Alienware AW2726DM 27-inch QHD 240 Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor review: A price breakthrough for desktop OLED

A 27-inch QHD 2560x1440 240 Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor with Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and wide-gamut color, for $350?

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Alienware AW2726DM
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(Image credit: © Tom's Hardware)

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Many of the latest 27-inch QHD OLED displays run at 240 Hz or more. In fact, the AW2726DM is on the low side of the numbers game when compared to others at 360 or 500 Hz. But that doesn't mean it’s less smooth or has more lag. To compare, I’ve included Gigabyte’s MO27Q28G, Asus’ XG27ACDNG and XG27AQWMG, Samsung’s OLED G6 and AOC’s Q27G4ZD.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

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Alienware AW2726DM
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

I’m still adding new results from Nvidia’s LDAT to my test database, so the first chart includes the OLEDs I’ve reviewed since I started using it. Clearly, refresh rate is not a guarantee of fast response. The Acer sits atop the group at 0.12ms while the AW2726DM matches the 360 Hz Asus at 0.24ms. In practice, this difference cannot be seen by the naked eye. Moving test patterns at 240fps have perfect resolution.

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In the lag test, the AW2726DM takes the win with a super quick 13.6ms of total input lag. This is an average of 25 mouse clicks at 240 Hz. Given the test results and my visual observations, I cannot say that a 360 Hz OLED like the XG27ACDNG is any better for gaming. While this is not a universal truth, one should check out tests like these to see a monitor’s actual performance in comparison to its competitors.

Test Takeaway: The AW2726DM offers phenomenal performance for a $350 monitor. That it is an OLED is a bonus. It offers perfect motion resolution at 240fps and has less input lag than almost every monitor I’ve ever reviewed. That includes OLEDs running at 360 Hz and higher.

Viewing Angles

Alienware AW2726DM

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Many QD-OLEDs show a slight color shift when viewed from the side,s but not the AW2726DM. It has identical color and grayscale from all horizontal angles up to 45 degrees. It is very shareable by two users. There’s no change in brightness or gamma either. From the top, you can see a slight red tint and a reduction in gamma, which washes out the image. Brightness remains steady, though.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

Alienware AW2726DM

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Screen uniformity remains a sample-specific result, but my AW2726DM certainly excelled in this test. It’s one of the smoothest screens I’ve ever measured. Amazingly though, it isn’t the record holder. That honor belongs to the AOC Q27G4ZD. As a category, OLED offers uniformity that is superior to most LCDs.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • coolitic
    Does this incorporate Samsung's new "QuantumBlack" coating?

    Because I don't see any mention of black-level raise, which is a significant problem on QD-OLEDs. That's something that should certainly be measured as part of reviews, at least for QD-OLEDs.
    Reply
  • Anton_Godlike_Gaming
    The problem is, all the "forced" Dell software that comes with it...
    Reply
  • cknobman
    This almost makes me wish I needed a new monitor right now.
    I think if this was 32 inches at $399 that would have gotten me to bit.
    I really like the 32 inch size.
    Reply
  • Elrabin
    Anton_Godlike_Gaming said:
    The problem is, all the "forced" Dell software that comes with it...
    Forced how? I got the AW3423DWF about 3 years ago and haven't installed anything on my PC to make it work?

    You can optionally install the Dell monitor software for window management, but the Windows 11 one works fine.

    If you're talking about the OSD, why? All monitors have onscreen display menus.
    Reply
  • Anton_Godlike_Gaming
    If you've never installed it intentionally, bravo. Check your hidden folders and non-hidden ones. All Alienware devices install telemetry & controls in the background - thanks to Microsoft.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    coolitic said:
    Does this incorporate Samsung's new "QuantumBlack" coating?

    Because I don't see any mention of black-level raise, which is a significant problem on QD-OLEDs. That's something that should certainly be measured as part of reviews, at least for QD-OLEDs.
    No it doesn't. The black level also isn't the problem so much as the coating reaction to brighter rooms. I have zero issues with mine, but the room it's in is fairly dim and never has any bright lights on when it's being used.
    Reply
  • coolitic
    thestryker said:
    No it doesn't. The black level also isn't the problem so much as the coating reaction to brighter rooms. I have zero issues with mine, but the room it's in is fairly dim and never has any bright lights on when it's being used.
    That's probably why it's so cheap then.

    All the new QD-OLEDs are going to be made with QuantumBlack from now on, so they might as well put the older-generation on clearance.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    It would be nice if you mentioned in the review that the HDMI ports are 2.0 bandwidth. I assumed that is what was being referred to when the statement of needing to use DP for 240Hz was made so I went and looked it up myself to verify.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    coolitic said:
    That's probably why it's so cheap then.

    All the new QD-OLEDs are going to be made with QuantumBlack from now on, so they might as well put the older-generation on clearance.
    Nope that's not why it's cheap, it cuts a handful of corners to drive the price down. The new coating is only for new panels and as of right now there's a total of 1 shipping and that's the new 34" ultrawide.

    If you're interested in the panel info: https://tftcentral.co.uk/articles/qd-oled-generations-infographic-and-faq
    edit: While looking at some other figures I saw that there's a 32" 4k gen 4 panel also shipping with the new coating. That one must be straddling the line where it was too early for RGB stripe, but late enough to get the new coating.
    Reply
  • Elrabin
    Anton_Godlike_Gaming said:
    If you've never installed it intentionally, bravo. Check your hidden folders and non-hidden ones. All Alienware devices install telemetry & controls in the background - thanks to Microsoft.
    Windows 11 pro

    nothing gets installed that I don't authorize.


    AWCC and Dell Monitor Manager are not installed, because i have Microsoft drivers /software updates disabled. Why would you have this enabled on a gaming system? You'd be rolling back from the superior game ready drivers to Microsoft old WHQL drivers constantly.

    https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DjXLHf4Pde7kTeK9DzRW2N.jpg
    Reply