I meant in general.
The LG monitor is usually compared with the U-series monitors from Dell so I was curious!
Thanks for getting back to me. It seems the Dell monitor is indeed perfect for my usecase.
Got a tip for us?
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Afraid of purchasing the new Dell S2725QC
- Thread starter ilovemym1mba
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The LG monitor is usually compared with the U-series monitors from Dell so I was curious!
Thanks for getting back to me. It seems the Dell monitor is indeed perfect for my usecase.
If you have the money, then yes I would go for the U series, but this seems like a great monitor as well when compared to the LG, especially for the price, and I really enjoy the smooth scrolling of 120Hz and don’t need the extra brightness.
The only thing is that the white balance does look quite warm when compared to the LG, so if you have them side by side, you might notice it, but otherwise I don’t think you would notice it. When I turn off True Tone it’s much less noticeable. If it helps, when True Tone is enabled I feel like the Dell is closer to the MacBook Pro tone (both are a bit warmer).
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Hey, thanks for getting back and writing a review to let us know your thoughts. Much appreciated. I am especially glad that you compared this monitor the LG one and I am pleased to know that you find Dell one on the warmer side. I personally prefer warmer disposition than colder blue ones. Thanks for sharing the exact numbers too.
Can you please elaborate a bit on your thoughts about 120hz?
I think it depends on how you value a fast refresh rate. I use an app called smoothscroll because I don’t like how the scroll with external mouse works, too janky for my taste, and I got used to high refresh rate screen on my other devices.
At the same time, I have been using the LG next to the MacBook Pro for 3 years and I never had an issue with how it feels, I think I had more impact by installing smoothscroll because it does change the scroll behavior, than from moving to 120hz.
Using them side by side, there is a slight difference, but since I’m not gaming and the videos are at most 60fps, it’s no that dramatic, although the 120Hz is my main one because I like seeing a smooth mouse movement.
So I guess it depends on what you need the most:
- Solid budget choice: the Dell S series (unless you have a huge window with direct sunlight on the side and need more brightness).
- Need a bit more brightness and don’t care about it being 60Hz: the LG.
- Have enough budget: the Dell U series, which is the best of both worlds but twice as expensive.
LG one is really a good option but with not much of a trade off though, its like if you need color u need to sacrifice refresh rate and vice versa and more over dell has speakers which is reported of having best one in this discussion only and on top additional connectivity options.
Actually i was surprised when i saw today on this LG option on wondering how can this missed in my search of monitors but its unavailable.
TIP: use `WOW5%` to bring down cost on dell
Actually i was surprised when i saw today on this LG option on wondering how can this missed in my search of monitors but its unavailable.
TIP: use `WOW5%` to bring down cost on dell
| Feature | LG 27UP850N-W | Dell S2725QC |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | 4K IPS | 4K IPS |
| Color | DCI-P3 95% (wider) | sRGB 99% (good enough) |
| Brightness | 400 nits | 350 nits |
| USB-C Power | 90W (better for laptops) | 65W |
| Ergonomics | Good (tilt, pivot, height) | Excellent (adds swivel too) |
| Speakers | ❌ None | ✅ Dual 5W |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | Up to 120Hz (better feel) |
| HDR | VESA HDR400 (real HDR) | HDR capable (not certified) |
| Price | ~₹35k (India) | ₹33,699 (31,999 at first) |
Thanks for doing some excellent work here, especially that tip. Just amazing.
Having owned that LG briefly, I got it around 28K INR during some Amazon India sale, I can safely say it is an extremely good monitor. It is also worth nothing that while LG advertizes 1200:1 while S2725QC has 1500:1 contrast. I don't know how much of a real life impact does it make but we'll see.
For my Dell's delivery, since it wasn't enough to have one leg of my order delayed, courier has also decided to tack on their own delay on top of their own promised date. Good times.
Same here my shipment status says network issues and things happening slowly but still date they quoted is on 9th. Hope urs gets soon
Off the topic, I want to ask something related to MacBook and multi Monitor set up so basically, since I am using M3 air, which has only one sided ports which is irritating everytime bcz but the problem is whenever I need to connect the alignment doesn’t fit like while plugging and i cant simply stick like mac magsafe cable, also like while using dual monitor I don’t necessarily use the laptop. In that case, I will keep the laptop in vertical stand, so I was looking for docka which has built-in connector so with so much research and spending time I find 3D Models and some branch which are costlier but problem is they might restrict the 4k support. Is there any alternative that you can suggest?
Eg. This makes life simpler by just putting laptop in stand and monitor is connected. And thats one of the reason for me to choose dell bcz it has usb ports.
Eg. This makes life simpler by just putting laptop in stand and monitor is connected. And thats one of the reason for me to choose dell bcz it has usb ports.
For what it is worth... I got the U version yesterday. Plugged it in and good to go. I LOVE the 120hz. I was coming from 30hz. I love the sleek look. Display resolution is good. Good enough for what I do for sure. I use the largest text size. Might start playing with the KVM in a day or two.
I just bought this monitor to use with my M4 Mac Mini. I can't test the color accuracy, but it looks good to my eye, definitely adequate for productivity work and media consumption. With HDR enabled, the color is skewed more to the warm side, almost like Night Shift is enabled on the lowest setting. I definitely prefer the way it looks with HDR disabled.
I was a bit concerned at first because it doesn't have the most heavy duty stand, but it's not flimsy either. It looks really nice and clean on my desk and there is hardly any wobble with the stand fully extended, so what else can you ask for? The speakers get really loud without distorting. They are a bit bassy but good for monitor speakers. I probably wouldn't use them for listening to music, but you could. The speakers are more than good enough for watching Youtube or listening to podcasts.
The image quality is surprisingly good at 1440p scaled, but I prefer running it at 1080p scaled for the little bit of extra sharpness and larger text size. So far it's working great with MacOS Sequoia 15.4.1, no problems with flickering.
My keyboard doesn't have brightness controls, so I wasn't able to test that. I purchased from Amazon US and my monitor is Rev A00 manufactured December 2024.
The only thing I don't like is the retractable front facing usb hub that feels kind of plasticky and loose when fully retracted. Fortunately there is a 5 Gbps USB-A port on the rear of the monitor, placed in a hollowed out area that might fit a small hub. The monitor even comes with a cover for this hollow area, so I think this monitor would be a good choice for an environment where people will see the rear of the monitor.
Overall, the white color (it's actually very light gray), textured back panel, and slim stand give the monitor a clean aesthetic that I think Mac users would appreciate. It's slightly chunky but not too bad compared to my other 27" Dell monitors. 120Hz feels smooth and the controls are easy to use with a joystick and power button on the rear right side of the monitor. The cable management solution is fine for a monitor at this price.
Edit: Keyboard controls for volume did not work without BetterDisplay.
I was a bit concerned at first because it doesn't have the most heavy duty stand, but it's not flimsy either. It looks really nice and clean on my desk and there is hardly any wobble with the stand fully extended, so what else can you ask for? The speakers get really loud without distorting. They are a bit bassy but good for monitor speakers. I probably wouldn't use them for listening to music, but you could. The speakers are more than good enough for watching Youtube or listening to podcasts.
The image quality is surprisingly good at 1440p scaled, but I prefer running it at 1080p scaled for the little bit of extra sharpness and larger text size. So far it's working great with MacOS Sequoia 15.4.1, no problems with flickering.
My keyboard doesn't have brightness controls, so I wasn't able to test that. I purchased from Amazon US and my monitor is Rev A00 manufactured December 2024.
The only thing I don't like is the retractable front facing usb hub that feels kind of plasticky and loose when fully retracted. Fortunately there is a 5 Gbps USB-A port on the rear of the monitor, placed in a hollowed out area that might fit a small hub. The monitor even comes with a cover for this hollow area, so I think this monitor would be a good choice for an environment where people will see the rear of the monitor.
Overall, the white color (it's actually very light gray), textured back panel, and slim stand give the monitor a clean aesthetic that I think Mac users would appreciate. It's slightly chunky but not too bad compared to my other 27" Dell monitors. 120Hz feels smooth and the controls are easy to use with a joystick and power button on the rear right side of the monitor. The cable management solution is fine for a monitor at this price.
Edit: Keyboard controls for volume did not work without BetterDisplay.
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Hi, thanks for sharing your review with us. Much appreciated. Glad to know that you are enjoying this monitor. How about any image retention issues or ghosting? I've read in several other places that the front USB hub feels flimsy too. Hope it is covered under warranty incase something bad happens.
How different does 120hz feel from other 60hz for productivity?
†
I own 3 different monitors with different refresh rates: 75Hz, 120Hz, and 165Hz. I would say 120Hz is perfect for productivity. When I move to the 75Hz display it feels noticeably less smooth, but going from 165Hz to 120Hz they both feel comfortable. If you are currently using a 60Hz display it should feel like a nice upgrade.
As for the pop-out hub, I would feel comfortable using it occasionally to charge my phone, but yeah I don't know if it would hold up to 5-10 years of repeated use. The worry is that the pop-out mechanism fails. It doesn't feel like it's going to break anytime soon, it's just that there's a bit of play when it's popped out. I believe the monitor has a 1-year manufacturer warranty. Fortunately the cavity on the rear of the monitor with the USB-A port is big enough that a DIY hub solution is probably very doable (and inexpensive) if you need to connect mouse and keyboard to the monitor. And the fact that it has a cover means you could hide all of that away.
I've only had the monitor for a day, so it's more of a first impressions than a review. I haven't noticed any image retention issues, but I will definitely post an update if I do notice anything. As for ghosting, I just did the UFO test and there appears to be a bit of ghosting. If I move a window around really fast, maybe I can notice some ghosting but I really hadn't noticed anything until I ran the test. Maybe someone who is really sensitive would notice, but so far nothing seems out of the ordinary.
I own 3 different monitors with different refresh rates: 75Hz, 120Hz, and 165Hz. I would say 120Hz is perfect for productivity. When I move to the 75Hz display it feels noticeably less smooth, but going from 165Hz to 120Hz they both feel comfortable. If you are currently using a 60Hz display it should feel like a nice upgrade.
As for the pop-out hub, I would feel comfortable using it occasionally to charge my phone, but yeah I don't know if it would hold up to 5-10 years of repeated use. The worry is that the pop-out mechanism fails. It doesn't feel like it's going to break anytime soon, it's just that there's a bit of play when it's popped out. I believe the monitor has a 1-year manufacturer warranty. Fortunately the cavity on the rear of the monitor with the USB-A port is big enough that a DIY hub solution is probably very doable (and inexpensive) if you need to connect mouse and keyboard to the monitor. And the fact that it has a cover means you could hide all of that away.
Finally, I got mine on exact date promised. And writing this first impression review on it.
So first of all im not an expert to judge the color accuracy and all but this is what i felt and might help u.
1. Packaging - Delivered in a good packaging felt happy to unbox
2. Build Quality - The monitor build is good(bcz its still plastic so not like 5star rating) and the stand which has height adjustment is wow and i fell in love with its butter smooth adjustments simply great.
3. Installation - Easy. Can take 2-3mins (To screw up things)
4. Additional Items in box - We get a power cable and usb as u know already, but i felt 2 things on this.
a. Cable is soft material, which is good for bends but for type C cable i am scared for longer run but they gave a long head though. If the cable get pressed hard by any object then chance of some minor damage is there. But i felt bad when i compared it to mac LG cables which is solid and feels durable.
b. The Type C cable is short man, i faced difficulty in setting up dual monitor setup but had to compromise on my laptop position which i feel bad. I first route the cable through monitor arm then noticed its short and removed from it which makes my setup bit weird bcz all my cables are cleanly packed.
5. Color - Again im not an expert. So when i first connected to my laptop i felt shocked and tooooo much disappointed bcz of default color it had which is warm just like a night shift on mac. To fix i tried different profile, did calibration (using mac utility) but didnt satisfied my mind bcz i can really see a big difference in the sharpness like a crisp tone in MAC vs on monitor which is warmer side. But sRGB 1EC61... profile make me feel a bit better.
6. Issues - So apart from cable, color issue. I felt a jerk 1 or 2 time when i suddenly switch full screen windows(apps)
- And just now while write this post, i initially connected both the monitor cables to mac and turned on system and now when i was checking color profile i noticed the dell display was showing max 60HZ i was worried and removed 2nd display still didnt refreshed so i removed both, connected main one (dell) first then it showed 120HZ later connected LG 75Hz one and the main switched to 60Hz but this time i could see 120Hz option. But i need to try few more time by turning power down to monitors and retry.
So yeah this are my initial impression on this. But i really dont like worm tone bcz while coding it feels different i mean not sure bcz of sudden switch but yeah felt sad in first see.
IMP: And one more thing, i know u might feel -ve in this post on color but when i connected my 2nd monitor LG FHD 75Hz one i saw the difference in clarity. And i agree the Dell is not color accurate bcz my eye adjusted to apple products like iphone, mac, ipad but its just has sRGB 100% not like LG equivalent 125% so yeah i need to give time.
So first of all im not an expert to judge the color accuracy and all but this is what i felt and might help u.
1. Packaging - Delivered in a good packaging felt happy to unbox
2. Build Quality - The monitor build is good(bcz its still plastic so not like 5star rating) and the stand which has height adjustment is wow and i fell in love with its butter smooth adjustments simply great.
3. Installation - Easy. Can take 2-3mins (To screw up things)
4. Additional Items in box - We get a power cable and usb as u know already, but i felt 2 things on this.
a. Cable is soft material, which is good for bends but for type C cable i am scared for longer run but they gave a long head though. If the cable get pressed hard by any object then chance of some minor damage is there. But i felt bad when i compared it to mac LG cables which is solid and feels durable.
b. The Type C cable is short man, i faced difficulty in setting up dual monitor setup but had to compromise on my laptop position which i feel bad. I first route the cable through monitor arm then noticed its short and removed from it which makes my setup bit weird bcz all my cables are cleanly packed.
5. Color - Again im not an expert. So when i first connected to my laptop i felt shocked and tooooo much disappointed bcz of default color it had which is warm just like a night shift on mac. To fix i tried different profile, did calibration (using mac utility) but didnt satisfied my mind bcz i can really see a big difference in the sharpness like a crisp tone in MAC vs on monitor which is warmer side. But sRGB 1EC61... profile make me feel a bit better.
6. Issues - So apart from cable, color issue. I felt a jerk 1 or 2 time when i suddenly switch full screen windows(apps)
- And just now while write this post, i initially connected both the monitor cables to mac and turned on system and now when i was checking color profile i noticed the dell display was showing max 60HZ i was worried and removed 2nd display still didnt refreshed so i removed both, connected main one (dell) first then it showed 120HZ later connected LG 75Hz one and the main switched to 60Hz but this time i could see 120Hz option. But i need to try few more time by turning power down to monitors and retry.
So yeah this are my initial impression on this. But i really dont like worm tone bcz while coding it feels different i mean not sure bcz of sudden switch but yeah felt sad in first see.
IMP: And one more thing, i know u might feel -ve in this post on color but when i connected my 2nd monitor LG FHD 75Hz one i saw the difference in clarity. And i agree the Dell is not color accurate bcz my eye adjusted to apple products like iphone, mac, ipad but its just has sRGB 100% not like LG equivalent 125% so yeah i need to give time.
I found the reason for MAC's weird behaviour of 60Hz thingy. So the mac official doc says
1. connect the first display which has higher refresh rate supporting till 4k@144Hz, then
2. Connect second display which has lower refresh rate compared to main which is till 4k@100Hz
Now the problem is i connected the low hz monitor first (without power delivery in clam shell) so mac considered this as main display and fixed bandwidth of 120 (but it can use only 75hz), later i plugged in the Dell monitor 120hz but second display can only work till 100Hz and as per monitor configuration and data read from it by mac. the mac cant find 100Hz option as supported refresh rate by monitor (only possible rates are 24,25, 30, 60, 120). So this makes mac to use the next option other which is <=100Hz is 60Hz
And this is tested by connecting Dell as main(primary) first then my LG (75hz) and it works. Also even when i turn off power and boot monitors again (not laptop) it works.
So no worries, it a mac's shittt and my less understanding on it. But got to learn something in detail for sure
1. connect the first display which has higher refresh rate supporting till 4k@144Hz, then
2. Connect second display which has lower refresh rate compared to main which is till 4k@100Hz
Now the problem is i connected the low hz monitor first (without power delivery in clam shell) so mac considered this as main display and fixed bandwidth of 120 (but it can use only 75hz), later i plugged in the Dell monitor 120hz but second display can only work till 100Hz and as per monitor configuration and data read from it by mac. the mac cant find 100Hz option as supported refresh rate by monitor (only possible rates are 24,25, 30, 60, 120). So this makes mac to use the next option other which is <=100Hz is 60Hz
And this is tested by connecting Dell as main(primary) first then my LG (75hz) and it works. Also even when i turn off power and boot monitors again (not laptop) it works.
So no worries, it a mac's shittt and my less understanding on it. But got to learn something in detail for sure
About the packaging, my cat just LOVES the cardboard that was protecting the screen. It lays on that all the time. Just another plus point for me as I've had this monitor for maybe 6-7 weeks now and use it for 8+ hours every day.Finally, I got mine on exact date promised. And writing this first impression review on it.
So first of all im not an expert to judge the color accuracy and all but this is what i felt and might help u.
1. Packaging - Delivered in a good packaging felt happy to unbox
Update:
I installed a software called DDPM from dell for monitors and i love the hotkeys to control screen brightness and volume but that suck when u enable screen splitting because i when i am in google meet the pip(picture in picture) window cant be moved as the DDPM will try to split or maximise to the window size we select and it irritates me so much
Just got my Dell S2725QC monitor delivered today. Hooked it up to my M4 Mac mini and lovin it so far. I'm using an HDMI cable to connect to the monitor, because I want to keep the USB-C (65W PD) port available in case I want to connect my M4 MacBook Pro. Quick question: is it necessary to use an HDMI 2.1 cable for this monitor in order to get the full benefit of the 4k / 120hz?
@ilovemym1mba, how are you finding your new S2725QC?
1. My (likely temporary) fix
I'd like to share what seems to be a fix - at least temporarily - for screen flicker on my S2722QC (and maybe others who own 22- or 23- series Dells) connected to my M1 MBP: LCD Conditioning — the exact thing you recommended to @fohafic194 a few weeks ago.
I found it from sheer desperation after experiencing another bad screen flicker episode: I went through the various OSD menu options, tried this, and to my surprise it worked.
I don't know for how long, and I don't know if it'll work again, but I left it on for < 10 min before stopping it to see its effect. It may have worked after 30s, so I'll try that next time.
Apparently it's been a thing for years to fix image retention, which may be related to flicker.
2. There's an official Dell Support Page for this?
I just discovered that Dell has an official support page on Certain Dell Monitors Have Flickering Video with Apple M1 or M2 Macs that lists the monitors affected:
They offer a workaround (ugly tradeoffs imo) but recommends LCD Conditioning first — scroll to the bottom, they should have listed it first 🤦🏻♂️
3. 24-series and later monitors: flicker fixed?
This reddit post from _benforeman_ last year says his new U2724D has fixed his issue after 3 prior U2722D replacements), and gives a thorough description as well as his troubleshooting efforts to isolate the problem. He's loving it. With TrueTone and Night Shift enabled. With no updates since, I presume he's still loving it 😄
1. My (likely temporary) fix
I'd like to share what seems to be a fix - at least temporarily - for screen flicker on my S2722QC (and maybe others who own 22- or 23- series Dells) connected to my M1 MBP: LCD Conditioning — the exact thing you recommended to @fohafic194 a few weeks ago.
I found it from sheer desperation after experiencing another bad screen flicker episode: I went through the various OSD menu options, tried this, and to my surprise it worked.
I don't know for how long, and I don't know if it'll work again, but I left it on for < 10 min before stopping it to see its effect. It may have worked after 30s, so I'll try that next time.
Apparently it's been a thing for years to fix image retention, which may be related to flicker.
2. There's an official Dell Support Page for this?
I just discovered that Dell has an official support page on Certain Dell Monitors Have Flickering Video with Apple M1 or M2 Macs that lists the monitors affected:
- P2721Q
- S2721Q
- S2721QS
- P3222QE
- S2722QC
- P2723QE
- P3223QE
- U2723QE
- U3223QE
- U3223QZ
They offer a workaround (ugly tradeoffs imo) but recommends LCD Conditioning first — scroll to the bottom, they should have listed it first 🤦🏻♂️
3. 24-series and later monitors: flicker fixed?
This reddit post from _benforeman_ last year says his new U2724D has fixed his issue after 3 prior U2722D replacements), and gives a thorough description as well as his troubleshooting efforts to isolate the problem. He's loving it. With TrueTone and Night Shift enabled. With no updates since, I presume he's still loving it 😄
Hi, after about 40+ days and after what seemed like a logistical nightmare, my monitor was finally delivered to me. With a hole in the box. Like a giant fist sized hole which went through all the padding and boxes and I could feel mointor's backside through it. I was so tired at this point, I just decided to open the box without any pointless escalations.
Glad to report, my monitor seems to work just fine as of now. Connected to my M1 MBA via the USB-C Cable that came with it, everything is smooth. No flicker, no retention (so far), no weird issues. None.
It is working fine with 120Hz non-HDR 1440(hidpi) resolution. That is 4k but UI is scaled. No font issues, no jagged edges, nothing that I feared. I can comfortably work on it the whole day and then some. Although I have to admit, MBA's built in screen is just stunning to look at.
Colors are nice, stand is nice and there are couple of caveats. For example there is no 3.5mm jack on the monitor, to be fair they never claimed there would be. Their DDP software works fine my latest macOS, I am able to control brightness, volume through the keyboard.
I was very excited about this purchase but all the frustration around shipping and delays reduced me to looking at it as just another tool purchase. My desire to write an in-depth review just vanished away. And I think it is good at what it claimed to be. I am happy with the product itself. No issues so far, would report here if found any.
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Glad it finally worked for you. Do you know if the Dell software phones home? I've been using my monitor for a long while now and reckon it's the best Dell LCD I've ever used. One caveat is that I have snapped the plastic cable retainer thing by accident. I always thought that looked to be the poorest part of the design.
That's a good point regarding phoning home. I use a firewall so I removed the rule that allowed their software to connect anywhere.
I then relaunched the DDPM software, and my firewall immediately prompted me that DDPM wanted to connect to "clientperipherals.dell.com". I have blocked it for now. Let's see what effects it might have.