The Dell Alienware AW2723DF is a 27-inch, 1440p gaming monitor. Part of Dell's Alienware gaming lineup, it replaces the Dell Alienware AW2721D but with a few differences. It now has an overclockable refresh rate that can go up to 280Hz, but instead of having native G-SYNC support like on the AW2721D, it has native FreeSync VRR support with G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It has a few extra features to improve your gaming experience, like the ability to add a virtual crosshair that your system won't detect, giving you a competitive advantage. It also has a Console Mode that downscales a 4k image if you want to use it for console gaming.
Our Verdict
The Dell AW2723DF is decent for PC gaming. It has a fast 240Hz native refresh rate that you can overclock to 280Hz, and it has both FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It has low input lag for a responsive feel, and motion looks decent as it has a fast response time across its entire refresh rate range, but there's still some motion blur. Sadly, it's bad for dark room gaming because it has a low native contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and it has a terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
- Overclockable 280Hz refresh rate.
- FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility.
- Decently fast response time at any refresh rate.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
- Still some motion blur.
The Dell AW2723DF is okay for console gaming. It can't take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as it's limited to a 1440p resolution and lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, but it still offers decent gaming performance. It has low input lag for a responsive feel, and it has decent motion handling at 120Hz and 60Hz. However, it has limited picture quality because it has a low contrast ratio and a terrible local dimming feature that causes blooming around bright objects.
- Decently fast response time at any refresh rate.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
- Still some motion blur.
The Dell AW2723DF is good for office use. It has a big 27-inch screen with a 1440p resolution, resulting in good text clarity. Although it struggles to reduce reflections from strong light sources, it still gets bright enough to fight glare if you have a few lights around in your work environment. It also has wide viewing angles and excellent ergonomics, making it ideal to share your screen with someone else.
- Good text clarity.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Mediocre reflection handling.
The Dell AW2723DF is decent for content creators. It has good image clarity thanks to its 1440p resolution and good pixel density, and its 27-inch screen is big enough to open two windows next to each other. It also has excellent ergonomics if you need to share your screen with a client. It displays a wide range of colors, and the accuracy before calibration is excellent, so you don't have to worry about paying extra to calibrate it. However, its low contrast is disappointing if you need to edit content in dark rooms.
- Good text clarity.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Accurate even before calibration.
- Mediocre reflection handling.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
The Dell AW2723DF has good brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room, and while it also gets bright in HDR, small highlights don't pop against the rest of the image.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Small highlights don't pop in HDR.
The Dell AW2723DF has a decent response time. It's consistently fast across its VRR range, but fast-moving objects still have motion blur.
- Decently fast response time at any refresh rate.
- Still some motion blur.
The Dell AW2723DF has bad HDR picture quality. Its terrible edge-lit local dimming feature, which you can't disable in HDR, causes blooming around bright objects without improving the contrast. It also fails to make colors look vivid.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
The Dell AW2723DF has passable SDR picture quality. It has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and it has noticeable backlight bleed in dark rooms, but it displays a wide range of colors.
- Displays wide range of colors.
- Low contrast ratio.
The Dell AW2723DF has amazing color accuracy. Its dedicated sRGB mode is extremely accurate, and you won't need to calibrate it unless you need perfectly accurate colors.
- Accurate even before calibration.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Aug 26, 2025:
Added that the Dell Alienware AW2725QF has a Dual-Resolution mode that boosts its refresh rate with a lower resolution for more versatility.
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Updated Aug 11, 2025:
We changed the Screen Finish from 'Semi-Gloss' to 'Matte' to better reflect how its coating interacts with light.
- Updated Feb 21, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0.1. This includes a new test result for DisplayPort 2.1 Transmission Bandwidth.
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Updated Oct 22, 2024:
Added that the Samsung Odyssey G6/G65D S32BG65D is another 240Hz monitor with a better Contrast.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch Dell AW2723DF, which is the only size available for this monitor, and the results are only valid for this monitor. It's part of Dell's Alienware gaming lineup, and it replaces the Dell Alienware AW2721D. This monitor is also a higher-end version than the Dell Alienware AW2724DM, which has a 180Hz refresh rate. You can see the differences between the monitors below.
| Model Code | Size | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | Native VRR |
| AW2721D | 27" | 1440p | 240Hz | G-SYNC |
| AW2723DF | 27" | 1440p | 280Hz | FreeSync |
| AW2724DM | 27" | 1440p | 180Hz | FreeSync |
Our unit was manufactured in July 2022 and you can see the label here. We tested it with firmware M3B104.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell AW2723DF is a decent 1440p gaming monitor thanks to its overclockable 280Hz refresh rate and consistently fast motion handling across its entire refresh rate range. It's a nice upgrade from the Dell Alienware AW2721D, and if you want a 1440p, 240Hz monitor, you can't go wrong with it. That said, it has limited picture quality, but you'll need to pay more for better picture quality with a 1440p, 240Hz monitor, like the LG 27GR95QE-B, which has an OLED panel.
Make sure to also check out our recommendations for the best 1440p gaming monitors, the best 240Hz gaming monitors, and the best 27-inch gaming monitors.
The Dell Alienware AW2723DF is a higher-end monitor than the Dell Alienware AW2724DM. The main difference is that the AW2723DF has a much higher 280Hz refresh rate compared to 180Hz on the AW2724DM. The AW2723DF also has some extra features, like two more USB ports and an audio output, which the AW2724DM doesn't have. Besides that, the AW2723DF is slightly better for browsing the web or general office work as it has better text clarity.
The Dell Alienware AW2723DF is slightly better for gaming than the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD. The main difference is that the Dell has a much higher 280Hz max refresh rate compared to 165Hz on the MSI, allowing you to play games at a higher frame rate. On the other hand, the MSI is better if you game in a bright room because it has much better reflection handling.
The Dell Alienware AW2723DF and the Dell Alienware AW2725QF are different types of IPS gaming monitors. The AW2725QF has a native 4k resolution and 180Hz refresh rate, but it has a Dual-Resolution mode that switches it to a 1080p resolution and 360Hz refresh rate for a smoother feel. The AW2723DF offers more of a sweet spot between those two modes, as it has a 1440p resolution and 280Hz refresh rate. This means choosing one over the other really depends on which combination of refresh rate and resolution you prefer. However, the AW2725QF has some advantages because it gets brighter and supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which the AW2723DF doesn't.
The Gigabyte M27Q X and the Dell Alienware AW2723DF are both decent gaming monitors. While they each have a 1440p resolution and 240Hz native refresh rate, the Dell has an overclock feature up to 280Hz. Although the Gigabyte has a quicker response time at its max refresh rate, the Dell is better with lower frame rate signals, which is good if you can't consistently hit its max refresh rate. The Gigabyte also has a few extra features that make it slightly more versatile for other uses, like a USB-C input and a KVM switch, and it also has much better reflection handling.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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