Now that I’ve reviewed several 360 Hz monitors from all major brands, it is clear that for their intended purpose, performance is very similar. From a video processing perspective, picking one over the others will be hard. They are all free of motion blur, frame tearing or hesitation. Input lag is uniformly low, and they all provide an addictive gaming experience.
If picture quality is the deciding factor, that’s tough, except for one metric, HDR contrast. The Alienware AW2523HF does not have a dimming feature, so it won’t have more contrast in HDR mode. The other 360 Hz displays I’ve tested all increase their dynamic range for HDR games and video. The AW2523HF has roughly the same color volume but a little more contrast than most SDR displays. And it’s quite accurate too. No calibration is needed, but performing one will make a small improvement.
The consideration then comes down to price. There, the AW2523HF is a standout at $450. The others are $650 and up, except for one - the MSI NXG253R, which does include the Nvidia Latency Analyzer and a nearly 8,000:1 HDR contrast ratio. At this writing, it can be found for around $410. But it and the AW2523HF are the only two 360 Hz screens I could find for a price beginning with the number 4.
Of course, once you’ve tried any 360 Hz monitor, you’ll want it regardless of cost. The genre provides a truly unique gaming experience that can’t be replicated by other means. Yes, you will need a stout PC with a powerful graphics card to drive the fun. But you’ll be rewarded with something that goes way beyond any console. The AW2523HF delivers on that experience.
So, if you’re already a fan of Alienware components, and they are extremely well-engineered and well-made kit; you will definitely want to check out the AW2523HF. It delivers the same next-level gaming as its more expensive competition.
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