Dell releases 500Hz monitor in Europe

Dell will be the first to release a 500Hz display in Europe next month: the Alienware AW2524HF. The specs are largely the same as those of the AW2524H from the beginning of this year, which was not released in Europe. However, the HF model has AMD FreeSync Premium instead of Nvidia G-SYNC.

Just like the Alienware AW2524H, the new AW2524HF has a Fast IPS panel of 24.5″ with full HD resolution. Dell claims a GTG response time of 0.5ms. The native refresh rate is 480Hz, but with an overclock 500Hz becomes possible. Although ASUS previously announced a 540Hz monitor and the Alienware AW2524H has been on sale in the US for some time, the fastest screen available in Europe has a refresh rate of 390Hz.

The AW2524HF features AMD FreeSync Premium and is VESA AdaptiveSync certified, but the monitor does not have Nvidia G-SYNC, unlike the AW2524H. The HF model also doesn’t have Nvidia’s Reflex Latency Analyzer. The spec sheet contains even more minor changes, mostly to the detriment of the AW2524HF. Although the new monitor is suitable for HDR10 display, Dell has not invested in a VESA DisplayHDR400 certification, which the AW2524H does have. Both screens are said to be able to display 99 percent of the sRGB color space, the contrast is 1000:1 and the manufacturer promises the same maximum brightness of 400cd/m². Whether the AW2524HF offers much worse HDR performance in practice remains to be seen; Based on the specifications, both screens are not really suitable for HDR display.

The AW2524HF has approximately the same design as the AW2524H, with height adjustment, but without RGB lighting. Dell has also cut back on the audio features, but not the four-port USB 3.2 hub. Where the AW2524H has two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort, the AW2524HF has two DisplayPorts and one HDMI. Dell includes a USB-C to DisplayPort cable for laptop owners. The maximum 500Hz refresh rate can only be achieved via DisplayPort (version 1.4). Although Dell mentions HDMI 2.1 on the AW2524HF, according to the spec sheet the port only supports the older TMDS protocol, which effectively makes the bandwidth equivalent to that of an HDMI 2.0 port. 255Hz is therefore the highest achievable via this connection.

The Alienware AW2524HF should be available in stores worldwide from September 12. Dell has not yet announced a Euro price, but the screen would cost USD 649. That is USD 170 lower suggested retail price than the AW2524H.