S2722QC vs S2725QC: Is Dell’s New 27-Inch 4K USB-C Monitor Worth It?

Last updated November 9, 2026 · Research-based analysis by Abid Shehzad, WorthCheckr

The S2722QC vs S2725QC question comes up for two kinds of people: owners of the 2021 S2722QC wondering whether Dell’s 2025 replacement is a real upgrade, and budget buyers who spot a cheap used S2722QC next to a new S2725QC and can’t tell what the extra money buys. Both are 27-inch 4K IPS monitors with a single USB-C cable that carries video, data and 65W of laptop charging.

The short version: Dell kept the parts people liked (the price bracket, the 65W USB-C, the 4K sharpness) and fixed the two most common complaints, 60Hz and a flat 1000:1 contrast. It also quietly dropped a couple of things. WorthCheckr hasn’t tested either monitor; this comparison pulls together what named reviewers measured, Dell’s own spec sheets, and what owners report on Dell’s forums, MacRumors and Best Buy. If you’re still choosing a size or panel type, start with our guide to choosing a monitor for working from home.

S2722QC vs S2725QC: the quick answer

Choose the Dell S2725QC if…

• You’re buying new. It’s the current model, it usually sells between about $250 and $350, and it carries a fresh warranty.
• You spend all day in documents, spreadsheets or code and want the smoother feel of 120Hz.
• You want more accurate colours without fiddling, thanks to the sRGB preset.
• You plug in a phone or headset dongle often: the front pop-down hub saves reaching behind the screen.

Skip the S2725QC if… you rely on a Mac and can’t tolerate any quirks. A handful of owners report short-lived image retention (a faint ghost of a toolbar that fades in minutes), and a Dell forum thread describes lost audio over USB-C on Macs. It’s also not for anyone whose laptop needs more than 65W.

Choose the Dell S2722QC if…

• You can get a clean used or open-box unit for well under the S2725QC’s price.
• 60Hz is fine for you (email, writing, video calls) and you want a wired audio-out jack.

Skip the S2722QC if… you use a Mac and want a fuss-free setup. Mac-related flicker, sleep and resolution threads are the most repeated owner problem, and its firmware tool runs only on Windows. Skip it too if a warranty matters: new stock has largely disappeared from US retailers.

Check Dell S2725QC price → Check Dell S2722QC price →

Specs side by side

Figures below come from Dell’s S2725QC product page and the S2722QC User’s Guide and Reviewer’s Guide. Where Dell’s page leaves something out, the source is noted.

What Dell changed in the S2725QC (and what it dropped)

On paper this is a classic “same size, same resolution, better panel” refresh. The upgrades that matter for a home office:

• Refresh rate doubles. 120Hz is the headline change. PC Monitors’ launch coverage also notes a proper variable refresh range with low framerate compensation, which matters if the monitor doubles as a casual gaming screen in the evening.
• Contrast goes up. Dell rates the newer panel at 1500:1. PC Monitors measured the S2722QC at roughly 1,160–1,250:1 in 2021 and found the S2725QC sits close to its 1500:1 rating.
• An sRGB mode arrives. RTINGS’ comparison points to more accurate out-of-the-box colour on the S2725QC thanks to this preset.
• Better HDMI. Both HDMI ports move to 2.1, so a desktop PC or console can run 4K at 120Hz.
• A front hub. A pop-down panel puts one USB-A port and a 15W USB-C port within reach.

What didn’t change: 65W USB-C charging, 350-nit brightness, the 99% sRGB gamut and the four-way adjustable stand. And two things went backwards. RTINGS notes that the S2722QC has an audio jack the newer model lacks, and its reviewers felt the older model is the better-built of the two. If you plug wired headphones or desk speakers into your monitor today, that missing jack is the one change worth checking before you upgrade.

Reviewer scorecard: S2722QC vs S2725QC round by round

No single outlet reviewed both monitors in full, so this scorecard combines RTINGS’ side-by-side comparison with individual reviews from PC Monitors, Display Ninja, The AU Review, ProVideo Coalition, Impulse Gamer and StorageReview, plus owner ratings.

Where reviewers agree

Across the reviews, a few points come up every time:

• 4K at 27 inches is the sweet spot for text. Both screens get praised for crisp type, which is the main reason to pick them over a 1440p monitor for office work.
• Single-cable USB-C is the real selling point. StorageReview’s Lyle Smith liked the one-cable setup on the S2722QC, and The AU Review highlighted the same thing on the S2725QC.
• 65W is the ceiling. Dell’s own S2722QC User’s Guide warns that laptops needing more than 65W may not charge or power on from a flat battery through the monitor. The S2725QC has the same limit. Not sure whether your laptop fits? Our USB-C monitor charging checker walks through it.
• They’re not HDR monitors. Display Ninja’s Rob Shafer says HDR on the S2722QC isn’t worth using, and the S2725QC’s HDR10 support is basic at 350 nits.
• IPS glow is visible in a dark room. PC Monitors noted some glow and bleed on the S2722QC; it’s normal for budget IPS panels and rarely matters in a lit office.

60Hz vs 120Hz on a 4K work screen

Is 120Hz worth paying for if you never play games? For most people who stare at a screen eight hours a day, yes, but it’s a comfort upgrade rather than a productivity one. Text doesn’t get sharper. What changes is how the screen feels when things move: scrolling a long spreadsheet, dragging windows between displays, or moving the cursor. At 60Hz, fast-scrolling text smears into a blur; at 120Hz you can often still read it mid-scroll.

Two caveats. First, your computer has to send 120Hz. Over HDMI 2.1 that’s straightforward with a recent PC. Over USB-C, check what your laptop can output at 4K, and note ProVideo Coalition’s finding that Apple Silicon Macs only offered whole-number refresh rates on this monitor (he used the BetterDisplay app to unlock others). Second, PC Monitors found the S2725QC’s pixel response trails dedicated gaming panels, so treat it as a smooth office screen that can game, not a gaming monitor.

Setup tip: after connecting a S2725QC, open your display settings and confirm the refresh rate actually reads 120Hz. Windows and macOS sometimes default to 60Hz, which would leave the monitor’s main upgrade switched off.

Contrast, colour modes and the sRGB fix

Both monitors cover about 99% of sRGB, but the S2722QC’s panel actually reaches further, into roughly 86% of DCI-P3 by PC Monitors’ measurement. Without an sRGB clamp, everyday web content and office apps look a little oversaturated, with skin tones and reds pushed. Adam Simmons also flagged that gamma ran slightly dark (around 2.3) with no setting to change it.

The S2725QC fixes this with an sRGB preset, so documents, photos and websites look closer to how they were made, without a calibrator. Its higher contrast also helps dark-mode apps: blacks look less grey, and text on dark backgrounds has more punch. PC Monitors describes the new model’s anti-glare coating as light to very light, a type that generally keeps text looking clean while still cutting reflections.

Neither is a colour-critical screen for paid photo work. If that’s you, our roundup of the best 27-inch 4K USB-C monitors for working from home covers a factory-calibrated option.

Common S2722QC and S2725QC problems owners report (and fixes)

We looked through Dell Community threads, MacRumors owner threads, Dell’s support knowledge base, Best Buy reviews and Slickdeals comments. Reddit threads weren’t reachable for this update, so treat this as a summary of the sources below rather than a complete census. Satisfaction is high for both; these are the issues that repeat.

Dell S2725QC

Dell S2722QC

The pattern: both models are dependable with Windows laptops. Most problems in both lists involve Macs, and the older S2722QC has the longer list. If you’re buying a used S2722QC, ask the seller which firmware it runs, because updating needs a Windows PC.

Using either one with a MacBook: a 5-point check

Because Mac users show up so often in the owner threads, here’s a quick checklist before you buy either model for a MacBook:

1. Charging: a 14-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air works fine on 65W; a 16-inch MacBook Pro under heavy load will drain slowly.
2. Scaling: at 27 inches, 4K looks best on a Mac with the “looks like 1920 x 1080” or “2560 x 1440” scaled setting. Our 4K vs 5K monitor for Mac explainer covers why 4K isn’t quite Retina-perfect at this size.
3. Refresh rate: on the S2725QC, confirm 120Hz is selected in System Settings; use BetterDisplay if you need other rates.
4. Audio: if sound over USB-C drops out, restart the Mac or its audio service before assuming the monitor is faulty.
5. Firmware: Dell’s updater for both models is Windows-only, so borrow a Windows PC if support asks you to update.

Still unsure whether your specific laptop will drive either screen properly? Try our monitor and laptop compatibility checker.

Used S2722QC vs new S2725QC: the price math

Since the S2722QC is no longer sold new by Dell or Best Buy, the real-world choice is usually a used S2722QC against a new S2725QC. Using prices seen in the past year:

Spread over three years of daily work, the sale-price gap works out to roughly 12 to 16 cents per working day. For a screen you look at all day, that’s a small premium for a smoother, better-contrasted image and a warranty. The math only favours the S2722QC if the used price drops well below $150 or you specifically need the audio jack. (Prices change often; treat these as snapshots.)

Our take: why the S2725QC gets the edge

1. It fixes the two biggest complaints. 60Hz motion and the lack of an sRGB mode were the S2722QC’s main criticisms. Both are gone.
2. Buyers like it more. Best Buy ratings are overwhelmingly five-star, and MacRumors polls lean strongly positive, even with the image-retention reports.
3. It’s the one you can actually buy new. New S2722QC stock has dried up at major US retailers, and sealed units from marketplace sellers may come with warranty questions.
4. The price gap is small. On sale, the S2725QC costs around $100 more than a used S2722QC, which is modest for the upgrades.
5. Fewer recurring owner problems. The S2722QC’s Mac and USB-port threads span years; the S2725QC’s list is shorter so far.

The edge isn’t total. If you already own an S2722QC that works well with your laptop, it’s still a good monitor. Upgrade only if you want 120Hz and better contrast; for a bigger change, a 32-inch screen may be a better use of the money (see our 27 vs 32-inch monitor comparison for work).

Which should you buy?

Check Dell S2725QC price → Check Dell S2722QC price →

Accessories worth pairing

• A monitor arm: both use 100 x 100 VESA, so any standard arm frees desk space and lets you sit the screen higher than the stand allows.
• A USB-C audio adapter: a cheap fix for the S2725QC’s missing audio jack; plug it into the front USB-C port.
• A certified USB-C cable: Dell includes one with the S2725QC; if you buy a used S2722QC without a cable, get one rated for video and 100W charging.
• A desk that fits: a 27-inch monitor needs roughly 60cm of depth for comfortable viewing. Our monitor size calculator checks your desk.

S2722QC vs S2725QC FAQ

Verdict

Winner: Dell S2725QC. In the S2722QC vs S2725QC matchup, the newer monitor keeps everything that made the original a popular single-cable home office screen and fixes its main weaknesses: 120Hz instead of 60Hz, higher contrast, and an sRGB mode for natural colours. It costs about $100 more than a used S2722QC on sale, and it’s the only one of the two you can reliably buy new with a warranty.

Buy a used S2722QC only if the price is low, 60Hz is fine, and you value its audio jack. Mac users should read the owner-problem table above either way. We’ll update this comparison as more S2725QC owner feedback and firmware updates come in. For more options, browse all our monitor guides and comparisons.

Check Dell S2725QC price → Check Dell S2722QC price →

Sources: Dell S2725QC product page · Dell S2722QC User’s Guide · RTINGS S2722QC vs S2725QC comparison · PC Monitors S2722QC review · PC Monitors S2725QC coverage · Display Ninja · The AU Review · ProVideo Coalition · Impulse Gamer · StorageReview · Notebookcheck · Dell Support · MacRumors forums