Our Verdict
84%Slightly low on contrast and lacking a blur reduction mode, but this is otherwise a great screen for the price.
The Dell G3223D is a 32″ gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It has a very smart design, with its simple silver stand design, plain black frame, and subtly integrated RGB lighting (which can be turned off) on the back of the screen all combining to create a look that’s a little different from most without being too outlandish.
There’s a premium feel to the plastics too – this doesn’t feel like a cheap, utilitarian model. The included stand offers height, rotation, and tilt adjustment, but not pivot, and it can be removed to reveal a standard 100 x 100mm VESA mount for use with monitor arms.
For connection options, you get the standard single DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2 ports, which are joined by a USB-C input. This can be used to output video and audio to a connected laptop, phone or tablet, and supply power. However, it can only provide 15W of power, which is insufficient to provide any charging ability to our Dell XPS 15 test laptop, for instance. All those connections are positioned on the rear center of the panel, facing down.
You also get two USB ports and a headphone jack positioned to the far left on the underside of the frame. If you choose to connect your keyboard and mouse via these ports, though, the cables are very visibly dangling from the side of the screen.
Any device connected to the USB ports and headphone jack will also be connected to any connected USB-C devices, so you can use your keyboard and mouse on your laptop via a single cable. It’s a shame the monitor has no speakers, though, as this would make for a truly all-in-one desktop setup.
Meanwhile, the menus are controlled by a mini joystick and there are four extra quick menu buttons, which seem rather unnecessary when you already have the joystick. Otherwise, the menus are mostly easy to navigate with no obvious feature omissions.
The G3223D’s IPS panel maxes out at 165Hz. The panel’s surface has a (very) matt finish that, when combined with the panel’s inherently modest contrast of 830:1, makes for an image that while far from washed out isn’t quite as punchy as some of the other panels we’ve tested recently.
Otherwise, image quality is very good, with a decently accurate color balance, near-perfect gamma and on-par delta E color accuracy right out of the box. The color range of this display is extended to 95 DCI-P3, providing HDR-like color vibrancy, though reproduction of HDR content isn’t up to much with such a modest contrast ratio. An sRGB mode is also on hand to reduce the color gamut to 100 percent sRGB. This locks out some color settings but allows you to adjust brightness and provides accurate image quality.
Dell G3223D response time and uniformity test results:
When it comes to gaming, this display doesn’t take top marks but puts in a good showing. It has FreeSync and G-Sync support, and its response time is nippy, accounting for overshoot with the perceived response time score. The only downside is the lack of a backlight strobing blur reduction mode.
Dell G3223D pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- Useful USB-C video input
- Solid gaming performance
Cons
- Slightly low contrast ratio
- No backlight strobing blur reduction
Dell G3223D specs
The Dell G3223D specs list is:
Screen size | 32″ |
Resolution | 2,560 x 1,440 |
Panel technology | IPS |
Maximum refresh rate | 165Hz |
Stated response time | 1ms |
Max brightness | 400cd/m² SDR |
Backlight zones | 1 |
HDR certification | DisplayHDR 400 |
Stated contrast ratio | 1,000:1 |
Adaptive sync | FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync compatible |
Display inputs | 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x HDMI 2, USB Type-C DisplayPort 1.4 Alt mode |
Audio | Headphone out |
Stand adjustment | Height, rotation, tilt |
Extras | 100 x 100mm VESA mount, USB Type-C upstream port with one USB 3 charging port and one USB 3.2 gen 1 downstream port, rear RGB lighting, DisplayPort and USB Type-C cables |
Dell G3223D price
The Dell G3223D price is $400, making it decent value for a 144Hz, 32″ display.
Price: Expect to pay $400 (£400)
Dell G3223D review conclusion
A stylish design, useful feature set, great image quality and solid gaming performance make the Dell an excellent, low-cost 32″ gaming screen. It’s not the absolute fastest, and its contrast is a little low, but these considerations are balanced by its affordability. The G3223D’s combination of great overall performance and low price earns it a spot on our best gaming monitor list.