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We've recently released Test Bench 2.0 for Monitors! Read our new VRR Flicker R&D Article and Pursuit Photo R&D Article to learn more.

Dell Alienware AW2723DF Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v2.0
Review updated Jun 07, 2024 at 01:01 pm
Latest change: Retest Jun 21, 2024 at 02:04 pm
Dell Alienware AW2723DF Picture
7.1
PC Gaming
6.5
Console Gaming
7.5
Office
7.3
Editing
7.6
Brightness
7.3
Response Time
5.2
HDR Picture
6.0
SDR Picture
8.9
Color Accuracy

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

7.1 PC Gaming

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.

Pros
  • Overclockable 280Hz refresh rate.
  • FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility.
  • Decently fast response time at any refresh rate.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
  • Still some motion blur.
6.5 Console Gaming

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.

Pros
  • Decently fast response time at any refresh rate.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
  • Still some motion blur.
7.5 Office

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.

Pros
  • Good text clarity.
  • Excellent ergonomics.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
Cons
  • Mediocre reflection handling.
7.3 Editing

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.

Pros
  • Good text clarity.
  • Excellent ergonomics.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Accurate even before calibration.
Cons
  • Mediocre reflection handling.
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
7.6 Brightness

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.

Pros
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
Cons
  • Small highlights don't pop in HDR.
7.3 Response Time

The Dell AW2723DF has a decent response time. It's consistently fast across its VRR range, but fast-moving objects still have motion blur.

Pros
  • Decently fast response time at any refresh rate.
Cons
  • Still some motion blur.
5.2 HDR Picture

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.

Pros
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
6.0 SDR Picture

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.

Pros
  • Displays wide range of colors.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
8.9 Color Accuracy

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.

Pros
  • Accurate even before calibration.
Cons
  • 7.1 PC Gaming
  • 6.5 Console Gaming
  • 7.5 Office
  • 7.3 Editing

Performance Usages

  • 7.6 Brightness
  • 7.3 Response Time
  • 5.2 HDR Picture
  • 6.0 SDR Picture
  • 8.9 Color Accuracy
  1. Updated Jun 21, 2024: Changed the color of the 4k compatibility column in the Xbox Series X|S table for consistency with other reviews.
  2. Updated Jun 07, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
  3. Updated Jun 07, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0. This includes new tests for VRR Motion Performance, Refresh Rate Compliance, Cumulative Absolute Deviation (CAD), and VRR Flicker. You can read the full changelog here.
  4. Updated Sep 19, 2023: Clarified any differences between this monitor and the Dell Alienware AW2724DM, which has a lower refresh rate.
  5. Updated Sep 13, 2023: Added that the HP OMEN 27qs is another monitor that has a faster Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate.
  6. Updated Mar 17, 2023: Added that the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN is an alternative with native G-SYNC support in Variable Refresh Rate.
  7. Updated Jan 09, 2023: We retested the accuracy before calibration using the sRGB emulation mode. The color accuracy is much better with this mode, and colors are no longer oversaturated.
  8. Updated Nov 23, 2022: Review published.
  9. Updated Nov 18, 2022: Early access published.
  10. Updated Nov 08, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  11. Updated Nov 04, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  12. Updated Oct 05, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

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.

Compared To Other Monitors

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.

Dell Alienware AW2724DM

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.

Gigabyte M27Q X

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.

Dell Alienware AW2721D

The Dell Alienware AW2723DF is the replacement for the Dell Alienware AW2721D, and there are a few differences. The main difference is that the AW2723DF has native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility instead of the native G-SYNC support on the AW2721D. This doesn't make much of a difference unless you have an NVIDIA graphics card, in which case, the AW2721D can take full advantage of it. Other than that, the AW2723DF has an overclockable 280Hz refresh rate and better motion handling, especially at lower refresh rates.

Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T

The Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T and the Dell Alienware AW2723DF are both decent 1440p, 240Hz gaming monitors. There are a few differences between them, though, mainly with the picture quality. The Samsung is better for dark room gaming because it has a higher native contrast for deeper blacks, while the Dell is better for co-op gaming as it has wider viewing angles. The Samsung also has better reflection handling if you want to use it in a bright room. In terms of gaming, the Dell has an overclockable 280Hz refresh rate, and while motion handling looks the same between each, the Samsung has an optional backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur.

ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM

The Dell Alienware AW2723DF and the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM are both 1440p, 240Hz gaming monitors with a few differences. The Dell has an overclockable refresh rate of up to 280Hz, which the ASUS doesn't have, and it also has a lower input lag. The main difference between the two is that the ASUS has native G-SYNC support, which lets you take full advantage of your NVIDIA graphics card, as you can also use its Reflex Latency Analyzer feature to measure the input lag of your entire setup.

LG 27GR95QE-B

The LG 27GR95QE-B and the Dell Alienware AW2723DF are both 1440p gaming monitors with a native 240Hz refresh, although you can overclock the Dell to 280Hz. Their differences come down to their different panels, as the LG has a higher contrast, better black uniformity, and improved motion handling thanks to its OLED panel. However, the Dell gets brighter if you want to use it in a well-lit room, and it doesn't have the risk of burn-in if you want it for other uses like work.

HP OMEN 27qs

The Dell Alienware AW2723DF and the HP OMEN 27qs are decent great 1440p, 240Hz gaming monitors with many similarities, but there are a few differences. One main difference is that the Dell has an overclock feature to 280Hz, which the HP doesn't have. Also, the Dell is a bit more versatile for console gaming as it downscales 4k signals, which the HP can't do. However, the HP has a slightly faster response time at high refresh rates, which is great for competitive gaming. The HP is also the better choice if you need something for a bright room, as it gets a bit brighter and has much better reflection handling.

MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD

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.

ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN

The Dell Alienware AW2723DF and the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN are both 1440p gaming monitors, but they have a few differences. The ASUS has a higher 360Hz refresh rate, which is great if you like gaming at a high frame rate. They also have different types of VRR support as the ASUS has native G-SYNC support, while the Dell has native FreeSync support instead. The motion handling is good on each, but the ASUS is even better with high-frame-rate signals. If you want a monitor for console gaming, the Dell can downscale 4k @ 60Hz signals from the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which the ASUS can't do.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved
No
Curve Radius
Not Curved

The Dell AW2723DF has a gamer-oriented design with typical Alienware branding throughout. It has a white body in the back with two RGB lighting zones, and there are black accents in front.

8.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is excellent. The stand supports the screen very well, as there's minimal wobble, and it stays in place when you adjust it. The plastic materials feel good as they're sturdy and don't flex much.

8.8
Design
Ergonomics
Min Height To Top Of Panel
15.6" (39.7 cm)
Height Adjustment
4.3" (11.0 cm)
Tilt Range
-20° to 5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
Yes, Both Ways
Swivel Range
-20° to 20°
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

The ergonomics are excellent. You can adjust it in all common ways, which makes it easy to place in an ideal position. The back of the monitor features two RGB lighting zones. You can pass the cables through the stand for cable management, and it has a panel cover too.

Design
Stand
Base Width
15.9" (40.5 cm)
Base Depth
10.4" (26.5 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
7.6" (19.4 cm)
Weight (With Display)
19.6 lbs (8.9 kg)

The V-shaped stand takes up a lot of space, but at least it holds the display well, and there's minimal wobble.

Design
Display
Size
27"
Housing Width
24.1" (61.1 cm)
Housing Height
14.1" (35.8 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
2.8" (7.1 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
12.6 lbs (5.7 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.2" (0.4 cm)

The housing width and height measurements include the headphone rack that sticks out slightly (0.161", 4.1 mm) and also the joystick that sticks out a bit at the bottom (0.149", 3.8 mm). The headphone rack measures 3.69 inches (9.36 cm) when you pull it out completely.

Design
Controls

There's a joystick underneath the center branding to control the on-screen display, and there's a power button on the right side.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
Internal

  • Power cable
  • HDMI cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • DisplayPort to Mini-DisplayPort cable
  • USB-A to USB-B upstream cable
  • User guides

Picture Quality
6.1
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,020 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
1,354 : 1

The Dell AW2723DF has a mediocre contrast ratio. It means that blacks look gray next to bright highlights, and it isn't ideal for dark room viewing. Although it has a local dimming feature, it doesn't do much to improve the contrast.

1.5
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

This monitor has an edge-lit local dimming feature that performs terribly. Blacks look gray, and when there are bright highlights, an entire zone lights up, resulting in distracting blooming. It isn't so much of an issue with smaller highlights because small objects don't light up zones, and the local dimming remains ineffective. The algorithm is slow to turn the zones on and off, and it's distracting when they do.

It only has 16 dimming zones, which is half of what the Dell Alienware AW2721D has, so it performs worse, and it doesn't do much to improve the picture quality in dark scenes. The local dimming is also only on in the DisplayHDR 600, and you can't disable it. Other HDR modes don't use local dimming, but they aren't as bright.

8.0
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
347 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
340 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
379 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
381 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
383 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
384 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
340 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
379 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
380 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
382 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
384 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000
Minimum Brightness
29 cd/m²

The SDR peak brightness is great. It gets bright enough to fight glare, and while smaller highlights are dimmer than the rest, the difference isn't noticeable. It doesn't get as bright as the Dell Alienware AW2721D, mainly because you can't enable the local dimming feature in SDR, which you can with the AW2721D.

These results are from after calibration in the 'Custom Color' Picture Mode with the Brightness at its max.

7.4
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
DisplayHDR 600
Real Scene
497 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
365 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
672 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
695 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
708 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
712 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
365 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
671 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
694 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
706 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
710 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.040

The HDR peak brightness is decent. For the most part, it gets bright enough for highlights to stand out. However, small highlights are dimmer because all the dimming zones remain off with small highlights. The EOTF also follows the target well, except some shadows and midtones are a bit too bright. These results are in the DisplayHDR 600 mode, which automatically locks the brightness and enables local dimming. There are other HDR modes you can use that don't use local dimming, but that means that highlights aren't as bright.

7.5
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
37°
Color Washout From Right
38°
Color Shift From Left
43°
Color Shift From Right
46°
Brightness Loss From Left
41°
Brightness Loss From Right
43°
Black Level Raise From Left
70°
Black Level Raise From Right
70°
Gamma Shift From Left
36°
Gamma Shift From Right
39°

This monitor has a good horizontal viewing angle. The image remains consistent when viewing off-angle, but there's still some color washout and brightness loss at wide angles.

7.9
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
37°
Color Washout From Above
39°
Color Shift From Below
40°
Color Shift From Above
45°
Brightness Loss From Below
41°
Brightness Loss From Above
43°
Black Level Raise From Below
70°
Black Level Raise From Above
70°
Gamma Shift From Below
63°
Gamma Shift From Above
48°

The vertical viewing angle is very good. Once again, the image remains consistent if you're looking down at it, but it isn't perfect.

8.2
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.284%
50% DSE
0.143%

The gray uniformity is great. The edges are a bit darker than the rest, and there's a bit of dirty screen effect in the center, but it's minor and not distracting while you're browsing the web or playing games.

4.3
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.319%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
2.175%

The black uniformity is poor. There's a noticeable backlight bleed throughout, and the image looks bad in dark rooms. The center cross doesn't activate any of the dimming zones, so you can see the same uniformity pictures with a rectangle instead:

8.9
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Creator (sRGB)
sRGB Gamut Area xy
103.1%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
2.36
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,949 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.16
Color dE (Avg.)
1.44
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Settings
Locked
Gamma Setting
2.2
Brightness Setting
100
Measured Brightness
435 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

The accuracy before calibration is excellent. The built-in 'sRGB' emulation mode does a great job limiting colors to the sRGB color space, so they don't appear oversaturated, and there are no noticeable issues with any color. The white balance is great, but bright shades of gray are a bit off. Gamma follows the sRGB target curve well, ensuring everything is displayed at the correct brightness levels.

9.7
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Custom Color
sRGB Gamut Area xy
100.2%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.74
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,575 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.18
Color dE (Avg.)
0.45
Contrast Setting
73
RGB Settings
96-92-91
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Brightness Setting
35
Measured Brightness
99 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

The accuracy after calibration to the 6500K white point is fantastic. You won't notice any inaccuracies in the image.

9.5
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
99.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom Color
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
86.4%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom Color

The Dell AW2723DF has an incredible SDR color gamut. It has full coverage of the commonly-used sRGB color space used in most web content, and it also has good coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in some photo editing.

8.5
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
93.9%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
68.0%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600

The HDR color gamut is excellent. It has amazing coverage of the commonly-used DCI-P3 color space, and its tone mapping is also good, meaning you don't lose details with saturated colors. However, it isn't as future-proof because it has limited coverage of the Rec. 2020 color space, which more content will start to use, and the tone mapping is bad, resulting in a loss of details with colors outside of its gamut coverage.

7.1
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI-P3 Coverage ICtCp
57.3%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600
10,000 cd/m² Rec. 2020 Coverage ICtCp
27.1%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600

The HDR color volume is decent. It can't display dark and bright colors very well, especially in the Rec. 2020 color space.

7.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The text clarity is good. Enabling Windows ClearType (top photo) also helps make the diagonal lines easier to read. These pictures are with Windows 10, and you can see what it looks like with Windows 11:

6.2
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-Gloss
Total Reflections
7.6%
Indirect Reflections
3.6%
Calculated Direct Reflections
3.9%

This monitor has mediocre reflection handling. It struggles to reduce glare when there are bright light sources, and even if it has great SDR peak brightness, it's best to avoid placing it opposite a bright window.

9.4
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The gradient handling is fantastic. You won't have issues with banding when sending a 10-bit signal, and the monitor can accept a 10-bit signal up to its max refresh rate, but only over DisplayPort.

Motion
8.2
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
280 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
280 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
280 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
60 Hz

The Dell AW2723DF has an overclockable 280Hz refresh rate which you can reach with a DisplayPort connection as long as your graphics card supports Display Stream Compression (DSC).

Motion
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
280 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
DisplayPort, HDMI

NVIDIAVRR MinVRR Max
DisplayPort<20Hz280Hz
HDMIN/AN/A

AMDVRR MinVRR Max
DisplayPort<20Hz280Hz
HDMI<20Hz144Hz

7.4
Motion
VRR Motion Performance
Recommended VRR OD Setting
Extreme
Variable Overdrive Advertised
No
Avg. CAD
198
Best CAD
187
Worst CAD
223

Refresh RateCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
278HeatmapChartPhoto
240HeatmapChartPhoto
165HeatmapChartPhoto
144HeatmapChartPhoto
120HeatmapChartPhoto
100HeatmapChartPhoto
80HeatmapChartPhoto
60HeatmapChartPhoto

This monitor has decent motion handling across its refresh rate range. There's a bit of motion blur with fast-moving objects, and there's some inverse ghosting at lower refresh rates, but it isn't overly distracting either. All three Response Time overdrive settings perform similarly, and while 'Extreme' is the best at high refresh rates, 'Super Fast' is consistently the best at any refresh rate.

7.1
Motion
Refresh Rate Compliance
Compliance @ Max Hz
23%
Compliance @ 120 FPS
55%
Compliance @ 60 FPS
76%

The refresh rate compliance is decent. Its response time isn't fast enough to make full transitions before the monitor draws the next frame with high refresh rates, but it's better at lower refresh rates.

7.7
Motion
CAD @ Max Refresh Rate
OD Transition Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Super Fast VRR Off
Avg. CAD
138
Best 10% CAD
81
Worst 10% CAD
314

Overdrive ModeVRRCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
FastOnHeatmapChartPhoto
Super FastOnHeatmapChartPhoto
ExtremeOnHeatmapChartPhoto
FastOffHeatmapChartPhoto
Super FastOffHeatmapChartPhoto
ExtremeOffHeatmapChartPhoto

The CAD at the max refresh rate of 280Hz is good. Motion looks sharp without much blur. That said, the overdrive settings perform differently if you enable VRR, as it looks much better if you disable VRR altogether. All three overdrive settings perform similarly with VRR enabled, but the 'Extreme' setting has the lowest CAD and best motion handling.

Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Super Fast VRR Off
First Response Time
5.0 ms
Total Response Time
5.1 ms
RGB Overshoot
0 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
12.8 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
12.8 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
1 RGB

Overdrive ModeVRRFirst Response HeatmapTotal Response HeatmapRGB Overshoot Heatmap
FastOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Super FastOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
ExtremeOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
FastOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Super FastOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
ExtremeOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap

7.3
Motion
CAD @ 120Hz
OD Transition 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Super Fast VRR Off
Avg. CAD
185
Best 10% CAD
118
Worst 10% CAD
306

Overdrive ModeVRRCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
FastOnHeatmapChartPhoto
Super FastOnHeatmapChartPhoto
ExtremeOnHeatmapChartPhoto
FastOffHeatmapChartPhoto
Super FastOffHeatmapChartPhoto
ExtremeOffHeatmapChartPhoto

The CAD at 120Hz is decent. There's a bit of blur and inverse ghosting, but it isn't too noticeable either. Unlike at the max refresh rate, the overdrive settings perform similarly with VRR on or off. While disabling VRR results in the best motion, enabling it has minimal difference in terms of motion handling.

Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Super Fast VRR Off
First Response Time
6.1 ms
Total Response Time
8.2 ms
RGB Overshoot
3 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
10.8 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
14.0 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
17 RGB

Overdrive ModeVRRFirst Response HeatmapTotal Response HeatmapRGB Overshoot Heatmap
FastOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Super FastOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
ExtremeOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
FastOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Super FastOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
ExtremeOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap

6.8
Motion
CAD @ 60Hz
OD Transition 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Fast VRR Off
Avg. CAD
229
Best 10% CAD
132
Worst 10% CAD
344

Overdrive ModeVRRCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
FastOnHeatmapChartPhoto
Super FastOnHeatmapChartPhoto
ExtremeOnHeatmapChartPhoto
FastOffHeatmapChartPhoto
Super FastOffHeatmapChartPhoto
ExtremeOffHeatmapChartPhoto

The CAD at 60Hz is okay. There's more blur with fast-moving objects than at higher refresh rates, and unlike at 120Hz, the 'Fast' overdrive setting produces the best results, as there's more inverse ghosting with 'Super Fast' and 'Extreme'. This means you may have to change the setting if the frame rate of your game drops or if you change games.

Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Fast VRR Off
First Response Time
9.0 ms
Total Response Time
10.1 ms
RGB Overshoot
1 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
11.5 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
20.9 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
12 RGB

Overdrive ModeVRRFirst Response HeatmapTotal Response HeatmapRGB Overshoot Heatmap
FastOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Super FastOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
ExtremeOnHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
FastOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
Super FastOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap
ExtremeOffHeatmapHeatmapHeatmap

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
No BFI
Maximum Frequency
N/A
Minimum Frequency
N/A
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
N/A
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
N/A
Pulse Width Control
No BFI
Pulse Phase Control
No BFI
Pulse Amplitude Control
No BFI
VRR At The Same Time
No BFI

The Dell AW2723DF doesn't have a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur.

8.7
Motion
VRR Flicker
Dark Gray Flicker
1.3 RGB
Middle Gray Flicker
0.2 RGB
Light Gray Flicker
0.1 RGB

This monitor has minimal VRR flicker with changing frame rates, which is excellent for gaming.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

This monitor is completely flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain.

Inputs
9.2
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
2.3 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
4.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
8.6 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
N/A

The Dell AW2723DF has low input lag for a responsive feel while gaming.

7.5
Inputs
Resolution
Native Resolution
2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Megapixels
3.7 MP
Pixel Density
109 PPI
4.9
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz