Manufacturer: Dell

Release Date: 9/20/2012

MSRP: $369.99

Colors: Black

Size: 27″

Ports: VGA, DVI, HDMI, 2x USB

A good monitor doesn’t just look good, and every monitor looks different to other people. You need features, stability, and clarity. A very bright monitor isn’t exactly good. The models in the store are in torch mode, which means the contrast and brightness are set all the way up. This is to make the monitors look bright and vivid, yet when you come home with them, they aren’t. The Dell S2740L is all of the above. Crisp, vivid, and full of features. When I saw the install disc, I rolled my eyes. Some crappy buggy software is thrown in as a gimmick or to “help” control the 2 USB slots that are underneath the unit. I was surprised that the software auto-controls the presets for when each program is opened. This shocked me. You can drag exes into the window and decide what preset you want for them. You can also turn it off, but I prefer this method. The monitor is crystal clear through both DVI and HDMI. However, the factory settings are terrible. Turning the image enhancer on makes everything look like it was overly sharpened in Photoshop. I actually thought something was wrong with the monitor; I had to switch out the DVI cables to see. Once that was off, the monitors looked so crisp and clear.

The software allows you to arrange grids on each monitor you have. When you drag a window into that region, it will auto-resize it for you. This is great if you are dragging and dropping around folders or switching between programs a lot. The software also allows you to easily make separate settings for each monitor. Even with great software, a monitor can still suck. This monitor was tested on movies and games, and the colors just popped. They were so bright and colorful. Once you get used to the brightness, you can start turning it down bit by bit to save energy. There is an energy meter when you turn the brightness and contrast down. Eventually, you can get it down to 60% without it bothering you.

One thing that did annoy me is that the ports are too hard to get to. They are directly underneath the unit in the back, so you need to crouch down, pull the monitor towards the edge of the desk, and fiddle around until you get the plugs in. This was a bad spot for the USB ports as well; why couldn’t they be on the side? One thing you may wonder about is the gap between multiple monitors. It isn’t seamless like an edge-to-edge display, but it isn’t so bad either because the monitor is completely flat without a plastic bevel to bother you. There aren’t many issues here except the initial setup, and the ports are in weird spots.

For the price, this is a damn good monitor, and I highly advise you to get a 2. I have two myself, and they are gorgeous. I can’t explain how beautiful this monitor is unless you get one yourself. This may be one of the sharpest 27″ monitors out there.