Dell UltraSharp U2725QE monitor review
The UltraSharp U2725QE is designed to be the perfect 27-inch productivity monitor. Splicing the DNA of Dell’s previous U2723QE and U2724DE models (both of which received glowing reviews here at IT Pro), the U2725QE extracts the best elements of both and adds a few upgrades for good measure. The result is another very creditable addition to the UltraSharp family – albeit one that’s not without its flaws.
The good news, however, is that Dell has taken all the office-friendly features that we loved in the previous generation – the built-in USB 3.2 Gen 2 hub, integrated KVM switch, and PIP/PBP features – and made some very welcome upgrades.
The enhanced IPS Black panel touts an improved 3000:1 contrast ratio. The refresh rate has risen from 60Hz to 120Hz. Power delivery is up from 90W to 140W. Thunderbolt 4 is now present and correct, too. The old model’s DisplayHDR 400 sticker has been replaced with an upgraded DisplayHDR 600 certification. On paper, it looks like Dell has granted our every wish.
Dell UltraSharp U2725QE monitor: Design & Features
(Image credit: Future)
Physically, little has changed. But that’s no bad thing: the UltraSharp U2723QE was already a handsome, well-designed monitor. The slender silver stand screws into the base and secures to the rear of the panel with a reassuring click. There is a bit of wobble at full extension, but it provides 150mm of height adjustment in addition to the usual tilt and swivel, and you can also rotate the display 90 degrees left or right into portrait mode. A quick-release button underneath unlocks the panel should you prefer to use the VESA 100 x 100mm mount.
Cable management is handled by a simple slot at the bottom of the stand. It’s an unfussy, effective solution with only one issue – it does get pretty tight if you’re taking advantage of most of the U2725QE’s many ports. If, for any reason, you need to remove the mains cable, you may need to temporarily remove a handful of the USB cables to get the IEC connector to slide through.
The far more exciting news here, though, is the arrival of 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. The U2725QE’s predecessor, the U2723QE, had some limitations: if you wanted to enjoy single USB-C cable simplicity, but your device only supported DisplayPort 1.2, then you had to choose between maximal USB 3.2 data rates and a 30Hz refresh rate, or USB 2.0 transfers and 60Hz. Or, shock horror, you’d have to resort to using two cables – one USB-C cable alongside a dedicated HDMI or DisplayPort connection. Now, Thunderbolt 4-compatible devices can enjoy full-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2 transfers, 120Hz 4K images, and 2.5Gbe Ethernet via a single USB-C cable.
Connectivity is slightly improved across the board. The Thunderbolt 4 port now provides an improved 140W of power delivery for compatible devices. The HDMI port has been upgraded to HDMI 2.1, and this is allied with a single DisplayPort 1.4 input. And yet again, to avoid confusion, Dell has wisely placed orange bungs in the daisy chain outputs for the DisplayPort and Thunderbolt connections in addition to the second upstream USB-C port. Unless you’re taking advantage of the daisychain or KVM features, these are left unused. Rounding off the selection is the upgraded 2.5BGbE Ethernet socket and a 3.5mm audio output.
You still get a further three ports at the front, but Dell has improved the design – the two USB-C ports and one USB-A port have been moved from are hidden on a little pop out panel. This makes it far less fiddly to connect devices than with the U2723QE’s downward-facing ports. All three supply USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps transfer speeds, and while the two USB-C ports provide 15W of power delivery, the single USB-A port provides 10W.
One very minor point, but one that’s welcome all the same, is that Dell has changed the rear panel design. Whereas the ports used to all be slightly recessed behind a lip, they’re now flush with it, and this makes it just a tiny bit easier to slot the cables home. It’s a little thing, but when it saves the irritation of frustrating scrabbling to insert a cable, it’s one you may appreciate. We certainly did.
While it’s always nice to find cables in the box – there’s a 1.8m DisplayPort cable, a super-speed USB-A to USB-C cable, and a 1m Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps USB-C cable – we’re still inclined to moan about the lengths. The 1.8m DisplayPort cable is sensible, but the 1m USB-A to USB-C cable isn’t – it wouldn’t reach the PC under our desk.
Dell has subtly improved the on-screen display for this generation, and it’s a welcome upgrade. The menus are a tad larger and more legible. As ever, the four-way joystick at the monitor’s rear makes light work of getting through the various menus. By default, pressing the joystick in any direction brings up the quick settings carousel, and you can choose which features are prioritized on the carousel, or assign specific features to any of the joystick’s four directions. Dell has done a great job here.
Users who find themselves juggling multiple machines will appreciate the improved OSD when it comes to setting up Dell’s KVM and PIP/PBP features. Previously, we advised users to download Dell’s Display Manager software, as adjusting the settings in the OSD was fiddly. Now, however, it’s no longer a necessity. The simple setup wizard leads users through the process of connecting a second PC or laptop to the second upstream USB-C port and even invites users to test the mouse to check it’s working on both machines. Just as we found with the U2723QE, though, the Ethernet connection is only shared with the currently active computer – if you want both machines to have wired networking, a cheap Ethernet switch remains a better option.
Dell UltraSharp U2725QE monitor: Display quality
(Image credit: Future)
The U2725QE touts improved specifications almost across the board. The claimed contrast ratio rises from 2,000:1 to 3,000:1, peak brightness goes from 400cd/m2 to 450cd/m2, and the addition of HDR support pushes peak brightness up to 600cd/m2. Both the claimed color accuracy and gamut have improved, too, with a claimed average Delta E of less than 1.5 improving on the U2723QE’s Delta E of 2, and the 98% DCI-P3 coverage increasing by a single percentage point to 99%.
In our tests, the U2725QE matched the U2723QE’s 100% sRGB and 97% DCI-P3 coverage, but its Adobe RGB coverage was vastly improved, upping the U2723QE’s 85% to a far more creditable 94%. At this kind of price, that’s a good showing – it’s just a shame there isn’t an Adobe RGB preset.
The monitor arrives with its Standard color preset activated, and this defaults to a Display P3 color profile. Tested against a Display P3 target, the color accuracy is respectable but unimpressive: the measured average Delta E is 1.71 and the maximum is 4.14. White point is 6,205k (ideal is 6,500k), gamma tracks at around is 2.1 (ideal is 2.2). Both color accuracy and the measured white point are less accurate than the U2723QE, but contrast is a big step forward, leaping up from the U2723QE’s 1,649:1 to an impressive 2,243:1.
Activate the U2725QE’s sRGB mode and color accuracy is vastly improved. The average Delta E drops to 0.5 with a maximum of 0.9, and this is allied to a 1,993:1 contrast ratio and a sensible brightness of 177cd/m2. Judged in isolation, that’s a very good result. Judged against the U2723QE, however, it’s inferior: that monitor achieved a Delta E of 0.33 and a maximum of 0.99. The white point was closer to the 6,500k ideal on its predecessor, too: the U2723QE’s 6,564k was nearly perfect, while the U2725QE’s 6,284k is noticeably more reddish.
Flick over to the Display P3 mode, however, and the U2725QE redeems itself. Here we recorded an average Delta E of 0.43 and a maximum of 2.11, and these figures are a substantial step up from the U2723QE’s 1.48 and 3.48. The other figures are all on the money, too: the measured white point is 6,458k, contrast is 2,027:1 and brightness is a sensible 180cd/m2.
We’re especially pleased to find that Dell has dumped the U2723QE’s semi-gloss screen coating – the U2725QE’s matte anti-glare coating is a huge improvement. Strong light sources are softened and diffused really well, and the only downside of the matte finish is that it adds a slight, fine grain to the image. Given a choice between the old glossy panel and this slight grain, we’ll take the latter every time.
The U2723QE was by no means top of the class for backlighting and panel uniformity, but the U2725QE takes a step backwards. Brightness dipped by as much as 15% in the bottom left and right corners, and the whole left and right flanks of the panel were between 7% and 15% dimmer than the center. You might not notice this in daily usage, but once you notice it you’ll find it hard to ignore. If you tend to use a bright, solid color as your desktop background, you’ll notice very clear vignetting around the panel’s edges where the color tone darkens.
HDR performance benefits from the increased peak brightness on offer. The local dimming hasn’t improved, however. You still only get 8 zones of edge-lit backlighting, and this means it’s of very little benefit. Whole segments of the screen raise in brightness for even a small highlight, and it’s especially intrusive with letterbox movie content that has black bars framing the image. Peak brightness reaches a respectable 658cd/m2 in the DisplayHDR 600 preset, though, and this combines with the improved contrast ratio to make a dramatically more impactful HDR performance – it’s a big, big step up from the U2723QE. Frankly, though, this is a monitor crying out for Mini LED backlighting – and that’s top of our wishlist for the U2725QE’s 2026 refresh.
Despite the 120Hz refresh rate and upgraded IPS Black panel, the UltraSharp U2725QE is still saddled with a very average 8ms response time – and it shows. While the increased smoothness from the 120Hz refresh rate is noticeable, the panel’s sluggish response time blurs detail on moving objects. Toggling the overdrive setting to High does sharpen things up a little – Dell claims a 5ms response time with it enabled — but this is served with an unwelcome side of overshoot which is deeply distracting during gaming. So much so that we had to flick the overdrive setting back to Standard while gaming; the overshoot caused dark halos to trail behind the edges of shadowed objects framed against brighter backgrounds. If gaming is more a priority than work, this simply is not the monitor for you.
Dell UltraSharp U2725QE monitor: Is it worth it?
The UltraSharp U2725QE is a victim of its own ambition. Trying to be all things to all people isn’t a trivial design brief and, ultimately, several of the most measurable improvements – the boosted peak brightness and increased refresh rate – have minimal to zero impact for the office-based audience. And if gaming performance really is non-negotiable for your role, then you have two options: buy a dedicated gaming monitor instead, or pay the premium for a more broadly talented alternative such as the £1,099 BenQ PD3226G.
We’d steer most work-minded buyers towards a third option, however: shop around for a discounted UltraSharp U2723QE. That monitor delivers most of the things we love about the U2725QE, and at the time of writing for around 20% less. Make no mistake, the UltraSharp U2725QE remains a very good monitor for both home and office-based work, but for all its talents, it still stops frustratingly short of the do-it-all dream.
Dell UltraSharp U2725QE specifications
|
Display |
27in IPS Black panel |
Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
Panel resolution |
3,840 x 2,160 |
Row 1 – Cell 2 |
|
Refresh rate |
120Hz |
Row 2 – Cell 2 |
|
Panel response time |
8ms GtG (normal) / 5ms GtG (fast) |
Row 3 – Cell 2 |
|
Adaptive Sync Support |
Yes |
Row 4 – Cell 2 |
|
HDR Support |
Yes, DisplayHDR 600 |
Row 5 – Cell 2 |
|
Ports |
HDMI 1.4 x 1, Thunderbolt 4 (upstream), Thunderbolt 4 (daisychain), USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 x 1 (upstream), USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 (downstream, up to 15W), USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 x 4 (downstream), 3.5mm audio out, Ethernet |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
|
Other features |
KVM functionality, USB PD (up to 144W), Daisy-chain second monitor |
Row 7 – Cell 2 |
|
Stand |
Ergonomics -5~21° tilt, -90-90° pivot, -45-45° swivel, 150mm height adjustment |
Row 8 – Cell 2 |
|
Dimensions (with stand) |
612 x 536 x 189mm |
Row 9 – Cell 2 |
|
Weight (with stand) |
7.06kg |
Row 10 – Cell 2 |
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