Alienware’s 500Hz gaming monitor costs $830
Time to get your bank account ready – Dell just revealed the price of its 500Hz Alienware gaming monitor. The Alienware AW2524H launches March 21 in North America for $829.99 (or $1,099.99 CA), making it the world’s fastest gaming monitor you can actually buy… at least for now.
The 24.5-inch Alienware AW2524H technically has a native refresh rate of 480 Hz (which is still blazing fast), but it’s overclocked to 500 Hz. That speed comes with a few caveats – namely that it’s limited to 1080p resolution, although that’s to be expected given most high refresh rate displays are similarly capped due to bandwidth limitations. And speaking of screens, this features an anti-glare IPS panel rather than a TN panel, which should be great for colors and viewing angles.
The Alienware AW2524H has four 5Gbps USB-A ports, two standard 3.5mm audio outputs, a DisplayPort 1.4 connector and two HDMI 2.1 ports – although it’s worth noting that you’re limited to 240Hz via an HDMI link. You also get DisplayHDR 400 certification, Nvidia’s G-Sync and Reflex Analyzer technology, customizable RGB backlighting, and a retractable headset hanger.
Most people will not be able to tell the difference between 500 Hz and 360 Hz
At just $830, the price isn’t bad. That’s not to say it’s not affordable by any means, but this is a niche product. Considering how much you can expect to pay for “innovative” gaming displays like the $3,500 Samsung Odyssey Ark, it certainly could have been worse. And given the negligible difference in response time between a 500Hz display and other high-refresh displays, it’s unlikely many people would want or need a 500Hz gaming monitor anyway. Unless someone has divine reflexes (of course you do – this is about everyone else, like your crappy teammates missing all their shots) or is a legitimate professional esports player, most people just won’t notice the difference above 360Hz.
However, the Alienware AW2524H won’t be the fastest monitor on the market for long. Asus also announced that it had a 500Hz gaming monitor in the works in May last year. That model had no release date, but it was expected to beat Alienware to become the first commercially available model on the market.
While Alienware beat it to the punch, Asus has re-announced that monitor, claiming to have overclocked the 24.1-inch Full HD panel beyond its original specs to run at an even faster 540Hz refresh rate. In addition to teasing a “Q2” launch, Asus remained tight-lipped on the availability and price of the Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP. But it’s a ROG, so you can know it gets expensive.
