Alienware has announced a new budget-friendlier QD-OLED monitor, the AW2726DM. As some of the numbers in the convoluted product name hint, it’s a 27-inch QHD panel, with 2560 x 1440 resolution, HDR support, and a high refresh rate of 240Hz. But what really makes it special is its comparatively low price of $349.99 at Dell.
High-refresh OLED monitors are great for gaming but also nice for everyday use, thanks to their strong contrast, vibrant colors, and their ability to smoothly display motion across your desktop. The AW2726DM makes the whole formula more approachable, as fancier gaming OLEDs typically run $500 to $900 or higher (and that’s not counting whatever upcoming vertical RGB stripe models will cost when they come out).
To make the AW2726DM cheaper, Alienware went for a no-frills approach. There’s no exterior RGB lighting or any glowing alien head logos. For connectivity, it has just two HDMI 2.1 ports, a single DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s it. There are no USB ports or KVM, and no support for Alienware’s Command Center app (because there are no lights to control).
The AW2726DM has the bare essentials, but it thankfully also includes a stand with adjustable height, tilt, and swivel. It even comes with Alienware’s three-year warranty against burn-in.
I saw the AW2726DM in person at a Dell media event, and it looked great in my very brief eyes-on. I love OLEDs, and this is a big step toward OLED monitors reaching more people. Alienware is often the first to release new OLEDs, and is eventually followed by competing models from Asus, MSI, AOC, etc. So here’s to hoping we see more lovely, colorful monitors at this price point (or even cheaper on sale).
