Alienware AW2725Q review: “I dare you to try and spot this QD-OLED 4K monitor’s pixels”

I’m not ashamed to admit I practically pressed my face against the Alienware AW2725Q during testing. The reason? I was trying to see how close I’d have to get before being able to see an individual pixel on this 4K QD-OLED display. I don’t want to spoil all my findings, but I failed in my efforts to sniff out a single pixel on this 27-inch display, and this screen is absolutely one of the sharpest I’ve used to date.

Naturally, the Alienware AW2725Q has more going for it than a 166ppi panel, even Dell is using that feat to help the screen stand out among its best gaming monitor rivals. The display also boasts QD-OLED innards that aim to provide all the benefits of OLED laced with enhanced brightness and a wider color gamut. It also packs 4K 240Hz abilities that are in line with all the latest premium UHD models in 2025, which makes sense since Dell’s contender will set you back $899.

I hear ya, that’s serious cash for a 27-inch monitor, even one that boasts “the world’s highest QD-OLED PPI.” However, when you take a step back and look at other options within this pricing segment, like the Sony Inzone M10S and Dough Spectrum Black 27, Dell’s pricing makes a bit more sense. Whether opting for this sort of size of UHD monitor is universally useful is another matter, but that doesn’t take away from its incredibly vivid, sharp visuals.

Design

At a glance, the AW2725Q might not look that different from screens like the Alienware AW2725DF, but its getup has changed significantly. Dell is going for a much curvier design language this time around, a departure from the angles and tapers featured in most screens these days. The base is a pretty low profile rounded square that’s almost giving 2000s Apple vibes mixed in with contemporary elements, resulting in a softer aesthetic that’s more likely to fit in with different setups.

The pedestal almost looks like it's defying gravity by balancing on the stand, fixing onto the bulbous back of the screen seamlessly. Dell is certainly leaning into the otherworldly themes of its brand this time around, and I’d argue this screen looks more extra terrestrial than its Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC. Despite this, it still feels like it’s been whipped up to look pretty next to that rig range, with the glowy RGB Zeta head round back maintaining a space age status quo.

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One thing you may have missed is the purple hue of the AW2725Q body. In the right light, you’ll get to enjoy this Alienware screen’s “Interstellar Indigo” colorway in all its glory, and it makes for a nice touch rather than sticking with the Henry Ford black approach. Although, if you’re fussy about having a matching setup, the subtle differences could disrupt your hardware harmony.

All the usual suspects, like HDMI and DisplayPort, are sitting under the usual lip. Rather than making a left and right divide for screen and USB ports, everything’s now located near the center, but you’re still getting somewhere to channel cables downwards through two stand holes. There are also two sneaky USB ports hiding under the right hand side of the panel, which makes the built-in hub far more functional than if everything was kept to the rear.

As for OSD controls, we’re dealing with yet another joystick nub. However, the dial is perfectly serviceable and provides menu navigation without too much frustration. I know, I’m just as surprised as you seeing as I’m constantly shouting about wanting wireless remotes to be a standard, but so long as I don’t have to deal with mispresses and mushy controls, I’ll make do with using toggles.

Features

There are certainly monitors out there that pack more physical features, but the AW2725Q still makes sure to pair its QD-OLED panel with some extra abilities. Notably, you’re getting a traditional USB hub that’ll help you hook up peripherals to your rig using a single Type-B cable. At this stage, I’m wondering how long the old connector type can hold out before USB-C completely replaces the connector in the market, but since some expensive displays come with no extra ports, I’m still happy to see it included. Plus, there is a Type-C featured up front that’ll output 15W - not enough to charge most gaming handhelds, but still useful.

On the software side, Dell has given its OSD a bit of a visual glow up. It’s still effectively the same menu included in all its contemporary models, and it still provides you with access to perks like smart HDR, pre-sets, shortcut personalization, and even a direct way to tweak the RGB head round back. So, the changes are simply cosmetic, but they’ve at least kept everything in a sensible place when messing around with new UI ideas.

Since I already mentioned it, SmartHDR is back, serving to add an extra layer of oomph to the panel’s True Black 400 abilities. You’ll be able to choose between a few presets, including Game, Movie, or Desktop, but you’ll be able to stick with native results or calibrate things to your liking using different dials. It’s a handy thing to have at your disposal when it comes to Windows 11 HDR, as from my experience, things are rarely consistent between programs and games.

It’s easy to forget that protective measures are almost mandatory with QD-OLED setups like this. Dell clearly understands the assignment when it comes to preventing burn-in, as the AW2725Q uses active cooling fans alongside software measures to ensure the display can last long into the future. This Alienware screen takes the whole topic pretty seriously, and it actually sort of chastised me with an amber “panel health” status because I skipped a scheduled pixel refresh cycle during use.

That sounds like a bad thing, but while it was slightly annoying, letting the display do its thing for five minutes is well worthwhile. Even if you do try and skip the refresh, the firmware will start automatically adjusting the brightness of things like the Windows 11 taskbar to try and protect the panel until it next gets to have some downtime, which feels aggressive until you realize its all in the name of keeping your screen nice and healthy.

Performance

With every year that passes, QD-OLED panels go from strength to strength, and the Alienware AW2725Q represents how far the tech has come. There are still some caveats to grabbing a Quantum Dot display over a WOLED, like situational lighting drawbacks and some brightness caveats. But, when given a chance to shine away from glare and daylight, this screen packs a vivid punch.

Of course, the AW2725Q doesn’t just have QD-OLED tech on its side, it also has impressive 4K chops since it packs 166 pixels per each of its 27 inches. Again, Dell claims this is the highest PPI yet on the panel type, so you’ll theoretically be getting the sharpest visuals possible on a screen this size. Whether you’ll always notice is fully dependent on how far away you sit from the display and the kind of content you’re viewing, but during my tests, the density helped make UHD gaming feel that bit more magical.

Even just while using plain old Windows 11, text ended up feeling much sharper and more defined on the AW2725Q. I’m used to using QHD screens at this size, and even though 27 inches feels like a good fit for 1440p, you’ll be able to identify individual pixels if you try hard enough. However, with this new Alienware display, doing that is near impossible, even when you do something daft like stick your full face up to the panel in an attempt to physically zoom in (don’t judge me).

I will say that if you’ve already got a 4K OLED display, the enhanced pixel density might not wow you as much during actual gameplay. I have no doubts that it’s contributing to an elevated level of clarity, but you’ll already be used to vivid colors and contrast distracting you from definition. In Cyberpunk 2077, that felt very much the case, especially with HDR adding fantastic realism to the lights and shadows of Night City.

Just like with the AW2725DF, the new 4K AW2725Q effectively provides a similar HDR punch to mini LED without compromising on contrast and vibrancy. The only issue is that in those aforementioned brighter conditions, things don’t pop quite as hard as on a WOLED. The difference is admittedly minimal, and I know some players prefer toned down saturation in any case. But, playing in a room with controlled brightness versus next to a window does matter, and this screen isn’t quite bright enough to punch through in those scenarios.

What I will say is that Dell’s anti-glare coating seems to be working harder this time around. Alienware QD-OLED monitors typically use a semi-glossy coating to add extra depth, but it means reflections are more of a thing. While I fully expected to see part of my office window in the left corner when playing through the twilight-soaked streets of Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s opening, I found that it was far less visible compared to the AW2725DF.

Since both the 1440p and 4K Alienware panels feature the same 1,000 peak brightness capabilities, I can only attribute the enhanced anti-glare to the panel's coating itself. It’s still not a patch on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6, a screen that seems to be almost immune to reflections, but I’m pretty pleased to see fewer caveats tied to Dell’s QD-OLED 2025 screens.

Okay, so the AW2725Q is sharp and vibrant, but what about competitive scenarios? Being a 4K 240Hz screen, this new Alienware display isn’t set up to take on the fastest panels. What it is capable of though is providing more than enough speed for players who like to play fast paced shooters, but aren’t hellbent on boosting fps to match ridiculously refresh rates.

I’m no esports star, but I do tend to notice a difference between refresh rates when playing Overwatch 2 competitively. It’s not always enough to throw me off my game, and it’s safe to say my own daft decisions as Pharah are more to blame for some of my session mishaps. Simply put, this panel’s 240Hz capabilities are more than serviceable and will still provide you heaps more speed than the average monitor, but you will feel a difference if you’ve already tried faster 1440p models like the 480Hz Sony Inzone M10S.

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Newer shooters like Marvel Rivals actually feel like a better fit for 4K 240Hz panels since the fps cap is lower. Plus, you’ll absolutely want to keep some visual settings cranked up at least a little so you can enjoy your favorite characters in full QD-OLED enhanced comic book glory. The naturally lower 0.03ms GtG response time included with this panel type always helps keep everything snappy even compared to models with a faster refresh rate anyway, and I wasn’t able to sniff out any latency issues compared to every other OLED I’ve tested this year.

Outside of my go-to test games, I’ve also been making my way through FlyKnight, an indie Soulslike Runscape mashup that puts screens like the AW2725Q to work differently. Less is certainly more with a caper like this, and the contrast between the bold colors against short draw distances stands out phenomenally on a QD-OLED monitor like the AW2725Q. I even found that running around as my brave flyman warrior “Jeff” wasn’t completely compromised in broad daylight since black levels didn’t take too much of a hit or produce the same purple glow as some older models. Neat!

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Since DOOM: The Dark Ages is less than two months away, I’ve also started playing through the first game in preparation. I’m fully aware its sequel will flaunt its stuff harder on a 4K screen like this when I get to it next, but the 2016 trip to the malicious playgrounds of Mars feels like an excellent 240Hz fit. Plus, the shooter’s hellish landscapes burn bright on this QD-OLED panel laced with extra UHD sharpness, and the combo is making my re-play feel like I’m playing something that isn’t almost ten years old.

In addition, I've been messing around with Avowed, Obsidian's latest RPG romp, and it feels like a bit of a poster child for the Alienware AW2725Q. The game's luscious, detailed foliage looks good enough to touch thanks to the panel's higher PPI, and its same to say handling big, dense adventures are this QD-OLED display's bread and butter.

Should you buy the Alienware AW2725Q?

The Alienware AW2725Q is one of the sharpest 4K monitors I’ve tested to date, and the extra pixel density helps the panel punch even harder than its QD-OLED rivals. Some of the drawbacks of Quantum Dot tech remain, and it’s still not going to be ideal for every lighting scenario, but Dell’s approach to the display type is going from strength to strength.

While I’m not sure if everyone’s going to appreciate Dell’s pixel density efforts, especially if you like to sit further away from your screen, the AW2725Q still represents what 4K monitors can achieve in 2025. It’s pricey, but if you do choose to invest in this particular panel over faster 1440p options or even larger all singing dual resolution screens like the 32-inch LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B, you’ll be getting something that feels fully dedicated to the UHD cause without additional distractions.

How I tested the Alienware AW2725Q

For two weeks, I used the Alienware AW2725Q as my primary gaming monitor while using specific games to test the screen's 4K abilities, refresh rate, contrast, colors, brightness, and features. Throughout my time with the display, I assessed its functionality and design as part of a real setup while using Cyberpunk 2077, Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, and DOOM to evaluate performance.

For more information on how we test gaming monitors and other screen types, check out out full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.