Alienware has launched a new QD-OLED monitor, and I still can't believe how cheap it is

• Alienware has launched a new 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED monitor
• The AW2726DM marks a significant change in the monitor market, making OLEDs much more affordable
• It's available for $350 / £369 / AU$699 in the UK, US, and Australia

It's been a long time coming, but OLED monitors have finally approached a stage of affordability for PC gamers and those focused on productivity — and it looks as though Alienware has spearheaded that change.

As reported by Notebookcheck, Alienware has launched a new 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED monitor, the Alienware AW2726DM, available at $350 / £369 / AU$699.

It utilizes a 0.03ms GtG response time, a 240Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium support, HDMI 2.1 support, and most importantly, a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio for perfect black levels — and it has easily entered my wishlist for a second desktop display.

Notably, the AW2726DM is lacking in brightness compared to more expensive QD-OLED models, with only 200 nits of brightness, and it's clear this is where corners have been cut to keep the price as low as possible.

However, that doesn't take away from the massive benefits the display has, as QD-OLED is popular for ensuring each scene in a movie or game has the best color and picture quality via deep black levels, and is mostly noticeable in darker scenes. The display is best used in an environment without light glaring on the screen, as it may easily spoil visuals due to the monitor's entry-level 200 nits of brightness.

The $350 OLED upgrade for your laptop - Alienware AW2726DM - YouTube

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The biggest takeaway is the $350 / £369 / AU$699 price, as this effectively makes other IPS or regular LED monitors at the same size and resolution obsolete, as the AW2726DM is now in the same price region, delivering tough competition for non-OLED displays.

It's hard to defeat an OLED panel in most cases, and while mini-LED monitors come close to delivering similar deep black levels, they can't fully compete, with their only main advantage being greater brightness.

Samsung previously made its intentions clear to make OLED more affordable, and while it has done that, Alienware's case stands out, as it has opened the floodgates for even more affordable OLED displays to enter the market.

This is simply because the price tag for the AW2726DM is the lowest I've ever seen for the display type without there being a discount. We may be looking at a future where OLED finally becomes fully mainstream in the desktop monitor market, and I couldn't be happier.

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