Alienware 27 AW2725Q QD-OLED review

The new Alienware 27 AW2725Q QD-OLED is not the first 27-inch 4K OLED we've reviewed. That singular honour goes to the MSI MPG 272URX. Surprisingly for Alienware, however, which tends to plump for premium pricing, the AW2725Q undercuts that MSI panel by fully $200, coming in at $899. Yup, that's right, an Alienware that's cheaper than the competition. Weird, eh?

Okay, that's still not exactly throw-away money. But it's a solid saving given you're getting exactly the same Samsung-sourced 27-inch QD-OLED panel with a full 4K resolution, 240 Hz refresh and 0.03 ms claimed response times. Why wouldn't you go with this Alienware?

Well, one reason is that the MSI has a USB-C input with 98 W of power delivery for single-cable connectivity. Admittedly, that's not a high priority for gaming, not least because 98 W isn't enough to keep a high-performance gaming laptop juiced. But it is a pity for all-round and long term usability.

The other obvious spec shortcoming, on paper at least, is the AW2725Q's DisplayPort 1.4 interface as opposed to DisplayPort 2.1 with UHBR 20, which the MSI notably offers. The latter allows 4K at 240 Hz without Display Stream Compression (DSC). The Alienware's DP 1.4 interface and its HDMI 2.1 ports all need to run DSC to hit 240 Hz.

The thing is, DSC is visually lossless and adds virtually no latency, so the higher-bandwidth interface is a theoretical advantage in this context. It really doesn't matter. Specs-wise, then, you're not losing much in return for the $200 discount.

As for design, the Alienware 27 AW2725Q QD-OLED debuts the brand's new design language, dubbed "AW30". Said to be inspired by extraterrestrial phenomena and the Aurora Borealis, it ditches the black and white plastics used for previous Alienware monitors for a new hue known as "Interstellar Indigo".

It's a largely uniform dark blue infused with a hint of metallic fleck. Make of that what you will, but the curved, organic shapes of the rear of the chassis and also the stand and base are definitely a departure for Alienware and give it a slightly dated '90s vibe. Overall, the only obvious holdover from earlier Alienware monitors is the brand's signature RGB-lit alien head logo.

Getting back to that 27-inch 4K QD-OLED panel, as we discussed with the MSI MPG 272URX, the nomenclature around Samsung's QD-OLED tech has become a little confused. But this is Samsung's very latest OLED panel, whether you want to call it 4th Gen or five-layer tandem OLED.

Either way, it's as good as Samsung does and brand new for 2025. In larger TV panels and indeed in 27-inch 1440p monitors, the five-layer tandem OLED tech delivers a significant brightness boost.

However, for this 27-inch 4K implementation, apparently the higher pixel density of 4K crammed into a 27 inch panel as opposed to the 32 inches of previous 4K OLEDs, like Alienware's own 32 AW3225QF, puts a cap on brightness. Long story short, this new 27-inch 4K OLED tech ends up with identical 250 nit full screen and 1,000 nit peak HDR in a 3% window ratings as pretty much all previous QD-OLED monitors.

Other aspects that haven't changed with this new panel tech include the internal reflectivity of the panel itself and the pixel substructure. The former means that the slightly purple-grey tint of the panel in strong ambient light that's been characteristic of QD-OLED tech remains. In really bright ambient conditions, it does compromise perceived contrast a little.

The subpixel structure, meanwhile, is likewise still triangular as opposed to a conventional trio of vertical stripes—red, then green, then blue—that's known as RGB and is used by most LCD monitors.

In some previous QD-OLEDs, that created issues with font rendering and visual sharpness. With 32-inch QD-OLEDs those foibles were mostly put to bed. With this even higher density 27-inch 4K tech, fuzzy fonts can be classed as a solved problem. Tech sharpness and overall image clarity is just fab.

But what about the rest of the image performance? Well, just like the MSI MPG 272URX and the Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM, it's mostly fabulous. Seeing all the usual benefits of QD-OLED, including perfect per-pixel lighting, virtually infinite viewing angles and outrageously fast pixel response combined with 166 DPI pixel density is certainly a sight to behold.

The caveat to that would be that the 140 DPI density of 32-inch 4K panels barely looks any different in terms of image detail and sharpness. But you will notice the larger, more immersive and cinematic overall vibe of the 32-inch panel. In fact, you very much could argue that 4K is overkill for gaming on a 27-inch monitor.

That said, the performance of this monitor is generally excellent. HDR visuals in particular absolutely pop, in part thanks to the glossy screen coating. Once you've seen, say, the precision of a bright neon light being rendered on a dark background with eye-popping contrast, you won't want to go back to LCD.

Frankly, no LCD comes close when it comes to contrast and lighting precision, and that includes panels with full-array dimming. With this panel tech, you get perfect sharp edges between bright and dark objects. There's no bleed, no halos, no dimming zones popping on and off. And of course, you've got 240 Hz for low latency combined with the aforementioned super-zippy pixel response all combining to make for a seriously quick display.

If you're looking for shortcomings, well, the full-screen brightness still isn't absolutely stellar. That means that brighter outdoor games scenes can lack just a little punch and vibrancy. It's when rendering game vistas with mixed bright and dark elements that this monitor really delivers. It's stunning.

One word to the wise on brightness. You'll get better full-screen brightness in HDR mode than SDR, even for SDR content, albeit with a touch of ABL or Automatic Brightness Limiter variability. SDR content in HDR mode is pretty well calibrated, so my personal tendency would be to run this panel in HDR mode all the time to ensure maximum SDR punch.

Another relative weakness is the slightly warm overall colour balance. Generally, it's well calibrated, though if you favour sRGB or DCI-P3 by default you'll find those presets are particularly well buried in the OSD. It's the kind of very slight quirk which you quickly forget, but for the record that signature QD-OLED warmth is definitely visible.

All of which means our third taste of Samsung's new 27-inch 4K QD-OLED tech is awfully similar to our first. The increased pixel density is certainly nice. But the real-world benefits for gaming over a 32-inch 4K alternative are slim to none. And given you can get 32-inch 4K OLEDs for similar money, that would be our clear preference.

Still, if you do favour 27 inches, perhaps because desk space is tight or you are particularly sensitive to or just a really big fan of maximising pixel density, well, this Alienware is every bit as good as the more expensive MSI, just $200 cheaper. That leaves you with the conundrum of whether a USB-C input with power delivery is worth $200. And that, ultimately, is your call.