After I got the MacBook M4 14″ with matte nanotexture display, I wanted an ultra-affordable matte 27″ display with unified single-cable laptop charging. With that, I mean a single USB-C cable which would charge the laptop, transfer video, audio and all USB connections for all other peripherals. Of course, I wanted it to be matte (non-reflective) and capable of all of the desired rates: 23.976|24|25|29.97|50|59.94|60. I actually got more than I wanted, since the sub-US$330 Dell S2725QC actually offers up to 119.88|120Hz even though I didn’t need it to go so high. I only need it to be 1920×1080 but it gives me 4K UHD 3840×2160 with high DPI (i.e. Retina) when set to 1920×1080 in macOS. I wasn’t looking to do grading, but I’ll cover that possibility ahead.

Incomplete EDID solved by BetterDisplay

If you use this Dell S2725QC monitor with a Windows computer, you can simply select any desired refresh rate among 23.976|24|25|29.97|50|59.94|60|119.88|120Hz. If you are using macOS with an Apple processor (M1, M2, M3, M4 etc.) the incomplete EDID will only offer the integer rates.

However, by adding the BetterDisplay software (as I covered in BetterDisplay unlocks non-integer rates for Apple Silicon Macs), you can have access to the non-integer rates too. This will grant you the proper cadence for your video project, even it it uses an NTSC-derived rate.

Unified single-cable laptop charging

The Dell S2725QC offers a single USB-C connection which can charge your laptop (up to 65W power delivery) while simultaneously sending video, audio and USB connects for all USB devices, including a wired keyboard, wired Magic Trackpad, audio interface and even USB drives. The up to 65W has worked perfectly so far with my MacBook Pro M4 14″.

Ports

The Dell S2725QC has ports both in front and rear:

1. USB 5Gbps Type-A downstream port
2. HDMI
3. HDMI
4. USB 5Gbps Type-C upstream (DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode, Power Delivery 65W to charge your laptop)
5. Stand lock
6. Security lock slot (based on Kensington Security Slot)
7. Power connector
8. Speakers
9. USB 5Gbps Type-C downstream port (Power Delivery 15W)
10. USB 5Gbps Type-A downstream port with Battery Charging 1.2

Of course, one of the USB ports can be expanded with an external powered hub too.

High-quality matte IPS display | Okay for grading?

I love the visual quality of this matte IPS display, which is easy on my eyes and contributes to the ergonomics, along with the height adjustment. The contrast ratio is rated at 1500:1 and it offers 99% sRGB. I did not purchase it for serious grading. However, in the near future I may test it with a professional colorimeter/calibrator to see how it fares for that.

Conclusions

I am expremely satisfied with the Dell S2725QC. For under US$330 it does more than I needed it to do. My only suggestion to Dell, either with a future firmware update or a new version, would be to make the EDID complete with the non-integer rates the S2725QC already accepts, since that would eliminate the need for the BetterDisplay on macOS when used with video projects which use NTSC-derived rates. For more information, visit the Dell product page.

(Re-)Subscribe for upcoming articles, reviews, radio shows, books and seminars/webinars

Stand by for upcoming articles, reviews, books and courses by subscribing to my bulletins.

In English:

• Email bulletins, bulletins.AllanTepper.com
• In Telegram, t.me/TecnoTurBulletins
• Twitter (bilingual), AllanLTepper

En castellano:

• Boletines por correo electrónico, boletines.AllanTepper.com
• En Telegram, t.me/boletinesdeAllan
• Twitter (bilingüe), AllanLTepper

Most of my current books are at books.AllanTepper.com, and also visit AllanTepper.com and radio.AllanTepper.com.

FTC disclosure

DELL has not paid for this article. As of publication date of this article, DELL has not sent review units to Allan Tépper. Allan Tépper paid full price for this device. Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.