Dell AW2720HF Review: 1080p 240Hz IPS FreeSync Gaming Monitor

The Dell Alienware AW2720HF is a 240Hz gaming monitor intended for competitive gaming, yet it uses an IPS panel with a bit slower response time than that of the competing TN models.

However, its IPS panel also provides wider viewing angles and much better colors than any TN monitor.

You’re probably wondering:

How big is the difference in response time as opposed to the difference in image quality between these two options?

Continue reading to find out which trade-off is more suited for you.

Image Quality

The Dell AW2720HF is based on AU Optronics’ AHVA (IPS) panel with true 8-bit color depth (16.7 million colors), 178° wide viewing angles, a 350-nit peak brightness, and a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio.

It has the standard 99% sRGB color gamut, which is currently the most widespread color space for video games and web content.

As expected from an IPS panel, the colors on the Dell AW2720HF are precise, consistent, and vivid, making the image quality of competing TN models appear washed out in comparison.

Alas, the monitor’s 1080p resolution is fairly low for its 27″ sized screen as it results in a pixel per inch (PPI) ratio of 82. So, to some users, the picture might appear too pixelated.

To reduce this effect, you can simply place the monitor a bit further away from you as the pixels will be less distinguishable from one another at a further viewing distance.

Alternatively, you can apply anti-aliasing in video games, which will make the pixelated elements even sharper.

An upside to this is that 1080p is not very demanding on your CPU/GPU, allowing you to reach higher frame rates more easily.

Performance

Right off the bat, the Dell AW2720HF offers impressive performance with input lag of just ~2ms, which is invisible at 240Hz.

Now, Dell specifies a response time speed of 1ms (GtG) for the AW2720HF. In order to get that measure, you need to use the ‘Extreme’ overdrive option.

You’re not actually expected to use this option as it introduces a lot of pixel overshoot.

In other words, this overdrive setting is too aggressive for real use, Dell created it to be able to advertise ‘1ms GtG’ – but this is what all monitor manufacturers do.

Luckily, the ‘Super Fast’ overdrive option works like a charm. There isn’t any overshoot while motion blur and trailing behind fast-moving objects is effectively removed as well.

Technically, the Dell AW2720HF is a bit slower than a super-fast TN model, such as the Acer XF252Q, but that’s barely noticeable in real use.

Some black to white pixel transitions may not make it in time on the AW2720HF at 240Hz, so some amount of ghosting would be noticeable in certain scenarios.

However, this occurs only in rare cases, and it’s not something you’d likely notice unless you’re really searching for it.

There is one more overdrive option labeled as ‘Fast,’ which should be used if you’re gaming at 60FPS.

Moving on, the Dell AW2720HF 240Hz IPS monitor supports AMD FreeSync with a 48-240Hz variable refresh rate (VRR) range over both HDMI and DisplayPort.

It’s also certified by NVIDIA as G-SYNC compatible, allowing you to use FreeSync with compatible NVIDIA cards without any issues.

The official G-SYNC compatibility for the AW2720HF was added with the 441.08 drivers, so make sure you have at least that version (or newer) of the drivers installed for the best performance.

As it’s the case with all IPS monitors, some IPS glow is visible, but it’s manageable.

The backlight of the monitor is flicker-free, and there’s a low-blue light filter, so you can game for hours without worrying about headaches or eye strain.

Features

For the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu navigation, there is a joystick at the back of the monitor as well as four additional hotkeys for shortcuts while the power button is located beneath the bottom bezel.

Useful gaming features include pre-calibrated picture presets (FPS, RPG, Sports, MOBA/RTS, and three fully customizable profiles) and Dark Stabilizer, which improves visibility of objects in shadows.

Game Enhanced Mode features an on-screen timer and FPS counter, but there are no crosshairs.

Other features include the standard picture adjustment tools such as contrast, brightness, RGB, sharpness, and hue/saturation; however, there aren’t any gamma presets available.

Lastly, the monitor boasts AlienFX RGB lighting technology; LEDs are placed at the back of the monitor’s stand and logo (shining in cyan in the image below).

Design & Connectivity

The design of the monitor is quite sturdy with matte finish, matte anti-glare coating, ultra-thin bezels, and a fully ergonomic stand with up to 130mm height adjustment, -5°/21° tilt, +/- 20° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options are abundant and include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a headphones jack, an audio line-out port for external speakers, and a quad-USB 3.0 hub.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Dell AW2720HF price ranges from $350 to $450.

We highly recommend the ViewSonic XG2431 instead, which goes for ~$330. It’s based on a smaller panel, resulting in a higher pixel density and sharper details. Moreover, it has an exceptional MBR implementation for CRT-like motion clarity.

Visit our best FPS gaming monitors buyer’s guide for more information and the best deals available.

Conclusion

All in all, the Dell Alienware AW2720HF is a solid gaming monitor, but there are better alternatives at this price range.

We were pleasantly surprised by its pixel response time speed and while it’s not exactly as fast as the fastest TN models, the difference in image quality is definitely more noticeable and evident than the difference in response time which is what most (except the most hardcore) gamers will desire.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	1920×1080 (Full HD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	240Hz
Response Time	1ms (GtG)
Adaptive Sync	FreeSync (48Hz-240Hz)G-SYNC Compatible
Ports	DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other Ports	4x USB 3.0, Headphone Jack, Line-Out
Brightness	350 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	16.7 million (true 8-bit)
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)