OLED panels generally produce better brightness and color uniformity compared to IPS, VA, or other panel types due to their simpler design and per-pixel illumination. However, Dell's Alienware AW3926QW OLED is reportedly having some problematic uniformity issues coming from an OLED protection feature that can't be turned off, called CPC. Fortunately, TFT Central (via VideoCardz) reports that Dell is now testing a possible toggle for CPC that would give users the ability to turn off the protection feature entirely.
Dell specifically states that it is working on a "potential" CPC toggle for the AW3926QW, noting that it wants to "understand the full customer experience" before releasing the toggle to AW3926QW owners live.
Popular Now: Developer abandons PS5 Linux project after people found a Hypervisor bug and reported it to SonyCPC, or Convex Power Control, is an OLED protection feature baked into the AW3926QW that artificially dims the edges of the screen to reduce the chance of burn-in of static elements displayed, such as UI elements in a video game. CPC triggers when motion is detected on screen, such as playing a video game or watching a YouTube video.
While CPC's vignetting effect is by design, its effect on uniformity is enough to make the panel's performance undesirable for professionals or enthusiasts who require high levels of uniformity for color grading, photo editing, video editing, or other specific use cases. Worse still, it can also aggravate any existing uniformity issues the display might have out-of-the-box. This is what TFT Central experienced with its sample in its review of the monitor, which exhibited 40% lower luminance around the edges of the display compared to the middle.
The AW3926AW is Dell's latest 39-inch premium gaming monitor, featuring a dual-mode OLED panel that can switch between 5120 x 2160 at 165Hz and 2560 x 1080 at 330Hz. The monitor is also one of Dell's most expensive OLED gaming monitors right now, priced at $1,099.99. The AW3926AW competes directly with LG's similarly specced 39GX950B-B 39-inch 5120 x 2160 ultrawide OLED gaming monitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How much does turning CPC off change the AW3926QW’s burn-in protection during gaming and video playback?
Are there known unit-to-unit differences in the AW3926QW’s edge dimming and uniformity behavior?
Is Dell testing a similar CPC toggle for any other Alienware OLED monitors, or only the AW3926QW?
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We hear the feedback on uniformity and are actively testing a potential toggle that could give customers more control over uniformity. We want to make sure we understand the full customer experience implications before we enable anything. More to come soon.
Dell's statement addressing uniformity issues on the AW3926QW - via TFT Central.
