Alienware AW3225QF Gaming Monitor Review - Beastly 32-inch 4K OLED

TweakTown's Rating: 95%

The Bottom Line

The Alienware AW3225QF is a 32-inch, 4K, 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time gaming monitor that's priced at $1199. It's a versatile, enthusiast-level gaming monitor that makes any game look incredible.

Pros

• + Stunningly rich colors
• + Incredible gaming experience
• + Slick aesthetics and versatile
• + Intuitive yet simple OSD
• + Enthusiast-level gaming experience

Cons

• - Price
• - Connectivity charging

Should you buy it?

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Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

Dell's gaming arm Alienware released its own variant of Samsung's 32-inch 4K 240Hz third-generation QD-OLED panel, providing gamers another option for enthusiast-level gaming.

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The Alienware AW3225QF uses the same panel as the ASUS PG32UCDM and MSI's 321URX, meaning we will see almost identical performance with only a few changes here and there. Throughout this review, I will attempt to identify the best of the three options, as they all come at different price points. It should be noted that the AW3225QF and other competing options of its caliber are enthusiast-level gaming monitors that exceed the hefty price tag of $950.

Before getting into the close-up of the AW3225QF, you should know some of its main specifications. Dell has equipped the AW3225QF with a 3840 x 2160 resolution panel capable of a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. The third-generation QD-OLED panel is capable of a 0.03ms response time and provides incredibly rich and vibrant colors thanks to its infinite contrast ratio. The 32-inch size is big enough for RPG titles and small enough for first-person-shooter games, making these 32-inch variants of gaming monitors, at least in my estimation, the most versatile on the market.

Specifications

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Close-up

Design

The Alienware AW3225QF is easily one of the best-looking gaming monitors that I've been lucky enough to review. I'm a massive fan of the two-tone design choice, as it has added a modest amount of flare to a product that is either typically too gamery (LEDs, etc.), or completely lacks any aesthetic flare at all. The physical design of the AW3225QF features a black and white color scheme that's complimented by all of the rounded-off edges, which gives the AW3225QF its premium feel/appearance. The back of the display features two LEDs, an Alienware logo, and a large "32," which represents the size of the monitor - 32 inches. I'm not sure why this would be needed, but it does fit the overall design aesthetic, so I don't hate that it's there.

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Keeping to the back of the gaming monitor, the stand is equipped with a quick-release mechanism and features an "Alienware" sticker down the spine. Moving to the connectivity options, Alienware has outfitted the AW3225QF with two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, a USB-B upstream port, and a DisplayPort 1.4. Additionally, Alienware has placed a USB-A port and a USB-C port underneath the monitor - straddling either side of the multi-directional joystick beneath the "Alienware" logo on the front of the display. Compared to the MSI and ASUS variants, the AW3225QF is very bulky, as the entire white backplate of the display houses the cooling component needed to keep the panel from overheating.

On the ASUS and MSI variants, this is plainly obvious, as the display measures just 5mm thickness on its edges and then increases to about an inch with its protruding backplate that houses all of its necessary components. I honestly prefer the AW3225QF design, as it offers a much cleaner look. Moreover, the AW3225QF is curved, unlike the ASUS and MSI variants, which are both flat displays. I'm quite a fan of a nice curved gaming monitor, especially if the curve isn't over-exaggerated and actually compliments the experience rather than hinders it. Alienware has, once again, won my approval in competition with ASUS and MSI, as the AW3225QF has a fantastic curve that is incredibly subtle - almost unnoticeable after several hours of use.

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Unfortunately, the AW3225QF does take some hits when it comes to its connectivity, as power delivery only provides 7.5W of output, compared to 65W on the ASUS, and 90W on the MSI. Additionally, there is no KVM switch, and its USB-C port cannot be used as a display input. Both are possible on the ASUS and MSI variants.

Panel Breakdown

As I previously mentioned, the multi-directional joystick located underneath the "Alienware" writing on the front of the display enables On-Screen-Display (OSD) navigation. Dell has equipped the AW3225QF with a selection of gaming features such as sniper mode, shadow boosting, and crosshair. I turned all of these off and navigated to the QD-OLED protection offerings, which turned out to be quite limited. Two options were available for user control: Pixel and Panel Refresh. Overall, the OSD for the AW3225QF is a breeze to navigate, with all options clearly outlined and not paginated.

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The third-generation QD-OLED panel within the AW3225QF is simply incredible, especially at this resolution of 3840 x 2160, which provides a pixel density of 140ppi. At this density, image clarity is extremely impressive, and any problems with text fringing seen on the second and first-generation QD-OLED variants are gone, especially compared to the 27-inch 1440p variants that have a 110ppi. It shouldn't be understated how little text-fringing is now present on these latest QD-OLED panels, which was a real problem in previous generations - so much so that I didn't recommend them to anyone who was flexing between word-processing activities and gaming. They were strictly recommended for gaming only.

However, third-generation QD-OLEDs and the improvements to their subpixel layout seemed to have almost entirely ironed out any remaining problems. To put it into context, text looks 97% as good as text on an IPS panel - it's so close to being identical in quality that it's pretty much unnoticeable. It should be noted that since the MSI and ASUS variants feature the exact same Samsung QD-OLED panel, the performance differences are almost identical, which means we get those same rich, vibrant, and deep colors, infinite contrast ratio, and extremely deep blacks.

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The AW3225QF and its direct competitors suffer from the same problem of ambient light reflecting off the "anti-reflective" coating found across the panel. Unfortunately, these reflections can really ruin the best aspect of QD-OLED panels, and that is its deep blacks. Ambient light reflected on the panel raises the black's brightness almost to a grayish color, which can really be a downside if you are positioned in a room with a lot of natural light that can't be managed. For this reason, I recommend any ambient light sources be placed behind an OLED panel or in complete darkness for the most optimal viewing experience.

Let's talk burn-in. Unfortunately, you can't have a conversation about QD-OLED without mentioning burn-in. OLED panels are feared among users for their risk of burn-in, and while with older generations of QD-OLED panels, those fears were warranted, they aren't as much today due to the warranty offered by companies and the burn-in prevention technologies found in the OSD. Unfortunately, the problem isn't so minimal that it isn't worth mentioning, but it's certainly getting better.

Alienware offers a 3-year warranty, covering any damage due to OLED burn-in, which is caused by static images staying on the panel for extended periods of time. This is why OLED monitors aren't typically recommended for long productivity sessions, as app icons such as the ones found on the taskbar could lead to permanent damage. However, if you are flexing between work and gaming, which will refresh those pixels, the OLED should be fine - it's only really long continuous sessions that can lead to burn-in. Notably, MSI and ASUS also offer a 3-year burn-in warranty.

Despite the improvements made in preventing burn-in it's still recommended to take advantage of the burn-in prevention features found in the OSD of the gaming monitor. The AW3225QF has pixel and panel refresh. I would recommend anyone with an OLED panel to periodically use these features to prolong the life of the display.

Performance

As with all of my gaming monitor reviews I like test the gaming monitor I have under the microscope in a variety of different games to determine what type of game performs best with the display, and from there establish the gamer that would be best suited for the gaming monitor I'm testing. I tested the AW3225QF in the following titles: Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Age of Empires IV, Helldivers 2, The Witcher 3, and Hellblade 2.

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The 32-inch size makes the AW3225QF a jack of all trades master of none, as it performed incredibly in every single game I threw at it, but didn't provide me that locked-in feel a 27-inch gaming monitor would have in first-person-shooter titles, nor was it as immersive as a 34-inch RPG experience. However, the AW3225QF is versatile and will make any game that you play look absolutely stunning. The rich, vibrant colors displayed in Cyberpunk 2077 and the lighting effects, thanks to Ray Tracing, made Cyberpunk 2077 shine.

Moreover, the AW3225QF is buttery smooth in first-person-shooter titles such as Overwatch 2 and Apex Legends. The 240Hz refresh rate paired with the 4K image clarity and the 0.03ms response time will make any gamer feel dangerous. It really shouldn't be understated the difference in "feel" between a gaming monitor with a 1ms+ response time and the almost instantaneous experience of 0.03ms. If you are an FPS gamer, I promise you that once you use a 0.03ms gaming monitor, you will not want to go back to anything slower than 1ms.

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Ultimately, the absolute best gaming experience that covers the widest variety of games can be had with the AW3225QF, as these combined specifications are what the majority of gamers are striving to get - 4K, 240Hz, 0.03ms response time all on a QD-OLED panel. This is enthusiast gaming and the AW3225QF provides that and more.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy the AW3225QF? Firstly, gaming monitors of this caliber are the cream of the crop, and at 32 inches, I believe we are looking at a competition of what brand can provide the most affordable jack-of-all-trades gaming monitor. For comparison, the MSI model is priced at $949, the ASUS model is priced at $1299, and the Alienware AW3225QF is priced at $1199.

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As I previously mentioned, all raw gaming performance between these monitors is essentially identical. So, someone choosing between these brands is choosing between aesthetics, connectivity options, and functionality. MSI has priced its variant extremely competitively at $949, and if you are just after raw performance and don't really care for the aesthetics/curve, I would recommend MSI's option. ASUS's model is priced at $1300, which is simply too high to recommend, considering its aesthetics and offerings are almost identical to MSI's variant.

So, where does the AW3225QF slot in? At $1199, it's hard for me to recommend the AW3225QF when the MSI variant is available. However, I really am a massive fan of the physical design of the AW3225QF, along with its OSD, easy-to-access connectivity options (despite their slow charging speed), and curved panel. I would recommend the AW3225QF over the two other options to someone who doesn't mind paying a little bit extra for a more aesthetically pleasing monitor, enjoys a curved panel, and isn't a fan of a gamery aesthetic.

Ultimately, each of the 32-inch QD-OLED gaming monitors mentioned in this review will provide a buyer with an unbeatable gaming experience that truly is representative of the edge of what's possible. QD-OLED gaming is simply incredible.