Alienware is preparing a gaming monitor with a ferocious 360Hz refresh rate, and so is AMD's next-generation GPU, because the sound you hear is the collective gasp of current graphics cards reacting to this news. At least it was for me (a respectable GeForce GTX 1080 Ti).

This would be an upgraded version of the Alienware 25 (AW2521H), with a 24.5-inch IPS screen and support for Nvidia's G-Sync technology, which matches the monitor refresh rate to the GPU to prevent screen tearing.

Beyond these tidbits, there's not much more detail, along with Alienware's promise that "PC games will run as smooth as butterflies, with virtually no screen tearing or blurring and consistent color from any angle."

I strongly suspect that Alienware is sourcing the same panel (made by AU Optronics) that Asus is using for the ROG Swift 360; Asus announced this at CES in January, but has yet to release it or announce pricing.

If Alienware uses the same panel, the resolution will be 1920x1080, which will almost certainly be the case even if Alienware sources panels from other manufacturers, as it is difficult even at 1080p to take full advantage of the 360Hz refresh rate. It will.

These monitors are clearly intended for competitive gaming in the esports category, where achieving ultra-high frame rates is a more realistic scenario.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rainbow Six: GeForceRTX are just a few examples of competitive games that can achieve 360 fps with the hardware, and gamers can take full advantage of the new 360 Hz displays and benefit from the improvements found in our research. Nvidia said in a blog post earlier this year.

Nvidia has also published research showing that gamers have better K/D ratios at higher frame rates. Of course, Nvidia is interested in such results, and correlation does not necessarily imply causation.

"However, when considered in the context of the fps benefits outlined in the article, such as smoother animation, less ghosting and tearing, and lower system latency, the positive relationship shown in the graph makes little sense," Nvidia claims.

I haven't had the luxury of trying a 360 Hz display myself. However, our friends at LaptopMag have tried it and found that in most cases, 360Hz performs better than 60Hz in CS:GO. However, when compared to a 240Hz display, such as AOC's Agon AG273QZ, or a 144Hz monitor, the difference may not be as pronounced.

In any case, like Asus, Alienware has not yet announced a release date or price, saying only that details are forthcoming.