Alienware AW2723DF Review

For a long time, the best gaming monitors lagged well behind that premium TVs were offering in terms of picture quality and panel technology. That seems to be changing with the Alienware AW2723DF gaming monitor, which brings some incredible display technology to the midrange gaming monitor market at the same time competing with some of the best gaming TVs around.

The AW2723DF has a gorgeous, crisp, fast display that’s as luscious in color and contrast as it is smooth in gameplay. The Alienware AW3423DW is a top-tier treat for pro gamers with its QD-OLED display, but the Alienware AW2723DF is a solid choice for the midrange, budget-conscious gamer looking for something that impresses on most fronts at a very reasonable price.

We’ve already reviewed gaming monitors with the speed, low latency, and variable refresh rates that keep them competitive, but for gamers who feel a Nano IPS panel will make things better and support for both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility will win battles without paying out big bucks, the AW2723DF is a definite shoo-in.

About the Alienware AW2723DF gaming monitor

In late 2022, Alienware introduced two new gaming monitors targeted at the eSports community, both with some nifty features that could prime them for a spot in our best gaming monitors list. The Alienware AW2523HF arrives with a 25-inch panel, while the Alienware AW2723DF we’re reviewing debuts with a larger 27-inch screen.

The AW2523HF is the smaller of the two monitors and boasts a 0.5ms Full HD IPS panel that runs at up to 360Hz without overclocking over DisplayPort 1.4. Dell equips the AW2523HF with AMD FreeSync Premium and HDR10 support, and the monitor also covers 99 percent of the sRGB gamut.

On looks, both monitors don’t draw much attention with their stark, plain design. The only unique additions are the numbers 25 and 27 emblazoned on the back of each of the monitors, denoting respective screen sizes. One unique feature is a headset hanger, which extends from the top-left side of the monitors. When not in use, the hanger retracts back into the monitor housing.

In this review, we have the larger 27-inch AW2723DF, which features a Nano IPS panel from LG. It offers a Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440) with a native refresh rate of 240Hz – however, it can be overclocked to 280Hz for pro gamers. To keep your game in sync, the AW2723DF supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and is also Nvidia G-Sync compatible.

This 27-inch monitor is DisplayHDR 600 certified and covers 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. Unlike the AW2523HF which uses a black motif on the back, the AW2723DF comes with a white backside and has the number 27, in yellow, on the back.

Here are the specs of the Alienware AW2723DF

• Display size: 27 inches
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440 pixels
• Refresh rate: 240Hz (DisplayPort OC 280Hz)
• Peak brightness: 600 cd/m2
• HDR support: HDR10
• Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (dynamic)
• Pixel response time (GtG): 1ms
• Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0 (120Hz max), 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 4 x USB 3.2
• VRR Support: Yes, Nvidia G-Sync
• Other features: VESA mount, adjustable stand, RGB lighting

On both monitors, you’ll find an array of HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports, but they don’t offer HDMI 2.1, which is available in high-end gaming monitors for next-gen console support. There’s also a USB 3.2 Gen 1 upstream and four USB-A ports downstream. While both feature line-out and headphone jacks, they don’t include USB-C for those with newer peripherals.

Design and Features

The Alienware AW2723DF has a super-thin bezel and a gamer-oriented design with a signature Al2ienware throughout the body. It comes in a white body on the back with two RGB lighting zones and a few black accents on the front. Underneath, there’s a joystick for controlling all monitor functions except power which is handled by a lighted button at the right.

The build quality is excellent, thanks to a solid stand that supports the screen very well, with minimal wobble even when you adjust the monitor. The stand offers all the ergonomics you’d ever want on a monitor – height, tilt and swivel – and you can also hook it to an external mount or wall mount it via VESA 100 X 100 mounts. The back of the monitor features two RGB lighting zones and has decent cable management thanks to a panel cover on the stand.  

The Alienware AW2723DF’s OSD is similar to what you’d find on most Dell and Alienware gaming screens, with just a few extra features added. While you don’t find the Nvidia Latency Analyzer here, the monitor has everything you’d need for performance and convenience. 

When you press the joystick, it brings up a quick menu on the bottom and status info across the top of the screen. Scrolling left or right lets you change brightness and contrast, color mode, and dark stabilizer and access the AlienVision feature. There are 12 color modes in total, some game-type specific and others suited for reading or other work-related tasks.

Performance

There’s always a thrill when reviewing any 240Hz (or above) monitor. This caliber of monitor often impresses when you sit done to analyze the response and lag videos. Of course, 360Hz on the 25-inch model is better than the 240Hz here, but you’re getting a bigger Nano-IPS panel that offers a little more clarity and better motion handling, hence you won’t mind paying a little more for performance.

As an everyday monitor, the Alienware AW2723DF is an excellent choice. 27 inches is exactly what most of us need for most desktops and workspaces, it’s plenty of screen. You can rely on portrait mode to deliver a good effect for word or processing music scores. Also, two of these monitors stacked side-by-side would be great for Photoshop or video editing.

For gaming, crisp and vibrant images are important, but you also need your games to run smoothly and responsive as possible. Thankfully, the AW2723DF’s performance is as impressive as its bold design.

The monitor’s 240Hz (overclockable to 280Hz) refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-Sync support, and 1ms response time are what enable such great performance. However, to get the best results your PC should be capable of running games at high frame rates. For instance, if you connect the AW2723DF to the insanely capable Asus ROG Strix GA35, the refresh rate and frame rates will always be in sync.

Modern titles like Cyberpunk 2077 look and run brilliantly. The Nano-IPS panel is bright enough to fight glare and its HDR brightness makes the glass-covered skyscrapers in Cyberpunk 2077 a site to behold. The monitor captures every detail, even when you race at dangerous speeds across elevated highways.

The same impressive performance is replicated when playing Doom Eternal, a fast-paced first-person shooter game that’s tailored for a monitor like the AW2723DF. Even with a lot of things happening on the screen, the monitor will not fail to show every beautiful gory detail. Granted the monitor isn’t curved, but it still manages to offer an immersive experience that you can’t find on a standard monitor.

Viewing angles on this monitor are excellent, and the image remains consistent even when viewed off-angle, but there’s still some slight washout and brightness loss at wide angles. That combined with decent HDR peak brightness makes this monitor a standout for the most part, backed by the DisplayHDR 600 mode which automatically locks the brightness and enables local dimming. While other HDR modes don’t use local dimming, individual highlights aren’t as bright.

Finally, the Dell AW2723DF offers an incredible SDR color gamut, with full coverage of the commonly-used sRGB color space in most web content, and it also has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in some photo editing. Also, it includes extras like the AlienVision and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support over both FreeSync and G-Sync to enhance the overall gaming experience.

As a gaming monitor, the AW2723DF excels at what it’s designed to do, delivering blazing-fast frame rates, smooth motion, and impeccable input lag. It’s an addictive display that will have you binging your time away.

Should I buy the Alienware AW2723DF?

The Alienware AW2723DF Nano-IPS addresses some of the issues I had with the Dell Alienware AW2721D, and if you need a capable 1440p, 240Hz monitor, you can’t get a better one at this price.

It boasts better motion handling than similarly priced 27-inch models like the Gigabyte M27Q X. However, if you need a monitor with native G-Sync support, the Asus ROG Swift PG279QM is a perfect alternative, and the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T is a good option if you’re interested more about dark room performance.

It brings along newer features and packs an overclockable refresh rate that can go up to 280Hz, but instead of having native G-Sync support like its predecessor, it has native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support with G-Sync compatibility to address screen tearing.

Additionally, it has a few extra features to boost your gaming experience, like the ability to add virtual crosshair that your system won’t detect, so you have a competitive advantage; as well as Console mode that downscales a 4K image if you want to use it for console gaming.

Overall, the Alienware AW2723DF is an excellent 27-inch gaming monitor packing all the important eSports-grade features such as a high refresh rate, top-tier IPS panel, and HDR support. Its closest rival is the Samsung Odyssey G7 which offers superior contrast and HDR performance at a cheaper price point.

However, the Alienware AW2723DF flaunts a sleek design and better color accuracy, which means it’s certainly the better option for picture purists. If you need a high-end mainstream gaming experience, here is an Alienware we highly recommend.

Last update on 2024-05-17 at 19:14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API