Alienware AW2523HF Review: Blinding Speed and Instant Response
Today’s gaming consoles are very impressive. Render Ultra HD graphics at 120 frames per second using HDR and wide color gamut. However, they do not represent the ultimate level of performance. Serious esports players prioritize speed and response time above anything else, including pixel density. For competitive games, especially professional level games, a 360 Hz screen is sufficient.
There are many options for the best gaming monitors, but they are often expensive. $650 for a 25-inch FHD panel might be hard to come up with. Fortunately, Alienware has an alternative. The Alienware AW2523HF offers all the performance of a premium screen including a 360Hz IPS panel, AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync for just $450.
Alienware AW2523HF Specifications
Panel type/backlight | IPS/W-LED, edge array |
Screen size/aspect ratio | 24.5 inches / 16:9 |
Maximum resolution and refresh rate | 1920×1440 @ 360Hz |
Free Sync: 48-360Hz | |
G-Sync compatible | |
Native color depth and color gamut | 8bit/sRGB |
HDR10, Display HDR 400 | |
Response time (GTG) | 1ms |
Brightness (mfr) | 400 nits |
Contrast (mfr) | 1,000:1 |
speaker | none |
video input | 1x DisplayPort 1.4 |
2x HDMI 2.0 | |
audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
3.5mm audio output | |
USB3.2 | 1x up, 4x down |
power consumption | 21.7w, brightness @ 200 nits |
Panel dimensions WxHxD (including base) | 21.9 x 15.4-19.7 x 9.6 inches (556 x 391-500 x 244mm) |
panel thickness | 2.6 inches (66mm) |
bezel width | Top/Side: 0.2″ (6mm) |
Bottom: 0.6 inch (14mm) | |
weight | 12.2 lbs (5.6kg) |
guarantee | 3 years |
Another 360 Hz monitor in stable from Alienware is the AW2521H, reviewed here about two years ago. It costs $650 at the time of this writing for one main reason: it includes Nvidia’s Latency Analyzer. The AW2523HF I’m looking at here doesn’t have that feature. But here’s the surprise. Supports both flavors of Adaptive-Sync. This is pretty common in gaming monitors of all prices, but the AW2521H only supports his G-Sync. In my testing, I also found that cheaper screens don’t have a dimming feature that he can use to boost HDR contrast. But in everything that matters to gamers, the two monitors are the same.
Alienware AW2523HF has an IPS panel that runs at FHD resolution covering the sRGB color gamut. There are no 360 Hz displays that cover DCI-P3 yet, so it doesn’t matter. We measured over 108% sRGB volume, so there’s plenty of color here. The panel’s contrast is slightly above average, with a ratio close to 1,200:1, which is generally not bad for an IPS. HDR images aren’t impressive, but HDR10 signals are supported with three different HDR modes and VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification.
Gamers buy 360 Hz monitors for video processing similar to the performance they get from exotic sports cars. Above 300 frames per second there is no motion blur at all and Adaptive-Sync is hardly needed. Smoothness and response are on another level compared to 240 Hz screens. 144Hz? Yeah, I remember when those monitors first came out. Reviewers like me said the same thing about them. But today, 360 Hz is the pinnacle.
The AW2523HF is certified to work with FreeSync, but is not yet on Nvidia’s list. The slower cousin is certified G-Sync compatible, so I expect that will be soon.
There are many useful features for gamers such as headphone hook, USB port, enhanced display, aimpoint, timer, different image modes and more. Also, my tests have proven the colors to be accurate, so image quality isn’t an issue.
Alienware AW2523HF Assemblies and Accessories
My AW2523HF sample arrived in a large clamshell box with the usual Dell packing made from molded pulp. Everything is recyclable and there are no annoying fragile bubbles. Bases, uprights and panels can be quickly assembled without tools. The bundled cables are of above average quality and include USB, DisplayPort, and the rare Mini DisplayPort cable that works with some gaming laptops. Since the power supply is internal, it also has an IEC cord.
Product 360: Alienware AW2523HF
The AW2523HF features an ultra-thin bezel with a top and side width of just 6mm and a bottom width of 14mm. Just enough to fit the Alienware name written in thin white letters. Below that is a joystick that controls all monitor functions except power, which is handled by the illuminated button on the right.
Uprights are large, curvilinear pieces that are firmly bolted to a stable base. Attachment points and large cable holes that can almost be called tunnels are full of diamond shapes. It’s so deep. Ergonomics include -5/21-degree tilt, 40-degree swivel, 4.3-inch height adjustment, and portrait mode.
The back features an Alienware head graphic and a large ’25’ set off in polished black. A diamond shape around the attachment point hides the 100mm VESA mount and has a grille-like texture. For heat dissipation, there are a series of holes along the top edge of the panel to keep things cool.
Beneath that, there’s plenty of connectivity with one upstream USB 3.2 port and four downstream USB 3.2 ports. There are two USB ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bezel, which are very convenient. In its usual place are the remaining USB, two HDMI 2.0, one DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm audio output. No internal speakers.
OSD function
The AW2523HF’s OSD is similar to that found on most Dell and Alienware gaming screens, with a few extra features. As I said earlier, you won’t find the Nvidia Latency Analyzer, but everything else you need for performance and convenience is there.
Press the joystick to display the quick menu at the bottom and status information at the top of the screen. Scroll left or right to change brightness and contrast, color mode, dark stabilizer, and access AlienVision features. More on that later.
There are a total of 12 color modes, some specific to game types, others suitable for reading and other work tasks. The three game modes allow you to customize color and video processing options independently. Custom mode has a 2-point white balance plus sliders for Hue and Saturation. I discovered that there is a gamma control in the console mode submenu. This is typically absent on Dell gaming monitors. It can be turned on and adjusted without affecting other image parameters.
Game Enhance includes a timer and frame rate indicator. There is no aimpoint here, but there is an aimpoint in the AlienVision menu. It’s huge, about 4 inches wide. The cliché about hitting the side of the barn is hard to get over now…
The 3 levels of overdrive make little difference at any setting. Motion blur is not an issue at such high frame rates. Console mode offers gamma presets and RGB sliders for white balance. AlienVision, in addition to the aforementioned crosshairs, offers the ability to change the appearance of the large rectangle in the center of the screen. You can get a night vision look, a sharp look, or weird color effects that I don’t understand. Try them out and see if you like them.
HDR is supported in three modes: desktop (most accurate), movie, and game. The latter two add visible edge enhancement and are not recommended. With Smart HDR turned off, the AW2523HF will not switch modes when an HDR10 signal is applied. User can program his 5 shortcut keys for different functions. Additionally, you can toggle AlienVision options without going to the OSD if needed.
Alienware AW2523HF Calibration Settings
The AW2523HF needs very little adjustment. In fact, you can play with both standard mode (the default) and custom colors just fine. Both options offer visually neutral grayscales, error-free sRGB colors, and near-perfect gamma.
For my purposes, I tweaked the RGB gains (which also get the offsets) to get reference level results. My settings are below. There are no image options for HDR content other than three additional image modes, but HDR is pretty much the same.
picture mode | custom |
Brightness 200 nits | 79 |
Brightness 120 nits | 50 |
Brightness 100 nits | 38 |
Brightness 80 nits | 26 |
Brightness 50 nits | 9 (minimum 36 nits) |
contrast | 75 |
color temperature user | Gain – Red 100, Green 100, Blue 98 |
Bias – Red 50, Green 50, Blue 50 |
Gaming and Alienware AW2523HF hands-on
This has always been my favorite part of any 360 Hz monitor review. Sitting down and analyzing the response and delay video, the test is certainly impressive. BlurBusters patterns also take the next level look with no motion blur on moving UFOs or photo tests. 360 Hz is definitely better than 240 Hz. We’re paying a lot for a little more performance, but once you’ve experienced it, it doesn’t matter.
As an everyday monitor, the Alienware AW2523HF is perfect. 25 inches is a little smaller than what I’m used to, but it’s plenty of screen for most desktops and workspaces. Portrait mode can be used effectively for word processing and sheet music. Two of these monitors are great for Photoshop and video editing. I’m looking forward to the day we see 360Hz wide color gamut panels. However, the extra bit of sRGB volume here has a positive impact on color saturation. While not in VA territory, the AW2523HF outperforms most other IPS panels, with larger dimensions and deeper blacks.
If there’s one thing I can say about 360Hz gaming monitors, it’s that it’s hard to stop playing. The movement is so smooth and perfect that it’s addictive. No other monitor offers an experience like this. I turned on the frame indicator on the AW2523HF to monitor the rate and saw about 300 fps during playback. Doom Eternal. HDR didn’t seem to degrade performance, but numbers were always hard to see.
My gaming skills are decidedly average, but I felt like a king when mowing down monsters and zombies. And I found that stopping my turn and shooting was very accurate. A circle strafing movement is much easier when the panning image is in focus. You can control the position much finer than with a 240 Hz monitor.
Comparing HDR and SDR showed a visible difference.The contrast was almost the same, but the HDR version Doom Eternal It was dark overall. Cave crawling was a little sketchy, as some darker areas lacked detail. HDR/SDR selection depends on game content. If you want to ensure the most detail in all situations, SDR is the way to go.
AlienVision is an interesting feature. A huge aiming point did not help at all. It can’t be overlooked, but its large size was a distraction in fast-paced combat. Other settings that let you change the window’s appearance in the middle of the screen weren’t of obvious benefit to me. Perhaps in a sniper game you can line up shots using the Clear setting which sharpens the image of the square. However, sometimes zoom mode can be a more convenient option.
As a gaming monitor, the AW2523HF delivers the features it was designed for, blazing fast frame rates, smooth motion and low input lag. An addictive display that will make you forget the time.
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