If you're a competitive gamer or heavily invested in HDR gaming and media, the AOC PD49 with its very fast response time and wide color gamut is a superior choice, but it comes at a premium price. However, if your budget is more modest and your usage includes productivity and casual media consumption, the Dell S3221QS provides good image clarity and a decent size for those purposes at a mid-range price. The Dell won't match the gaming performance of the AOC, and its lower refresh rate could be a drawback for fast-paced games. On the other hand, the AOC's price might not justify the cost if gaming and HDR content are not your priorities. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the AOC PD49 (QD-OLED)
Best in class for casual gaming
Best in class for media consumption
Very good refresh rate
Best in class contrast
Best in class brightness
Best in class color volume
Best in class response time
Advantages of the Dell S3221QS (VA)
Very good for productivity
Good text clarity
Good image clarity
Key differences
Casual Gaming
9.9/10
6.6/10
5120 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Inf:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
3194:1
1000 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
300 nits
Unknown
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
371 nits
99.0 %
DCI-P3 COLOR GAMUT
90.6 %
Matte
COATING
Matte
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is best in class for casual gaming, while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is only fair.
Competitive Gaming
6.7/10
3.8/10
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
0.0 ms
TOTAL RESPONSE TIME
20.9 ms
48 - 240 Hz
VARIABLE REFRESH RATE
40 - 60 Hz
No
STROBING / BFI
No
1000 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
300 nits
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is only fair for competitive gaming, while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is poor.
Productivity
5.9/10
8.5/10
5120 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
108 PPI
PIXELS PER INCH
140 PPI
No
ADJUSTABLE STAND
Yes
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Dell S3221QS (VA) is very good for productivity, while the AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is poor.
Media Consumption
9.8/10
7.2/10
5120 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Inf:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
3194:1
1000 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
300 nits
Unknown
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
371 nits
Matte
COATING
Matte
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is best in class for media consumption, while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is good.
Cost
$2,350
$320
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) has a price of $2,350 and the Dell S3221QS (VA) costs $320.
HDR Gaming and Media Consumption
Yes
No
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is not suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption.
Digital Photo Editing
No
Yes
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is not suitable for digital photo editing while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is suitable for digital photo editing.
HDR Video Editing and Color Grading
Yes
No
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is suitable for HDR video editing and color grading while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is not suitable for HDR video editing and color grading.
Print Photo Editing
Yes
No
The AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) is suitable for print photo editing while the Dell S3221QS (VA) is not suitable for print photo editing.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the AOC PD49 (QD-OLED) and the Dell S3221QS (VA) compare to other monitors
"The Dell S3221QS offers a 4K, 32-inch panel that’s great for streaming videos and casual gaming, with an effective, gentle curve. But color accuracy and HDR performance leave much room for improvement."
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec monitors team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest monitor information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
210
Monitors evaluated
10,500
Monitors stats compiled
15
Proprietary Monitors ratings developed
116,900
Recommendations made
17,535
Consumer hours saved
About the monitor team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Monitors Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.