alienware aw2521hf best settings for gaming

As noted earlier, AMD FreeSync makes use of Adaptive-Sync technology on a compatible monitor. Alternatively, static interlace patterns may be seen with some shades appearing as faint horizontal or vertical bands of a slightly lighter and slightly darker version of the intended shade. Above this dropdown list theres a toggle for Radeon Enhanced Sync. But far from poor. Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS), Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 3.0 x 4, 3.5mm Jack x 1, Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 21.90 x 16.58 x 9.92. We prefer stronger RGB LEDs at the rear, producing a strong glow around the monitor that can help enhance perceived contrast. There is various degrees of trailing behind the UFOs due to pixel response time weaknesses. The purple block appeared a violet shade throughout, with a bit more of a pink hue towards the bottom and extreme side edges. It was free from alternation between deeper purple and a very strong pink hue that youd see on VA and moreover VA models. A slight difference was that the floor of operation was 80Hz (80fps) on our Nvidia GPU. The Lagom text appeared a blended grey throughout, with a slight red hue to the striping of the text. An X-Rite i1Display Pro was used to measure the luminance of black and white using a range of settings. The Alienware AW2521HF offers awe-inspiring gaming performance courtesy of its 240Hz IPS panel which is extra responsive while having great color quality. Further information on supporting our work. The monitor is also listed as such on Nvidias website. No additional monitor drivers or ICC profiles were specifically loaded for the review. Date published: July 10th 2020. Candy apple red appeared with a bit of an orange-red tone due to extension in the red to green edge of the gamut. The new generation TN panels such as the Acer XN253Q X dont show any noticeable weaknesses in terms of powdery trailing and offer impressively rapid pixel responses across the board. But being able to change the power LED colour to suit your mood is a nice little touch. Achieving the same colour balance and white point we achieved here with Custom Color required more significant adjustments and came with a greater contrast hit. This feature is used regardless of VSync setting, so its only above the ceiling of operation where the VSync setting makes a difference. Rather than simply reflecting the pixel response elements. There are again varying degrees of trailing behind the object due to pixel response weaknesses. So its a relatively deep design for a screen of this size, a bit of a desk depth hog although not as bad as some models. But some users dont find such issues as noticeable and wont benefit as much from FreeSync. The stand is of high quality and offers a 5 inch height adjustment along with 20 degree swivel left and right, 5/21 degrees of tilt and a 90 degree portrait mode. More pronounced at the left side due to the glow taking on a cool tint rather than the subtler warmer tint towards the right side. Note again that this ICC profile is not used in the review. Change the settings to select which offers you see. And Variable Backlight is an effective dynamic contrast feature. Today's best Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2521H deals, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2521H: Price Comparison. Nonetheless it is still there as the overdrive is tuned for strong 240Hz performance rather than strong <100Hz performance. The default is Off, unless application specifies which means that VSync will only be active if you enable it within the game itself, if there is such an option. The Lagom text appeared a blended grey throughout, with a slight red hue to the striping of the text. In the review of the Alienware AW2518H, it says that they calibrated the monitor to offer better colors but i can`t seem to find the exact settings that they used. But at 240 fps, tearing is barely noticeable, so some users might prefer to use ULMB. The camera is mounted slightly above centre so that the image is representative of what the eye sees from an ergonomically correct viewing position. To test the performance of monitors, I run a DisplayCal verification using an X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter, alongside a few by-eye tests using Lagom's LCD test patterns. The Alienware AW2521HF is a FreeSync monitor as indicated by the F in the model name, unlike the awaited 360Hz AW2521H which is exclusive to G-Sync. The Super Fast setting just slightly reduces this, replacing it with a very small amount of overshoot. The high refresh rate and frame rate combination can be particularly attractive for competitive gamers, but also appreciated by fans of less competitive fast-paced action. This reflects a significant reduction in perceived blur due to eye movement. At 144Hz, above, the UFO appears narrower and more sharply focused, with better internal detailing. The refresh rate was put to very good use overall; fairly strong pixel responsiveness, low input lag and no noticeable overshoot. Free delivery and return on eligible orders. With the AW2521HF, you need to connect the monitor up via DisplayPort and enable FreeSync in the Game section of the OSD. There were slight weaknesses for some transitions, though these were fairly minor and arent something everyone would find bothersome. The video below shows the monitor in action. In this case, overshoot (inverse ghosting) including some colourful bright halo trailing due to aggressive pixel overdrive. Even if such dips were very slight, without FreeSync active and VSync enabled theyd cause obvious stuttering. So things didnt have a banded or blocky appearance as youd see if gamma was far too low. Theres no strobe backlight mode on this model, but they come with their own compromises that not everyone is willing to make. For the lowest levels of perceived blur its also important that the monitor performs its pixel responses rapidly. Motion is the most important performance metric for a 360Hz monitor, though, so the response time needs to be low to avoid ghosting. Dell AW2521HF Monitor Simplified Service Manual. On some monitors, particularly but not exclusively those with high refresh rates, interlace patterns can be seen during certain transitions. The monitor provided a rich and natural appearance to Battlefield V. The monitor provides comprehensive sRGB colour gamut coverage and a bit of extension beyond, but stays well short of extended colour spaces such as DCI-P3. 7. Nvidia Adaptive-Sync (G-SYNC Compatible) The monitor itself must support VESA Adaptive-Sync for at least one of its display connectors, as this is the protocol that FreeSync uses. You'll need to use DisplayPort to reach 360Hz; as the HDMI ports are only capable of 240Hz at 1080p. Following some tweaking in the OSD, things were brought more in-line with our target white point. Even if such dips were very slight, without FreeSync active and VSync enabled theyd cause obvious stuttering. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Hello Reddit, I recently bought the Alienware AW2521HF monitor, and I'm having some severe ghosting while playing games. Performance on the black level test was good overall. This figure is influenced both by the element of input lag you see (pixel responsiveness) and the element you feel (signal delay). //Alienware 240Hz Monitor Best Settings | Alienware Aw2518hf Calibration This ate away at detail and lightened dark shades up in this region, but wasnt extreme. Youll also notice G-SYNC Compatible listed under Monitor Technology in this section, as shown below. Youd therefore select either the third or fourth option in the list, shown in the image below. The experience wasnt as cinematic as on models with much stronger static contrast, particularly in a dimly lit room. Color was rich and saturated with natural hues, but shadows were still more gray than black. And twice as much when compared to 120Hz or 1.67 times as much compared to 144Hz. Any issues identified with FreeSync that were isolated to a specific title would indicate an issue with the game or GPU driver rather than the monitor as well. AMD FreeSync is a variable refresh rate technology, an AMD-specific alternative to Nvidia G-SYNC. Youd therefore select either the third or fourth option in the list, shown in the image below. The gaming modes allow changes to color saturation only and let you set different overdrive speeds depending on game type. The refresh rate was put to very good use overall; fairly strong pixel responsiveness, low input lag and no noticeable overshoot. Individual targets depend on individual uses, tastes and the lighting environment, however. But less of this behind the UFO cockpit for the medium background. This is most noticeable towards the bottom corners of the screen, from a normal viewing position. Click on the Program Settings tab and select the program you want to choose a graphics card for from the drop down list. Note that individual units and preferences vary, so these settings are simply a suggestion and wont necessarily be optimal in all cases. [CDATA[ One of the most important concepts raised in that article is perceived blur, contributed to by the movement of your eyes as you track motion on the screen as well as pixel responsiveness. The Fast setting shows a clear lack of overshoot at 240Hz and relatively low overshoot at much lower refresh rates, though, whilst still providing rapid pixel responses overall. Nvidia Adaptive-Sync (G-SYNC Compatible) The final point to note is that FreeSync only removes stuttering or juddering related to mismatches between frame rate and refresh rate. A slight difference was that the floor of operation was 80Hz (80fps) on our Nvidia GPU. Any issues identified with FreeSync that were isolated to a specific title would indicate an issue with the game or GPU driver rather than the monitor as well. Is the best gaming monitor about resolution, color saturation, contrast or speed? There was no noticeable dithering. They may appear as an interference pattern, mesh or interlaced lines which break up a given shade into a darker and lighter version of what is intended. The bottom bezel is thicker with only a sliver of visible panel border, ~16mm (0.63 inches) at thinnest point, dropping down further towards the back in a diagonal downwards slope. The display itself sports a nearly-frameless bezel apart from the bottom, with a text-only Alienware logo in the middle. The AW2521H is not an HDR or wide gamut monitor, instead hitting about 450 nits of maximum brightness and covering 92.8% of the sRGB color space. Using this method, we calculated 2.63ms (under 2/3rds of a frame at 240Hz) of input lag. Below you can see how things appear with refresh rate ramped up to 240Hz. Some models are specifically validated as G-SYNC compatible, which means they have been specifically tested by Nvidia and pass specific quality checks. For SDR gaming, we played a few hours of Tomb Raider. You should ensure the GPU driver is setup correctly to use FreeSync, so open AMD Radeon Software, click Settings (cog icon towards top right) and click on Display. Although not nearly as pronounced or obvious as stepping up from 60Hz to 144Hz (or even 120Hz). Additional testing was performed using an AMD Radeon 580 and using HDMI, although observations for this table didnt significantly vary between GPUs or inputs. You should then ensure that the first slider, Radeon FreeSync is set to Enabled as shown below. All three rows of the test are analysed (dark, medium and light background) to show a range of pixel transitions. The Dell 24.5" Alienware AW2521HF and MSI 24.5" MAG251RX monitors both have a refresh rate of 1 ms, which is excellent for gaming. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made using the below link. In the image above you can see that the monitor is validated as G-SYNC Compatible (or you could, if Nvidia Control Panel displayed the entire text instead of cutting it off). Although this wont correct uniformity issues, profiling the monitor with your own colorimeter or spectrophotometer is always advised for best results if the strongest colour accuracy is desired. We wont be going into this in detail as its a GPU feature rather than a monitor feature. Input lag sits at 2.75ms, so there is no need to worry about delays or de-synced instances during competitive play. It includes blended grey height markers on the inside of the stand neck, from 1 to 8 with each number approximately 2cm apart. Alienware 240Hz Gaming Monitor 24.5 Inch Full HD with IPS Technology One additional "pro" for the Dell S2522HG is if paired with a 60hz second monitor and set to 240hz it still enables regular idle (lowest power state on memory clocks) for the GPU. Nonetheless, we wouldnt describe the atmosphere as poor in an appropriately well-lit room either. The stronger overdrive settings are certainly worth exploring if you can consistently maintain a very high frame rate but still use Adaptive-Sync. There were no clear flashes of saturated red, orange or green or shifts between these with a bit of head movement. On the GPU driver side recent AMD drivers make activation of the technology very simple and something that usually occurs automatically. Less pronounced than youd see on TN or VA models. There were some slightly more pronounced weaknesses for a minority of pixel transitions, for example when observing white or very light objects such as in-game text against a dark and shadowy background. So things didnt have a banded or blocky appearance as youd see if gamma was far too low. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). There was slight extra yellowing at the bottom of the screen but nothing extreme. We consider either Fast or Super Fast optimal here, both being very well-tuned and difficult to distinguish from one another in practice. Silky smooth and the response . There was also a moderate amount of IPS glow, particularly towards the bottom corners of the screen. But some users dont find such issues as noticeable and wont benefit as much from FreeSync. The images below are pursuit photographs taken using the UFO Motion Test for ghosting, with the test running at its default speed of 960 pixels per second. As such shades appear much as the developers intend, with a bit of extra saturation in places and a bit of extra vibrancy for some shades. And twice as much when compared to 120Hz or 1.67 times as much compared to 144Hz. We again consider Fast or Super Fast to be optimal Fast becomes the clear winner with VRR off, though. But we appreciate some users still like to use profiles and some aspects such as gamut mapping for colour-aware applications can be useful. FreeSync requires a compatible AMD GPU such as the Radeon RX 580 used in our test system. Saiba como configurar dois monitores ou vrios monitores no Windows. Further information on supporting our work. The stronger overdrive settings are certainly worth exploring if you can consistently maintain a very high frame rate but still use Adaptive-Sync. This is the default expected by modern operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Apples MacOS. Buy from Amazon The screenshot below is for a different model, but the settings and layout of the page are the same. Features & Aesthetics Created with right-handed gamers in mind, the new Alienware Wireless Gaming Mouse (AW620M) prioritizes comfort, precision and accuracy, featuring our leading-edge sensor technology and patent-pending magnetic-force L/R keyplates. Response time is the time it takes a display to change from one color to another. It started to creep in a little bit even at the high double digit to very low triple digit frame rates. It was masked by a bit of graininess from the screen surface as well. On TN models you have things looking far too masked higher up the screen due to high perceived gamma. Lagoms viewing angle tests help explore the idea of colour consistency and viewing angle performance. As things dipped even further, below the 48fps (48Hz) floor of operation for FreeSync, the monitor employed LFC (Low Framerate Compensation). This displays the current refresh rate of the monitor and will reflect the frame rate if its within the main variable refresh rate window (e.g. It only works up to 240 Hz, but it really makes a visible improvement to motion resolution. The 240Hz Alienware 25 is a reasonably priced 25-inch 1080p gaming monitor with a fairly bright picture and extremely low input lag. Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2518H at Newegg for $798.70. Best Mouse for Apex Legends; . That said, in the Lagom tests, black levels seemed just slightly crushed at the lowest couple values. So things didnt have a banded or blocky appearance as youd see if gamma was far too low. The SpyderX Elite was used to assess the uniformity of lighter shades, represented by 9 equidistant white quadrants. Whilst its 24.5 screen with Full HD resolution doesnt deliver a staggering pixel density or the same useful desktop real-estate as some models, its a relatively easy resolution to drive at high frame rates. . Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2521H review | Tom's Guide Slight deviation from preferred 2.2 gamma, without gamma settings in OSD. The Fast setting only showed a relatively small amount of this, whilst the Super Fast and Extreme settings ramped this up. The camera, processing done and your own screen all affect the output so it doesnt accurately represent what youd see when viewing the monitor in person. The very low signal delay of this model also aided the connected feel, but the very high frame and refresh rate combination also helped. Adaptive-Sync also worked well on both our AMD and Nvidia GPU to get rid of tearing and stuttering. The ports are concealed beneath a removable plastic cover, facing downwards and include; AC power input (internal power converter), 2 USB 3.0 ports (plus upstream), 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, DP 1.2a and a 3.5mm audio line-out. As of driver version 417.71, users with Nvidia GPUs (GTX 10 series and newer) and Windows 10 can also make use of this Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology. Out of the box the monitor produced an image with a clear cool tint, but with strong consistency and pleasing shade variety. The AW2521Hs OSD is extensive and features everything needed for performance-oriented gaming. Even on this title where there are lots of high contrast transitions, with bright objects against much darker backgrounds, there was nothing that really caught the eye as a clear weakness. It still provides useful visual demonstrations and explanations which help reinforce some of the key points raised in the written piece. AMD FreeSync is a variable refresh rate technology, an AMD-specific alternative to Nvidia G-SYNC. Most pixel transitions were performed fast enough for a solid 240Hz experience, with either no additional trailing or just a little light powdery trailing in places. The improvement in connected feel and reduction in perceived blur was still noticeable to us and would be to sensitive users going up from 144Hz to 240Hz. The included stand can be removed using a hexagonal quick-release button beneath the attachment point and replaced with an alternative 100 x 100mm VESA compatible solution, if preferred. This reflects another significant reduction in perceived blur due to eye movement. Most users will probably wish to enable VSync when using FreeSync to ensure that they dont get any tearing. You can see relatively minor shifts in contrast and colour for the mixed desktop background and game scene. Nonetheless it is still there as the overdrive is tuned for strong 240Hz performance rather than strong <100Hz performance. Finally, note again that you can go to Game Enhance Mode in the Game section of the OSD to activate the Frame Rate feature. Its something that will be more pronounced if youre sitting closer to the screen, are using a high brightness setting or have strong backlight bleed or clouding which can bring it out more noticeably. Contrast Erstellen Sie eine Liste Ihrer Produkte, auf die Sie jederzeit zugreifen knnen. The perceived blur due to eye movement was also greatly reduced, much as demonstrated with the pursuit photos earlier on. The AW2521HF supports FreeSync Premium via DP 1.2a and HDMI 2.0 on compatible GPUs and systems. The screenshot below is for a different model, but the settings and layout of the page are the same. It still helps demonstrate some of the relative differences between the original intended sRGB shade and what the monitor outputs, however. Running at 360 Hz, it not only eliminates motion blur, it delivers super low input lag. The stronger overdrive settings are certainly worth exploring if you can consistently maintain a very high frame rate but still use Adaptive-Sync. Monitor. 25" Dell Alienware AW2521HF 2020 1920 x 1080 2.9ms 240Hz $ 419. AW2521HF Severe Ghosting Issue : r/Monitors - reddit.com Timestamps: This configures it globally, but if you wish to configure it for individual games click Game Graphics towards the top right. We therefore consider Fast the optimal setting at 60Hz. Dell AW2720HF Review 2023: Everything You Need To Know - DisplayNinja The 240Hz refresh rate also allows even division of 24fps, 30fps and 60fps which reduces juddering for such content the lack of overshoot at 240Hz worked nicely as well. The screen is displaying reference photographs of this printed sheet, in both the same order as printed (right side) and reverse order (left side). If you activate the Frame Rate feature under Game Game Enhance Mode in the OSD, this will display the refresh rate of the display and therefore indicate the frame rate if FreeSync is active and the frame rate is within the variable refresh rate range of the display. Given the pleasing responsiveness and colour performance, nice overall build and (subjectively speaking) styling we feel this is an excellent 240Hz Full HD model overall. Brightness 60% | Contrast 75% | Gamma 95%. Its something that will be more pronounced if youre sitting closer to the screen, are using a high brightness setting or have strong backlight bleed or clouding which can bring it out more noticeably. When you open up Nvidia Control Panel, you should then see Set up G-SYNC listed in the Display section. Depending on angle, the glow may take on a subtle cool-silver appearance or slightly warm green hue. Home; Professional Development; About Us; Contact us You need to make sure FreeSync is set to On in the Game section of the OSD. The optimal setting here depends on your own preferences in this respect. The IPS-type panel of the Dell Alienware certainly provided a key contrast advantage over VA and TN models, though. Considering video content more broadly, including streamed and heavily compressed content, there was suitable masking of compression artifacts. This resulted in a more noticeable powdery trailing with a greater effect on perceived blur. You can opt for VESA mounts, but it is not necessary and you lose the RGB lighting as well. IPS glow also came with the territory. With VRR off the Super Fast and moreover Extreme settings show strong overshoot in the form of bright halo trailing. The gamma curve is shown below for our Test Settings, with similar performance here to the factory defaults. Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor | AW2521HF. The monitor was tested at 60Hz (directly below), 144Hz and 240Hz using all available Response Time settings; Fast, Super Fast and Extreme. 237fps) instead, avoiding any VSync latency penalty at frame rates near the ceiling of operation or tearing from frame rates rising above the refresh rate. The AW2521H also includes Nvidias Reflex performance analyzer that shows real time information on screen with input lag and frame rates and is said to help reduce input latency (for more see Nvidia Reflex tested). The default is Off, unless application specifies which means that VSync will only be active if you enable it within the game itself, if there is such an option. Vibrant elements such as roaring flames and brightly painted objects looked quite rich and far from washed out, but not as eye-catching as theyd appear with a significantly increased gamut.