One screen can be a useful stopping place
The U2724DE is worth considering when a laptop repeatedly arrives at a desk with a keyboard, mouse and wired network already there. Dell lists Thunderbolt 4 video and data, up to 90 W laptop power and 2.5 GbE. Combining those connections with the monitor can make the screen the centre of that arrangement, rather than adding a separate hub solely to collect the same peripherals.
The panel is part of the choice
It is a 27-inch display with a native 2560 × 1440 resolution and a listed 120 Hz refresh rate. A reader who specifically wants a native 4K workspace should not choose it on the strength of the hub alone. Conversely, someone who already wants this QHD format can judge the connection features as part of one purchase, instead of treating them as a free upgrade to an otherwise unrelated screen.
Two upstream sockets do different work
The user guide describes the Thunderbolt 4 upstream connection as carrying the computer's display signal as well as data and power. It describes the separate USB-C upstream socket as enabling the monitor's downstream USB ports. Those are different descriptions: the second socket should not be assumed to be a second equivalent USB-C video input. Dell also advertises two-computer KVM and picture-by-picture or picture-in-picture modes; shared USB control and showing two pictures are related conveniences, not the same function.
A desk worth consolidating
Keep the U2724DE on the list if its panel format fits and a compatible laptop would regularly use the Thunderbolt hub. For a second computer, map its video and USB connection roles against the guide before relying on shared peripherals. If there is only one occasional cable to connect, the hub may solve a smaller problem than its specification suggests; its clearest value is at a desk that repeatedly uses the connections.
Sources & further reading
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