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It simply so occurs I’ve been each day driving an old style VA panel this week. It’s a price range 34-inch ultrawide and, funnily sufficient, it supplies the proper foil for Alienware’s new 27-inch QD-OLED monitor, the Alienware AW2726DM.
This, too, is a price range providing, albeit within the loftier context of OLED gaming screens. Yours for $349.99 from Dell’s website, this is among the most cost-effective gaming OLEDs but from a giant model. And it does a fairly definitive job of highlighting simply how far gaming monitor tech has are available in the previous couple of years. Because this Alienware largely blows that price range VA panel away.
Buy if…
✅ You need OLED at a worth you possibly can afford: At round $350, that is considered one of, if not the most affordable OLED gaming screens from a giant model.
Don’t purchase if…
❌ You desire a epic pixel density: 1440p is what 1440p does. Which is translate into pretty lowly pixel density on a 27-inch panel.
For the document, this is not the very oldest QD-OLED monitor panel tech. Strictly talking, it is Gen 3 QD-OLED circa 2024. There’s a information to all of the QD-OLED generations right here, however Gen 3 panels introduced varied refinements together with improved lifespan and sturdiness, decreasing the chance of burn-in, and revised subpixel construction to enhance font rendering. Just notice, this era of panel nonetheless has a triangular subpixel construction versus the preferable true RGB-stripe setup of the very newest Gen 5 QD-OLEDs, such because the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36.
One space that wasn’t actually improved with Gen 3 is brightness. This is a barely difficult topic, however most Gen 3 QD-OLED panels are rated at 250 nits full-screen, 1,000 nits peak in a small 2% window and have HDR 400 True Black certification. Somewhat surprisingly, Alienware charges this specific mannequin at 200 nits full display screen. We’ll see how that interprets into the viewing expertise in a sec.
Apart from the older era QD-OLED panel, there’s additional proof of value financial savings with the Alienware AW2726DM. The primary chassis screws moderately than clips into the stand (solely actually of significance throughout preliminary setup), there is no USB-C (not a giant deal except you have been planning to, say, tag group with a piece laptop computer), no USB-A hub (extra of a pity given the added cable litter it implies) and a much less complete OSD menu that is lacking some options.
By implication, then, connectivity is restricted to HDMI and DisplayPort. And for many of us, that is simply superb, particularly if it permits a lower cost level and makes OLED thrills extra extra accessible. All that mentioned, the Alienware AW2726DM would not look low-cost. It has a slick, slim bezel look and a completely adjustable stand, together with rotation into portrait mode.
Fire it up and, certain sufficient, it is that acquainted QD-OLED expertise. The downsides embrace an excessively heat color temp and the same old purple tint to the panel in brilliant ambient mild that barely undermines the entire per-pixel-lighting, infinite-contrast OLED factor. But solely barely.
The positives, on the other hand, well, there are plenty of those. This is a really punchy, pleasing panel, even with that notional 200 nits rating. The caveat to that is the need to set this monitor up correctly.
For starters, its default SDR mode isn’t terribly well calibrated. I had to resort to an alternative colour profile in the Windows Color Management tool to get the SDR colours looking right, which is probably too much to ask of most casual PC users.
Were this my display, I’d just enable HDR, tweak the SDR brightness in the Windows Display Properties menu, and leave it like that forever.
Still, it looks really super once you get it set up. What’s more, the SDR calibration in HDR mode is actually pretty good. So, were this my display, I’d just enable HDR, tweak the SDR brightness in the Windows Display Properties menu, and leave it like that forever.
Running this display thusly also has the benefit of higher peak SDR brightness. There’s a price to pay for that in terms of more brightness variability depending on how much of the screen you are lighting up. But if, like me, you end up using dark mode with as many apps and website as possible, it’s a very nice solution.
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Of course, that’s all desktop larks. What about games? Really, there’s not much to report and that’s definitely good news. By that I mean this budget QD-OLED looks just like any other Gen 3 QD-OLED.
In other words, it’s absolutely stellar when it comes to HDR performance compared to any LCD panel. The way this monitor can render, for instance, a searingly bright neon bar light on a totally black background totally confounds any LCD monitor, including that budget VA I’ve been running of late. In part thanks to a glossy panel coating that really accentuates the lighting control and contrast, it really is an eye-popping experience on a totally different level.
Then there’s the speed. That old school VA panel I’ve been playing with of late looks blurry and smeary enough in isolation. But compared to the lightning fast 0.03 ms response of this QD-OLED, it’s just hopelessly outclassed.
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As I’ve mentioned in several recent monitor reviews, I’ve more or less hung up my Counter-Strike boots. But I’m still just about qualified to say the combination of 240 Hz refresh and 0.03 ms response offered here will be a revelation for most gamers used to LCD panels. Yes, there are much higher refresh OLEDs now available. But the benefits do diminish above 240 Hz unless you are an awfully capable esports type.
At this price point, you could have a 27-inch 4K IPS panel with a decent refresh rate and far better pixel density.
This monitor isn’t perfect, of course. At this price point, you could have a 27-inch 4K IPS panel with a decent refresh rate and far better pixel density. It would probably be brighter in outdoor game scenes too. So, yeah, full screen brightness in games is still a bit of a weakness.
However, it’s definitely worth understanding how this older QD-OLED panel compares with similar vintage WOLED panels made by LG. LG’s WOLED tech includes a white subpixel that boosts full-screen brightness, which is measured with the display showing pure white.
The thing is, most of the stuff you look at in practice is coloured and, in that context, the extra white subpixel often isn’t a help. Long story short, QD-OLED has better colour brightness. And that means the subjective experience with this QD-OLED rated at 200 nits is brighter and punchier and more vibrant than a WOLED panel rated at 250 nits or even 275 nits.
Put it this way. I would absolutely take this Alienware over the Gigabyte GO27Q24G I reviewed a few weeks ago with its early-gen WOLED panel. The Gigabyte is brighter on paper, but feels a bit dingy in reality.
Alienware has skimped a bit on the OSD menu and the OLED panel care features. The only option in the OLED panel maintenance sub menu is pixel refresh. But you still get a three-year warranty, so you have a pretty decent window before you have to worry about burn-in.
The HDR performance, the contrast, the light control, the speed, it’s all so much better than any LCD monitor.
Anywho, the upshot of all this is that, were I in the market for a new monitor at roughly this price point, this panel would pose quite the conundrum. The HDR performance, the contrast, the light control, the speed, it’s all so much better than any LCD monitor. I’d struggle to settle for even a good IPS panel.
On the other hand, the 1440p resolution on a 27-inch monitor does make for quite chunky pixels, though is easier on the GPU. For gaming, that’s fine, there’s plenty of detail on offer. But for daily driving, I’d prefer a bit more detail, sharper fonts, all that good stuff.
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That’s just me, of course. Thanks to our recent survey, however, we know that 27-inch 1440p is still the most popular monitor form factor among you lot. And if you are looking to stick with that setup but want a dramatically better gaming experience by several metrics and without spending absolute megabucks, well, the Alienware AW2726DM should absolutely be on your relatively affordable OLED shortlist. It’s really very good.
Best gaming monitors 2025
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