Screen Size: 25 inches. The SpyderX Elite was used to assess the uniformity of lighter shades, represented by 9 equidistant white quadrants. Either way, where the frame rate drops below the floor of operation a frame to refresh multiplication technology (what AMD refers to as LFC) kicked in to keep tearing and stuttering at bay. FreeSync requires a compatible AMD GPU such as the Radeon RX 580 used in our test system. The Alienware AW2521H is available for $729 from Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Dell's online store. And this monitor put in a very respectable performance in that respect. G-Sync worked perfectly as we often hit the 360 Hz maximum, thanks to the GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card in our Alienware gaming PC. As frame rate dropped further, well below 200fps, the connected feel and perceived blur was noticeably impacted. Click Settings (cog icon towards top right) and click Graphics. The rear of the screen continues the Alienware aesthetic, with the creatively named Dark Side of the Moon shade used extensively (or Lunar Light for the HFL model). Responsiveness (Adaptive-Sync) With the Fast setting, theres just a faint hint of powdery trailing, sticking very close to the UFO and very light in appearance. Responsiveness (General) These settings seem to look the best to me. The Alienware AW2521HF sports the new aesthetic of the brand, but it doesnt go with the matte white shell of the AW2720HF. Medium orange (3), Persian pink (6) and looked slightly undersaturated in person, but they appear much less saturated and overly bright in the image compared to how they actually looked on the monitor. This resulted in a more noticeable powdery trailing with a greater effect on perceived blur. It is satin black plastic with a blended light grey Alienware logo in the centre, the same width as the stand neck. As things dipped even further, below the 48fps (48Hz) floor of operation for FreeSync, the monitor employed LFC (Low Framerate Compensation). We observed some faint vertical dynamic interlace patterns at ~60Hz and below, but these were not particularly obtrusive in our view. It still helps demonstrate some of the relative differences between the original intended sRGB shade and what the monitor outputs, however. Disabling VRR now has a more pronounced effect on pixel response behaviour, with both the Super Fast and Extreme settings introducing very obvious bright and colourful overshoot. The monitor is also listed as such on Nvidias website. There were slight weaknesses for some transitions, though these were fairly minor and arent something everyone would find bothersome. Some shades, such as cerulean (2) and lilac (8), appear somewhat undersaturated. The overall balance to the image was good and things had a rich and natural appearance. This further reinforces the idea of strong colour consistency, with large areas of individual shade. Slight deviation from preferred 2.2 gamma, without gamma settings in OSD. The environments looked in-place, with good variety and some good earthy browns and rich green shades. In the three Game modes, color saturation controls are available, but there are no gamma or grayscale adjustments. Sensitivity to such things varies, however. There are a few black printed elements as well 25 (identifying the screen size, with a bit of rounding) towards the right side and a broad Alienware logo at the left of the stand neck. 6. Colour gamut FreeSync: Yes; G Sync: No; Where possible, the monitor dynamically adjusts its refresh rate so that it matches the frame rate being outputted by the GPU. Features & Aesthetics The colour reproduction was a relative strength of this monitor and a good step up from competing models with other panel types. Is there any configurations I'm not aware of that I should turn on for the 240hz be used on games? And that was its excellent gamma consistency. The competitive advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate was irrelevant on this title, although we still noticed an edge in connected feel and perceived blur on the rare occasions frame rate got up high enough. If you activate the Frame Rate feature under Game Game Enhance Mode in the OSD, this will display the refresh rate of the display and therefore indicate the frame rate if FreeSync is active and the frame rate is within the variable refresh rate range of the display. Alienware's AW2521H not to be confused with Alienware's way-too-similarly-named Alienware AW2521HF, a cheaper 240Hz monitor mostly sets itself apart from Asus' 360Hz model in design. The high refresh rate and frame rate combination can be particularly attractive for competitive gamers, but also appreciated by fans of less competitive fast-paced action. At 240Hz, above, the UFOs again appear more sharply focused again with clearer internal detailing. At 144Hz, above, the UFO appears narrower and more sharply focused, with better internal detailing. Its something that will be more pronounced if youre sitting closer to the screen, are using a high brightness setting or have strong backlight bleed or clouding which can bring it out more noticeably. The Alienware AW2521HF covers 98% of the sRGB gamut which is sufficient for games even if its not the most vibrant weve seen in this category. 80 240fps). Somewhat yellow compared to on models with a much more generous colour gamut, but less so than models that very strictly follow the sRGB gamut. Vegetation showed appropriate variety and included some reasonably rich-looking forest greens alongside a good variety of more muted shades. The Dell Alienware AW2521HF (now designated AW2521HFA in UK and EU) aims to find a nice balance between speed and image quality, combining a 240Hz refresh rate with the superior colour quality of an IPS-type panel. Donations are also greatly appreciated. The very low signal delay of this model also aided the connected feel, but the very high frame and refresh rate combination also helped. The greyscale gradient appeared smooth without obvious banding or dithering. Black highlights indicate the highest white luminance, lowest black luminance and highest contrast ratio recorded. You can see relatively minor shifts in contrast and colour for the mixed desktop background and game scene. It includes blended grey height markers on the inside of the stand neck, from 1 to 8 with each number approximately 2cm apart. The following observations were made from a normal viewing position, eyes ~70cm from the screen. The design of the monitor is in keeping with the Alienware aesthetics of other recent additions to the series and indeed their other peripherals and systems. A DeltaE >3 represents significant deviation that most users could readily notice by eye. For a wide range of shades. Given the intended uses for monitor, inter-unit variation and decent performance following OSD tweaking alone we will not be using any ICC profiles for this review or including any measurements or graphs using them. Use the code 'SAVE350' to get $350 more off. Including both components, the bezels are ~6mm (0.24 inches) at the top and sides. But less of this behind the UFO cockpit for the medium background. There were no clear flashes of saturated red, orange or green or shifts between these with a bit of head movement. It is effective but it reduces brightness and, in most cases, prevents the use ofFreeSync or G-Sync. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"zg2cYY5zq25POHOP6IsDfN8FBZJHLm773fg_fBtMlJU-1800-0"}; Dell Alienware AW2521HF 25" (24.5" Viewable) FHD 1920 x 1080 240 Hz HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, Audio FreeSync Premium & G-Sync Compatible Flat Panel Fast IPS Monitor Pixel Pitch: 0.283 mm x 0.280 mm Display Colors: 16.78 Million It must be remembered that uniformity varies between individual units and you can also expect variation beyond the points measured. R Gain= 100% Because each frame remains on the screen while the next one is drawn, it has been termed sample and hold. Self-illuminant panels, like plasma and OLED, redraw the image hundreds of times per refresh cycle, which means there is no blur, even at frame rates as low as 60 fps. The optimal setting here depends on your own preferences in this respect. You'll need to use DisplayPort to reach 360Hz; as the HDMI ports are only capable of 240Hz at 1080p. Finally, note again that you can go to Game Enhance Mode in the Game section of the OSD to activate the Frame Rate feature. With VSync on the frame rate will not be allowed to rise above 240fps, at which point VSync activates and imposes the usual associated latency penalty. Note that individual units and preferences vary, so these settings are simply a suggestion and wont necessarily be optimal in all cases. There was slight extra yellowing at the bottom of the screen but nothing extreme. Remember, it's not just about that 360Hz refresh rate the response times are also a big improvement here, and I've used 144Hz monitors that felt much worse due to smeary motion. Disabling VRR now has a more pronounced effect on pixel response behaviour, with both the Super Fast and Extreme settings introducing very obvious bright and colourful overshoot. True 8-bit colour is supported and a 1ms grey to grey response time. . The lower 1080p resolution ensures you can push as many frames as possible to reach that super-fast refresh rate, so while it isn't ideal for desktop work, it's all your graphics card can probably handle for gaming this smooth. Overall it put in a respectable performance for the panel type and will keep a broad spectrum of gamers happy, from casual to competitive. Our article on responsiveness analyses the key factors affecting monitor responsiveness. The colour reproduction was a relative strength of this monitor and a good step up from competing models with other panel types. this is why 5800X3D is considered best gaming CPU,because avg. Alienware AW2521HFL review specs: Screen size: 25in. Dieser Artikel enthlt Informationen zu integrierten Selbsttests (BIST, auch als integrierte Diagnose oder BID bezeichnet) und Diagnosetests der Selbsttestfunktionsprfung (STFC), die auf Dell Monitoren verfgbar sind. Experience a fuller view with more space to take in all the action. Still there are some weaker IPS performers out there in that respect. The pastel shades of this movie were suitably varied and muted, whilst vibrant shades such as neon reds and greens appeared fairly eye-catching. A few values came in over 1, which is still shockingly good, and imperceptible to all but the most trained individuals. Above this dropdown list theres a toggle for Radeon Enhanced Sync. The final column includes a reference screen, the Acer XN253Q X which is a very fast 240Hz TN model with well-tuned pixel overdrive. I did find that the target white point was just slightly warm, though backing off the blue in the Custom Color preset fixed this right up. Black levels arent all that deep, so shadow areas looked more like dark gray.
Alienware 240Hz Monitor Best Settings | Alienware Aw2518hf Calibration 237fps) instead, avoiding any VSync latency penalty at frame rates near the ceiling of operation or tearing from frame rates rising above the refresh rate. Slight changes could be observed at the very edges for some shades, such as the purple of Leelas hair gaining a bit of an extra red vs. blue hue to the purple more pronounced if sitting close to the screen. The Dell Alienware supports a variable refresh rate range of 48 240Hz. As frame rate dropped further, well below 200fps, the connected feel and perceived blur was noticeably impacted. Earthy browns appeared with good neutrality a little extra richness and a slight orange-red push in places but not the sort of stronger red hue that a wider gamut would provide. This gives easy access to the ports from the front as well. Responsiveness (Adaptive-Sync) This more pronounced powdery trailing was still less pronounced than some of the weaknesses weve observed observe for similar transitions on many 240Hz TN models, including the predecessor to this model (AW2518H/HF), ViewSonic XG2530 and AOC AG251FG. Nvidias website lists a 48 240Hz VRR, which would match AMD FreeSync. The monitor was tested at 60Hz (directly below), 144Hz and 240Hz using all available Response Time settings; Fast, Super Fast and Extreme. Most users will probably wish to enable VSync when using FreeSync to ensure that they dont get any tearing.
Alienware AW2521HFL review | Rock Paper Shotgun According to Alienware, this monitor offers 99% sRGB and 75% Adobe RGB color space. Some users prefer to leave VSync enabled but use a frame rate limiter set a few frames below the maximum supported (e.g. This displays the current refresh rate of the monitor and will reflect the frame rate if its within the main variable refresh rate window (e.g. That means that if you dont care about G-Sync, its actually better to do 240 Hz with ULMB than 360 Hz. When you open up Nvidia Control Panel, you should then see Set up G-SYNC listed in the Display section. Brightness 100cd/m 2 - 18. Viewing angles For the lowest levels of perceived blur its also important that the monitor performs its pixel responses rapidly. The monitor didnt provide excellent depth and atmosphere here due to the static contrast and IPS glow limiting things in that respect. Nonetheless it is still there as the overdrive is tuned for strong 240Hz performance rather than strong <100Hz performance. ULMB is the backlight strobe feature that reduces motion blur. And the lack of tearing and stuttering was very nice indeed, if youre sensitive to such things. When we say obvious, its very subjective sensitive users can certainly notice such things and it can be very nice indeed having them gone. Some appreciate the extra saturation and strong vibrancy of a more generous gamut, but we feel a decent balance is struck here with a bit of extra saturation and good richness throughout the screen. The monitor performed well here, without clear shifts in saturation or colour tone. Full HD resolution is quite limiting in some respects, stand reasonably deep which could be an issue if you have a shallow desk (VESA mounting is an option) And not blended enough (blocky or banded) lower down due to low perceived gamma. There is a list of GPUs which support the technology here, with the expectation that future AMD GPUs will support the feature too. The following table shows this data, with blue highlights indicating the results under our Test Settings. This reflects a moderate amount of perceived blur due to eye movement and is something shared with the reference screen. Brightness= 38% (according to preferences and lighting) Any issues identified with FreeSync that were isolated to a specific title would indicate an issue with the game or GPU driver rather than the monitor as well. Buy from Amazon The AlienFX lighting system allowed some degree of customisation and some elements are visible from the front, but it was our wall who got the most enjoyment out of the light show. The contour map below shows these deviations graphically, with darker greys representing lower luminance and hence greater deviation from the brightest recorded point than lighter greys. But being able to change the power LED colour to suit your mood is a nice little touch. Buy from Amazon A DeltaE >3 represents significant deviation that most users could readily notice by eye. Alienware's AW2521H is one such display, with a 1080p resolution, 360Hz refresh rate, and G-Sync in a stylish panel for esports enthusiasts. The contrast performance was much as we were expecting. However, we saw no advantage to the AW2521H over the Asus ROG Swift PG259QN 360Hz monitor. There was no noticeable dithering. Not to the extent seen on models with a more generous colour gamut, but enough to stand out and have the intended look overall. The deviation between each quadrant and the quadrant closest to the 6500K (D65) daylight white point target was analysed and a DeltaE value assigned. With the Fast setting, theres just a faint hint of powdery trailing, sticking very close to the UFO and very light in appearance. Some isolated weaknesses such as bright markers or strongly illuminated objects against some shaded backgrounds leaving a powdery trail but as with our observations in BFV this wasnt really a major weakness. Your email address will not be published. The monitor produced most shades here quite faithfully, accounting for the natural differences related to emissive vs. non-emissive objects noted above. Its again important to note that individual unit vary when it comes to uniformity and that deviation beyond the measured points can be expected. FreeSync the technology and activating it Click Settings (cog icon towards top right) and click Graphics. Wed describe the image as rich and natural, with a richness maintained throughout the screen thanks to the strong colour-consistency. The pixel response requirements for optimal performance have increased significantly due to the significant bump up in refresh rate. This title offered suitable graphics options to test the full gamut of refresh rates supported by the monitor. The colour temperature uniformity was good. This was only observed during this test and is something weve seen on various monitors before. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor. The refresh rate was set to 240Hz in Windows, although this didnt significantly affect the values or observations on this table. It was free an obvious pink hue or saturation shifts that youd observe on models with weaker colour consistency. Every player has a different notion about the ideal . We wont be going into this in detail as its a GPU feature rather than a monitor feature. So better than some IPS-type models, weaker than others but very much as specified. Strong pixel responsiveness overall, low input lag and Adaptive-Sync working well with both our AMD and Nvidia GPU Performance on the black level test was good overall. Experience lag-free, wired-like gaming with 1000Hz polling on the 2.4GHz USB-C wireless dongle, and help maximize your mouse's . Equalizing the brightness setting showed us a 12% reduction when starting at 200 nits. The blue block appeared consistent royal blue throughout. Perceived blur (pursuit photography) Plus a bit of overextension, in the green to red region. R 18%, G 18%, B 23%. Wed describe the image as rich and natural, with a richness maintained throughout the screen thanks to the strong colour-consistency. Brightness can be raised to compensate. To configure VSync, open AMD Radeon Software. I recently bought the Alienware AW2521HF monitor, and I'm having some severe ghosting while playing games. Adaptive-Sync support is included, allowing AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidias G-SYNC Compatible Mode to be used. The monitor is also listed as such on Nvidias website. Preset Mode= Game 1 A sensitive camera and a utility called SMTT 2.0 was used assess the latency of the Dell Alienware AW2521HF. The image below shows how things look with refresh rate bumped up to 144Hz. It doesnt show strong graininess or a heavily smeared appearance, however. We made various changes to the Custom Color preset for our Test Settings. This indicates that the monitor has been specifically tested by Nvidia and passes specific quality checks. Contrast in games and movies Individual targets depend on individual uses, tastes and the lighting environment, however. Necessary recharging takes only five minutes to get ten more hours of wireless action. The bezel is visible when the powers on, but is only 7mm wide at the top and sides. This configures it globally, but if you wish to configure it for individual games click Game Graphics towards the top right. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Well therefore just focus Battlefield V for this section. Such an option does usually exist it may be called sync every frame or something along those lines rather than simply VSync. The G-Sync Processor menu accesses the Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer, which shows control lag in real time in an on-screen window. VA models have black crush centrally which masks some detail, whilst some excessive detail can be observed towards the bottom and side edges from a normal viewing position. The improvement in connected feel and reduction in perceived blur was still noticeable to us and would be to sensitive users going up from 144Hz to 240Hz. When viewing the figures in this table, note that for most PC users 6500K for white point and 2.2 for gamma are good targets to aim for. The remaining blocks were displayed appropriately with good steps up in brightness. With some more noticeable halo trailing by about 80fps (80Hz). We also observed the contrast performance of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Strong consistency due to IPS-type panel, without the perceived gamma and saturation shifts associated with TN or VA panels. Brighter elements stood out well against darker surroundings and the detail levels for most of the screen were appropriate. The monitor offers fairly comprehensive sRGB coverage (99%), with a very small amount of under-coverage. A sensitive camera and a utility called SMTT 2.0 was used assess the latency of the Dell Alienware AW2521HF. The Lagom text appeared a blended grey throughout, with a slight red hue to the striping of the text. Because it is a premium monitor, we expect top-level build quality and a long feature list. The 240Hz refresh rate also allows even division of 24fps, 30fps and 60fps which reduces juddering for such content the lack of overshoot at 240Hz worked nicely as well. This contrasted starkly with competing TN models that would show an obvious gradient of saturation vertically and VA models which show shifts from centre to bottom and sides. The numbered Game presets and Custom Color are most flexible as they allow you to adjust the colour channels and saturation levels.
Alienware AW2518HF calibration settings wanted! - Tom's Hardware Forum As usual we tested a broad range of game titles using FreeSync and found the experience similar across the board. Wed describe the image as rich and natural, with a richness maintained throughout the screen thanks to the strong colour-consistency. Its again important to note that individual unit vary when it comes to uniformity and that deviation beyond the measured points can be expected. For those who play a variety of games, some competitive and some casual, having a screen that offers a 240Hz refresh rate and good colour quality can be very attractive. Extreme in particular showed very strong and eye-catching overshoot. Its possible newer Nvidia GPUs, including their RTX series, support this expanded range or it may have just been misreported on the website. Luminance uniformity map We consider either Fast or Super Fast optimal here, both being very well-tuned and difficult to distinguish from one another in practice. Competing TN models certainly have something of a vertical detail gradient going on for dark content vertically, whilst VA models have black crush centrally and a bit of extra detail peripherally. The improvement in connected feel and reduction in perceived blur was still noticeable to us and would be to sensitive users going up from 144Hz to 240Hz. Some would prefer a wider gamut for extra vibrancy Press OK, then turn the monitor off then on again so that it re-establishes connection the technology should now be active. Turning up the Dark Stabilizer setting can help with this, though it will reduce the contrast ratio and make blacks look greyer which is rough, given that the IPS panel in this display already has a weak 1029:1 contrast ratio by my measurements. It wont work in concert with G-Sync but does make a visible difference in motion resolution. We thought there was no blur when watching BlurBusters test patterns at 360 Hz, but engaging ULMB at 240 Hz made it look even smoother. Whilst both elements are important, eye movement is usually the dominant factor on modern monitors. The display is bezel-free on three sides, but you will still see thin panel borders when the display is in use. It blooms out more noticeably from sharper viewing angles, with the hue varying depending on angle this is shown in the viewing angles video later on. The refresh rate was set to 240Hz in Windows, although this didnt significantly affect the values or observations on this table. Slight deviation from preferred 2.2 gamma, without gamma settings in OSD. Reasonable contrast, in-line with expectation, strong gamma consistency and a pleasing luminance adjustment range The image was taken far enough back to eliminate IPS glow. This indicates a low viewing angle dependency to the gamma curve of the monitor, typical for an IPS-type panel. AMD FreeSync is a variable refresh rate technology, an AMD-specific alternative to Nvidia G-SYNC. It includes blended grey height markers on the inside of the stand neck, from 1 to 8 with each number approximately 2cm apart. The stand has a robust sculpted appearance, designed to look stylish without sacrificing ergonomics; tilt (5 forwards, 21 backwards), swivel (20 left, 20 right), height (130mm or 5.12 inches) and pivot (90 clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation into portrait) adjustment is included. Where possible, the monitor dynamically adjusts its refresh rate so that it matches the frame rate being outputted by the GPU. The refresh rate was put to very good use overall; fairly strong pixel responsiveness, low input lag and no noticeable overshoot. This reflects a significant reduction in perceived blur due to eye movement. More pronounced at the left side due to the glow taking on a cool tint rather than the subtler warmer tint towards the right side. The Lagom text appeared a blended grey throughout, with a slight red hue to the striping of the text. Given the extensive analysis above, we dont much to add from Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Press OK, then turn the monitor off then on again so that it re-establishes connection the technology should now be active. Brightness 120cd/m 2 - 25. It was free from the sort of shifts in perceived gamma that can significantly mask dark detail in some regions of the screen whilst revealing too much detail elsewhere. With VRR off the Super Fast and moreover Extreme settings show strong overshoot in the form of bright halo trailing. As such shades appear much as the developers intend, with a bit of extra saturation in places and a bit of extra vibrancy for some shades. We stuck with the Fast setting for the subjective testing below. In contrast to models with G-SYNC modules, which feature variable overdrive that re-tunes things dynamically to a wide range of different refresh rates. VA models have black crush centrally which masks some detail, whilst some excessive detail can be observed towards the bottom and side edges from a normal viewing position. Dark areas with just a few point sources of light illuminating are common on this title, including dark tombs and passageways. Our recommended settings are below.