Alienware AW2521HFA User guide

Alienware AW2521HFA/

AW2521HFLA Monitor

User’s Guide

Model: AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

Regulatory model: AW2521HFb

Notes, cautions, and warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make

better use of your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss

of data if instructions are not followed.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage,

personal injury, or death.

trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective

owners

2020 - 12

Rev. A01

|3

Contents

About your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Product features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Identifying parts and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Back view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Rear and bottom view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Monitor specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Resolution specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Supported video modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Preset display modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Physical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Environmental characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Pin assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Plug and Play capability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

USB upstream connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

USB downstream connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

USB ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

LCD monitor quality and pixel policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Maintenance guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Cleaning your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Setting up the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Attaching the stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Connecting the computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Removing the monitor stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

4|

VESA wall mounting (optional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Operating the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Power on the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Using the joystick control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Using the rear-panel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Accessing the menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

OSD warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Locking the rear-panel control buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Setting the maximum resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Using the tilt, swivel, and vertical extension . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Tilt and swivel extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Vertical extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Rotating the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Rotate clockwise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Rotate counterclockwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Adjusting the rotation display settings of your system . . . 54

Using AlienFX application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Installing AWCC through Windows update . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Installing AWCC from the Dell Support website . . . . . . . . 55

Navigating the AlienFX window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Creating a theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Setting lighting effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Self-test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Built-in diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Common problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Product specific problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Universal Serial Bus (USB) specific problems . . . . . . . . . . . 67

|5

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

FCC notices (U.S. only) and other regulatory

information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Contact Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

EU product database for energy label and product

information sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

6 | About your monitor

About your monitor

Package contents

Your monitor ships with the components shown below. If any component is

missing, contact Dell technical support. For more information see Contact Dell.

NOTE: Some components may be optional and may not ship with your

monitor. Some features or media may not be available in certain countries.

Component image Component description

Monitor

Stand riser

Stand base

About your monitor | 7

I/O cover

Power cable (varies by

country)

DisplayPort cable

(DisplayPort to

DisplayPort)

HDMI cable

USB 3.0 upstream cable

(enables the USB ports on

the monitor)

•Quick Setup Guide

• Safety, Environmental,

and Regulatory

Inf

ormation

• Alienware Welcome

Card

8 | About your monitor

Product features

The Alienware 25 Gaming monitor is available in two color variants: Dark Side

of the Moon (AW2521HFA) and Lunar Light (AW2521HFLA). Both monitors

offer active matrix, Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and

LED backlight.

The monitor features include:

• 62.2 cm (24.5 inch) viewable area (measured diagonally). Resolution: Up

to 1920 x 1080 through DisplayPort and HDMI, with full-screen support or

lower resolutions, supporting a high refresh rate of 240 Hz.

• NVIDIA® G-SYNC® Compatible Certification and AMD FreeSync™

Premium Technology minimizes graphic distortions like screen tearing and

stuttering for smoother, fluid gameplay.

• Supports a extremely high refresh rate of 240 Hz and a rapid response

time of 1 ms gray to gray in Extreme mode*.

• Color gamut of sRGB 99%.

• Tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment capabilities.

• Removable stand and Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA™)

100 mm mounting holes for flexible mounting solutions.

• Digital connectivity through 1 DisplayPort and 2 HDMI ports.

• Equipped with 1 USB upstream port and 4 USB downstream ports.

• Plug and play capability if supported by your system.

• On-Screen Display (OSD) adjustments for ease of setup and screen

optimization.

• AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA offers preset modes such as FPS (First-

Person Shooter), MOBA/RTS (Real-Time Strategy), RPG (Role-Playing

Game), SPORTS (Racing) and three customizable game modes as per user

preference. In addition, key enhanced gaming features such as Timer,

Frame Rate, and Display Alignment are provided to help improve gamer's

performance and provide best in-game advantage.

• < 0.3 W in Standby Mode.

• Optimize eye comfort with a flicker-free screen.

WARNING: The possible long-term effects of blue light emission from

the monitor may cause damage to the eyes, including eye fatigue, digital

eye strain, and so on. ComfortView feature is designed to reduce the

amount of blue light emitted from the monitor to optimize eye comfort.

About your monitor | 9

* The 1 ms gray-to-gray mode is achievable in the Extreme mode

to reduce

visible motion blur and increased image responsiveness. However, this may

introduce some slight and noticeable visual artifacts into the image. As every

system setup and every gamer's needs are different, Alienware recommends that

users experiment with the different modes to find the setting that is right for

them.

Identifying parts and controls

Front view

Label Description Use

1 Cable-management slot

(on

the front side of the

stand)

To organize the cables neatly.

2 Power On/Off button

(

with LED indicator)

To turn the monitor on or off.

Solid blue light indicates that the monitor is

tur

ned on and functioning normally.

Blinking white light indicates that the

monitor is in Standby Mode.

10 | About your monitor

Back view

Back view without monitor stand

Back view with monitor stand

Label Description Use

1 Joystick Use it to control the OSD menu.

2 Function buttons For more information, see Operating

the monitor.

3 Barcode, serial number, and

Ser

vice Tag label

Refer to this label if you need to

contact Dell for technical support.

4 Cable-management clips To organize the cables neatly.

5 Stand release button Releases stand from the monitor.

6 VESA mounting holes (100 mm

x

100 mm - behind VESA

Cover)

Wall mount monitor using VESA-

compatible wall mount kit (100 mm x

100 mm).

About your monitor | 11

Rear and bottom view

Rear and bottom view without monitor stand

7 Regulatory label Lists the regulatory approvals.

8 Lighting dock connector When the stand riser is attached to the

monitor, the

dock connector supplies

power to the light on the stand.

9 Cable-management slot (at the

back of

the stand)

To organize cables by routing them

through this slot.

10 I/O cover Protects the I/O ports.

Label Description Use

1 Power connector Connect the power cable (shipped with your

moni

tor).

2 USB upstream port Connect the USB cable (s

hipped with your

monitor) to this port and your computer to

enable the USB ports on your monitor.

3 USB 3.0 ports (2) Connect your USB device.*

NOTE: To

use these ports, you must connect

the USB cable (shipped with your monitor) to

the USB-upstream port on the monitor and to

your computer.

4 USB 3.0 port with

Power Charging

Connect to charge your USB device.

12 | About your monitor

* To avoid signal interference, when a wireless USB device has been connected

to a USB downstream port, it is not recommended to connect any other USB

devices to the adjacent port.

Monitor specifications

5 Headphone port Connect headphone or speakers.

CAUTION: Increasing the audio output

beyond 50% on the volume control or

equalizer may increase the output

voltage on the headphones thereby

increasing the sound pressure levels.

6 USB 3.0 port Connect your USB device.*

NOTE: To use these ports, you must connect

the USB cable (shipped with your monitor) to

the USB-upstream port on the monitor and to

your computer.

7 HDMI port (HDMI 1) Connect to a computer or another HDMI

output device.

8 HDMI port (HDMI 2) Connect to a computer or another HDMI

output device.

9 DisplayPort Connect to a computer or another

DisplayPort output device.

10 Line-out port Connect your speakers.

NOTE: This port does not support

headphones.

Model AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

Screen type Active matrix - TFT LCD

Panel technology Fast IPS

Aspect ratio 16:9

Viewable image

Diagonal

Width (active area)

Height (active area)

Total area

622.28 mm (24.5 in.)

543.744 mm (21.41 in.)

302.616 mm (11.91 in.)

164545.63 mm

2

(255.04 in

2

)

About your monitor | 13

Pixel pitch 0.2832 mm x 0.2802 mm

Pixel per inch (PPI) 90

Viewing angle

Vertical

Horizontal

178° (typical)

Luminance output 400 cd/m² (typical)

Contrast ratio 1000 to 1 (typical)

Faceplate coating Anti-glare treatment of the front polarizer (Haze

25%, 3H)

Backlight WLED

Response time • 1 ms gray to gray in Extreme Mode *

• 2 ms gray to gray in Super Fast Mode

• 4 ms gray to gray in Fast Mode

* A 1 ms gray-to-gray response time is achieved in

the Extreme mode to reduce visible motion blur and

increase image responsiveness. However, this may

introduce subtle visual artifacts into the image. Since

each computer configuration and gamer's needs are

different, Alienware recommends that users

experiment with the different modes to find the

setting that is right for them.

Color depth 16.78 million colors

Color gamut sRGB 99% (typical)

Built-in devices • USB 3.0 Super-Speed hub (with 1 USB 3.0

upstream port)

• 4 x USB 3.0 downstream port (including 1 port

which supports power-charging)

Connectivity • 1 x DisplayPort version 1.2 (rear)

• 2 x HDMI port version 2.0 (rear)

• 1 x USB 3.0 upstream port (rear)

• 3 x USB 3.0 downstream ports (bottom: 1; rear: 2)

• 1 x USB 3.0 downstream port with BC1.2 charging

capability at 2 A (maximum) (bottom)

• 1 x headphone port (bottom)

• 1 x audio line-out port (rear)

14 | About your monitor

Resolution specifications

AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

Horizontal scan

range

255 to 255 kHz (automatic) 30 to 255 kHz (automatic)

Vertical scan

range

48 to 240 Hz (automatic) 48 to 240 Hz (automatic)

Maximum preset

res

olution

1920 x 1080 @ 240 Hz 1920 x 1080 @ 240 Hz

Supported video modes

Video display capabilities (HDMI

&

DisplayPort playback)

480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i,

1080p, FHD

Bezel width (edge of monitor to active area)

Top

Left/Right

Bottom

5.27 mm

5.27 mm/5.27 mm

14.19 mm

Adjustability

Height adjustable stand

Tilt

Swivel

Pivot

0 to 130 mm

-5° to 21°

-20° to 20°

-90° to 90°

Dell Display Manager

(DDM

) Compatibility

Easy Arrange and other key features

Model

DisplayPort 1.2 HDMI 2.0

Model AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

About your monitor | 15

Preset display modes

Display mode Horizontal

frequency

(kHz)

Vertical

frequency

(Hz)

Pixel clock

(MHz)

Sync polarity

(Horizontal/

Vertical)

VESA, 640 x 480 31.5 59.9 25.2 -/-

VESA, 640 x 480 37.5 75.0 31.5 -/-

IBM, 720 x 400 31.5 70.1 28.3 -/+

VESA, 800 x 600 37.9 60.3 40.0 +/+

VESA, 800 x 600 46.9 75.0 49.5 +/+

VESA, 1024 x 768 48.4 60.0 65.0 -/-

VESA, 1024 x 768 60.0 75.0 78.8 +/+

VESA, 1152 x 864 67.5 75.0 108.0 +/+

VESA, 1280 x 1024 64.0 60.0 108.0 +/+

VESA, 1280 x 1024 80.0 75.0 135.0 +/+

VESA, 1600 x 900 60.0 60.0 108.0 +/+

VESA, 1920 x 1080 67.5 60.0 148.5 +/+

1920 x 1080 137.3 120.0 285.5 +/-

1920 x 1080 166.6 144.0 346.5 +/-

1920 x 1080 278.1 240.0 567.4 +/-

NOTE: This monitor supports AMD FreeSync™ Premium Technology.

Electrical specifications

Model AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

Video input signals HDMI 2.0*/DisplayPort 1.2, 600 mV for each

diff

erential line, 100 ohm input impedance per

differential pair.

AC input voltage/

frequency/current

100 VAC to 240 VAC / 50 Hz or 60 Hz

+ 3 Hz /

1.5 A (typical)

16 | About your monitor

* Does not support the HDMI 2.0 optional specification, including Consumer

Electronics Control (CEC), HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC), Audio Return

Channel (ARC), standard for 3D format and resolutions, and standard for 4K

digital cinema resolution.

1

As defined in EU 2019/2021 and EU 2019/2013.

2

Max brightness and contrast setting with maximum power loading on all USB

ports.

3

Pon: Power consumption of On Mode measured with reference to Energy Star

test method.

TEC: Total energy consumption in kWh measured with reference to Energy

Star test method.

This document is informational only and reflects laboratory performance. Your

product may perform differently, depending on the software, components and

peripherals you ordered and shall have no obligation to update such

information.

Accordingly, the customer should not rely upon this information in making

decisions about electrical tolerances or otherwise. No warranty as to accuracy

or completeness is expressed or implied.

Inrush current • 120 V: 30 A (max.) at 0°C (cold start)

• 240 V: 60 A (max.) at 0°C (cold start)

Power consumption • 0.2 W (Off mode)

1

• 0.3 W (Standby mode)

1

• 20.4 W (On mode)

1

•72 W (Max.)

2

•17.18 W (Pon)

3

• 55.52 kWh (TEC)

3

About your monitor | 17

Physical characteristics

• Digital: HDMI, 19 pins

• Digital: DisplayPort, 20 pins

• Universal Serial Bus: USB, 9 pins

NOTE: D

ell monitors are designed to work optimally with the video cables that

are shipped with your monitor. As Dell does not have control over the different

cable suppliers in the market, the type of material, connector and process used

to manufacture these cables, Dell does not guarantee video performance on

cables that are not shipped with your Dell monitor.

Height (extended) 526.08 mm (20.71 in.)

Height (compressed) 421.21 mm (16.58 in.)

Width 556.29 mm (21.90 in.)

Depth 251.92 mm (9.92 in.)

Height 328.24 mm (12.92 in.)

Width 556.29 mm (21.90 in.)

Depth 72.95 mm (2.87 in.)

Height (extended) 436.80 mm (17.20 in.)

Height (compressed) 421.21 mm (16.58 in.)

Width 465.30 mm (18.32 in.)

Depth 251.92 mm (9.92 in.)

Weight with packaging 11.72 kg (25.84 lb)

Weight with stand assembly

and cabl

es

7.46 kg (16.45 lb)

Weight without stand assembly

(For wall

mount or VESA mount

considerations - no cables)

4.15 kg (9.15 lb)

Weight of stand assembly 3.21 kg (7.08 lb)

Front frame gloss 17

+ 3 (only front chin)

Model AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

Signal cable type

Dimensions (with stand)

Dimensions (without stand)

Stand dimensions

Weight

18 | About your monitor

Environmental characteristics

Arsenic-free glass and mercury-fre

e for the panel only

Operating 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)

Non-operating • Storage: -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)

• Shipping: -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)

Operating 10% to 80% (non-condensing)

Non-operating • Storage: 5% to 90% (non-condensing)

• Shipping: 5% to 90% (non-condensing)

Operating 5,000 m (16,404 ft) (maximum)

Non-operating 12,192 m (40,000 ft) (maximum)

• 245.66 BTU/hour (maximum)

• 81.89 BTU/hour (typical)

Model AW2521HFA/AW2521HFLA

Compliant stand

ards

Temperature

Humidity

Altitude

Thermal dissipation

About your monitor | 19

Pin assignments

DisplayPort connector

Pin number 20-pin side of the connected

signal cable

1 ML3 (n)

2 GND

3 ML3 (p)

4 ML2 (n)

5 GND

6 ML2 (p)

7 ML1 (n)

8 GND

9 ML1 (p)

10 ML0 (n)

11 GND

12 ML0 (p)

13 GND

14 GND

15 AUX (p)

16 GND

17 AUX (n)

18 Hot Plug Detect

19 Re-PWR

20 +3.3 V DP_PWR

20 | About your monitor

HDMI connector

Pin number 19-pin side of the connected

signal cable

1 TMDS DATA 2+

2 TMDS DATA 2 SHIELD

3 TMDS DATA 2-

4 TMDS DATA 1+

5 TMDS DATA 1 SHIELD

6 TMDS DATA 1-

7 TMDS DATA 0+

8 TMDS DATA 0 SHIELD

9 TMDS DATA 0-

10 TMDS CLOCK+

11 TMDS CLOCK SHIELD

12 TMDS CLOCK-

13 CEC

14 Reserved (N.C. on device)

15 DDC CLOCK (SCL)

16 DDC DATA (SDA)

17 DDC/CEC Ground

18 +5V POWER

19 HOT PLUG DETECT

Plug and Play capability

You can connect the monitor to any Plug and Play-compatible system. The

monitor automatically provides the computer system with its Extended Display

Identification Data (EDID) using Display Data Channel (DDC) protocols so that

the system can configure itself and optimize the monitor settings. Most monitor

installations are automatic; you can select different settings if desired. For more

information about changing the monitor settings, see Operating the monitor.

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Alienware AW2521HFA User guide

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