Alienware launches a QD-OLED gaming monitor for $549.
Gaming OLED monitors are becoming more financially accessible.
In 2024, OLED panels solidified their status as the preferred choice for gamers, and it is expected that in 2025, more people will have access to these high-quality displays. Alienware has announced its intention to reduce the price of a QD-OLED gaming panel to $549 during the summer, through the new AW2725D monitor. This device, featuring a 27-inch size and a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440, promises to deliver the striking blacks and deep colors characteristic of OLED technology.
The design and specifications of the AW2725D are similar to the AW2725Q 4K 240Hz monitor, which was launched today at a price of $899. The novelty of the AW2725D is its $350 lower price, although its pixel density is 110 ppi compared to the 166 ppi of the 4K model. However, it's worth noting that this new monitor offers a faster refresh rate of 280Hz compared to the 240Hz of its 4K counterpart, as well as 99% DCI-P3 color coverage, Delta E<2 color accuracy, and an adjustable stand with a slightly curved design.
James Cha, Alienware's display product manager, mentioned that the new model also features the same graphite film heat sink and a burn-in protection algorithm found in the $1,199 32-inch version.
If the $549 panel doesn't seem appealing, Alienware also introduced the AW3425DW, a 34-inch curved ultrawide monitor available for $799. This option features a 240Hz panel, a fixed-rate HDMI 2.1 link that allows refresh rates above 4K60 HDR, and a USB-C port that provides 15W charging, all at a $100 lower price than its previous version.
Alienware continues to offer a three-year burn-in warranty for its QD-OLED panels, which means they will send a new monitor before the user returns the old one. Cha suggested that they might consider extending the warranty, as panel manufacturer Samsung Display has begun to offer more protections.
Additionally, Alienware is working on other monitors, including two 25-inch and 27-inch models with Fast IPS technology priced starting at $249 and $269, respectively. However, Dell cannot guarantee the exact prices of these new models just yet, as they may be affected by tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on products from China.
It is unlikely that Dell will have exclusivity on the Samsung panels used in these new monitors, so other 27-inch and 34-inch QD-OLED technology models may appear on the market at competitive prices. In fact, Samsung Electronics has recently reduced the price of its 27-inch Odyssey G61SD monitor to $549, seemingly in anticipation of new models.
