Alienware AW2725Q monitor review: 4K 240Hz QD-OLED glory, for less

At a glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

Functional ergonomic stand with small base
Excellent SDR contrast and color gamut
Good HDR brightness
More affordable than the competition

Cons

Build quality and design could be better
SDR performance, though great, is same as competitors
Doesn’t have USB-C with DisplayPort

Our Verdict

The Alienware AW2725Q is yet another excellent 27-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitor, and less expensive than the competition.

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I’ll be honest. The Alienware AW2725Q didn’t make a good first impression.

It uses Alienware’s new “AW30” design language that, though meant to feel more organic, doesn’t look premium. The monitor also lacks a USB-C port with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, something I consider essential for modern monitors.

However, the Alienware AW2725Q makes up for these problems with a simple advantage. It costs a lot less than its competitors.

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best gaming monitors for comparison.

Alienware AW2725Q specs and features

The Alienware AW2725Q specifications, though excellent, don’t stand out. I’ve already reviewed several monitors this year, such as the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED, with the same 4K 240Hz QD-OLED panel. In fact, the AW2725Q has a disadvantage next to these alternatives: It doesn’t have a USB-C port with DisplayPort and sufficient USB Power Delivery to charge a connected laptop.

Display size: 26.7-inch 16:9 widescreen
Native resolution: 3840×2160
Panel type: 10-bit QD-OLED
Refresh rate: 240Hz
Adaptive sync: Adaptive Sync, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.1 with eARC/ARC for Dolby Atmos signal pass-through, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-B 5Gbps upstream, 3x USB-A 5Gbps downstream, 1x USB-C 5Gbps downstream with 15 watts of Power Delivery
VESA mount: 100x100mm
Audio: None
Warranty: 3 years
Price: $899.99 MSRP (U.S.)

But Alienware strikes back with the price. Most competitors list a price of $1099.99, but the AW2725Q is just $899.99. That’s $200, or roughly 20 percent, less expensive. It’s a big difference, and it works to Dell’s advantage. Despite its price, the AW2725Q is covered by a three-year warranty that includes OLED burn-in.

Oh, and the AW2725Q has one other practical advantage. It’s in stock. While several other companies have launched 27-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitors, availability is tight. I expect the AW2725Q will be among the easier 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitors to buy, as Dell has a history of shipping monitors with new panels at larger volumes than most competitors.

Alienware AW2725Q design

Alienware monitors are known for their unique design. The AW2725Q is no exception, but takes the brand in a different direction with a design language called “AW30.” It exchanges the prior retro-futuristic look for a more organic, rounded design. Oh, and it’s a deep navy-blue color (Alienware calls it indigo), which is certainly different.

Yet I’m not sold on the new look. My biggest beef is the faux-metallic plastic on the rear of the AW2725Q. While the sheen of the plastic seems meant to look luxurious, to my eyes it comes off a bit cheap, especially next to competitors like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 series. Also, though the Alienware does technically have RGB-LED lighting accents, they’re only found on the Alienware logo on the back and the power button on the front.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The new design is functional, however. It has a compact stand that’s even flatter than the hexagon-style stand Alienware had used just prior, which means the stand keeps most of your desk space usable. The stand ergonomically adjusts for height, tilt, swivel, and pivot into portrait orientation, and the 100x100mm VESA mount can be used to attach the monitor to third-party stands and arms.

Alienware also blesses the AW2725Q with a sizable cable guide that keeps cables out of sight and has enough space to handle multiple video connections.

The Alienware AW2725Q has the dual advantage of being both cheaper than its peers, and more likely to be in stock.

Alienware AW2725Q connectivity

The Alienware AW2725Q’s video connectivity includes two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4. All ports can handle the monitor’s full resolution and refresh rate (up to 4K at 240Hz).

The AW2725Q’s USB-C connectivity is limited, as it lacks a USB-C port with DisplayPort and significant power delivery. Instead, the monitor’s USB connectivity is driven by a USB-B upstream port with just 5Gbps of data transfer capability. That connects to three USB-A ports and a single USB-C port with up to 15 watts of Power Delivery.

However, the AW2725Q’s lower pricing partially excuses this decision, as the monitor’s MSRP is $200 less than most 27-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitors. I prefer to see USB-C in all high-end monitors, but I must admit that ditching USB-C to lower the price helps the AW2725Q stand out from the crowd.

One port that’s absent is the 3.5mm audio-out jack. Most monitors have this connection to support audio pass-through, but the AW2725Q doesn’t. That means you’ll need to connect a headset directly to your desktop or laptop.

Instead of 3.5mm audio-out, the AW2725Q provides eARC on one of its two HDMI ports. HDMI eARC can be used for audio alongside some home theater sound systems and soundbars. Alienware also says the eARC port works with Dolby Atmos (though I didn’t have a compatible device on had to try it with).

The Alienware AW2725Q has an LED-lit power button that glows when the monitor is on. It’s an attractive and stylish feature, but the glow is dim enough that I didn’t find it distracting.

Otherwise, the monitor’s features are accessed through a joystick centered behind the lower bezel. It’s responsive and Alienware’s menus are logically arranged, though I did find the font size a bit small. I’d encourage the company to use a larger, higher-contrast menu font to make the menu easier to see from a distance.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

You can entirely skip the on-screen menu, however, and instead use Alienware’s Command Center utility. It provides access to most monitor features. Many competitors (including Asus, MSI, Samsung, LG, and others) provide similar software, but Alienware’s utility is the most attractive of the lot.

Image quality options are a bit limited. The monitor has gamma adjustment, but only in Creator mode. There’s also extensive color adjustment for hue, gain, and saturation, but only in Custom Color mode. And there’s no color temperature adjustment to speak of, aside from Warm and Cool modes, neither of which support gamma and color adjustment.

The monitor also has a typical range of gaming-centric features including a timer, a frame rate counter, and a dark stabilizer which increases the brightness of dark scenes (so you can see foes).

More unusually, it has a “display alignment” feature, which produces a grid that can be used to precisely align the display area with another monitor. The monitor also supports Alien Vision, a customizable mode that can be used to adjust the image in a specific portion of the display (it can zoom, for instance, or enhance sharpness and contrast).

The AW2725Q doesn’t include speakers. That’s typical for a gaming monitor, as most assume owners will use their own headset or desktop speakers, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Alienware AW2725Q SDR image quality

The Alienware AW2725Q has a 27-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED panel from Samsung. This panel is found in a wide variety of competing monitors, such as the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness and, well, there’s not much to comment on here. The AW2725Q was technically a hair brighter than its peers, but the gaps here are so narrow that they’re unnoticeable—especially among the monitors with QD-OLED panels (the LG has an LG WOLED panel).

The AW2725Q’s brightness is much more than adequate for use in a room with light control (like shades or blinds), and I often used the monitor at less than 40 percent of its maximum brightness. However, shoppers planning to use the monitor in a room without light control and sunlit windows, or in a brightly lit office, may want to steer clear of OLED and look at higher-brightness LCD displays.