Dell U2723QE vs Gigabyte M27Q-X

The Dell U2723QE and Gigabyte M27Q-X are both 27-inch monitors that happen to share a KVM switch — but they're built for opposite desks, and a few details make the split sharper than "work vs gaming." The Dell was the world's first monitor to use LG's IPS Black panel, which delivers a roughly 2,000:1 contrast ratio — about double a normal IPS panel's 1,000:1 — for noticeably deeper blacks, and it's factory-calibrated to Delta E < 2 across sRGB and DCI-P3. Its 4K resolution packs 163 pixels per inch for razor-sharp text, and it docks a laptop over a single 90W USB-C cable while adding something almost no gaming monitor has: a built-in RJ45 Ethernet port. Dell even backs it with a premium panel exchange that replaces the screen if it develops a single bright pixel. The Gigabyte answers with the one thing the Dell can't touch: a 240Hz refresh rate (versus the Dell's 60Hz). But at 1440p on 27 inches it works out to only about 109 ppi, so text looks softer, and its contrast is the ordinary ~1,000:1. Here's how to choose.