Alienware AW2725QF Dual Resolution Monitor Review: 4K and 1080p Gaming Successfully Merged

TweakTown's Rating: 97%

The Bottom Line

Alienware's AW2725QF OLED is a monitor that solves a big problem for gamers. Do you pick a high resolution monitor or a high refresh rate monitor? Why not have both? The AW2725DF covers both exceptionally well, and in style.

Pros

• 4K to 1080p switch
• Vibrant colors
• Exceptional in-game performance
• Aesthetic design
• Response time

Cons

• Price vs. OLED options

Should you buy it?

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Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

Choosing a gaming monitor for your setup can be quite a daunting task, especially when the monitor you choose determines which components will go into the system.

A quick look at the Alienware AW2725QF Gaming Monitor

For quite some time, gamers have been required to choose between image clarity through resolution and refresh rate, with gamers who typically play competitive titles leaning more toward high refresh rate panels and more casual gamers who play slower, graphically intensive titles leaning toward higher resolution panels. But what if you could have both in the same gaming monitor? Introducing the Alienware AW2725QF, a 4K gaming monitor with a 180Hz refresh rate that comes with a resolution/refresh rate switching feature that enables a user to quickly switch the resolution to 1920 x 1080 (FHD) and increase the refresh rate to 360Hz.

The AW2725QF is an IPS panel that Alienware has managed to reduce its response time down to just 0.5ms, not quite as fast as OLED panels, which are typically 0.03ms response time, but exceptionally fast for an IPS panel, which is typically 1ms+. Additionally, with the IPS panel, Alienware is able to crank the brightness of the AW2725QF to 450 nits in SDR mode and as much as 600 nits in HDR mode. Moreover, the IPS LCD panel means text looks crisp, and there aren't any fringing problems that are common on OLED gaming monitors.

Specifications

Close-up

Best Deals: Alienware AW2725DF OLED Gaming Monitor

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	$749.99 USD	-	$749.99 USD	Buy
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	$849.99 CAD	-	$849.99 CAD	Buy
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	$749.99 USD	-	$749.99 USD	Buy
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Design

Alienware makes some of the most subtle gaming monitors on the market, and being lucky enough to reveal several now, I can confidently say the minimal gamer aesthetic they are going for is really separating the company's products from the competition in the best way possible. In a sea of predominately black gaming monitors outfitted with various flashy LEDs, Alienware has opted for a clean, simple design that features only three LEDs in the form of the number 27 on the back of the display, representative of the AW2725QF's size, the Alienware logo adjacent to the number 27 LED, and the power button located on the bottom right-hand corner of the display.

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As for the build quality of the monitor, as with all Alienware displays I have tested the monitor feels very premium in the hand, with no noticeable creaking when moved or flexed. The monitor stand features Alienware branding that's quite subtle, and the stand is weighty, providing confidence the monitor isn't going to be easily knocked off if bumped. Additionally, the stand offers full ergonomics with height and swivel adjustment capabilities, with each of these angles of motion feeling smooth and quite premium.

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The panel is enclosed in a plastic shell that has a smooth texture feeling to it, and on the top left side of the monitor, there is a metal headphone stick designed to hold up headphones when they aren't in use. Moving to the back of the display, Alienware has outfitted the input panel with several USB options. The AW2725QF's IO consists of 3x USB 3.2 (1x upstream/2x downstream), 2x HDMI 2.1, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4. Additionally, the AW2725QF comes with two USB ports underneath the monitor, specifically right under the Alienware branding found on the front of the display and next to the multidirectional joystick. One of the USB ports is a USB-C and can be used for charging devices such as smartphones, tablets, and portable power banks.

Panel Breakdown

The panel within the AW2725QF is truly one of the most impressive parts of the gaming monitor, and in a market where currently many brands of gaming monitors make the user experience worse with poorly designed On-Screen Display (OSD) options, Alienware provides a breath of fresh air. Just like Alienware's other gaming monitors, the OSD can be triggered by pressing on the multidirectional joystick located in the center underside of the monitor. Pressing this button will bring up the OSD menu options, and a user will immediately be presented with the option to switch between 1080p at 360Hz and 4K at 180Hz.

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Users can initiate the switch between resolution and refresh rate by simply double-pressing the joystick button, making the transition hassle-free. Notably, the OSD menu options are presented to the user in a clean, simple format that makes browsing through the features a breeze. Keeping to the OSD options, users can switch the color of the LED lights on the gaming monitor by heading to the AlienFX Lighting feature. Here, users can select whatever color they want or completely turn off the LEDs.

HDR performance was quite lackluster in the contrast department, especially when considered against OLED gaming monitors within the same price bracket. However, color performance was exceptional, with the AW2725QF providing extremely well with vibrant and accurate colors in both SDR and HDR modes. Text-based workflows should be a breeze with the IPS panel, as text looks clear and crisp and lacks any of the fringing problems plaguing older-generation OLED panels.

Performance

As with all of my gaming monitor reviews, I like to test the monitor I have under the spotlight in a variety of different games to determine which types of games perform best on the display. From here, I can determine the type of gamer that will get the most out of the highlighted monitor. I tested the AW2725QF in the following titles: God of War Ragnarok, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, League of Legends, Cyberpunk 2077, Age of Mythology: Retold, Empire of the Ants, DOOM Eternal, and Black Myth: Wukong.

Firstly, to get the AW2725QF into dual-mode users will have to navigate the OSD settings to the Overclock section of the Game Menu where they will need to select 180Hz. Next, use the OSD menu to switch to the 1080p mode and go back to the Overclock section and select 360Hz. Now, users will be able to quickly switch between 4K @ 180Hz and 1080p @ 360Hz by simply pressing the joystick button twice.

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In all of the games I tested, the AW2725QF performed exceptionally in both modes, but there are a few differences worth pointing out. The 4K mode provided much higher image clarity than the 1080p mode, which isn't surprising considering 4K across a 27-inch panel provides 163 pixels per inch (PPI). Alienware's choice of 27-inch monitor for its dual-mode display makes sense because when in 1080p mode, the display has an 82 PPI, which is adequate as moving up to 32 inches would result in 1080p becoming more stretched across the larger display, and ultimately reducing the PPI down to just 70.

For this reason, I believe 27-inch is likely the best size for this dual-mode monitor, but that will change if we ever see a 1440p/4K dual-mode monitor. What does this mean for gamers? 27-inch is the sweet spot for gaming in general as the screen is on the larger side, making it appropriate for slower RPG titles such as God of War Ragnorok, Cyberpunk 2077, or Black Myth: Wukong, while also being small enough to bring it slightly closer for competitive titles such as Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, and League of Legends. The AW2725QF performed exceptionally in each of the titles I tested, with the 4K mode providing extremely high image clarity and the 1080p mode providing a blisteringly fast refresh rate.

As for common monitor problems such as ghosting, choppy frames, or overshooting, throughout my time testing the AW2725QF across all of the aforementioned games, I didn't notice any problems that would steer you away from the monitor. The AW2725QF provides an extremely clean, smooth, and impressive gaming experience, and due to its 27-inch size, color, and refresh rate performance, I would be comfortable recommending the AW2725QF to any type of gamer.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy the AW2725QF? For the price of $600, a gamer best suited for this monitor will want to be playing a wide variety of games that are both graphically intensive, so they can take advantage of the 4K resolution, and benefit from high frame rates, so they can take advantage of the 360Hz FHD mode.

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At the price of $600, the AW2725QF is an extremely competitive gaming monitor option that I believe many gamers are overlooking. For $600, buyers get two displays in one, and at the 27-inch size combined with its dual mode, the AW2725QF could be applicable to any type of gamer. Moreover, the IPS panel makes any word-processing activities or text-based workflows a breeze, making the AW2725QF an appropriate purchase for a gamer who also flexes into work.

Alienware has once again knocked it out of the park with a gaming monitor release, and if you are considering what you next upgrade should be and can't decide between a high refresh rate display, or high resolution, you have now found one that can do both, but for the price of one gaming monitor. Perhaps the new choice to make is whether or not you want an OLED gaming monitor, or would want to opt for dual-mode display.

I'm excited to see what the future of dual-mode gaming monitors holds, and if I could personally manifest my most ideal specification for a dual-mode gaming monitor it would be a panel capable of achieving: 4K @ 240Hz / 1440p @ 360Hz.