Forgot to add timestamps as a comment, so here you are: Introduction= 0:00 Features & Aesthetics= 2:23 Contrast= 8:51 Colour reproduction= 13:45 Responsiveness (General)= 19:57 Responsiveness (Adaptive-Sync)= 27:48 Conclusion= 36:02
@@8865jb I ordered mine in May, at which time due to covid the delivery date was set for July 7th. Technically, it's already delivered to me, but I use a third party shipper to get it to where I live. So they delivered it on the 7th to my third party shipper, and now it's on its way to me but delayed again due to customs clearance and what not, but I'll have it in maybe another week or two. Excited. I've waited long enough....
@@8865jb a word of note, Dell didn't ship the monitor until literally the afternoon before the delivery date. I was getting worried but they seem to have super fast priority shipping because it arrived the next morning.
You went very in-depth and I really appreciate that, have been thinking about getting this instead of a Benq Zowie since they can’t seem to get them in stock. Think I’ll pull the trigger on this one, thanks for the quality review!
Hei! i'm so sorry to bother you with this notification but I'm on the fence of getting this or the BenQ Zowie. In my area, i'm lucky to be able to have both in Stock. I looking to compete in aFPS genre game. I know the BenQ is recommended but since both are really expensive, I think this monitor would be better for its Colour Accuracy, which would make video editing a more enjoyable experience. Thank you so much!
Some people who are super sensitive to pixel responsiveness and are purely about that would find some advantage to the newer generation 240Hz TN models (see comparison in written review with Acer XN253Q X = similar panel to BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K). Or if they like a strobe backlight setting, DyAc+ is very good for that. As I mentioned there are some response time weaknesses in places with the Dell Alienware, but I find them minor and most people would agree or not even notice them. I've recommended this Alienware to plenty of competitive gamers who are very happy with it. And it blows the BenQ ZOWIE models out the water for colour reproduction.
@@PCMonitors I would like to thank you for your advice. My alienware arrived yesterday and it is probably one of the best choice for my needs i could've made. Subbed. :D
Awesome, I'm glad you're enjoying it! As I said, plenty of competitive gamers are very happy with it so I'm glad you are as well. Do you use the 'Extreme' overdrive setting with Adaptive-Sync? Or what is your preferred setup there?
@@PCMonitors Hey, before I come to my question. The energy u put in this video is outstanding and deserves much more recognition.. thank u for that n depth review! I would like to ask what u think of the Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM in comparison. Some people say the motion blur and ghosting on the alienware take away the motion clarity and there for the asus will be much better to the point where the alienware is not competing anymore. Since I ordered the Alienware I don’t know if I should switch to the asus and send it back.
Really like the review very helpful. I do have one recommendation though. For those like me who do not have much experience with monitors could you maybe add another example monitor comparing this one when in a game? In Battlefield I have no idea what that log is supposed to look like so I'm not too sure if the monitor is far off. Otherwise great review that earned a like!
As noted at the start of the video, what you see in the video depends on many factors. It isn't an accurate representation. So you need to focus more on what I'm saying than what I'm showing. I quite clearly explain how things look vs. should look for a reason - and that's why visual comparisons would be pretty pointless in the video. If you're interested in a representative visual comparison of how shades look vs. should look then check out the colour reproduction section of the written review, which includes a very good visual from the 'DataColor SpyderCHECKR 24' system at the end - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Colour_reproduction.
Hey Adam, thank you for the review. If you don't mind, I would like to ask some questions before pulling the trigger on this monitor. - Will this monitor be suitable for console gaming as well (e.g. Switch and upcoming PS5)? - Coming from U2417H, will the colour reproduction/viewing angles be worse than this monitor? Or will it be better/vibrant? - Overall, would you recommend "relaxing evening viewing" or "test settings"? Thank you.
- The monitor would run at 60Hz on those games consoles. It's fine for a secondary use, the 60Hz performance is good. - The colour reproduction characteristics are smilar to the U2417H. - The 'Test Settings' were what we used most of the time and for testing. As noted in the written review, the 'Relaxing evening viewing' settings serve the specific purpose that their name suggets. Use in the evenings, where reduced blue light makes sense. You need to use what works for you and make your own adjustments based on your unit and preferences.
@@PCMonitors Thank you for the reply. One last question: how does VRR work with borderless windowed mode? Would it behave in the same manner as having Vsync "on"?
It would behave in the same way as it does running exclusive fullscreen. So 'G-SYNC Compatible' would work and VSync would only come into play if the frame rate exceeds the maximum refresh rate and VSync is enabled in the graphics driver (or game). At least in most games, some seem a bit temperamental. Although it has improved in more recent drivers.
Tricky to say. The XB253Q GP is actually VERY well optimized for 144Hz, but you start getting quite a bit of overshoot using that 'Normal' overdrive setting if the refresh rate drops a lot. The Alienware on the other hand offers settings (if you're using Adaptive-Sync) that work really nicely at 240Hz but also lower refresh rates. For image quality they're pretty even - basically a 144Hz and 240Hz version of the same AUO AHVA panel. I guess other things to consider would be aesthetics, which is subjective - I found both well-built.
Hi, if you have to decide between the Alienware AW2521HF and the ViewSonic XG2431 for competitive gaming, which one would you choose? Thanks, excellent review!
I've only reviewed (and recommend) one of those, but I doubt you'd be disappointed in either model. If you like to use strobe backlight technologies for gaming the XG2431 would be an excellent choice, however.
I just want to say well done on the review. The review was great. I’m very sensitive to ghosting and motion blur, when playing competitive games like siege and fortntie. Do u think this monitor would be fine?
Yes, because as highlighted in the review it performs very well. You'd only get a very minor and to most unnoticeable improvement going from this to a very fast 240Hz TN model. And that would need to be a model with the new generation TN panels, because as per the review the original 240Hz TN panels are slower than this Alienware for some transitions.
Refer to the 'Test Settings' in the written review, but as noted there individual units and preferences vary - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Calibration .
If you get this monitor and run games at a lower fps say 80-100 because you want to play at max settings, will it cause any issues such as screen tearing? I have a Ryzen 7 3700x and a RTX 2070 super and I got this monitor because it went on sale and it has basically everything you would want in a good 1080p monitor but now I"m worried that I might have issues when I play at a lower fps. Look forward to your reply and great review!
This is covered in the review. There is no tearing at any frame rate range with Adaptive-Sync enabled. The only exception is if you've got VSync disabled which will let the frame rate climb above 240fps (if it can). I think you'll really enjoy the experience it provides.
I think many manufacturers are going to stick to using the IPS panels because of how marginal the differences are in terms of responsiveness. I think it's only BenQ ZOWIE who will (stubbornly?) stick to pumping out TN models for the time being. They do still technically have a slight edge for some pixel transitions, but as noted in the review people are much more likely to notice the colour quality difference than any difference in pixel responsiveness. The TN models also have 'interlace pattern artifacts', even at high refresh rates, which this one doesn't have (covered in the written reviews).
Refer to the 'Test Settings' in the written review, but as noted there individual units and preferences vary - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Calibration.
How was the white uniformity on this monitor? I bought a Lenovo Y-25 which uses the same AUO panel and it had blotches of yellow that was noticeable on white screens. No BLB or dead pixels but the yellow stains are quite annoying.
Covered in the written review - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Contrast_and_brightness. "Not bad" in summary, but varies between individual units.
You preferred fast mode with VRR on or off. As far as i know with 240hz the image is changing every ~4.17ms. Is the fast mode within this refresh window of 4.17ms or asked differently is the fast mode fast enough to give a true 240hz gaming experience? Because with super fast or extreme mode there is a big increase in overshoot/artifacts ( Ufo in your written review) which makes these two modes unusable if you want a high refresh experience with no or almost no overshoot. Thank you 👍🏻
You can clearly see from the pursuit photographs and the detailed subjective analysis that the 'Fast' mode gives an excellent and convincing 240Hz experience. That's because the vast majority of transitions are well within the refresh rate window. If that wasn't the case you'd get clear 'powdery' trailing both in pursuit photographs and in practice for a broad range of transitions. The minor (and it needs to be stressed - minor) weaknesses in places can actually occur for transitions that are still within the refresh rate window, by the way. A pixel transition being performed within the refresh rate window is important for a good experience, but it's not the end of it. You can actually perceive some weaknesses (slight 'powdery' trailing) unless the pixel response time is around half the refresh cycle. Recommended reading - pcmonitors.info/articles/factors-affecting-pc-monitor-responsiveness/#Response_time. That's what separates the very fast (new gen panel) TN models like XN253Q X from the fast IPS models - but it's a difference that's too minor to affect the experience for most users.
Thanks for this review Pc Monitors ! As always, very informative ! I have One question, is a 240 hz monitor a problem for a 60 hz console like the Nintendo Switch, does it introduce artifacts ?
Nothing of particular concern. It just runs at 60Hz, although there are some faint 'interlace pattern artifacts' as noted in the written review (pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Interlace_pattern_artifacts ). Responsiveness for 60Hz is fine, it's well-tuned as covered in the written review..
I assume (manu san can correct if wrong) he was looking to use it as a dual-purpose monitor. With the Nintendo Switch as a secondary use. If not then you're right, this monitor is overkill and overpriced for pure console usage.
Hey Adam, just want to let you know that PS5 had recently released an update that supports 120hz mode for this monitor and many other monitors (still no VRR though). Might want to add it in the 'pros' list under recommendation page.
No plans to. There are plenty of models using this panel, the Alienware is solid and priced well in my view. The S2522HG doesn't draw me in as a reviewer, I need to prioritise reviewing models that are more distinct from ones I've already used where possible.
Fully aware, although the Alienware was $300 recently on Amazon .com (most of our audience is actually US based and regional pricing and availability varies). Pricing of the S2522HG in general is very good (including in the US) so it isn't a hard "no", but I have a very long list of models I'd like to look at and it's impossible to review them all. Some of them are much more interesting to me as a reviewer as they're more distinct from models I've already reviewed. Really depends what else is offered and if I can slot it in - and also if Dell can actually offer a sample.
I actually draw the comparison with the "older generation 240Hz TN" models in the review. That includes the AW2518HF. In short, this model is actually as responsive overall, more responsive for some transitions in fact. And the colour reproduction is far superior. It's really a much better product overall, hence the clear recommendation - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/.
No speakers - they're always covered in the written reviews. Most will find the experience similar to the EX2510 except for the higher refresh rate. If you can get both at a similar price, the Dell Alienware is more versatile. But as covered in the review you get the best out of it with VRR and a high refresh rate. Otherwise you can't use the 'Extreme' setting or even 'Ultra Fast' without a lot of overshoot. The EX2510 will give superior pixel response performance for 144Hz for example, but many will find the 'Normal' setting on the Dell Alienware pretty fast anyway.
Is it necessary only to enable adaptive sync in monitor's settings on faster and extreme mode or also in the game setting? Freesync/G-sync don't work with every game. So in games that don't support freesync/G-sync there will be a lot onverse ghosting in faster and extreme mode?
Good question. I believe Adaptive-Sync needs to be actively used and not just enabled in the OSD. But I could be wrong, it was a little while since I tested this model. If you have the monitor, you'll be able to answer that yourself as you'll either notice very clear inverse ghosting or you won't (at 240Hz) depending on the behaviour.
I recommend the Alienware - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/. To get the most out of it at very high refresh rates, though, you need to be using Adaptive-Sync so you can use the 'Extreme' setting without massive overshoot. Still works well if you just stick to the 'Fast' setting as covered in the review, but it's not really pushing it as much as you could. The ASUS is a good monitor as well and possibly better if you like to avoid using Adaptive-Sync. They're based on the same panel so there's only so much that varies between them. The build quality and overall styling of the Alienware is a large step above the ASUS in my view, but I know that might not be an important consideration. 🙂
Refer to the 'Test Settings' in the written review and calibration section more generally - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Calibration. These are suitable for all uses but just a suggestion. You need to use what works for you, they provided accurate output on our unit but you need to adjust according to your own unit and preferences.
Very open-ended question. It depends on your preferences and type of games you play, there are plenty of recommendations on the website. And this is but one of them, especially for competitive or fast-past play at high frame rates on the PC, but it will work well as a console gaming monitor in the meantime - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/.
Is the difference between the extreme and the fast mode actually noticeable? (in terms of response time, cause I read that the fast mode runs with 4ms and the extreme mode with "1ms") Edit: Im talking about playing with 240fps+ consistently
It's covered in the review in quite some detail, I'd advise watching that and/or reading the detailed analysis in the written review. 'Extreme' is only there (VRR off) so they can advertise a 1ms respone time, in practice it's the usual misleading marketing. It's an overshoot-ridden mess which is really the mean reason it is 'noticeable'.
Yes. Although in practice you're unlikely to notice much difference between that and 'Fast' even. Again, covered in the review - differences are minimal between the settings if VRR is enabled at ~240Hz.
I currently own AOC AG271QG and I am thinking about purchasing this monitor,because I play mainly FPS games and 1080p is easier to drive. Will be this Alienware upgrade or sidegrade in terms of image quality ? And also as I understand I can use one overdrive setting (fast) in whole refresh rate range without having much overshoot ?
It would be something of a sidegrade in image quality (resolution aside). The colour gamut is slightly more generous in the green region of the gamut, so you might find some shades a touch more vibrant. Your understanding is correct, you can just use the 'Fast' setting with Adaptive-Sync active for a strong performance across the refresh rate range. Without strong (or any, at high refresh rates) overshoot.
@@PCMonitors Do you have experience with MSI mag251rx ? I am deciding between Dell and MSI,which have probably slightly richer color gamut and is 8bit+FRC.Looks like Dell have very well tuned overdrive,MSI was tested by hw unboxed and tests showed that one overdrive setting is good for 60-240Hz range but at 240Hz overdrive should be set higher.
I don't, no. MSI claims 107% sRGB coverage. I'm pretty sure the same standard AUO stock backlight is used. If you look at the colour gamut coverage in our review for the Dell it looks like 107% sRGB is probably about right for it as well. Don't expect a significant difference there. I personally think Dell are a much better company to rely on if you should be unfortunate enough to need their aftersales care (i.e. warranty repairs etc.)
Just discovered your channel through this review. Just wanted to post to praise your work. I'm used to the "objectivist" approach (meaning measurements and comparative data) and used to absolutely hate "subjectivist" ones, but I see now that it's caused because most I've come across until now seem to only make an "impartial advertisement", spam manufacturers specs which I could check on a specsheet if I would choose to believe them, or just say "man this is fucking gorgeous" or "man this is bullshit" during 20 min. With your review I felt like someone who goes to a store and has a sales assistant that actually wants to fulfill my needs through his knowledgeable impressions. So, great review Sir, Liked, Subscribed, and best wishes for your channel and those alike this amount of quality.
Hello. I want to ask one thing, how good is this monitor when you use it on 144hz, how good is the input lag and the response time compared to 240hz. Also is it good to use it with g-sync (10 series gpu), I mean does it have some problems running games with g-sync, is it smooth slightly below 60 fps, because the vrr range is 48-240, but since it’s not native g-sync monitor I know it might be not ideal.
Sort comments by 'Newest First' and see my responses to HidEx. The short answer is it works well at 144Hz. And across the VRR range, as covered in the review. 'G-SYNC Compatible Mode' is well implemented on this one even with a GTX 10 Series GPU (test system used a GTX 1080 Ti). So you don't need to worry about the dips you'll get below 240Hz. The only issue really is the same as any Adaptive-Sync model, slight stuttering when the LFC boundary is crossed in either direction. This may have changed with newer drivers, but in my testing this was 80Hz for some reason with my Nvidia GPU.
What is your recommended settings for games like destiny, for this monitor? I mainly prioritize visuals that are appealing to the eye but I am keen to trying any settings.
Refer to the 'Test Settings' in the calibration section of the written review. And the section more broadly for that matter. But don't be afraid to make your own adjustments - whatever works for you and your unit. pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Calibration
You just follow the guidance in the 'Test Settings' paragraph. But as noted there you adjust according to your own preferences and unit, they're just a suggestion.
@@PCMonitors Yeah planning to build off them eventually haha no worries. I normally just try out other peoples settings and slowly find what suits me eventually
My recommendation is clear (based on price, performance and what I've reviewed) - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/gaming-monitors/. Though if you prefer very high frame rate gaming without VRR, I'd probably recommend the VG259QM. Because as explored in the review of the Alienware, you get the most out of it with VRR active in terms of pixel responsiveness (otherwise the 'Super Fast' and 'Extreme' settings are 'unusable' due to overshoot).
Which is the best fruit? They're all different, there's no "best" for everything. This one is the best overall for a comination of responsiveness and colour quality. But for immersion, detail, vibrancy and more casual gameplay the AW3420DW is very nice.
I have just recently purchased this monitor but will be using it on my PS4 until my custom built pc arrives, any settings that I should be using to get the best quality on PS4. Thanks
The 'Test Settings' in the written review (pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/ ) are worth a try. Modern games consoles are similar to modern PCs when they're fed an equivalent colour signal. You should feel free to experiment yourself with settings, there is no such thing as a set of settings that will be 'best' for all units and all preferences. So don't feel you're doing anything wrong by tweaking things to your own liking.
Hello. I’m planning on buying this monitor soon (I’ve found one for a super low price) and wanted to ask one thing. My pc specs are alright but not incredible, if lets say I’ll play some fast paced game on 144hz instead of 240hz would my response time be way worse or would it be ok. And if my average fps in game is around 140-160 can I play with 240hz and adaptive sync on to make it run stable without stutters. Thanks in advance :)
That's really the point in Adaptive-Sync. To remove stuttering from frame and refresh rate mismatches, as explored in the review. The difference between 144Hz and 240Hz is also explored - it's not as dramatic as when comparing say 60Hz to 144Hz. But it's there still. You can enjoy ~144Hz now, it's still a nice refresh rate, and look forward to the headroom for when you upgrade your PC later.
@@PCMonitors Yeah, that’s what I wanted to hear. Thanks for your review both on youtube and on website. I think I’m gonna buy it and somewhere in the future I’ll just upgrade my pc. Take care.
@@PCMonitors Forgot to ask 1 thing. Ive researched that there are 2 versions of this monitor (with A and without A in the name, A is basically the European version/with L and without it in the name, L stands for white color). I want to get the HFA version (black color for European countries) but I've found on the g-sync monitors list that the HF and HFl have 48-240hz g-sync range whilst HFLA (white color for EU) has 48-165 g-sync range. Is that true, can someone confirm it? It's quite important because I've also found a comment of a person that says playing on Extreme response time setting with G-sync on has no ghosting at all.
Per our recommendations page - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/gaming-monitors/: "This monitor is now known as the AW2521HFA in the UK and EU. The AW2521HFL(A) is the ‘Lunar Light’ version, identical to the ‘HF(A)’ but with lighter colour plastics used." The 'HFA' (or HFLA aside from colour) is exactly the same as what is reviewed here and has a 48 - 240Hz VRR range. It makes absolutely no sense that it would cap out at 165Hz under VRR and any source suggesting that is incorrect. A lazy copy and paste error from the S2721DGF perhaps.
I wouldn't specifically recommend the XG2760 anyway, the S2719DGF is a superior choice. Primarily due to its much nicer (lighter and less grainy) screen surface. We recommend both Dell models - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/. Apples and oranges though, you're comparing a 27" WQHD 165Hz TN to 23.8" Full HD 240Hz IPS model. Very different experiences there.
I'm sorry, it doesn't work like that. It's an apples to oranges comparison, one is not "better" than the other. It entirely depends on your own personal preferences. The experience both monitors provide is explored in great detail in our reviews (your question regarding 'G-SYNC' is also addressed there) so you need to spend some time going through the reviews and weighing up the pros and cons for yourself. Monitors are very subjective and it's you who needs to use it and enjoy using it, nobody else.
Can I find the settings somewhere you used to achieving the same colour balance and white point in Game X Profile settings as in Custom Profile? I am very happy with the custom one but fail to reproduce it on Game Profiles.
You can't just copy somebody else's settings, especially colour channel settings. Each individual unit is different. So you'll need to experiment yourself - it is indeed noted that the colour channel 'neutral point' is different in 'Custom Color' but the corrections needed on your unit will be completely different to ours.
No. I'm happy enough this model has no HDR capability, because any comparable model to this only offers a very basic HDR experience, if anything. The colour gamut is too restrictive and there's no local dimming, so I wouldn't consider lack of HDR support a big loss. That's why I didn't even mention HDR (or lack of) in the review, certainly not in the written review. A proper HDR experience is great, but that's not what a model with this panel's specifications will ever provide.
@@PCMonitors Thank you so much. I’ve got this model and I feel the same. I just kind of struggle for this monitor doesn’t support high HDR and 4K and switch to a high HDR monitor despite of budget and wonder its worth or not.
This is covered in detail in the review (written pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Responsiveness and video). But you should really just use the setting you, personally, prefer.
If VRR is enabled but a game is running consistently above 240fps (without vsync) would you still avoid the ghosting/overshoot with the faster response modes or would it be like running VRR off? Why do you think the performance is so different with VRR on compared to off? Thanks
It's the OSD setting status that controls the overdrive behaviour in this case. So you'd avoid the overshoot issues even if you went above 240fps and the technology deactivated.
Wow great video I’m subbing! I’m getting a pc in about a year from now. Money isn’t a problem so it is ok to use this monitor with the new consoles coming out?
You won't be able to use 240Hz until you get your PC, but you can run it up to 120Hz with the games consoles. It works well at that refresh rate as well.
So even if my FPS are outside of the freesync range it matters to overshoot if freesync is turned on or off? Or is this only true if my FPS are within the freesync range?
If your frame rate drops below the floor of operation for Adaptive-Sync LFC or a frame to refresh multiplication technology applies. So the refresh rate will be a lot higher than the frame rate (at least double), which would reduce the overshoot somewhat. If you disable Adaptive-Sync the monitor runs at 240Hz (or whatever refresh rate you select) and the overshoot behaviour doesn't change with frame rate.
The thing to do is to try 'Extreme'. If you notice bothersome overshoot (trailing that is brighter or darker than background so can stand out), perhaps switch to 'Fast' or maybe 'Super Fast' instead. You'll probably be fine with 'Extreme' with VRR at those kind of frame rates, because even at 144Hz (144fps) the overshoot is moderately high but not extreme. It will be lower than that at 180Hz+.
~24" Full HD is a common pixel density now which many are comfortable with. I'm used to screens with significantly higher pixel density, but it's comfortable for many. Whether you'll notice 'rough edges' depends on your sensitivity and viewing distance etc.
The pixel density is on the lower end of what I personally find acceptable, but so is the resolution itself. I have my own preferences, you need to decide based on your own preferences and experiences.
PC Monitors I've experienced 1440p on a 27 inch monitor and it was so crisp. This monitor is basically perfect in every way to me except the resolution/pixel density. I'm trying to decide whether it's a deal breaker as I'm not a crazy hard core gamer and I value resolution more than hz. I may just go for 1440p and 144hz.
Refer to the 'Test Settings' in the written review - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Calibration. But you need to go by your own preferences.
This model offers superior image quality and has better pixel overdrive tuning (the XG252Q has a lot more overshoot, especially as frame rates drop below 240fps as they often would on that title). Our recommendation is clear - pcmonitors.info/recommendations/.
@@PCMonitors So the AW252HF is better for rainbow six siege in motion? Is the overshoot will be problem for R6S I have 280US is it worth to pay 80US more for the AW2521HF
It certainly could be an issue, it depends on your sensitivity to overshoot. It's pretty hard to ignore on the Acer if you're sensitive to it because it's really rather strong in places below about 200fps. But you're unlikely to notice a positive difference on the Acer, the negative differences (colour richness and consistency, 'interlace pattern artifacts', gamma consistency) are all easier to spot. But it's your money and your decision. As I said, my recommendation is clear.
I got your point the Dell monitor is best overall but i don't care about the ips or the coolers all what i wanted is the best motion in rainbow six siege if the Acer have the best motion i will buy it if the dell have the best motion i will buy it So i have rtx2080 i can push 240+FPS what is better in (motion) the dell or the acer? Sorry for the prolonged
In the review (and certainly written review) the responsiveness is specifically compared to competing TN models. And that includes the XN253QX, which uses the same panel as the XF252Q but is better tuned with a G-SYNC module. It's very fast indeed and offers excellent pixel response times across a broad range of refresh rates. Yet it's also made clear that the edge even the XN253QX has over the Dell Alienware in pixel responsiveness is still slight. And something most will not notice. And with the XF252Q you've got stronger overshoot to factor in, so really the Dell is the superior option for many people regardless of colour quality.
Hey, can you help me? in my unit OSD cames with AMD FreeSync Premium ON but I dont have AMD GPU, I have RTX 2060 I put Gsync On in my Nvidea Painel Control but i dont get if i need do put this freesync off on OSD or? Now I have GSync On and Freesync On (cames on as default). This is wrong? Sorry my english I notice that, in your unit in OSD is On too, but yours is type just "FreeSync" In my unit the same option in first OSD menu is type "AMD Freesync Premium" maybe is just a different translate Thanks and I really like this video
As covered in the written review and OSD video, 'FreeSync' on the monitor simply controls Adaptive-Sync. So you need that enabled to use Nvidia's 'G-SYNC Compatible Mode' as well. I think they just renamed it in newer revisions to 'AMD FreeSync Premium' but on my early sample it wasn't specifically certified for that yet - so they didn't use that wording. It's still the same thing - controls Adaptive-Sync.
I was dying to buy this monitor before then just as I was about to purchase since it's Black Friday I did some last minute searching and found A TON of image burn-in problems, especially they are all very recent, within 2 months. So now I think i will not buy this and look at other alternatives. Kinda sux coz I really was looking forward to buying it.
On the flipside I've received plenty of posiitve feedback on this monitor, including recently. Only a minority would suffer such issues and Dell are very good at replacing such issues (it is a fault, not normal behaviour).
Some help would be nice. I just bought this and it all works fine but things just look hazy/blurry, its like it has anti aliasing on full time. Any ideas why it looks like this? If there's anything i can do? I dont wanna return it but it's a bit off for me. Any help would be nice. Thanks.
The monitor doesn't have any specific issues with clarity beyond what's expected for the pixel density. Perhaps you have unrealistic expectations of what things should look like given the pixel density of the screen.
@@PCMonitors Idk, things just don't look "clear" and i came from my 22inch monitor and that had better quality even on lower res'. Was just wondering if there's any settings that make it look more clear and the colours look a bit unnatural. Fast response tho. :D
Frankly it sounds like you have the monitor set to a non-native resolution or the signal is incorrect. Or your monitor is faulty. Perhaps you're not getting on with the anti-glare surface, but seems less likely. There's no setting to change on the monitor that would aid this.
No, it would be mentioned if I did, certainly in the written review. I observed temporary image retention when running Test UFO only, not during normal use.
No, more like an issue affecting a small number of units which a vocal minority suffers. If this was a significant issue it would be flagged by Dell due to a high return rate and they'd have to do something about it. That isn't the case.
There's no such thing as "best". Depends on what you consider "best". It's probably the best for a mixture of responsiveness, colour quality and overall aesthetics (subjective). But not so much for contrast, smooth screen surface, or price if you're on a super-tight budget.
"Panel quality" is very vague. In terms of colour consistency and viewing angle performance, this is about as good as they come. And there are no weird issues like obvious 'interlace pattern artifacts'. But some IPS models have a wider colour gamut, some a slightly smoother screen surface and some stronger static contrast. So again, depends what you're after.
@@PCMonitors Even if I went from a 1440p monitor like my Dell s2716dg Tn panel to this one with it's 1080p, but it has better colours and it's even faster than the s2716dg. An improvement that I can definitely notice.
@@PCMonitors I would love for you to be able to share with me your best control panel settings and Contrast and brightness for the best possible picture quality
No need to touch anything in the graphics driver with this one. We cover the suggested settings ('Test Settings') in the calibration section of the written review - pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Calibration. But you just need to find what works for you. Nice to see you're enjoying it on such a diverse range of titles, I agree it's a very versatile monitor.
No, which is why there isn't a dedicated HDR section in the review. Any competing model with HDR offers a very basic and to some next to useless HDR experience, though.
I'm sure what you're more interested in is the depth of the monitor, which is given in the written review - "The total depth of the monitor including stand is ~252mm (9.92 inches) with the screen sitting just under an inch from the front edge of the stand. So it’s a relatively deep design for a screen of this size, a bit of a desk depth hog although not as bad as some models." For reference though, my desk is 80cm deep.
Any comparable monitor with HDR only offers an extremely basic experience. The colour gamut isn't wide enough, there's no local dimming and the peak luminance is not wonderful by HDR standards.
@@PCMonitors Alright, thanks for your quick response. I was probably still gonna get this monitor, but I've read some articles praising how much better HDR is, so I was kinda disappointed when I noticed that this monitor doesn't have it. You seem to know alot about about tech and monitors in particular though. So I value your opinion alot. This Alienware monitor is still a beast. And offers a way more balanced experience compared to TN panels.
Don't get me wrong, a proper HDR experience is great and all. But that isn't what any competing model using this panel will offer you. And I think this is the best-rounded 240Hz model of the size and resoluton you'll find.
@@PCMonitors That's exactly why I want this monitor, I'm a very competitive gamer but I also value nice colors and having a balanced experience. I had my eyes on the Benq Zowie xl2546s with dyac at first. It's also a really nice monitor especially for super competitive high fps gaming. But is that all I'm gonna use it for? Probably not and it doesn't support G-Sync. So less future proofing for when games become more demanding. In the end this monitor is not as fast as the fastest TN panels out there but it's still very close, offers way better coloring and overall a more balanced experience. So the AW2521HF monitor is probably the best option. I had 1 question though. the AW2521HF and AW2521HF(L) are the same price in my country. Is there really a noticable difference between the two? Also on Nvidia G-Sync support list for monitors it states that for the (L) version, G-Sync driver support is upcoming? www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/products/g-sync-monitors/specs/
The only difference between the two models is the colouring of certain elements of the case. Nothing else. That's covered in the review at 2:58. Dell reports the monitor with a different code so the graphics driver won't necessarily list the HFL as officially 'G-SYNC Compatible' certified. But that doesn't make a difference to the functionality, it's just whether the driver tells you it's certified or not.
Do you have the monitor or is that an observation based on the video? As noted that does not accurately represent how things look in person. The monitor offers strong sRGB coverage with just a bit of extension beyond. It is capable of producing 'red' appropriately, but with less saturation than wider gamut models. Colour channel balance or gamma calibration on individual units could also affect this.
Should have really added in my previous reply, if you look at the gamut (pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2521hf/#Colour_reproduction ) there is extension in reddish oranges but not pure red. So that can indeed give an orange tone to some red shades. It really depends what you're used to and what you're comparing it to, because compared to a model with ~Adobe RGB coverage reds don't look orange at all. Compared to a model with ~sRGB it occurs slightly. Compared to a model with ~DCI-P3 reds will not look as strong at all.
@@PCMonitors of course mr. Simmons i agree, but sadly, this is not the only monitor that struggles with pure red color, especially IPS 24 inch models seems to be most affected, like u said there might be oversaturation in reddish oranges, but pure red suffer and since pure red color is for me mandatory, at least full sRGB saturation, i cant stand something like that and indeed most users should eventually notice that aswell, but of course u might have diffrent opinion, and BTW your datacolor chart that u use on most reviews is especially appreciated, very usefull
Why are they now making IPS panels, but to get 1ms there’s issues? Why would a competitive player want this monitor? I want to play on 1ms, isn’t fast mode 4ms?
It's clearly explained in the review (and demonstrated very clearly in the written review) that pixel response time is only one element of perceived blur and it imparts very few weaknesses with this model. This obsession with '1ms' forces manufacturers into a stupid arms race with response time specifications, but in practice it makes very little difference whether a pixel transition is '1ms' or '4ms'. The inability to achieve the specified response times for most transitions or even come close without strong overshoot applies to TN models as well, they don't consistently achieve '1ms' for all transitions and it causes a boatload of overshoot to come anywhere near that in most cases. Here are some numbers for a model with one of the fastest TN panels out there - www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/acer_nitro_xf252q.htm#detailed_response. The actual perceived blur on this model in comparison to the very fastest TN model out there is clearly demonstrated by the pursuit photographs. It's not far off, at all. And has lower overshoot to boot. This is also reflected by the subjective analysis in the review. I'd highly advise reading the relevant section of our responsiveness article - pcmonitors.info/articles/factors-affecting-pc-monitor-responsiveness/. Understand the science, don't chase meaningless figures.
PC Monitors Your response sounds like you’re coming at me, if you perceived my question as an attack, that wasn’t my intention. I’m trying to find out as much about this model as I can. I just bought the AW2518hf for my RTX2080, I hear that it’s GSYNC compatible. It’s still in the box, I’m afraid with both these monitors there’s going to be and issue while playing. The GSYNC version appears to be no longer available. I need to know if I buy 2521hf and play fast paced games like Destiny, on extreme mode, what issues will I run into? I have a pretty good setup if that makes any kind of difference.
I'd highly advise spending some time reading and watching the relevant sections of the review. Because it comprehensively addresses your (misplaced) concerns. If you want to learn as much as you can about the monitor then you've come to the right place - the details are all there, you just need to set aside a little time to absorb the content. The misleading advertising surrounding pixel response times is extremely frustrating as a reviewer. And this is amplified when users chase these figures unnecessarily, putting far too much weight on them without understanding the ins and outs. Since no LCD monitor can consistently perform '1ms' pixel transitions, without significant drawbacks (strong overshoot), it's also wrong to single this model out for that reason. Fortunately achieving 1ms pixel response times on a 240Hz sample and hold monitor is completely irrelevant, so no need to push things that far.
It's inferior to this monitor in pretty much every way, save for the lack of 'IPS glow'. As explained in the review it's one of those earlier generation 240Hz TN panels which suffers some weaknesses that are more pronounced than on this one. So why exactly would you buy it over this? Unless you have an 'IPS glow' allergy that's bad enough that you'd accept: significantly worse colour reproduction, 'interlace pattern artifacts', some noticeably weak pixel responses and lower static contrast instead. I'd suggest you try it and see how you find it. Compare what you experience to what's described in the AW2521HF and make your decision whether to return it based on that.
