Alienware AW3425DW Gaming Monitor Review - 34-inch 240Hz QD-OLED for $800

TweakTown Rating: 90%

Our Verdict

The Alienware AW3425DW is a 240Hz QD-OLED ultrawide gaming monitor that undercuts the competition. However, it has text fringing problems, and has dropped some features compared to the competition.

Pros

• Gaming performance
• Image quality
• Physical aesthetics
• Price

Cons

• No 3.5mm headphone jack
• Text fringing
• Second-generation QD-OLED panel

Should you buy it?

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Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

OLED gaming monitors have been, for quite some time, the best gaming monitors that money can buy, and now the 34-inch Ultrawide models are getting a refresh rate increase, while maintaining a reasonable price tag.

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Introducing the Alienware AW3425DW, a 34-inch 3440 x 1440 (UW-QHD) resolution gaming monitor that features a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms (GtG) response time. Alienware has priced this display at $800, which is extremely competitive in the QD-OLED ultrawide sub-category of gaming monitors, as it undercuts the competition by at least $100 by dropping some features in pursuit of affordability. Notably, this does not take into account the fluctuating discounts these monitors frequently experience through retailers, only their MSRP.

Alienware has adhered to its strategy, as evident in all the gaming monitors I have reviewed - identify what gamers value most in a gaming monitor, incorporate those features, and eliminate any unnecessary extras to maintain a competitive price. The AW3425DW is no different; this curved 34-inch QD-OLED panel is an upgraded version of the previously released AW3423DWF, a 34-inch display that tops out at 165Hz and features Samsung's first-generation QD-OLED panel technology.

The AW3425DW has taken things to the next level with Samsung's second-generation QD-OLED panel, offering a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, improved response time, redesigned aesthetics, and more competitive pricing.

Specifications

Close-up

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Design

The AW3425DW includes the AW30 design language and color scheme, which Alienware has implemented across its entire line of new gaming monitors, regardless of the pixel technology being used. Personally, I'm a massive fan of this design language as it makes Alienware stand out in what is a sea of predominantly black gaming monitors. The design language is called "Interstellar Indigo," and it includes a sleek, subtly futuristic finish with minimalistic accents and refined RGB lighting in the form of an Alienware logo on the left-hand back side of the monitor.

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Alienware has integrated a 360-degree ventilation system on the back of the monitor, which can be identified by the circular grill holes located around the back of the monitor. The shell of the monitor is made of high-quality plastic that doesn't creak too much when flexed or moved. Since the monitor is constructed of plastic, it has dramatically reduced the total weight of the display to just 11.20 lbs without the stand. With the stand, 17.95 lbs. This low weight without the stand makes it suitable for a monitor arm that isn't too expensive, as the AW3425DW also comes with 100 x 100mm VESA mounting support.

If monitor arms aren't what you want, the stand does come with some adjustability. More importantly, the stand's base is monolithic and measures just 27cm wide (10.63 inches), meaning it's quite compact and takes up very little desktop real estate. The AW3425DW features a 1800R curvature, making the display immersive yet quite desktop-friendly. The curve isn't very severe at all, and after just 5 to 10 minutes of use, I no longer noticed it.

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Moving to the connectivity options, the AW3425DW features 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (with DSC), 2x HDMI 2.1 ports, which both support the full 240Hz refresh rate, and a USB Hub that includes 1x USB-A (downstream), 1x USB-C (data + 15W power delivery), and 1x USB-B (upstream). For extra convenience, Alienware has placed the USB-A and USB-C ports on the underside of the monitor's chin, making them easier to access than having to stand up and turn the monitor around to locate the ports on the back of the display.

Also located on the underside of the AW3425DW is the multi-directional joystick, which is used to control the On-Screen Display (OSD) options, which I will get into in the Panel Breakdown section of the review. Keeping to the physical aspect, the stand on the AW3425DW features a circular hole about halfway up the stand. This hole is intended for cable routing, which maintains a more organized and cleaner appearance in a home setup.

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Ultimately, the AW3425DW is designed beautifully like any other modern Alienware gaming monitor. The Interstellar Indigo designed language is smart, minimalistic, subtle, and sleek. Personally, it's one of my favorite design languages by any company making gaming monitors.

Panel Breakdown

The AW3425DW rocks a second-generation QD-OLED panel from Samsung Display, which is an upgrade over the first-generation QD-OLED panel in the AW3423DWF, which only featured a 165Hz refresh rate compared to the 240Hz in the second-generation panel. Additionally, that isn't the only upgrade between generations, as the subpixel layout in the second-generation panel has been further optimized to reduce fringing on small text, particularly on white backgrounds.

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Unfortunately, this problem wasn't entirely squashed in the second-generation panel, but it's considerably better than the first-generation. After testing third-generation QD-OLED panels from Samsung, I can say the text fringing issue has been reduced so much it's barely noticeable, making those displays recommendable for gaming and word processing tasks.

As for the AW3425DW, I can only recommend this panel for light word processing tasks, such as checking emails or responding to messages, as the fringing is still quite an issue. For comparison, it's nowhere near as sharp as an IPS panel or some of LG's later-generation WOLED panels. Ultimately, this is a gaming monitor first, and it's only in Samsung's third-generation QD-OLED panels that I can begin to give them a stamp of approval for heavy word processing tasks, such as writing/reading a review of this length.

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At 34 inches and a resolution of 3440 x 1440, the AW3425DW boasts a pixel density of 110 pixels per inch, which aligns with the recommended PPI for any gaming monitor. As for other specifications, the AW3425DW has a low brightness of 250 nits and does come with support for HDR. However, I wouldn't recommend turning it on as the panel just can't get bright enough to warrant it being switched on.

It's quite clear that Alienware has thrown its eggs in the image quality, refresh rate, and response time basket, making the AW3425DW really angled toward gaming-oriented specifications. At a 0.03ms (GtG) and 240Hz refresh rate, users can happily drive the AW3425DW in first-person shooter titles and have absolutely no problems whatsoever. Since it's an OLED panel, the AW3425DW comes with a near infinite contrast ratio, and blacks are true black as the pixels are actually turning off instead of dimming.

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I previously mentioned that the AW3425DW is quite dim, and out of the box, I found that it did need some adjustment. This was easily achieved by pressing the multi-directional joystick and navigating to the brightness setting. I bumped the brightness setting up to 80, which was where I found the brightness to be the most comfortable in the various scenarios I was putting it through.

Performance

As with all of my gaming monitor reviews, I like to run the display I have under the spotlight through a variety of different games to see which type of gamer would best enjoy the display. That way, you can rule yourself in or out depending on what type of games you play. Here are the games I tested on the AW3425DW: Overwatch 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, League of Legends, God of War: Ragnarok, Cyberpunk 2077, Valorant, Apex Legends, Age of Mythology: Retold, Black Myth: Wukong, Counter Strike 2, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

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As the AW3425DW is an ultrawide monitor, I wouldn't typically recommend it for first-person shooter titles, as many of the most-played games in this genre lack native ultrawide support. This means that these games are natively rendered at a 16:9 aspect ratio and then stretched to fit the 21:9 aspect ratio.

However, in the titles that do, the AW3425DW kicked ass. With its 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms (GtG) response time, the AW3425DW was a pleasure to play competitive first-person shooter games on. Titles such as Overwatch 2, Counter-Strike 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and even Apex Legends, even though it doesn't natively support ultrawide, all felt fantastic to play, and were able to push up to the 240Hz refresh rate ceiling.

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Additionally, titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Black Myth: Wukong, and League of Legends all looked fantastic on the AW3425DW, with the QD-OLED panel being able to provide rich, milky, and vibrant colors where it mattered most. Furthermore, I believe 34 inches is the perfect size for a versatile ultrawide display; any bigger and the display begins to rule out certain genres and becomes more purpose-built.

For example, super ultrawides, which are 49 inches, aren't good to play first-person-shooter games on, but are fantastic for titles such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza, and other racing games. Thirty-four inches is a perfect middle ground, being able to play a variety of titles competently.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy the Alienware AW3425DW? I can comfortably recommend the AW3425DW to any gamer looking to upgrade from a 1080p/60Hz or 144Hz gaming monitor who is willing to sacrifice some extra features to save money.

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As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, Alienware has dropped some key features with the AW3425DW to maintain a competitive price point and undercut the competition. I would consider that goal achieved, and if you are looking at purchasing an ultrawide display, the AW3425DW is a great option.

However, the AW3425DW should predominantly be used for games, and only light word processing tasks, which does kind of suck for an ultrawide display, as they really excel at word processing given the desktop real-estate.