Alienware monitor with 240 Hz tested: Small, but with a lot of hertz

High refresh rates and minimal response times are traditionally the specialities of TN panels. However, they usually lack vibrant colours. This is where IPS panels score. Dell offers the best of both worlds with the Alienware AW2521HF. At least in theory. The test shows that the 25-inch monitor with its exorbitant 240 Hz also has to make compromises.

Specifications and connections

Display: 24.5 inch IPS
Resolution: 1920 × 1080 pixels
Refresh rate: 240 Hz
Response time: 1ms
Features: G-Sync, Freesync Premium, RGB lighting
Ports: 4x USB 3.0, 1x headphone jack, 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x audio line-out, compatible with VESA wall mount

The monitor has no speakers. However, you can connect headphones or your own speakers via a 3.5 mm plug.

Design, lighting and operation

The monitor is assembled in no time at all. Click in the stand, fix the base with the integrated twist lock and you're done. The connections on the back can be concealed behind a plastic cover. It makes a cheap impression, but as a rule you only have to touch it sporadically.

The Alienware monitor has a plain, matt black casing. The display edges are incredibly narrow and there is little to notice on the front. On the back, in addition to the iconic Alienware logo, the entire stand lights up in freely selectable colours. Colour gradients are also possible. You can set both via the OSD menu or via the Alienware Command Centre software. Even after the fourth driver update, the software wouldn't recognise the monitor. Be that as it may, it works without it.

A feature called AlienFX allows the lighting to be adapted to the action in games. The list of compatible games is manageable and current titles such as "Valorant", "Warzone" or "Fortnite" are missing.

The monitor is equipped with four buttons and a clickable joystick on the right rear side. This allows the menus to be navigated quickly. Fortunately, they are not too complicated, so you can quickly find what you are looking for. You can use the four buttons to directly set functions such as presets or brightness.

Thanks to the height-adjustable stand and a 360-degree joint, you can adjust the monitor to practically any angle imaginable.

Display measurement

To measure the IPS display, I use our measuring device i1-Display-Pro spectrometer from X-Rite with the two programmes DisplayCal and i1Profiler. I leave the image mode in the default mode "Game 1". No colour or contrast corrections can be made in standard mode and there is no graphics mode.

When measuring with DisplayCal, I slightly increase the red value to 56 per cent. This means that all RGB colours are at the same level. With these settings, I measured a colour space coverage of 95.5 per cent sRGB, 69.9 per cent Adobe RGB and 78.1 per cent DCI P3. These are decent values, even if they are slightly below the manufacturer's specifications. They tend not to be sufficient for graphic work.

I also measured a black value of 0.365 cd/m3, which results in a static contrast of 1096:1. This corresponds to the manufacturer's specifications, but is also not a particularly good value. It starts to be fun from 3000. The higher the contrast, the more dynamic the picture.

As promised by Dell, the maximum brightness is 400cd/m2, but only in the centre of the monitor. The rest of the display is over ten per cent less bright. However, I didn't notice the drop in brightness during normal use.

For a gamer monitor, the values are sufficient, especially for a monitor that is designed for extremely fast image changes.

Game test

How does the monitor perform in use? To utilise the device to its full potential, you need the right competitive game where every frame is crucial. I decide in favour of the team shooter "Valorant" because the game has relatively low hardware requirements. Nevertheless, I have to set all the graphics details to the minimum in order to achieve the desired 240 frames per second at 1080p resolution. Even then, and with a PC employing an RTX 2080 Ti in conjunction with an i9-9900K, the frame rate regularly drops below this value. It should still be enough for the test.

Gaming a shooter like this on a monitor with such a high frame rate is undoubtedly a pleasure. You can definitely feel that the controls feel even more precise, even if I'm hardly getting any better with my skills as a result.

Thanks to the 1 ms response time, G-Sync and Freesync, I didn't notice any streaking, image distortion or ghosting during the entire test phase. The picture was always razor-sharp and flawless.

Conclusion: Small but powerful

The Alienware AW2521HF is relatively small at just under 25 inches and the 1080p resolution won't knock anyone's socks off. However, together with the 240 Hz refresh rate, this results in a powerful combination. The values are particularly impressive for an IPS panel. After all, TN panels are traditionally known for their response time and high refresh rate. IPS panels have caught up enormously in recent years, but because TN panels are cheaper, they are still used more frequently. The typical IPS advantages such as high colour accuracy were not particularly noticeable when tested.

The AW2521HF is neither the brightest nor the most colour-accurate monitor and you won't find HDR here either. Dell scores where it counts for the target group. Fast response time, G-Sync and Freesync and chic LED lighting that creates the right party atmosphere for your multiplayer victories. This little powerhouse is recommended for professional gamers or those who want to play competitive games in the best conditions. Provided your PC has enough power to display this many frames per second.

Monitor

Alienware AW2521HFA

1920 x 1080 pixels, 25"

145

Monitor

Alienware AW2521HFA

1920 x 1080 pixels, 25"

145