Alienware AW2725DF OLED Gaming Monitor - 26.7-inch...

Most Helpful Review

"So I got this monitor as an upgrade from a 1080p 360Hz IPS Alienware, snagging it for $650 on sale. It's truly a "jack of all trades" that excels in both competitive and casual gaming. You get OLED's phenomenal image quality with deep blacks and vibrant colors that make games like Red Dead Redemption 2 look great. At the same time, it offers near-instant response times and super-clear motion clarity, which is great for competitive FPS. The 1440p resolution and high refresh rate make spotting enemies easier, and aiming feels natural.With new 480Hz OLED variants hitting the market, you might wonder about the refresh rate. I haven't tested anything above 360Hz, but I'd imagine there's a subtle yet tangible difference. However, if you can find this monitor at a good price, the balance of features still makes it a solid pick, especially since newer tech often comes at a premium.The build quality is nice, with some RGB on the back that can be customized (or turned off). While I didn’t use the stand, it appeared to be of decent quality. The monitor itself is sleek and doesn’t scream "gamer," which I like. It blends well into an office setting, though you can tell it's a premium product even from a distance. There’s a slight purple-ish tint to the coating, and if there’s light in the background, it doesn’t reflect the best, which can impact image quality and blacks slightly. Be mindful of light sources if you get this monitor. It’s also a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but it comes with a cloth that works well for cleaning. On the plus side, there’s a 3-year burn-in warranty. I can’t speak on Alienware/Dell’s customer service as I haven’t had to deal with them, but the peace of mind is nice.The monitor does have quirks, mostly related to the OLED panel. You’ll need to run a 5-minute pixel refresh every few hours to prevent burn-in. This isn’t particularly invasive but can cause some anxiety during long gaming sessions. Brightness has been perfectly fine for my dim room setup at 95%, but if you play in a brighter room, you might want to reconsider. As someone who was initially worried about brightness, I’ve found it to be fine. The HDR implementation is good, offering both HDR 1000 and HDR "True Black" (400) modes. You can switch between these directly from the OSD, with HDR 1000 working best in darker games and True Black being better for desktop use and brighter titles.There are some minor text clarity issues due to the QD-OLED subpixel layout, though adjusting ClearType and OSD sharpness helps. You can’t use DLDSR/DSR above 240Hz due to DSC requirements, but these are minor inconveniences rather than deal-breakers. For settings, I’d recommend the "Creator" mode preset and enabling 10-bit color. The monitor also includes features like customizable crosshairs and a dark stabilizer. However, the dark stabilizer is less effective on this OLED panel compared to traditional LCDs due to OLED’s true blacks.Overall, if you can catch this monitor at a decent price and don’t mind some OLED-specific quirks, it’s worth the premium for anyone wanting a single monitor that can do it all. You don’t really sacrifice much with this monitor. Just do your research on OLED technology and its characteristics before pulling the trigger. While the improved image quality and color make the quirks worth dealing with, it’s important to know what you’re getting into."