Dell S2240T review

The Dell S2240T is a 1,920×1,080-pixel touchscreen monitor, with a ten-point touch sensor and a sturdy metal frame. With a 21.5in screen, it’s one of the smaller desktop touchscreen monitors available, but it’s also one of the least expensive.

Out of the box, the S2240T’s colour accuracy wasn’t particularly impressive; we measured it as displaying 89.7 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut. However, after calibrating the monitor we were able to raise this accuracy slightly to 93.1 per cent. This is a decent enough score for a VA panel; generally this type of screen has higher contrast and black levels than a TN version, but at the expense of colour accuracy. True to form, the S2240T did better in our contrast and black level tests, with an excellent contrast ratio of 3243:1 and very low 0.07cd/m2 black level. This led to plenty of discernable detail in the darker areas of our test images. Solid greens, reds and blues weren’t quite as vibrant as on top-end screens, but they weren’t far off – the monitor provides generally impressive image quality for the price.

The screen’s glossy coating meant it was a little more reflective than we would have liked, which was particularly noticeable in brightly-lit office environments, and fairly narrow viewing angles affected the clarity of the display when viewing it from oblique angles; it’s fine for one person using the screen, but those sitting on either side won’t get the best picture.

The S2240T has DVI, VGA and HDMI inputs. It also has a 3.5mm audio output, for when audio is being sent from your PC over HDMI. The S2240T has a built-in USB port, but this is reserved exclusively for controlling the touchscreen from a PC; the screen doesn’t have a built-in USB hub.

The S2240T’s touchscreen is very accurate and satisfying to use. We tested it with a number of touch-centric games and apps including Halo: Spartan Assault, Windows 8 Bing Maps and Radiant Defence, as well as for browsing the web with various other Windows 8 apps. All the games we played worked perfectly, as did all Windows 8 gestures such as pinching to zoom and swiping from the edge of the screen to view other active apps.

Those looking for something on which to create carefully-drawn pieces of art may wish to look for a dedicated graphics tablet; while it’s usable enough for the likes of Microsoft Paint, the S2240T isn’t quite responsive enough to register the quick, small inputs required by illustrators.

The S2240T also has a versatile and sturdy stand which allows for 60 degrees of screen tilt. This makes it suitable for both use as a conventional monitor with touch capabilities and as a screen to entirely replace a keyboard and mouse, something particularly attractive to users or businesses running Windows 8.

The Dell S2240T is a very strong choice for those looking for a small touchscreen monitor with decent image quality. However, you should also consider the HannsG HT231HPB. Its 23-inch screen is £51 cheaper than the S2240T, and while it can’t match Dell’s screen in terms of brightness and contrast, the cheaper screen has significantly better colour accuracy.