Monitor refresh rates soar ever-higher with each passing year but the cost of panels that support them continues to tumble into more affordable territory. Take Alienware AW2524HF, a screen that’s smooth to the tune of 500Hz and yet comes at a cost that’s anything but sky-high. It’s an excellent choice for any competitive gamer and can now be yours at its lowest ever price.
Alienware AW2524HF
“Launch into lightspeed gameplay with a 500Hz refresh rate that keeps up with even the most intense gaming experiences, so you never miss a thing.” – Alienware
You’ll find AW2524HF on Amazon US with a 16% ($70) discount, bringing its asking price down to a wonderfully-low $379.99. Less than a year ago, this monitor commanded a cost of $650 and has averaged around the $570 in its lifetime. It’s safe to say that there’s never been a better time to buy it.
The main attraction of AW2524HF is its 500Hz refresh rate, which comes part and parcel with its 24.5in FHD IPS panel. Speaking from experience, the motion clarity offered by such a high frame rate genuinely must be seen, or rather experienced, to be believed. You’ll be able to pick out targets more clearly for your flick shots in CS2 and better distinguish friends from foes in busy, fast-paced team fights in League of Legends, and both scenarios will feel smoother too.
You will need powerful hardware to achieve frame rates that make the most out of AW252HF’s refresh rate, but the monitor also offers 0.5-1.0ms response times and low input lag across the board too. This naturally comes in clutch in competitive games but will improve responsiveness in single-player romps too. Your games will look great on this screen too, thanks to its 99% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and superior contrast ratio to similarly-specced TN rivals. AMD FreeSync Premium will also keep any tearing at bay.
In terms of ports, Alienware equips AW252HF with two HDMI 2.1 inputs and a single DisplayPort 1.4. In order to get 500Hz out of the monitor, you’ll want to connect your PC to the latter header with the included cable. Using the former will top out at 240Hz on PCs and 120Hz on consoles. A stone’s throw from the display array, you’ll find four 5Gb/s USB Type-A downstream ports and a Type-B upstream port.
Finally, let’s talk ergonomics. AW252HF features height, pivot, swivel, and tilt adjustments so you can find the ideal configuration for your setup. Alienware also includes a 100x100mm VESA mounting interface if you’d rather forgo the monitor’s stand for an arm.
