Alienware has greatly impressed us this year, delivering two excellent OLED gaming monitors: the Alienware AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED and Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD-OLED. Now, the gaming juggernaut returns with something of an amalgamation of the two -- the Alienware 27-inch 4K Dual-Resolution Gaming Monitor (AW2725QF), which boasts dual peak-refresh-rate options. By default, it's a 4K monitor with a 180Hz top refresh rate, but with a press of a button, it transforms into a full HD monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate. It's less impressive than LG's excellent attempt at the same concept, the 32GS95UE-B, though it's also far less expensive than that 32-inch OLED. At $599.99, the AW2725QF should grab the attention of gamers seeking multiple refresh rate/resolution sweet spots without breaking the bank.
When it comes to physical appearance, Alienware monitors typically keep it simple, with clean lines accented by small touches of RGB lighting. That remains true here, as the Dual-Resolution Gaming Monitor looks almost identical to the aforementioned AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED. That's just fine by us, as the monitor's matte-black color scheme will look good on any desktop.
Pulling out our ruler, we find that the monitor measures 16.1 by 24.1 by 9.6 inches (HWD), just slightly bigger than the AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED. On the back, you'll find a ventilation layer between the panel and back housing to ensure the screen doesn't overheat, alongside the Alienware logo and a giant "27," both backlit with customizable RGB lighting. Again, this is identical to the AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED.
Turning to the port hub, you'll find two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort, two USB-A ports, and a USB-B jack. And if that's not enough, another USB-A port and USB-C port are tucked under the bezel. The monitor doesn't include internal speakers, which would be an understandable omission if it at least had a headphone jack, but that also didn't make the cut. While eARC compatibility is available via HDMI for high-end external speakers, if your speakers use a headphone jack, you'll have to connect them to your PC instead.
Though audio capabilities are lacking, Alienware does include a few ancillary features worth noting: a retractable headphone stand, a feature we quite liked when we tested the Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor (AW2524HF), as well as a hexagon-shaped stand base, ideal for gamers who prefer to situate their keyboard right against the monitor.
So, on the surface, the newest Alienware is a lot like what we've seen before -- with one neat party trick we haven't. Its name implies that this gaming monitor supports two resolutions, but it's more accurate to say that it supports two modes: One is 4K (3,840 by 2,160 pixels), while the other is full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels). These modes come with separate refresh-rate ceilings. At 4K, the monitor caps out at 180Hz, while dropping the resolution doubles the refresh rate to 360Hz. (In addition to these two modes, you can select any other resolution you'd like using your PC settings, as you would with any other monitor.)
This trick is new to Alienware, but it's not unique -- it's similar to LG's 32GS95UE-B, though that monitor offers higher refresh rates at both of its "mode" resolutions. On both monitors, switching refresh rate/resolution modes is handled the same way, by using the controls on the monitor itself. For the Alienware, you accomplish this in one of three ways: hold down the monitor's on-screen display (OSD) joystick for two seconds, cycle through the OSD menu to select the desired mode, or select the shortcut icon in the menu launcher.
In addition to lower refresh rate maximums, the Alienware also lacks the LG's shrinking options, which drop the screen size to either 27 or 24 inches to appeal to esports pros seeking a smaller viewable area. Obviously, the Alienware is already 27 inches, but including a 24-inch option, or the ability to adjust the screen to a certain size, would increase its appeal among hard-core gamers.
Another difference between the Alienware and its LG competitor is the panel itself. The AW2725QF uses an IPS panel, rather than an OLED one. The trade-off is lower contrast and color range but also a significant cut in cost. What's the trade-off like in person? We'll attempt to quantify this in the next section.
To quantify the monitor's capabilities, we compared its benchmark performance with four competitors. In our bracket, you'll find the Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQL3A, the LG 27 UltraGear Gaming Monitor (27GR83Q), the AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED, and the ViewSonic Omni VX2728J-2K. Our benchmarks test color gamut, brightness, color accuracy, and contrast ratio using Calman monitor calibration software, a Murideo Six-G signal generator, and a Klein K-10A colorimeter. We also run the monitor through a gauntlet of games to measure input lag and judge its real-world performance. Unless otherwise noted, we performed all testing on the AW2725QF's 4K mode.
First, we tested the monitor in its default picture mode with an SDR signal. Under these conditions, it saw an average brightness of 460 nits (candelas per square meter), meaning it's the brightest of the bunch. In HDR, however, we measured only 438 nits of brightness while using the Standard preset profile. Typically HDR brightness results -- especially on panels with lower HDR ratings like the AW2725QF's VESA DisplayHDR 600 -- aren't too much higher than what you'd see during SDR testing. It's rare that we encounter an HDR reading that's lower than the SDR, but it can happen. In certain cases where, say, the monitor isn't pre-calibrated to play well with HDR content or applications, measured brightness can actually be lower in HDR.
The monitor's peak HDR brightness is also underwhelming, as we measured 372 nits at a 2% sample size. (We measure sustained HDR brightness at a 10% window size, but to measure peak brightness, we drop the test size down to 2%). Even if you're unlikely to observe peak brightness, the Alienware's HDR coverage is underwhelming. Note that these results don't necessarily mean that the AW2725QF isn't measuring up to its VESA DisplayHDR 600 rating, since our test procedures aren't identical to VESA's.
Turning our attention to the monitor's color gamut performance, we measured 100% of the sRGB color gamut, 85% of Adobe RGB, and 90% of DCI-P3 in our tests. Those are good ratings, but they're comparable to the VX2728J-2K and the TUF Gaming VG27AQL3A, two QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) budget monitors that retail for less.
As for color accuracy, the monitor recorded a Delta E measurement of 2 on our test. The higher the Delta E, the more colors tend to stray from their intended hue. A value under 1 is ideal, though very few gaming monitors reach it, especially out of the box.
Our next test measures the contrast ratio, which indicates the difference in luminance between the brightest white and darkest black that a monitor can produce. The AW2725QF is nowhere near the highs of the AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED's 1,000,000:1 ratio, settling down at a more modest 930:1 in testing. IPS panels typically target contrast ratios of 1,000:1 to 3,000:1, so the AW2725QF is in the ballpark here.
In our final test, we use the HDFury Diva HDMI matrix to measure the monitor's input lag and play a handful of games from our library to see if there are any noticeable blemishes, like screen tearing. We measured 2.8ms of input lag with the monitor's 180Hz mode. That's hardly noticeable, but even the slightest input lag might put off hard-core gamers and fans of action titles that require fast-twitch reflexes. If you're interested in competitive play, the AW2524H offers the highest refresh rate in Alienware's roster, and at the same resolution as the AW2725QF's 360Hz mode.
Games we tested include Returnal and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, as well as Counter-Strike 2 on 360Hz mode. The games looked good, and with support for variable refresh rates (VRR) and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, you'll find plenty of screen-optimizing options available to you.
The Alienware 27-Inch 4K Dual-Resolution Gaming Monitor (AW2725QF) sports a rare advantage in the midrange gaming monitor space, in its ability to trade off resolution for a higher peak refresh rate. Its HDR performance is slightly worse than we'd like, but hard-core gamers for whom stunning visuals aren't a priority will still find immense value in this dual-mode monitor. While we recommend the Editors' Choice-winning Alienware AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED over the AW2725QF for most people, the latter is nevertheless a good choice for the "sometimes casual gamer, sometimes esports competitor" who wants the best of both worlds without shelling out for the $1,400 LG 32GS95UE-B.