Alienware AW2525HM evaluate: A 320Hz monitor for $250! Wait, what?

Finest Costs Right now: Alienware AW2525HM

$249.99

The AW2525HM is an entry-level monitor in Alienware’s 2025 monitor lineup, although you may not know that from a look on the specs. This 25-inch monitor has 1080p decision with a most refresh fee of 320Hz, in addition to official assist for each Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. Regardless of that, it retails for simply $250.

Learn on to study extra, then see our roundup of the most effective gaming displays for comparability.

Alienware AW2525HM specs and options

At its core, the Alienware AW2525HM is a conventional IPS-LCD monitor like 1000’s bought over the previous 20 years. It combines a 1080p IPS panel with an edge-lit LCD backlight. What units it aside, although, is the monitor’s low value and excessive refresh fee. Serving up 320Hz at simply $250 is an unbelievable deal at face worth. By comparability, Amazon presently sells the older AW2523HF (a 360Hz monitor) for about $330, and even white label 320Hz displays usually promote above $250, albeit generally with 1440p decision.

• Show dimension: 24.5-inch 16:9 facet ratio
• Native decision: 1920×1080
• Panel kind: IPS-LCD
• Refresh fee: 320Hz
• Adaptive Sync: Sure, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Suitable
• HDR: Sure, HDR10
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-B 5Gbps upstream, 1x USB-A 5Gbps downstream, 1x USB-A 5Gbps downstream with 7.5 watts energy
• Audio: None
• Worth: $249.99 MSRP

You would possibly anticipate the low value to drive some compromise, however there’s lower than you suppose. The monitor lacks USB-C, however that’s not typical for a gaming monitor at this value level, and it nonetheless has a little bit of downstream USB-A connectivity. The monitor additionally has broad Adaptive Sync assist with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync formally supported.

Alienware AW2525HM design

The AW2525HM embraces the brand new appear and feel of Alienware’s displays which, in my view not less than, is a downgrade from the corporate’s earlier efforts. The outdated retro-futuristic vibe is gone, changed by an natural, easy look that unusually is offered in only one colour: navy blue.

It’s an odd selection, to make sure, however there are a couple of advantages. Alienware’s new design language makes a tough pivot towards stands with a small, flat base that minimizes the monitor’s footprint on a desk.

The stand additionally offers a very good vary of ergonomic adjustment. It offers 110mm of peak adjustment, 25 levels of tilt, 40 levels of swivel, and rotates 90 levels to be used in portrait mode. These options mark a distinction between the AW2525HM and even inexpensive white-label displays accessible on Amazon, most of which have a extra restricted vary of ergonomic adjustment.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The monitor additionally has a 100x100mm VESA mount to be used with third-party monitor arms and stands.

As a bonus, the monitor additionally offers a flip-out headset rack for hanging a gaming headset when it’s not in use.

Alienware AW2525HM connectivity

The Alienware AW2525HM’s connectivity is strong however anticipated for a budget- to mid-range gaming monitor. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 for a complete of three video inputs. The HDMI 2.1 ports assist solely 255Hz at 1080p, which implies solely the DisplayPort can deal with the monitor’s full decision and refresh fee. This isn’t unusual at this value, although some white-label displays declare increased refresh charges throughout the HDMI ports (with the caveat that the specs of such displays can show much less dependable).

USB connectivity is proscribed, however current. The AW2525HM doesn’t have USB-C, which is true for many gaming displays on this value bracket. It does present two USB-A ports, nevertheless, that are pushed by a USB-B upstream port. One of many two USB-A ports additionally offers 7.5 watts of energy for charging or powering fundamental peripherals, like a smartphone or a conveyable arduous drive. The inclusion of two USB-A ports means you should use the monitor as a USB hub for a wired keyboard and mouse, which is all the time useful in a gaming monitor.

Alienware AW2525HM menus, options, and audio

Alienware ships the AW2525HM with a well-recognized, easy-to-navigate menu system managed by a joystick centered beneath the decrease bezel (alternatively, customers can management monitor options with Alienware Command Middle, a software program software).

The menu system is a small however notable benefit over rivals. Asus does as properly on this space, however manufacturers like Acer and Gigabyte are inclined to fall a bit behind, actually because the menus are smaller and a bit tougher to learn. Screens from white-label and Amazon manufacturers (like KTC and Koouri) are inclined to have menus which might be annoying to navigate. On prime of that, I’ve but to check a monitor from an Amazon model that gives a software program utility like Alienware’s Command Middle.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

With that mentioned, the AW2525HM’s characteristic set doesn’t differ from rivals. It has gaming options, like a crosshair and a darkish stabilizer (which enhance the brightness of darkish scenes to disclose foes). There’s additionally some picture customization, together with colour calibration for hue, achieve, and offset—however that’s solely discovered within the Customized Colour mode. Colour temperature and gamma adjustment is proscribed. An sRGB colour profile is the one picture mode that targets a particular colour gamut; no DCI-P3 or AdobeRGB mode right here.

As for audio, properly, there isn’t something, although that’s no shock. Funds displays usually omit audio system and, when they’re included, they supply barely satisfactory audio high quality.

Nevertheless, the AW2525HM additionally omits a 3.5mm audio-out jack, which is extra uncommon. Meaning you received’t be capable of pass-through audio and might want to join your audio system or headphones on to your PC. Alienware believes (accurately, I’d guess) that the majority players at the moment are utilizing USB headsets.

Alienware AW2525HM SDR picture high quality

Loads rides on the Alienware AW2525HM’s SDR picture high quality. Although it does technically assist HDR, SDR is clearly the main focus, each due to the monitor’s value level and since fast-paced PC titles constructed for prime refresh charges have a tendency to not deal with HDR assist (particularly if the sport isn’t additionally accessible on console).

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The AW2525HM comes out swinging with a most sustained SDR brightness of 459 nits. That’s not record-setting, nevertheless it’s relatively excessive for a monitor priced at $250. That stage of brightness is greater than sufficient to make the monitor stand out even in a brightly lit room that lacks good gentle management.

On prime of that, the monitor has a semi-gloss end that reduces glare, so vivid gentle sources have much less affect on the picture. The result’s a monitor that’s very straightforward to view in a variety of lighting circumstances.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Sadly, although not unsurprisingly, the monitor’s wonderful brightness is paired with sub-par distinction, with a measured distinction ratio of 1010:1 at 50 % of most brightness (and, in case you’re curious, this didn’t fluctuate considerably at different brightness ranges).

A distinction ratio of 1010:1 isn’t terrible for an affordable gaming monitor, nevertheless it’s not wonderful. The restricted distinction ratio usually ends in a picture that appears flat and lacks a convincing sense of depth. That is most noticeable in darkish scenes, because the monitor can’t correctly render darkish hues, as a substitute displaying them as a hazy, pale silver-gray. That is the dreaded “IPS glow.”

Because the graph exhibits, a greater distinction ratio may be had at this value level. Screens just like the Xiaomi G Professional, which has a Mini-LED backlight, and the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30, which has a VA show panel, can present higher distinction on a price range (although they’ll’t match the AW2525HM’s movement readability).

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The Alienware AW2525HM posts respectable colour gamut figures. It may possibly show one hundred pc of sRGB, 93 % of DCI-P3, and 87 % of AdobeRGB. These are good although mid-pack figures. The AW2525HM defeats displays just like the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30, however doesn’t carry out in addition to the Gigabyte M27QA ICE or Xiaomi G Professional.

Typically, although, the AW2525HM’s colour gamut is an efficient match for PC video games. Titles will look colourful and vibrant, notably in vivid scenes that play higher to the monitor’s sturdy brightness and obscure its mediocre distinction and poor efficiency in darkish scenes.

If you wish to edit pictures, movies, or digital artwork, the AW2525HM is satisfactory for much less demanding work however received’t reduce the mustard for extra rigorous skilled use. It merely doesn’t show sufficient of DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB, which implies some colours is not going to be seen on the monitor.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The Alienware AW2525HM can be mid-pack in colour accuracy although, with that mentioned, the common colour error of the AW2525HM is low. It comes throughout as mid-pack solely as a result of most price range displays have managed to attain a strong stage of out-of-box colour accuracy.

I additionally noticed respectable colour temperature and gamma outcomes. The AW2525HM’s colour temperature of 6500K was spot-on my goal and means the picture doesn’t seem too heat or cool. The gamma worth of two.3 is barely off my goal of two.2 and means the picture can seem a tad darker than it ought to, although I discovered that onerous to note in real-world use.

Sharpness is a draw back. 1920×1080 decision is nothing to boast about in 2025 and, on a 24.5-inch panel, it really works out to about 90 pixels per inch. A 27-inch 1440p monitor, as a degree of comparability, reaches about 110 ppi, and a 27-inch 4K monitor delivers about 163 ppi. The AW2525HM manages to keep away from an apparent aliased or pixelated look, nevertheless it’s noticeably softer than even a 1440p show.

The AW2525HM’s SDR picture high quality is a mixture. It takes a win in brightness and offers respectable colour efficiency however falls quick in distinction and sharpness. All kinds of 1440p and 4K displays can be found at $250, as properly, although not with a 320Hz refresh fee. And that, actually, is the core compromise made right here: a discount in total picture high quality within the service of higher movement readability.

Alienware AW2525HM HDR picture high quality

The Alienware AW2525HM helps HDR10 enter nevertheless it lacks VESA DisplayHDR certification and makes no sturdy claims on HDR efficiency. Actually, Alienware’s advertising and marketing doesn’t seem to say HDR in any respect. I solely noticed reference to it within the monitor’s specs.

That claims every little thing it’s good to find out about HDR on the show. It’s vivid, reaching as much as 469 nits in my exams, however that’s about it. The monitor lacks each the distinction and colour efficiency essential to do HDR justice. HDR content material appears a bit totally different, and a bit brighter, than SDR, however not essentially higher. Personally, I wouldn’t trouble to make use of HDR on this monitor, however some homeowners might choose the brighter presentation.

Alienware AW2525HM movement efficiency

There’s so much driving on the Alienware AW2525HM’s movement efficiency. Luckily, it’s relatively good.

The monitor’s Quick IPS panel does the arduous work. It has a refresh fee as much as 320Hz, as beforehand talked about, and offers pixel response occasions as little as 0.5 milliseconds (which is about as fast as IPS displays can handle). Video games that may obtain a body fee of 320Hz look easy and crisp with blur solely apparent within the most interesting particulars and high-contrast edges.

You’ll find higher movement readability, to make sure: A 360Hz OLED, for instance, will blow the AW2525HM out of the water. However for $250, this stage of movement readability is excellent. Quick-paced titles really feel amazingly tight and responsive.

I might advocate avoiding the monitor’s quickest response time modes, nevertheless. Like most IPS and VA panel displays, the AW2525HM affords a wide range of settings. The quickest can ship the most effective readability however also can trigger picture artifacts corresponding to obvious halos round high-contrast objects. This downside is called overshoot and is frequent amongst IPS and VA panel displays. Personally, I believe sticking to the slowest response time mode is the only option for many players.

The AW2525HM helps Adaptive Sync and has official assist for each AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Suitable. Most displays that assist Adaptive Sync work with AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Suitable (whether or not their assist is listed or not), as these requirements are constructed off Adaptive Sync. Nonetheless, I’m happy to see Alienware record official assist. It reduces confusion and offers players confidence the monitor will work with their video card.

Must you purchase the Alienware AW2525HM?

The Alienware AW2525HM is yet one more competent entry in Alienware’s 2025 monitor lineup which, like its friends, is value a glance principally due to its value. The monitor’s design isn’t exceptional, and whereas it does provide a pair USB-A ports and a variety of ergonomic adjustment, its characteristic set is typical for a price range gaming monitor. However with a refresh fee of as much as 320Hz, broad Adaptive Sync assist, and a retail MSRP of simply $250, the AW2525HM is a strong choose if you need nice movement readability on a price range.