Alienware 27 QD-OLED (AW2726DM) Review: A $350 Winner
We’ve come a long way since exclusively $1,000+ OLED gaming monitors. Alienware’s latest display brings the price down to a shocking $350, though it comes with some important compromises.
Alienware has released a new gaming monitor, the AW2726DM, which is a 27-inch QD-OLED with a 1440p resolution and a 240-Hz refresh rate. This monitor is significantly cheaper than Alienware's previous OLED monitor, the AW3423DW, which sold for $1,400 three years ago. The AW2726DM appears to use an older panel with a "triangle" sub-pixel layout, which can cause issues with viewing small text and color fringing.
Despite these compromises, the monitor offers excellent contrast and color performance due to its QD-OLED technology, which uses quantum dots to provide great color reproduction. The monitor has a pixel density of about 110 pixels per inch, making it less sharp than a 4K monitor but more affordable. While the monitor's brightness is relatively low at 200 nits, it still delivers a vivid and realistic image with a sense of depth.
However, the monitor's HDR performance is underwhelming, with a maximum peak brightness of just 400 nits. The monitor supports a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz, which is adequate for the price but not impressive by today's standards. The AW2726DM supports AMD FreeSync Premium and VESA Adaptive Sync, ensuring smooth and fluid motion during gaming.
The monitor's stand is thinner than more expensive Alienware displays and lacks a tool-less design. It also has an internal power supply, unlike some other OLED monitors. Overall, the AW2726DM is an affordable gaming monitor that makes compromises in the right places, offering excellent contrast and color performance at a much lower price point than Alienware's previous OLED monitor.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
