Alienware AW2518HF: Review
In the world that is computer monitors, there are so many options. Options ranging from screen size to refresh rate, display technology, and aesthetics. It can be quite stressful shopping for your next monitor. Today I’m going to walk you through my experience with the Alienware AW2518HF and tell you why I think it is a great choice.
The first thing that attracted me to this monitor was it’s refresh rate of 240hz (hertz). For those of you unfamiliar with what that means, every monitor (or screen for that matter) has a refresh rate, denoting how many times per second the pixels check for new information. In the case of the Alienware, it refreshes 240 times every second compared to the industry standard of 60hz. This allows the user to theoretically see 240 frames per second whereas the office worker next to you is probably only viewing 60 frames per second. Why is this important? Gaming. In the gaming community, it is paramount that the player receives as much information as possible, as fast as possible, to make split-second decisions. At a full 1920 x 1080 resolution, this monitor will look slightly shaper due to its slightly smaller size compared to its 27-inch counterpart. You can achieve these settings with either an HDMI or DisplayPort cable. Alienware is able to achieve such a high refresh rate because they use a technology called a TN.
TN stands for twisted nematic. In short, this means there are filters in the display that make off-axis viewing unpleasurable. Unlike your phone screen, you can’t look at a TN panel at any other angle besides straight on without experiencing some discoloration. Considering all this, gamers will still use a TN panel because of its fast refresh times, low response times, and cheaper price compared to other displays.
There are two versions of this monitor, the AW2518HF and AW2518H. What’s the difference? The “F”. The “F” stands for Freesync. This monitor comes equipped with Freesync technology which is a technology used by AMD GPUs to eliminate screen tearing and stutter. Don’t have an AMD GPU? Nvidia has you covered with their relatively new technology called, “Adaptive-Sync”. Adaptive-Sync allows Nvidia GPUs to be used with Freesync panels. This is important because normally if you wanted to eliminate screen tearing with an Nvidia GPU, you would have to invest in a monitor with G-Sync technology which is much more expensive. Now Nvidia GPU users can enjoy Adaptive-Sync no matter what monitor they choose to use.
In summary, this monitor provides a stunning look, full high definition resolution, low response time, all at blistering-fast refresh rate speeds. In my opinion, the AW2518HF is stunning to look at. It follows Alienware’s design language of “alien-like” and futuristic which will make this monitor stand out on any desk. If you are someone who plays games competitively or casually, you will notice a stark difference when switching from your bog-standard 60hz monitor, that is, if you have the computing horsepower to reach the elusive 240 fps.
