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
Editor's Choice
(Image credit: © Tom's Hardware)

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The AW2726DM supports HDR10 content with an automatic switch and three dedicated picture modes. After seeing obvious ringing (edge enhancement) in Game and Movie, I settled on Display as the best choice. It also happens to be the default. There are no adjustments available in HDR mode.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

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Alienware AW2726DM
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The AW2726DM has variable brightness for HDR content, as you can see by its peak value of 404.1313 nits. This is from a 25% window pattern. A full field is around 200 nits. This clearly differentiates HDR content from SDR with bright highlights and more vivid color. The AW2726DM is on par with most of its more expensive competitors, but a few go even higher, like the Asus and Gigabyte screens.

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Grayscale, EOTF and Color

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Alienware AW2726DM
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

There are no adjustments available in HDR mode, but given the above results, none are needed. Grayscale tracking is visually free of errors, with all values below 3dE. The EOTF tracks close to the reference, with slightly dark values below 30% brightness. This error cannot be seen in the content, as all detail is fully rendered. The transition to tone mapping is softer than the reference, but this does not affect the actual material. The transition point is at around 58%, which is correct for the measured black and white levels.

The AW2726DM is more color accurate in HDR mode than most of the displays I test. It is just slightly (rather than extremely) oversaturated. This gives the picture a smoother and more natural look. It is never cartoony or overblown. The monitor uses all its gamut volume in the P3 test and covers a good portion of BT.2020 as well. There, it runs out of color at 90% red, 80% green, and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The AW2726DM renders punchy and colorful HDR content. It isn’t quite as bright as some other screens, but it is on par with most of the competition. It is a bit more color-accurate than most, with only slight oversaturation that adds enough verve to distinguish HDR from SDR.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

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