Alienware AW2518H review: A great Nvidia G-Sync monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate

Ever since Nvidia announced they were opening up their G-Sync certification process to include a cut-down version of their variable refresh rate tech for AMD FreeSync screens at the beginning of the year, it’s left proper, full-fat G-Sync gaming monitors such as Alienware’s AW2518H in a slightly precarious position. After all, when G-Sync monitors often cost so much more than their FreeSync competition, why would you shell out the extra cash when you can get an almost identical experience for a lot less?

It’s a bit more complicated than that, of course. For starters, Nvidia have only deemed 15 out of over 400 FreeSync screens to be worthy of their official G-Sync Compatible status after conducting their own internal tests on them, but technically any FreeSync monitor can now take advantage of Nvidia’s cut-down G-Sync tech once you’ve enabled it in your Nvidia control panel. The experience might not be particularly great, all told (it varies from monitor to monitor), but the fact remains that ye olde G-Sync displays now have to work a lot harder to justify their higher cost. Fortunately, the Alienware AW2518H makes a pretty strong case for itself with its superb image quality and whopping 240Hz refresh rate.

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