When does the refresh rate on a monitor get too high? Can you even see the past difference 240Hz? Or 144Hz? Alienware thinks we can go higher and that 500Hz is “the new speed category” for gaming monitors. Considering that other brands like Asus ROG are also launching theirs proprietary 500Hz display (opens in new tab)we expect this new ‘category of speed’ to be quite a fight in 2023.
At CES 2023, Alienware unveiled its latest gaming monitor, the AW2524H, the company’s first 500Hz gaming monitor. Technically, it’s a native 480Hz gaming monitor that can hit 500Hz overclock (via single DP). This 1080p 24.5-inch IPS gaming monitor also has a fast response time of 0.5ms GtG and 1ms in ‘Extreme Mode’. The monitor also does 240Hz through a pair of HDMI ports.
Design-wise, the AW2524H goes with a smaller hexagonal base, rather than the two protruding feet it currently uses for its monitors (opens in new tab)so it takes up less space on your desk – a welcome design choice. Alienware also ditches the RGB ring that usually resides on the monitor’s spine, instead adding a retractable headset hanger. Fair trade, if you ask me.
Other features include G-Sync support, VESA Display HDR 400, and Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer. More importantly, it has half a dozen USB ports that all gaming monitors should have.
There’s no denying that this thing is built for competitive gaming, where speed counts and nothing else. So unless you have a burning desire to play Valorant or CS: Go at the highest speed imaginable, 500Hz might be overkill for someone else. If you want size, image quality and reasonably fast rendering, check out the AW3423DW, Alienware’s beautiful curved QD-OLED display. (opens in new tab)
The Alienware AW2524H is expected to land in North America on March 31 and in China on February 8. There are no prices yet, but we assume this falls under the “not cheap” category. Between this and LG’s new OLED 240Hz monitors (opens in new tab)looks like 2023 will be an exciting year for gaming monitors looking to cross the line between speed and image quality.