from there. We can’t guarantee you will see the best possible output like we did at these settings because we all see differently, but this is a good set to start from. Good luck!
Christian says
What custom setting were used to get most out of the monitor ?
Thanks
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Christian! Thank you for reading this review. May we ask what brightness levels are you planning to use on the SE2717H?