OLED is gradually becoming the new standard for videophiles seeking the best picture quality, but the often exorbitant pricing of reliable, consumer-grade OLED displays has prevented the technology from becoming as widespread as it could be. This is where Dell has come to save the day with its new Alienware AW2726DM display that beats well above the $350 price point.
And the price is really the biggest point to hone in on with this new AW2726DM monitor. Its specs won't surprise any tech enthusiasts, but they're specs you'd expect from a monitor that's at least around $500. Throw in Alienware's historically strong build quality, sleek design, and 3-year burn-in protection, and the AW2726DM could very well be the perfect entry-level OLED lamp.
I've been using the AW2726DM for about a week now, and I'm happy to report that it's quickly become my favorite monitor for PC gaming. It's incredibly responsive, sharp and vibrant, and while it doesn't put my 4K OLED TV to shame, it's definitely a close second. And when I remember that it's so affordable, my love for it only grows.
Dell's new OLED Alienware display is well worth the cost of entry
There are several different OLED displays in the Alienware product line, so to be clear, here are the quick and dirty specs of the new AW2726DM:
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26.5-inch OLED screen (glossy finish)
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HDR compatible
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2560×1440 resolution
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240hz refresh rate
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0.03ms latency
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AMD FreeSync compatible
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2 HDMI ports (max 120hz refresh rate)
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1 DisplayPort 1.4 port (for full 240 Hz refresh rate)
For $350, you get a 1440p OLED display with HDR and a maximum of 240 frames per second – a pretty good deal even at face value. Three different input ports make the monitor nicely versatile too, especially if you want to switch between PC and console on the same screen. Sure, the HDMI ports cover you at 120 FPS, but this still makes the screen a good match for current-gen consoles, which generally don't surpass 120 FPS in the first place.
The AW2726DM also comes with a surprising premium mount. It's tiltable, swivel and can rotate 360 degrees, which puts it leagues ahead of the packaged mounts included in most other budget monitors. Combined with the slim, low-profile design of the display itself, the whole kit cuts a sleek, understated silhouette that works with almost any desktop setup. That said, I still ended up swapping the AW2726DM for my own swingarm mount; the pack-in mount is nice, but there are definitely better options available, especially if you have a multi-monitor setup.
The AW2726DM is VESA mount compatible.
The AW2726DM performs like a dream
Most non-enthusiast gamers are probably most familiar with OLED through handheld devices like the Steam Deck OLED and Nintendo Switch OLED. These devices have great screens, but they're nothing compared to a true OLED gaming monitor like the AW2726DM, which has to be seen – and felt – to be believed. The combination of the OLED screen, HDR and 1440p resolution made for an instantly impressive viewing experience, even if I was just clicking around on the desktop. But of course I had to put the display through its paces, which I did with the following games:
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra settings, RTX Medium, 98 average FPS)
- Deadlock (High settings, 80 average FPS)
- Resident Evil 4 Remake (Max Settings, RTX Max, 70 Average FPS)
- Forza Horizon 6 (High settings, RTX off, 101 average FPS)
- Max Payne 3 (Max settings, 125 average FPS)
- Sea of stars (Max Settings, 240+ FPS)
I tried to get quite a spread, from pixel art, previous generations and indie games, all the way to cutting edge, recently released AAA titles. Across all of them, gameplay was smooth, sharp and colorful, the darker blacks of the OLED going a long way regardless of the game's visual style. The AW2726DM model I tested isn't NVIDIA G-Sync compatible, which some users might care about, but I found it made little difference: I experienced no screen wear at all, even with V-Sync disabled across the board. To put a fine point on it, the gaming experience was consistently, reliably smooth, which was a pleasant surprise. With such sharp, colorful image quality, I half expected the other shoe to drop in performance, but it never did.
There are a few issues that keep the AW2726DM from being perfect, mainly the brightness. With an OLED screen you can count on a lower maximum brightness than say an LED screen, but this display only reaches around 200 peak nits. This is a few hundreds lower than leading OLED gaming monitors, and significantly less than leading OLED TVs. This doesn't have much of an impact if you're in a dark room, but if you like to play in a space with natural light or a lamp nearby, you may have trouble seeing darker images. This issue is exacerbated by the screen's glossy finish – although I generally prefer the glossy screen, it's obviously more reflective than a matte, which exacerbates glare. It also picks up stains much more easily. You may want to have a microfiber cloth handy.
Also, in a perfect world, I would have this screen with smaller bezels. The bezel width of the AW2726DM is about 1.2cm, which is almost double the bezel width of my nearly seven-year-old IPS display. It's an incredibly small gripe, but given the low-profile design of the rest of the screen, the bezel size is like a minor blemish on an otherwise beautiful face. It's also a persistent reminder of the screen's 26.5-inch diagonal span, which may feel a little tight to some.
But in the end, it feels almost silly to make this criticism. The AW2726DM is sure to impress anyone looking to step up from an LED or 1080p display; I guess this is its primary target audience, given its low price. Honestly, $350 just doesn't make sense, given the quality of this monitor. In a tough global economy that has been particularly unforgiving when it comes to PC component pricing, the AW2726DM is a godsend, one of just a few recent examples of gaming hardware undercharging and over-delivering, rather than the other way around.
The Dell Alienware AW2726DM is available for $349.99 on the Dell website. GameRant was provided a device for this review.
