Dell makes plenty of gaming monitors, but for graphics professionals who demand accurate color reproduction, the company's new UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor (UP2720Q) might fit the bill—and it certainly comes with a large one, at $1,999.99 (MSRP).
One of the reasons for the comparatively high price tag is this is the first 27-inch 4K monitor to come with its own built-in colorimeter. While you can fiddle with a monitor's on-screen display (OSD) controls for a better looking image than what ships out of the box, an external colorimeter is commonly used by graphics professionals to ensure colors are accurate.
"The built-in colorimeter helps users stay productive and get work done faster with quick and easy calibration—on-demand or scheduled after hours for consistent and optimized color performance every time. Users will also experience a more efficient workflow with a responsive built-in colorimeter that maintains consistency from production to delivery," Dell says.
Assuming it works as advertised, the pop-up colorimeter along with automatic scheduled calibrations could be a boon for graphics pros.
According to Dell, the UP2720Q offers 100 percent of the AdobeRGB color space, 98 percent of DCI-P3, and 80 percent of BT2020. In plain speak, this monitor boasts a wide color gamut, which often correlates with image quality.
The caveat to all this is that this monitor is not exactly brimming with gaming features. Sure, the combination of an IPS panel with a 4K resolution and high color accuracy is desirable (if you have high-end hardware to drive a 4K gaming experience), but you won't find G-Sync or FreeSync support with this one, or other gaming amenities. The response time is a bit underwhelming, too. It's rated at 8ms (gray to gray) in normal mode, and 6ms in fast mode.
Of course, Dell isn't pitching this one as a gaming monitor. The reason we're writing about it is because it's the first in its class to have a built-in colorimeter, which is noteworthy. And technically, you could game on this thing (especially in fast mode), just there are better options out there, particularly in this price range.
For those who are interested in the UP2720Q, though, it will be available in January 2020, after the Black Friday deals have come and gone.
