Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
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 AW2724DM Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v2.0
Review updated May 15, 2024 at 02:00 pm
Dell Alienware AW2724DM Picture
7.3
PC Gaming
7.1
Console Gaming
7.6
Office
7.4
Editing
7.9
Brightness
8.0
Response Time
5.4
HDR Picture
6.7
SDR Picture
8.8
Color Accuracy

The Dell Alienware AW2724DM is a budget-friendly 27-inch, 1440p gaming monitor. Part of the Alienware gaming monitor lineup, it's a lower-end model than the Dell Alienware AW2723DF, but it has a lower 180Hz refresh rate. Competing with other lower mid-range and budget 1440p gaming monitors, like the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Gigabyte M27Q P, it has gaming features you'd expect to find, like FreeSync VRR support and G-SYNC compatibility. It comes with an ergonomic stand that offers the most common adjustments, and it has some RGB lighting on the back to compliment your gaming setup. It features an IPS panel, and it's only available in this size as well.

Our Verdict

7.3 PC Gaming

The Dell AW2724DM is decent for PC gaming. It has a native 165Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 180Hz, and it supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing. Motion looks sharp across its VRR range thanks to its fast response time, and gaming also feels responsive with its low input lag. Sadly, it's disappointing for dark room gaming as it has a low native contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray in the dark.

Pros
  • Supports all common VRR formats.
  • Fast response time at any refresh rate.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Blacks look gray in dark rooms.
  • Local dimming always on in HDR; causes blooming.
7.1 Console Gaming

The Dell AW2724DM is decent for console gaming. Although it doesn't have a 4k resolution and can't take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, it still works without issue with either console. It also provides good gaming performance with a fast response time and low input lag. However, it has limited picture quality, as blacks look gray in the dark, it has a terrible local dimming feature, and highlights don't pop.

Pros
  • Supports all common VRR formats.
  • Fast response time at any refresh rate.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Blacks look gray in dark rooms.
  • Can't take full advantage of gaming consoles.
  • Local dimming always on in HDR; causes blooming.
7.6 Office

The Dell AW2724DM is very good for the office. It performs very well in a bright office space thanks to its good reflection handling and high peak brightness, so visibility isn't a problem. It also has wide viewing angles and excellent ergonomics, making it easy to share your screen with someone next to you. Its 27-inch screen is big enough to open two windows side-by-side, but there are some text clarity issues as there's color fringing.

Pros
  • Impressive ergonomics.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Wide viewing angles.
Cons
  • Some fringing around text.
  • No extra office features like a USB-C port or KVM switch.
7.4 Editing

The Dell AW2724DM is decent for media consumption. It has a very accurate sRGB mode, so you won't have to calibrate it unless you need the most accurate colors possible. Its 27-inch screen is big enough to multitask with two windows side-by-side, but sadly, it has some color fringing around text. While it performs well for use in a bright office as it gets very bright, it looks worse in dark rooms because its low contrast makes blacks look gray.

Pros
  • Impressive ergonomics.
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Wide viewing angles.
  • Excellent accuracy in the sRGB mode.
Cons
  • Some fringing around text.
  • No extra office features like a USB-C port or KVM switch.
  • Local dimming always on in HDR; causes blooming.
7.9 Brightness

The Dell AW2724DM has very good brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare even in the brightest of rooms, and while it also gets bright in HDR, small highlights don't pop.

Pros
  • Bright enough to fight glare.
Cons
  • Highlights don't pop in HDR.
8.0 Response Time

The Dell AW2724DM has a great response time. It maintains a fast response time across its VRR range, so fast-moving objects look sharp, but it doesn't eliminate all blur.

Pros
  • Fast response time at any refresh rate.
Cons
  • Still some motion blur.
5.4 HDR Picture

The Dell AW2724DM has disappointing HDR picture quality. Its low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray in dark rooms. Although it has a local dimming feature, it performs terribly and causes blooming around bright objects, and you can't deactivate it in HDR either.

Pros
Cons
  • Blacks look gray in dark rooms.
  • Local dimming always on in HDR; causes blooming.
6.7 SDR Picture

The Dell AW2724DM has okay SDR picture quality. It displays a wide range of colors, but its low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray in dark rooms.

Pros
  • Displays wide range of colors.
Cons
  • Blacks look gray in dark rooms.
8.8 Color Accuracy

The Dell AW2724DM has excellent color accuracy. It has an accurate sRGB mode that locks colors well to the sRGB color space, but you still need to calibrate it for the best accuracy.

Pros
  • Excellent accuracy in the sRGB mode.
  • Still need to calibrate it for best accuracy.
Cons
  • 7.3 PC Gaming
  • 7.1 Console Gaming
  • 7.6 Office
  • 7.4 Editing

Performance Usages

  • 7.9 Brightness
  • 8.0 Response Time
  • 5.4 HDR Picture
  • 6.7 SDR Picture
  • 8.8 Color Accuracy
  1. Updated May 15, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
  2. Updated May 13, 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.
  3. Updated Sep 26, 2023: Added that the Dell G2724D is a cheaper alternative that performs similarly in the Compared To Others section. Also clarified in Additional Features that it has Timer and Frame Rate options.
  4. Updated Sep 22, 2023: Found an issue that Local Dimming doesn't turn on with an AMD graphics card over HDMI. Also reuploaded the Text Clarity photos with different ClearType settings, but the issues are still present.
  5. Updated Sep 19, 2023: Review published.
  6. Updated Sep 14, 2023: Early access published.
  7. Updated Sep 08, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Jul 27, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Jul 17, 2023: 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 AW2724DM, a newer but lower-end model than the Dell Alienware AW2723DF. The main difference is that the AW2724DM has a lower refresh rate. There aren't any other sizes available for this monitor, so the results are only valid for this model.

Model Size Panel Type Resolution Max Refresh Rate
AW2724DM 27" IPS 1440p 180Hz

Our unit was manufactured in May 2023, and you can see the labels for it here and here. We tested it with firmware M2B102.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Dell AW2724DM is a good lower mid-range gaming monitor that competes with some of the best monitors in its price category. It offers everything you'd expect in a gaming monitor, like a fast response time and support for all three common VRR formats. It's a good alternative to the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B if you want something that supports VRR on the PS5, but one downside is that the Dell has some color fringing around text, so it isn't as versatile as other 1440p displays. If you find this monitor is out of your price range, consider the cheaper Dell G2724D, which performs very similarly but doesn't have an overclock feature or USB hub.

Also, see our recommendations for the best 1440p gaming monitors, the best monitors for Xbox Series S, and the best 27-inch gaming monitors.

Dell G2724D

The Dell Alienware AW2724DM is a higher-end model than the Dell G2724D, but they perform very similarly. The AW2724D has an overclock feature of up to 180Hz and a USB hub, both of which the G2724D doesn't have, and it also displays a wider range of colors in HDR. On the other hand, the G2724D has better text clarity as it doesn't have the same color fringing issues as the AW2724D, but other than that, both monitors are very similar.

Dell Alienware AW2723DF

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.

LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B

The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Dell Alienware AW2724DM are both good lower mid-range 1440p gaming monitors. They each have a max refresh rate of 180Hz, and motion handling is fantastic between each, but the LG has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. The Dell gets brighter, so it's slightly better to use in bright rooms, but the LG is a bit better for use in dark rooms, or for watching HDR content, because it doesn't have a local dimming feature that worsens the contrast like on the Dell.

Dell S2721DGF

The Dell Alienware AW2724DM is a newer and better gaming monitor than the Dell S2721DGF. While they each have a 1440p resolution and 165Hz refresh rate, the AW2724DM has an overclock feature to increase the refresh rate to 180Hz. The AW2724DM also features a Console Mode that makes it more compatible with gaming consoles as it downscales 4k signals, which the S2721DGF can't do. Other than that, they're similar, but the AW2724DM delivers slightly better picture quality with improved color accuracy and a bit higher brightness.

Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0)

The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the Dell Alienware AW2724DM are similar 1440p gaming monitors. The Dell has a slightly higher 180Hz refresh rate compared to the 170Hz refresh rate on the Gigabyte, and it has better motion handling at higher refresh rates, but the Gigabyte has an optional backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. While they're both excellent for gaming, there are a few differences when it comes to office work, as the Dell has better ergonomics. However, the Gigabyte has more office features like a KVM switch and USB-C port, meaning it's easier to multitask with it.

+ Show more

Video

Test Results

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

The Dell AW2724DM has a gamer-oriented design with an all-black plastic body and some branding with RGB lighting on the back. It also features a hexagonal-based stand that doesn't take up a lot of space.

8.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is excellent. The plastic body feels solid and doesn't flex easily. The stand also holds the display very well, and there's minimal wobble.

8.8
Design
Ergonomics
Min Height To Top Of Panel
15.7" (40.0 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. The stand offers any type of adjustment, and it keeps the display in place very well when you adjust it. The back also features vents on top, and the stand has a cutout for cable management.

Design
Stand
Base Width
9.3" (23.5 cm)
Base Depth
9.6" (24.5 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
6.8" (17.2 cm)
Weight (With Display)
14.3 lbs (6.5 kg)

The stand is robust and holds the screen very well, and it doesn't have a big footprint either.

Design
Display
Size
27"
Housing Width
24.1" (61.2 cm)
Housing Height
14.3" (36.4 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
2.7" (6.8 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
9.9 lbs (4.5 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.3" (0.7 cm)
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

  • DisplayPort cable
  • DisplayPort to USB-C cable
  • USB-A to USB-B cable
  • Power cable
  • Alienware sticker
  • User guides

Picture Quality
5.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
989 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
671 : 1

The Dell AW2724DM has a disappointing contrast ratio. Blacks look gray next to bright highlights, and the local dimming feature, which is always on in HDR, actually makes the contrast ratio worse because most content requires all the dimming zones to remain on, making the entire image brighter.

2.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

The edge-lit local dimming feature is terrible, and it's always on in HDR, as you can't deactivate it. While most content requires all 16 dimming zones to turn on, dark scenes with small, bright highlights result in a ton of blooming as only certain zones turn on. It's especially noticeable with bigger subtitles, but some small subtitles don't always trigger any zones to turn on, which is good as there's less blooming. The algorithm keeps up with fast-moving objects better than other edge-lit monitors, but it's still visible when an object transitions between zones. Overall, the local dimming fails to improve the contrast, and it worsens the picture quality in HDR, especially in dark scenes.

The monitor has an issue where the local dimming feature doesn't turn on when using an AMD graphics card over HDMI. A user reported this, and we confirmed with our RX 6600 XT that local dimming doesn't turn on over HDMI. However, it still works over DisplayPort, or even when using an Xbox Series X|S, so it's unclear if it's an issue with the RX 6600 XT or all AMD graphics cards.

8.2
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
391 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
397 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
398 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
398 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
399 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
399 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
397 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
398 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
398 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
399 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
399 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000
Minimum Brightness
24 cd/m²

The SDR peak brightness is great. It easily gets bright enough to fight glare, and the brightness doesn't change across different content, which is great. These results are from after calibration in the 'Custom Color' Preset Mode with the Brightness at its max.

7.7
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
DisplayHDR 600
Real Scene
586 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
328 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
618 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
623 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
624 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
623 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
327 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
615 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
620 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
620 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
621 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.040

The HDR brightness is good. While it gets bright with most content, small highlights in dark scenes are muted because they aren't big enough to activate any of the dimming zones. Bigger highlights still get brighter but don't pop against the rest of the image.

These results are in the 'DisplayHDR 600' Smart HDR mode, and the local dimming is always on in HDR. The EOTF with these settings follows the target well until there's a sharp roll-off at the peak brightness, so it doesn't do any tone mapping. The EOTF is similar even in other Smart HDR modes, as you can see in 'Desktop' here. Over HDMI, you can enable Console Mode and Source Tone Map, which has a similar EOTF, but it has a sharper roll-off at the peak brightness.

As mentioned in Local Dimming, the local dimming feature doesn't turn on with AMD graphics cards over HDMI, which causes the HDR brightness to be dimmer.

7.7
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
42°
Color Washout From Right
40°
Color Shift From Left
48°
Color Shift From Right
47°
Brightness Loss From Left
48°
Brightness Loss From Right
47°
Black Level Raise From Left
70°
Black Level Raise From Right
70°
Gamma Shift From Left
38°
Gamma Shift From Right
36°

The Dell AW2724DM has a good horizontal viewing angle. It's good enough to share your screen with someone next to you as the image remains consistent from the sides, but it gets darker at really wide angles.

7.5
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
30°
Color Washout From Above
29°
Color Shift From Below
35°
Color Shift From Above
36°
Brightness Loss From Below
33°
Brightness Loss From Above
33°
Black Level Raise From Below
70°
Black Level Raise From Above
70°
Gamma Shift From Below
62°
Gamma Shift From Above
60°

The vertical viewing angle is good. You won't notice any issues when standing up and looking down on the screen.

7.8
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.785%
50% DSE
0.142%

The gray uniformity is good. While the edges of the screen are a bit darker than the rest, there's minimal dirty screen effect in the center, which is great.

6.0
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.302%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
0.821%

The black uniformity is mediocre. In SDR, when the local dimming feature is off, the screen is blue, and there's backlight bleed throughout. You can only enable local dimming in HDR, and while the cross in our test picture isn't big enough to trigger any of the dimming zones, the uniformity is much worse when there are larger objects, as there's a ton of blooming. You can see an example of it with the Dell Alienware AW2723DF monitor here.

As mentioned in Local Dimming, the local dimming feature doesn't turn on with AMD graphics cards over HDMI, so there isn't be the same blooming in HDR in this scenario.

8.8
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Color Space (sRGB)
sRGB Gamut Area xy
98.4%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
2.69
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,955 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.11
Color dE (Avg.)
1.76
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Settings
Gain (100-100-100), Offset (50-50-50)
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Brightness Setting
30
Measured Brightness
104 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

The Dell AW2724DM has excellent accuracy in the 'Color Space' Preset Mode, which is the sRGB mode. It locks colors well to the sRGB color space, and most colors and the white balance have minimal inaccuracies. Gamma follows the target sRGB curve fairly well, but dark scenes are too dark, and other scenes are too bright. The color temperature is slightly on the cold side, giving it a bit of a blue tint. Luckily, using the sRGB mode only locks the Hue and Saturation settings, so you can still adjust the brightness and use gaming settings. Other Preset Modes have oversaturated colors.

9.8
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Custom Color
sRGB Gamut Area xy
100.8%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.49
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,480 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.17
Color dE (Avg.)
0.27
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Settings
Gain (99,100,97), Offset (50,50,51)
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Brightness Setting
28
Measured Brightness
100 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

The accuracy after calibration is fantastic, and you won't notice any issues.

9.6
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
100.0%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom Color
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
88.3%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom Color

The Dell AW2724DM has a fantastic SDR color gamut. It has perfect coverage of the common sRGB color space and great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in professional publishing. However, reds and magentas are oversaturated in that color space, and greens are undersaturated.

9.0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
96.2%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
72.6%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600

The HDR color gamut is fantastic. It has incredible coverage of the commonly-used DCI-P3 color space with good tone mapping, but it has disappointing coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space. Although these results are in the 'DisplayHDR 600' Smart HDR mode, it performs similarly in any of the other HDR modes as well.

7.4
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI-P3 Coverage ICtCp
62.4%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600
10,000 cd/m² Rec. 2020 Coverage ICtCp
30.4%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
DisplayHDR 600

The Dell AW2724DM has decent HDR color volume. Its main downside is that it can't display bright and dark colors very well.

7.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The text clarity is decent. The main downside is that there's color fringing around text, mainly when you use Windows ClearType (top photo). While it's noticeable on the micro-level, it's harder to notice on the macro level, but the text clarity still isn't as good as other 27-inch, 1440p monitors. These photos are in Windows 10, and you can also see them in Windows 11 with ClearType on and with ClearType off.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
4.8%
Indirect Reflections
2.2%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.6%

The reflection handling is good. While some bright light sources create distracting reflections, the monitor still gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit spaces.

9.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The gradient handling is outstanding; you won't notice banding with most content.

Motion
7.7
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
165 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
180 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
180 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
180 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
60 Hz

The Dell AW2724DM has an overclock setting to bring the refresh rate up to 170Hz or 180Hz over DisplayPort, but due to bandwidth limitations, the refresh rate is limited over HDMI.

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

NVIDIAVRR MinVRR Max
DisplayPort<20Hz180Hz
HDMI<20Hz144Hz

AMDVRR MinVRR Max
DisplayPort<20Hz180Hz
HDMI<20Hz144Hz

On top of supporting FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility, it also supports HDMI Forum VRR.

8.2
Motion
VRR Motion Performance
Recommended VRR OD Setting
Super Fast
Variable Overdrive Advertised
No
Avg. CAD
146
Best CAD
140
Worst CAD
163

Refresh RateCAD HeatmapRT ChartPursuit Photo
179HeatmapChartPhoto
165HeatmapChartPhoto
144HeatmapChartPhoto
120HeatmapChartPhoto
100HeatmapChartPhoto
80HeatmapChartPhoto
60HeatmapChartPhoto

The Dell AW2724DM has great motion handling across its VRR range. The 'Super Fast' Response Time overdrive setting provides the best motion at most refresh rates, but it introduces overshoot at lower refresh rates. If that bothers you, 'Fast' is more consistent across the entire refresh rate range.

7.7
Motion
Refresh Rate Compliance
Compliance @ Max Hz
54%
Compliance @ 120 FPS
63%
Compliance @ 60 FPS
76%

The refresh rate compliance is good. All three overdrive settings perform similarly, and while its response time isn't fast enough to make full color transitions at its max refresh rates, it's better at lower refresh rates.

8.2
Motion
CAD @ Max Refresh Rate
OD Transition Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Extreme
Avg. CAD
129
Best 10% CAD
77
Worst 10% CAD
216

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

The CAD at the max refresh rate of 180Hz is great. With VRR enabled, the 'Extreme' overdrive setting provides the best motion thanks to its fast response time. However, the overdrive settings perform differently with VRR disabled, as 'Extreme' has a ton of overshoot, causing inverse ghosting. If you game with VRR off, it's better to use the 'Fast' overdrive setting, as even 'Super Fast' has inverse ghosting.

Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Extreme
First Response Time
4.5 ms
Total Response Time
5.3 ms
RGB Overshoot
2 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
7.9 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
9.3 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
15 RGB

Table for Response Time @ max

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

8.0
Motion
CAD @ 120Hz
OD Transition 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Super Fast
Avg. CAD
142
Best 10% CAD
81
Worst 10% CAD
228

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

The CAD at 120Hz is great. Unlike at the max refresh rate, the recommended overdrive setting with VRR on is 'Super Fast' as motion looks sharp, and 'Extreme' has noticeable inverse ghosting. The overdrive settings perform similarly even with VRR disabled, and 'Super Fast' is also a good choice, although it has more overshoot than 'Fast'.

Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Super Fast
First Response Time
5.2 ms
Total Response Time
5.9 ms
RGB Overshoot
2 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
7.8 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
10.9 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
13 RGB

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

7.8
Motion
CAD @ 60Hz
OD Transition 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Fast
Avg. CAD
155
Best 10% CAD
86
Worst 10% CAD
250

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

The CAD at 60Hz is good. There's a bit of blur, but it isn't too distracting, and the overdrive settings perform the same whether you have VRR on or off. 'Fast' is the recommended setting because 'Super Fast' and 'Extreme' have too much inverse ghosting.

Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Fast
First Response Time
6.2 ms
Total Response Time
6.8 ms
RGB Overshoot
0 RGB
Worst 10% First Response Time
9.1 ms
Worst 10% Total Response Time
14.4 ms
Worst 10% RGB Overshoot
5 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 AW2724DM doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur.

7.2
Motion
VRR Flicker
Dark Gray Flicker
1.3 RGB
Middle Gray Flicker
2.6 RGB
Light Gray Flicker
2.6 RGB

The Dell AW2724DM has a bit of VRR flicker with changing frame rates. Unlike many monitors, it's more visible in dark areas of bright scenes than in dark scenes, but it's also hard to tell. That said, having a consistent frame rate reduces the chances of experiencing this flicker.

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

The backlight remains flicker-free at all brightness levels, which helps reduce eye strain if you're sensitive to flicker.

Inputs
9.0
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
3.3 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
4.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
8.6 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
N/A

The Dell AW2724DM has low input lag for a responsive feel and doesn't significantly increase at low refresh rates either.

7.5
Inputs
Resolution
Native Resolution
2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Megapixels
3.7 MP
Pixel Density
109 PPI
7.1
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes

There aren't any compatibility issues with the PS5. With Console Mode enabled, it can downscale 4k images, which are more detailed than native 1440p. The monitor also works with HDMI Forum VRR, which is the VRR format that the console supports. As we tested it with firmware M2B102, there aren't any issues enabling VRR with HDR at 120Hz on the PS5, which was an issue that some people reported while using older firmware, as you can read more about here.

7.1
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes

There aren't any compatibility issues with the Xbox Series X|S. With Console Mode enabled, it can downscale 4k images, which allows you to enable HDR as the console only supports HDR with 4k signals.

Inputs
Inputs Photos

The power input is on the left side of the back, as you can see here.

Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
2 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
1 (HDMI 2.0)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
No HDMI 2.1
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
No
3.5mm Audio In
No
HDR10
Yes
3.5mm Microphone In
No

Although Dell advertises it as supporting HDMI 2.1, it doesn't actually support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and it's limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, as you can see here.

Inputs
USB
USB-A Ports
2
USB-A Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-B Upstream Port
Yes
USB-C Ports
0
USB-C Upstream
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Rated Speed
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Power Delivery
No USB-C Ports
USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
No USB-C Ports
Thunderbolt
No
Inputs
macOS Compatibility

The Dell AW2724DM works well with macOS using a DisplayPort to USB-C cable. You can use both VRR and HDR, and there aren't any compatibility issues. If you're using a MacBook and put the laptop to sleep or close the lid, windows return to their position when opening it again. If you enable Auto Select in the monitor's Input Source settings and put the MacBook to sleep or close the lid, the input automatically switches to another source, if there is one. However, it doesn't go back to the MacBook when you open the lid or wake it up.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
No
RGB Illumination
Controllable
Multiple Input Display
No
KVM Switch
No

The Dell AW2724DM comes with a few extra features, including:

  • AlienFX Lighting: Controls the RGB lighting on the back.
  • AlienVision: Provides different crosshairs and vision modes, including 'Night', 'Clear', and 'Chroma', to see opponents better. Your game's anti-cheat tool won't detect this, giving you a competitive advantage.
  • Console Mode: Optimizes the monitor for use with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as it downscales a 4k image.
  • Dark Stabilizer: Adjusts the gamma in dark scenes so that you see opponents better.
  • Game Enhance Mode: Settings page that includes the Frame Rate, Timer, and Display Alignment options.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)