Review: Alienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW3425DW) — OLED gaming goodness at a reasonable price

Alienware has returned to the large gaming OLED monitor market with an old favourite, the ultrawide QD-OLED.  Of course, not satisfied with just rehashing an old monitor, they are back with a faster refresh rate, updated connectivity and a new AW30 design in the AW3425DW monitor.

The 3440 x 1440 resolution is wrapped around you with a subtle but immersive 1800R curvature.  The OLED display delivers 99.3% DCI-P3 colour coverage, at a refresh rate of up to 240Hz and a response time of 0.03ms GtG to ensure a smooth, immersive gaming experience.

The Alienware AW3425DW monitor is available now on the Dell website for just $1,499.30, which is not a bad price considering what you get. So, what are you getting?

In the box

As most monitors do these days, the box includes everything you need to use the monitor. It includes an HDMI and a DisplayPort cable, along with the monitor with stand and, of course, a power cable.

Setting it up is pretty easy with the stand screwing into the base and them slotting into the back of the display.

There is no specific VESA mount for this, but your VESA mount should come with all the attachments to work with the monitor – mine did.

Design, specs & features

The AW3425DW monitor includes Alienware’s new AW30 design language, which incorporates a futuristic look with new iconography. I didn’t love it on the last Alienware monitor I tested, but did it really affect my gaming? No, not even close. 

The new design language is on the rear of the monitor, and I don’t know about you but I don’t look at the back of my monitor all that often.

The curvature is a very subtle curve of just 1800R, which is okay if you are not used to a curved display. However, if you are and haven’t used one with more curvature, you may think it is too minimal. The smaller curve makes it less immersive, but it is still more immersive than a flat display. Using the monitor for productivity purposes, though, was a pleasure with such a small curve.

Underneath the display, you’ll find the joystick to navigate the on-screen settings.  The joystick is very touchy and took me a bit to get used to but after a couple of weeks I didn’t have any issues navigating the OSD.

The OSD has all the usual display settings, including brightness and contrast, input source, AlienFX lighting, the ability to personalise the shortcut keys to your own preferences, and PIP/PBP settings.

One setting that we see on more and more gaming displays these days is the specific gaming features that Alienware calls Alienvision. These include a crosshair in the centre of the display to aid your aiming in-game and chroma settings to help you visualise the centre of the game, where your opposition is situated. I used them in-game, and they were very helpful to my very average FPS gaming skills.

There is a small inverted shelf on the rear of the monitor where all the connectivity ports are held.  This is standard for Alienware in their current design language and it makes it easy to keep cables hidden and run through the stand if required.  The location also does not interfere with any VESA mounting either which may be something you are interested in.

The ultrawide 2K resolution is great. I’m not convinced of the use of 4K when gaming at this point in time, and while it certainly has a future, there just isn’t full support for it yet. My Raptor Canyon NUC had no issues pushing the games I was playing with this 2K resolution.

Ultrawide, though, is here and here to stay. Just like I think OLED is the way to go in gaming (or any) monitors these days, ultrawide is also where it’s at. Most games support ultrawide these days—there are still some that don’t, but there are fewer and fewer each month.

That extra real estate of the ultrawide monitor offers an immersive experience like no other. Add in the slight curve and you are even more immersed.  

The ultrawide format is even more useful when using the monitor for productivity work. Having so many windows open side by side for quick viewing is convenient, which helps with multitasking.

The Alienware AW3425DW’s viewing angle is listed as 178 degrees. It is impressive. You can view it well from any angle, though considering it is a curved display, the best place to view it from is directly in front of it.

Picture quality is top notch, as you’d expect from an Alienware OLED panel.  I ran multiple display tests on it and can believe the 99.3 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space.  Its text sharpness was not to be forgotten either, with great results.

This is a great monitor for a range of activities although not perfect.  For productivity, I’d prefer a 4K (prefer being the word here as there aren’t all that many 34+inch OLED displays with a 4K resolution), and for gaming, I’d prefer a greater curvature, but this monitor is a decent compromise for each, without breaking into the premium price range.

Connectivity

The connectivity options on the AW3425DW include everything you would expect on a gaming monitor:

• 1 DisplayPort 1.4 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3) port (Supports up to 3440 x 1440, 240 Hz, DSC, HDR)
• 2 HDMI ports (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3) (Supports up to 3440 x 1440, 240 Hz, FRL, HDR, VRR as per specified in HDMI 2.1)
• USB port
  • 1 USB 5Gbps Type-B upstream port
  • 1 USB 5Gbps Type-A downstream port
  • 1 USB-C 5Gbps downstream port with 15W charging

Performance

OLED displays can deliver vivid colours and deep blacks in games that have to be seen to be believed—and appreciated. I have seen brighter monitors, and I dare say a brighter panel may have pushed the price to the next level.  

It is still bright enough for gaming and productivity work. If you work in a bright environment and like your monitor bright, you may want to find a brighter monitor. For me, though, even in a well-lit study, it was great for gaming and productivity.

Once again, AlienVision is present, and as mentioned above, it is decent, but I just feel wrong using it while gaming.  It feels like cheating to me.

Who buys the Alienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW3425DW)?

The Alienware 34 AW3425DW Gaming Monitor is a fantastic monitor. It has a subtle curve which helps you immerse yourself in your game, and the vivid, bright colours we have come to expect from OLED displays.

The refresh rate is definitely high enough for 99% of gamers, as is the 2K resolution. The monitor has great specs without being ultra-premium. There are bigger gaming monitors. There are gaming monitors with higher refresh rates and there are gaming monitors with a greater, more immersive curvature but the Alienware AW3425DW delivers a great compromise of all of the above, without sacrificing on a great gaming experience.

This monitor is ideal for those gamers who want a monitor that is a gaming beast while also being a good all-rounder. I used it mainly for productivity and loved it, with the 2K resolution at 34-inches being fantastic.

At RRP 99, it is much more affordable than most other OLED gaming monitors of this size and quality on the market and for this reason I highly recommend it.