Let’s find out.
We really like the design Dell has chosen for the AW2725Q.
It’s a rounded, sleek, minimalist aesthetic that looks fantastic.
What surprised us the most when unboxing the AW2725Q was that the monitor isn’t black.
The port selection is good but not quite on the level of MSI and Asus models.
While those variants include DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20, the AW2725Q uses DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC.
There’s no noticeable visual difference.
There are also features like a refresh rate counter and various color controls.
However, the AW2725Q lacks some of the more advanced features found in competing models, particularly theAsus PG27UCDM.
There’s no OLED Anti-Flicker equivalent, no proximity sensor, and the burn-in protection features are not user-customizable.
On the AW2725Q, no such controls exist, making it a more basic setup.
Also, the Dell AW2725Q uses active cooling, meaning there’s a fan inside the monitor.
The pixel structure is essentially identical to what we saw with the 32-inch panels.
The key difference is that this subpixel structure has been scaled down to achieve 166 PPI.
This new panel is excellent for rendering text.
The way this panel handles reflections and appears slightly gray in brighter environments seems unchanged from the 32-inch QD-OLEDs.
So, the same issues from previous reviews remain with the 27-inch 4K variant.
However, general reflection handling is decent, so mirror-like reflections aren’t too severe.
Under dim conditions, you’ll typically get the rich, deep blacks that OLED is known for.
Whether this will be an issue for you depends on your setup and preferences.
At the very least, it’s something to be aware of.
Dell offers a three-year burn-in warranty.
On OLED monitors, the main limiting factor is the refresh rate itself.
Input latency is excellent, offering a 0.1ms processing delay in both the SDR and HDR modes.
That’s about 8% more than the PG27UCDM, which is an interesting difference but not especially meaningful.
Color Performance
All QD-OLEDs that we’ve tested so far offer a similar color space.
In total, we saw 76.1% coverage of Rec.
Factory color performance is decent.
This feature color-manages the display at a system level by using the color data the monitor reports.
For Windows SDR use, this is probably the best configuration.
Color temperature and gamma are both worse than the default mode, which hurts accuracy.
A full calibration can improve performance further, and we used Calman for that.
This panel is well suited to multiple color spaces, including DCI-P3 when fully calibrated.
This feature can’t be disabled on the Alienware.
That said, brightness is still sufficient, and the SDR mode enables uniform brightness at all times.
A minimum brightness of 30 nits is very good.
We were very impressed with the viewing angles of this panel.
This keeps QD-OLED in the leadership position for display uniformity among OLEDs.
HDR Hardware Performance
The Alienware AW2725Q is well suited to HDR from a hardware perspective.
For gamers especially, input latency on most OLEDs is low in HDR mode.
The weakness of the HDR presentation on an OLED is overall brightness.
LCDs may not have per-pixel control, but zoned backlights can simply get significantly brighter in bright scenes.
In both of these configurations, we recommend enabling the Console HDR mode and turning Source Tone Mapping on.
This improves accuracy and reduces roll-off relative to the standard configuration without Console HDR enabled.
If you prefer a more gentle roll-off, disable Source Tone Mapping.
The two main modes True Black and Peak 1000 operate in the same way as other QD-OLED monitors.
Dell does not offer a boosted brightness configuration like we see on some QD-OLEDs, such as theGigabyte FO32U2P.
The True Black configuration has great roll-off, but brightness is slightly elevated, particularly for mid-to-dark tones.
HDR Brightness
HDR brightness is identical to other QD-OLED monitors.
In real-scene brightness, the results are close to what we usually see.
The True Black mode has no panel dimming, while the Peak 1000 mode does.
The True Black mode has higher brightness in mid-to-high APL content but is capped at 450 nits.
The Alienware model doesn’t perform badly it’s just more of a mid-table performer.
That said, the results are still usable and don’t ruin the HDR experience.
HUB Essentials Checklist
The final section of the review is the HUB Essentials Checklist.
Dell largely does a good job of advertising this monitor, with the usual exception of response time numbers.
However, it does support Dolby Vision, which is not available on the MSI variant.
Having quality options at this size is important, given the popularity of the 27-inch category.
This is truly equivalent to a 27-inch 4K LCD.
However, this 27-inch panel looks incredibly sharp and clear.
In addition, we get all the usual benefits of OLED technology.
The combination of a 240Hz refresh rate and ultra-fast response times results in excellent motion clarity.
Deep blacks, per-pixel dimming, and bright highlights create a stunning visual experience in many titles.
Improvements in these areas will have to wait for a future OLED generation.
TheAlienware AW2725Q, theMSI MPG 272URX, or theAsus PG27UCDM?
Comparing all the test results and features, the Asus PG27UCDM remains the best model overall.
It also retains Dolby Vision support.
The AW2725Q is still an excellent monitor, and we prefer the Alienware design.
However, there are few standout features or performance advantages that set it apart.
It does support eARC, which the Asus model lacks, but beyond that, it offers fewer features.
Both of these are clearly ahead of the MSI which doesn’t fully justify its $1,100 price tag.
For most gamers, it’s likely the better value.
What we’re also likely to see is the Alienware model providing even better value outside North America.
