Before 2023, there was the beautiful world of faded colors and somber grays with the trusty IPS LCD. Then an LG 27GR95QE OLED monitor landed on my desk, brought in by Engadget, and all of this got turned on its head. It was not an upgrade, but rather a visual revolution. It is when games cease to be ‘games’ and become fully immersive experiences, with black levels so deep they seem to suck out all the light from the very room. This was the baptism in the HDR gaming church on PC-coincidentally, the first when it was also a revelation in colors and contrast. But, like any first love, it had quirks. In full brilliance, these first WOLED panels did indeed come with foibles.
OLED screens promised visual nirvana but early models felt purgatory. Fringing in the text was constantly distracting, so I could not get any productivity done. G-Sync? If anything, forget smooth gameplay: toggling on G-Sync unleashed flickering strobe lights. I even reluctantly suggested the LG 27GR95QE in my guide, but personally? I’ve held back. For two years the OLED dream has remained just out of reach. Panels are improving, sure, but dropping $800+ demands perfection – or damn near it. My monitor needs to be perfect.
Forget everything you’ve ever been told about gaming monitors. The Alienware AW2725QF is a good monitor; nay, it is almost an epiphany! I have been looking for an OLED to fully recommend, and here it is. 240 Hz at 4K resolution? It does that. Insane image quality in SDR or HDR? Of course. A price that sends its competitors fine beetle-brow? That it also does. Just one condition: Your graphics card better perform well. If you’ve got the silicon horsepower, get ready to game in heaven. Seriously, stop reading and go buy this monitor.
Alienware / Engadget
Alienware AW2725Q
The Alienware AW2725QF is a $900 price tag to the new definition of OLED gaming paradise. Get ready for pop visuals and motion so crisp; it feels like looking into another dimension. HDR? Forget “good”, this is spectacle.
Pros
- Exceptional image quality
- Understated design
- Glossy coating
Cons
- No DisplayPort 2.1 connection
- Limited to 15W USB-C charging
- Coating prone to harsh reflections
$800 at Amazon
Design
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Arriving not with the customary noise but in a quiet whisper, Alienware’s AW2725Q is seemingly ushering in the stylish AW30 design era. John was worried about its garishness dominating the desk. An unexpected surprise awaits in the form of a very mature beauty. Here, the profane black is out of the window! Enlightened by Dell to be dressed in “Interstellar Indigo,” a gentle hue worthy of one’s undivided attention. The branding approach here would be a breath of fresh air for many. That iconic alien head glows softly on the backside, countered faintly by a little badge in the front. Go ahead and change colors for the glow or turn it off altogether through the intuitive on-screen display.
The Alienware AW2725QF really does not shy away from ports and presents them all like an old hand in tech. Twin HDMI 2.1 ports take center stage, with one even sporting eARC, so you may integrate a soundbar with your PS5 or Xbox Series X/S flawlessly. Need to plug in some peripherals? Three USB-A ports await your command. For charging or perhaps a bit of data transfer, there’s a USB-C port presenting 15W of power at your disposal. Now..here comes the best part: AW2725QF obviously employs the same beautiful, flat Samsung QD-OLED panel as its more expensive compatriots, the $1,200 ASUS PG27UCDM and $1,100 MSI 272URX, thereby delivering flagship visuals without the price tag.
The Dell Alienware AW2725Q had certain features shaved off just to reach that $900 price tag. The most notable sacrifice? A DisplayPort 2.1 output, tying it to the 1.4 standard instead. This means that the Alienware AW2725Q streams a 4K, 240Hz video signal through Display Stream Compression (DSC). Does this really kill the deal? Probably not. Think of DSC as a fun, yet skilled, ninja artist of compression. It istechnicallynot lossless, but the “visual loss” is so impeccable that unless you zoom in and inspect pixel by pixel, you hear no “oops!” from the orchestra. Besides, if you do not have the very latest NVIDIA or AMD GPUs, I doubt you would benefit from DisplayPort 2.1 anyway.
The AW2725Q has a nemesis or two. At the time of writing, unlike the MSI and ASUS contenders that offer rapid 98W and 90W charging via USB-C, thereby providing quick juice to your laptop, a lagging AW2725Q is an онатиея value öňдш фыаны. In addition, the ASUS offers a KVM switch, which is useful in simplifying your setup if you switch between computers using one keyboard and mouse. Is thisnice? Absolutely. Is it worth another $200-$300? Not really when talking about a monitor meant for gaming. My wallet would probably beg to disagree.
Display
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
My share of OLED monitors has gotten by me, but the AW2725Q would just stop me in my tracks. With for the first time in the 27-inch category, the wondrous- and for some given an overkill-QD-OLED with 4K resolution is what is on offer from Samsung.
Forget blurry text on OLED. 166ppi on the AW2725Q is a revelation in its own right. Finally, an OLED monitor where text isn’t a fringed distraction! The previous generation for productivity was a pain. This one? Crystal clear. It’s not just a gaming beast; it’s a damn good monitor, period.
The AW2725Q stands with near-ideal colors, covering 99% of the DCI-P3 range. A touch of green shortly threatened to mar the daylight. But thanks to DisplayCal, the green tint was knocked out of the water, unlocking the true potential of the display. Consequently, colors really pop, yet they are balanced and pleasing to the eye and far from over-bearing. Designers can appreciate that Dell has included an sRGB clamp right in the OSD for their ease. The OSD navigation itself was designed so well that, by now, no-one should be fiddling about.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
A thin layer of polish on the AW2725Q’s screen? Nothing could be farther from truth. Blacks fall into abyssal depths, and splashes of color erupt with a three-dimensional life. A monitor conjuring images in the dark, almost holographic in its brilliant depth. Playing old SDR games felt like locating hidden masterpieces where details sprang into view with previously unknown emphasis.
Of course, this pleasing vanity comes with a catch: reflections become very apparent; they prance across the screen like impish sprites. And, as is the case with all QD-OLEDs, in a brightly lit environment, the purest blacks can look somewhat ashy. After some initial frustration with keeping light at bay, one looks up and down the room, closing the blinds, and suddenly, one realizes this is the only way to enjoy the monitor fully. The AW2725Q, like a true OLED marvel, demands respect for its surroundings. Control the light, and it will shower you with awe-inspiring visuals.
The AW2725Q? Well, if anything, it really changed the game of my life! At a speed of 240Hz, it is beyond measure. I scoffed at it with the contention that one would not even realize the bump that a 240Hz offers over 165Hz. I was obviously dead wrong. This display is liquid smooth. With my NVIDIA RTX 3070 almost maxing out games likeCyberpunk 2077andSpace Marine 2, there was no perceived ghosting or blur. That pixel response of 0.03ms is forever my MVP. Here’s a little bonus for us GPU-Attacked gamers: forget about overdrive settings; OLED has got you covered. I did catch some VRR flickering with G-SYNC enabled, but thank goodness, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the flickering that plagued older OLEDs like the LG 27GR95QE. Immersion and competitive edge wrapped up in a very fine package.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Not inclusive only of co-operation, the AW2725QF will blaze with HDR unleashed. This marvel, with VESA True Black 400 certification, doesn’t just display black, itconjuresit! Walk into the ominous halls ofDead Spaceor the spooky woods ofAlan Wakeand a metamorphosis will unfold. The near-infinite contrast ration of the AW2725QF allows the shadows to be deepened, and the ambience to be alive beyond your wildest imaginations. Flashbacks of grayish, pale colors? Not this screen! It is allowing these games to impress their true, terrifying beauty into your very being.
Now, while I have not subjected the AW2725Q to any professional testing, reviews from Rtings and Monitors Unboxed are very telling. They found the SDR brightness to max out at a fairly reasonable 220 nits. Matching that with HDR capabilities, the monitor peaks at 260 nits across the entire screen. Coming from a traditional LCD screen, the blossom of colors displayed by the AW2725Q would certainly appeal to anyone, even though it might not reach the extreme-level intensity an OLED screen can provide.
Burn-in protection
Is it susceptible to burn-in? Having spent a couple of weeks in aggressive use, one can safely say that the display is to live a long life if maintained properly. Dell gave it a strong shield against image retention.
One characteristic of the monitor is that it consists of a pixel-refreshing routine, available from the on-screen display, which refreshes every pixel so that any pixel is not left static. Even better, the AW2725Q enters into this five-minute maintenance cycle automatically when the system shuts down or goes to sleep.
Besides refreshing pixels, Dell brings solid self-diagnostic tools for the fan and panel, so that you can catch up on any problem at an earlier stage.
Dell has made its AW2725Q OLED monitor more attractive by adding a three-year warranty covering burn-in. Most other manufacturers don’t offer anything comparable, so Dell has really put itself ahead to make the AW2725Q a good buy for worry-free gaming or content creation for years.
Wrap-up
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Most product reviews end with my feeling like returning to my old setup. I am a deliberate buyer that looks for lasting value in every purchase. But with Alienware AW2725QF, the thought of a return puts a weight on the heart. This display has not just hovered over expectations but rather has elevated my whole gaming experience. And at only $900? What was expected to be a perfect?
Okay, you want some 4K OLED monitor, and suppose the AW2725Q caught your attention; smart choice! Expensive? Well, a bit more than your standard IPS panel of size 27-inches. However, it actually sells a little bit lower while offering the same stunning visuals. Let me see-the only reason would be in case you want a ginormous 32-inch display that eats a lot of desk space. Other than that, you are in for a great treat.
Thanks for reading Alienware AW2725Q review: An exceptional OLED gaming display
