Dell S3222DGM, best gaming monitor for most people, on sale for $249

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The 32-inch curved monitor has incredible contrast.

Dell S3222DGM
(Image credit: Best Buy)

The Dell S3222DGM sits at the top of our list of best gaming monitors, because the 32-inch curved screen offers a great combination of eye-popping colors, smooth gaming and excellent build quality. The display has an epic contrast ratio of 3718:1 which makes colors pop. Its 2560 x 1440 resolution is sharp and its 165 Hz refresh rate is smooth. If money is no object then certainly buy a Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P, 4K OLED monitor for $1,299. But for most people, the S3222DGM is the right choice. 

And now, the price of the Dell S3222DGM is at an all-time low of $229 at Best Buy, down from its typical price of $329. It was as low as $249 in July, but this is still a very good price for it.

Dell S3222DGM, 32-inch 2K 165 Hz Monitor: now $249 at Best Buy

Dell S3222DGM, 32-inch 2K 165 Hz Monitor: now $249 at Best Buy (was $329)
This is the lowest price ever on our favorite gaming monitor. The S3222DGM has an epic contrast ratio, speedy 165 Hz refresh rate, a curved panel and a 2560 x 1440 resolution.

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When we reviewed the Dell S3222DGM in 2022, we were really impressed with its combination of vibrant images and tear-free gaming. "There is nothing better than a high-contrast VA panel, and the Dell S3222DGM is one of the best I’ve seen," Contributing Editor Christian Eberle wrote. "It strikes a rare balance between gaming performance and image quality."

In our tests, the monitor showed a contrast ratio of 3,718:1, which even beats other VA monitors we tested and it absolutely destroys IPS monitors, which usually can't even hit 1000:1.

Dell S3222DGM Contrast Ratio

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The screen was also highly accurate, with a Grayscale error DeltaE of just 0.54, better than any of its competitors.

Dell S3222DGM Grayscale Error

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

According to our colorimeter, the Dell S3222DGM can reproduce a strong 122.6 percent of the sRGB gamut and 85.9 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut. The color quality also stands out because of the high contrast ratio. Those bright colors will look extra bright when the dark pixels next to them look really dark.

Dell S3222DGM Color Gamut

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The monitor also has excellent build quality and comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort 1.2 port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Avram Piltch
Avram Piltch
Avram Piltch is Tom's Hardware's editor-in-chief. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
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4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • MoxNix
    165 Hz isn't enough to be considered a good mid range gaming monitor anymore. It needs to be at least 240 Hz.
    Reply
  • cyrusfox
    MoxNix said:
    165 Hz isn't enough to be considered a good mid range gaming monitor anymore. It needs to be at least 240 Hz.
    Why stop at 240hz, there is a 360hz 1440p in the wild, at 3x the price. 240hz also seems to be 2x the priceIPS or OLED]. Anything above 140Hz is a big step up from the normal 60-75hz of old.

    My main dig at this monitor is it is a VA panel that tops out at 350 nits, with that said, it is well reviewed so this price may be more than fair. I have always regretted purchasing a VA panel...
    https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/s3222dgm
    As a person who does 2 monitors, 32" is too big for my current desk space. I prefer 27" at 1440p.
    Reply
  • 35below0
    cyrusfox said:
    Why stop at 240hz, there is a 360hz 1440p in the wild, at 3x the price. 240hz also seems to be 2x the priceIPS or OLED]. Anything above 140Hz is a big step up from the normal 60-75hz of old.

    My main dig at this monitor is it is a VA panel that tops out at 350 nits, with that said, it is well reviewed so this price may be more than far. I have always regretted purchasing a VA panel...
    https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/dell/s3222dgm
    As a person who does 2 monitors, 32" is too big for my current desk space. I prefer 27" at 1440p.
    Too big is a good problem to have. But it really is slightly too big. 27" is probably the best.

    Unlike you, i have never regretted purchasing this monitor (or a VA panel in any case).
    There was nothing better to be found unless i raised my budget 2x.

    The nits issue never came up for me. My main issue was backlight bleed which annoys me to no end, and this monitor has almost no bleed at all.
    It also doesn't ship with superfluous, terrible speakers.

    Overall, it's got pretty good everything, except no HDR. You can get better but not for this money.
    Reply
  • cyrusfox
    35below0 said:
    Too big is a good problem to have. But it really is slightly too big. 27" is probably the best.

    Unlike you, i have never regretted purchasing this monitor (or a VA panel in any case).
    There was nothing better to be found unless i raised my budget 2x.

    The nits issue never came up for me. My main issue was backlight bleed which annoys me to no end, and this monitor has almost no bleed at all.
    It also doesn't ship with superfluous, terrible speakers.

    Overall, it's got pretty good everything, except no HDR. You can get better but not for this money.
    The VA I bought was an ultrawide(This Samsung). I noticed a noticeable color @ brightness shift when changing viewing angles, especially compared tomy old LG IPS 4k Ultraview, The color accuracy on the Samsung was noticeably worse. I’m considering trying micro-LED VA panels and a curved monitor to improve the viewing angle and color consistency, maybe could mirror your experience.

    Choosing a monitor is tricky. Even with all the specs and reviews, you can’t truly judge it until you have it on your desk and calibrated for color and brightness. Unfortunately, my workspaces contends with natural daylight, and while I can use blackout curtains, it’s quite unpleasant during the winter. As such I find 400 nits is the minimum for my use case.
    Reply