At a glanceExpert’s Ranking
Professionals
Stand has wide selection of ergonomic adjustment
Simple-to-use menu system
Excessive brightness, good coloration accuracy
320Hz refresh price for simply $250
Cons
Unremarkable design
Restricted distinction ratio
Solely 1080p decision
HDR is technically supported, however not nice
Our Verdict
The Alienware AW2525HM costs refresh price at nicely underneath a buck a hertz. That makes it a outstanding worth if you’d like easy, responsive PC gaming with out spending a small fortune. The catch? Its picture high quality is simply so-so.
Worth When Reviewed
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Greatest Pricing In the present day
Greatest Costs In the present day: Alienware AW2525HM
$249.99
The AW2525HM is an entry-level monitor in Alienware’s 2025 monitor lineup, although you won’t know that from a look on the specs. This 25-inch monitor has 1080p decision with a most refresh price of 320Hz, in addition to official help for each Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. Regardless of that, it retails for simply $250.
Learn on to study extra, then see our roundup of one of the best gaming screens for comparability.
Alienware AW2525HM specs and options
At its core, the Alienware AW2525HM is a standard IPS-LCD monitor like hundreds bought over the previous 20 years. It combines a 1080p IPS panel with an edge-lit LCD backlight. What units it aside, although, is the monitor’s low value and excessive refresh price. Serving up 320Hz at simply $250 is an unimaginable deal at face worth. By comparability, Amazon presently sells the older AW2523HF (a 360Hz monitor) for about $330, and even white label 320Hz screens usually promote above $250, albeit generally with 1440p decision.
Show dimension: 24.5-inch 16:9 facet ratio
Native decision: 1920×1080
Panel sort: IPS-LCD
Refresh price: 320Hz
Adaptive Sync: Sure, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Appropriate
HDR: Sure, HDR10
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-B 5Gbps upstream, 1x USB-A 5Gbps downstream, 1x USB-A 5Gbps downstream with 7.5 watts energy
Audio: None
Worth: $249.99 MSRP
You may anticipate the low value to drive some compromise, however there’s lower than you suppose. The monitor lacks USB-C, however that’s not typical for a gaming monitor at this value level, and it nonetheless has a little bit of downstream USB-A connectivity. The monitor additionally has broad Adaptive Sync help with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync formally supported.
Alienware AW2525HM design
The AW2525HM embraces the brand new feel and appear of Alienware’s screens which, in my view at the very least, is a downgrade from the corporate’s earlier efforts. The outdated retro-futuristic vibe is gone, changed by an natural, easy look that surprisingly is out there in only one coloration: navy blue.
It’s an odd selection, to make certain, however there are just a few advantages. Alienware’s new design language makes a tough pivot towards stands with a small, flat base that minimizes the monitor’s footprint on a desk.
The stand additionally offers a superb vary of ergonomic adjustment. It offers 110mm of top adjustment, 25 levels of tilt, 40 levels of swivel, and rotates 90 levels to be used in portrait mode. These options mark a distinction between the AW2525HM and even cheaper white-label screens obtainable on Amazon, most of which have a extra restricted vary of ergonomic adjustment.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The monitor additionally has a 100x100mm VESA mount to be used with third-party monitor arms and stands.
As a bonus, the monitor additionally offers a flip-out headset rack for hanging a gaming headset when it’s not in use.
Alienware AW2525HM connectivity
The Alienware AW2525HM’s connectivity is stable however anticipated for a budget- to mid-range gaming monitor. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 for a complete of three video inputs. The HDMI 2.1 ports help solely 255Hz at 1080p, which implies solely the DisplayPort can deal with the monitor’s full decision and refresh price. This isn’t unusual at this value, although some white-label screens declare increased refresh charges throughout the HDMI ports (with the caveat that the specs of such screens can show much less dependable).
USB connectivity is proscribed, however current. The AW2525HM doesn’t have USB-C, which is true for many gaming screens on this value bracket. It does present two USB-A ports, nevertheless, that are pushed by a USB-B upstream port. One of many two USB-A ports additionally offers 7.5 watts of energy for charging or powering fundamental peripherals, like a smartphone or a transportable exhausting drive. The inclusion of two USB-A ports means you should utilize the monitor as a USB hub for a wired keyboard and mouse, which is all the time useful in a gaming monitor.
Alienware AW2525HM menus, options, and audio
Alienware ships the AW2525HM with a well-known, easy-to-navigate menu system managed by a joystick centered beneath the decrease bezel (alternatively, customers can management monitor options with Alienware Command Middle, a software program software).
The menu system is a small however notable benefit over rivals. Asus does as nicely on this space, however manufacturers like Acer and Gigabyte are likely to fall a bit behind, actually because the menus are smaller and a bit more durable to learn. Displays from white-label and Amazon manufacturers (like KTC and Koouri) are likely to have menus which might be annoying to navigate. On prime of that, I’ve but to check a monitor from an Amazon model that gives a software program utility like Alienware’s Command Middle.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
With that mentioned, the AW2525HM’s function set doesn’t differ from rivals. It has gaming options, like a crosshair and a darkish stabilizer (which enhance the brightness of darkish scenes to disclose foes). There’s additionally some picture customization, together with coloration calibration for hue, achieve, and offset—however that’s solely discovered within the Customized Coloration mode. Coloration temperature and gamma adjustment is proscribed. An sRGB coloration profile is the one picture mode that targets a selected coloration gamut; no DCI-P3 or AdobeRGB mode right here.
As for audio, nicely, there isn’t something, although that’s no shock. Finances screens typically omit audio system and, when they’re included, they supply barely satisfactory audio high quality.
Nevertheless, the AW2525HM additionally omits a 3.5mm audio-out jack, which is extra uncommon. Which means you received’t be capable of pass-through audio and might want to join your audio system or headphones on to your PC. Alienware believes (appropriately, I’d guess) that the majority players at the moment are utilizing USB headsets.
The inclusion of two USB-A ports means you should utilize the monitor as a USB hub for a wired keyboard and mouse, which is all the time useful in a gaming monitor.
Alienware AW2525HM SDR picture high quality
So much rides on the Alienware AW2525HM’s SDR picture high quality. Although it does technically help HDR, SDR is clearly the main focus, each due to the monitor’s value level and since fast-paced PC titles constructed for top refresh charges have a tendency to not deal with HDR help (particularly if the sport isn’t additionally obtainable on console).
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The AW2525HM comes out swinging with a most sustained SDR brightness of 459 nits. That’s not record-setting, but it surely’s slightly excessive for a monitor priced at $250. That degree of brightness is greater than sufficient to make the monitor stand out even in a brightly lit room that lacks good mild management.
On prime of that, the monitor has a semi-gloss end that reduces glare, so brilliant mild sources have much less impression on the picture. The result’s a monitor that’s very simple to view in a variety of lighting situations.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
Sadly, although not unsurprisingly, the monitor’s glorious brightness is paired with sub-par distinction, with a measured distinction ratio of 1010:1 at 50 % of most brightness (and, in case you’re curious, this didn’t fluctuate considerably at different brightness ranges).
A distinction ratio of 1010:1 isn’t terrible for an affordable gaming monitor, but it surely’s not wonderful. The restricted distinction ratio typically leads to a picture that appears flat and lacks a convincing sense of depth. That is most noticeable in darkish scenes, because the monitor can’t correctly render darkish hues, as an alternative displaying them as a hazy, pale silver-gray. That is the dreaded “IPS glow.”
Because the graph exhibits, a greater distinction ratio might be had at this value level. Displays just like the Xiaomi G Professional, which has a Mini-LED backlight, and the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30, which has a VA show panel, can present higher distinction on a funds (although they’ll’t match the AW2525HM’s movement readability).
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The Alienware AW2525HM posts respectable coloration gamut figures. It may well show one hundred pc of sRGB, 93 % of DCI-P3, and 87 % of AdobeRGB. These are good although mid-pack figures. The AW2525HM defeats screens just like the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30, however doesn’t carry out in addition to the Gigabyte M27QA ICE or Xiaomi G Professional.
On the whole, although, the AW2525HM’s coloration gamut is an effective match for PC video games. Titles will look colourful and vibrant, notably in brilliant scenes that play higher to the monitor’s robust brightness and obscure its mediocre distinction and poor efficiency in darkish scenes.
If you wish to edit pictures, movies, or digital artwork, the AW2525HM is satisfactory for much less demanding work however received’t minimize the mustard for extra rigorous skilled use. It merely doesn’t show sufficient of DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB, which implies some colours won’t be seen on the monitor.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The Alienware AW2525HM can be mid-pack in coloration accuracy although, with that mentioned, the typical coloration error of the AW2525HM is low. It comes throughout as mid-pack solely as a result of most funds screens have managed to attain a stable degree of out-of-box coloration accuracy.
I additionally noticed respectable coloration temperature and gamma outcomes. The AW2525HM’s coloration temperature of 6500K was spot-on my goal and means the picture doesn’t seem too heat or cool. The gamma worth of two.3 is barely off my goal of two.2 and means the picture can seem a tad darker than it ought to, although I discovered that arduous to note in real-world use.
Sharpness is a draw back. 1920×1080 decision is nothing to boast about in 2025 and, on a 24.5-inch panel, it really works out to about 90 pixels per inch. A 27-inch 1440p monitor, as a degree of comparability, reaches about 110 ppi, and a 27-inch 4K monitor delivers about 163 ppi. The AW2525HM manages to keep away from an apparent aliased or pixelated look, but it surely’s noticeably softer than even a 1440p show.
The AW2525HM’s SDR picture high quality is a mixture. It takes a win in brightness and offers respectable coloration efficiency however falls brief in distinction and sharpness. All kinds of 1440p and 4K screens can be found at $250, as nicely, although not with a 320Hz refresh price. And that, actually, is the core compromise made right here: a discount in general picture high quality within the service of higher movement readability.
Alienware AW2525HM HDR picture high quality
The Alienware AW2525HM helps HDR10 enter but it surely lacks VESA DisplayHDR certification and makes no robust claims on HDR efficiency. Actually, Alienware’s advertising and marketing doesn’t seem to say HDR in any respect. I solely noticed reference to it within the monitor’s specs.
That claims every thing you could find out about HDR on the show. It’s brilliant, reaching as much as 469 nits in my checks, however that’s about it. The monitor lacks each the distinction and coloration efficiency essential to do HDR justice. HDR content material appears a bit completely different, and a bit brighter, than SDR, however not essentially higher. Personally, I wouldn’t hassle to make use of HDR on this monitor, however some house owners might choose the brighter presentation.
Alienware AW2525HM movement efficiency
There’s lots using on the Alienware AW2525HM’s movement efficiency. Luckily, it’s slightly good.
The monitor’s Quick IPS panel does the exhausting work. It has a refresh price as much as 320Hz, as beforehand talked about, and offers pixel response instances as little as 0.5 milliseconds (which is about as fast as IPS screens can handle). Video games that may obtain a body price of 320Hz look easy and crisp with blur solely apparent within the best particulars and high-contrast edges.
You could find higher movement readability, to make certain: A 360Hz OLED, for instance, will blow the AW2525HM out of the water. However for $250, this degree of movement readability is excellent. Quick-paced titles really feel amazingly tight and responsive.
I might suggest avoiding the monitor’s quickest response time modes, nevertheless. Like most IPS and VA panel screens, the AW2525HM affords a wide range of settings. The quickest can ship one of the best readability however may trigger picture artifacts resembling obvious halos round high-contrast objects. This drawback is called overshoot and is widespread amongst IPS and VA panel screens. Personally, I feel sticking to the slowest response time mode is the only option for many players.
The AW2525HM helps Adaptive Sync and has official help for each AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Appropriate. Most screens that help Adaptive Sync work with AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Appropriate (whether or not their help is listed or not), as these requirements are constructed off Adaptive Sync. Nonetheless, I’m happy to see Alienware record official help. It reduces confusion and offers players confidence the monitor will work with their video card.
Must you purchase the Alienware AW2525HM?
The Alienware AW2525HM is one more competent entry in Alienware’s 2025 monitor lineup which, like its friends, is value a glance largely due to its value. The monitor’s design isn’t outstanding, and whereas it does provide a pair USB-A ports and a variety of ergonomic adjustment, its function set is typical for a funds gaming monitor. However with a refresh price of as much as 320Hz, broad Adaptive Sync help, and a retail MSRP of simply $250, the AW2525HM is a stable decide if you’d like nice movement readability on a funds.
