I’ll admit that I almost yawned at the thought of the Alienware AW2726DM, as I figured it was yet another 27-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor. Technically, that’s true, but this screen’s superpowers aren’t in its commendable panel specs, and it certainly won’t woe you with additional fancy features. No, instead, Dell has created a display that delivers what a thousand bucks used to get you for under $400, and that is frankly incredible.

I’d even go as far as to say that the Alienware AW2726DM puts plenty of the best gaming monitor contenders out of the race based on price alone. Other brands have been working on building a kingdom of sub-$500 before now, but I’m used to seeing options by lesser-known brands like KTC use the same WOLED panel that was high-end in 2023 to only just hit that bracket.

Effectively, the gaming monitor landscape is a completely different place three years later. Now, unless you’re gunning for absurd refresh rates, you can easily find a 27-inch 1440p panel with 240Hz capabilities infused with Quantum Dot OLED abilities, and while the Alienware AW2726DM cuts back on extras to make a $349.99 price tag happen, that hardly matters in the face of ridiculous value-embued vibrant visuals.

I want to note right away that upon taking the AW2726DM out of its cardboard prison, it admittedly felt like I was unboxing an Alienware screen from a few years ago. Everything from the fact that you have to screw the pedestal stand to the back ( the last reviewer to use this sample misplaced the VESA screws, so I had to use my spares) to the minimalist square base that doesn’t quite feel like a style choice stood out.

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