Alienware 34 QD-OLED review

The Alienware 34 QD OLED gaming monitor delivers stunning image quality and buttery smooth frame rates. Although it has a high price tag, it is worth the investment if you are a serious gaming enthusiast.

The Dell Alienware AW3423DW is the first of the new QD-OLED monitors, a new technology that combines the advantages of OLED and quantum dot displays to deliver a brighter, wider color gamut and perfect black levels than regular OLED displays.The Dell AW3423DW is ideal for gaming It has a built-in 175Hz high refresh rate with G-SYNC support and also performs FreeSync.

The near-instantaneous response time for high frame-rate signals provides low input lag and smooth motion, which increases slightly for low frame-rate signals. It also has an almost infinite contrast ratio, which makes blacks appear deeply blurred in dark rooms, but black levels increase and contrast degrades in bright rooms, making it ideal for gaming in dark areas.

This is the same technology as the Samsung S95B OLED TV. This is an ultra-wide gaming monitor with native G-SYNC Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support, and FreeSync also works. While OLED monitors are at risk of permanent burn-in when exposed to the same static elements over time, the monitor has several settings to reduce this problem, and Dell also offers a three-year replacement warranty against burn-in.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Design and Features

The overall build quality of this Alienware monitor is impressive. This is a fairly large display, not only in terms of screen size, but also its overall body. It’s a thick monitor in the middle that houses all of the associated G-Sync hardware, plus it’s curved and comes with a large, sturdy stand. While many of the exterior materials are plastic, this is a well-built product with tight seams and attention to detail. The front of the monitor is mostly black, so black bezels and black plastic, while the back is mostly white.

It’s kind of an unusual two-color setup, but it works. It somehow feels both gaming and yet clean and minimal at the same time. There is also RGB led strip lighting around the center pillar of the pillar, which gets pretty bright, as well as an illuminated alien logo. There are no complaints about the stand assembly, it is durable, supports height adjustment, and it can also be tilted and rotated. You can also replace the stand with a VESA mount adapter if you like.

The port selection has both good and bad aspects. I have a four-port USB hub in an easily accessible location on the bottom edge of the monitor, including one DisplayPort, two HDMI, and two USB ports. the DisplayPort 1.4 port supports refresh rates up to 175Hz, which is good, but 10bit and 175Hz cannot be used at the same time; it is limited to 8bit, and 10bit requires a refresh rate reduction to 144Hz.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Pricing

As if the Alienware 34 QD-OLED’s image quality isn’t enough to make it a winner, price solves the puzzle. Many of this monitor’s closest competitors are significantly more expensive. The Acer Predator X35 is a 200Hz QLED monitor with the same resolution that costs $2,500. The Asus monitor Swift PG35VQ is nearly identical and, again, costs over $2,000. Both of these panels are G-Sync Ultimate, but they are VA panels.

These displays were already too expensive, but now no one should buy them. The closest competitor is LG UltraGear 34GP950G. The IPS monitor has the same 3440 x 1440 resolution with a 180Hz refresh rate and is priced close to the $1,300 Alienware 34 QD-OLED. It’s even certified for DisplayHDR 600. However, Alienware 34 QD-OLED works around these monitors.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Calibration Settings

Initial measurements of the AW3423DW showed no need for calibration, but we found a slight improvement in quality when using the Custom Color mode and its RGB sliders. This brought the grayscale error to a very low level. Gamma tracks quite well, except for the darkest steps, which are too bright. This helps to detail the shadows at the expense of the deepest blacks. However, the contrast is still infinite because the black level is too low to be measured by any existing instruments.

If you prefer to use sRGB for SDR content, this gamut is available in Creator mode. You can also set the gamma from 1.8 to 2.6 in 0.2 increments. we ended up choosing this mode as my favorite because of the gamma settings. Use the following RGB values ​​for the custom color mode. Or use Creator mode, select your preferred gamma and set gamma to 2.4 for the best image.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Brightness and Contrast

In SDR mode, the screen’s brightness range is pretty decent, though it won’t be as high as many computers monitors if you have specific requirements. This should be a decent enough range for most users. At the top, the screen hit ~240 nits, which is slightly short of Dell’s claimed 250 nits, but pretty close. It can also go up to ~27 nits on the lowest setting, which is decent. The brightness setting in the OSD controls the linearity of the actual output brightness.

We’ve also provided a few recommended settings to achieve overall brightness levels of 200, 150, and 120 nits on the table. Obviously, one of the key advantages of this OLED panel is the fact that it can produce true blacks. Each pixel can be completely turned off individually, resulting in a virtually infinite contrast ratio.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Ports and Connectivity

The AW3423DW comes with all the ports you’d expect from a gaming monitor, including 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, 1 DisplayPort 1.4 port, and 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports for connecting peripherals. There is also 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 upstream port for connecting to a PC. Unfortunately, there’s no HDMI 2.1 here, meaning you’ll have to rely on a single DisplayPort if you want to run games at the monitor’s native resolution (3440 x 1440) and max refresh rate (175Hz).

Like many other gaming monitors, the AW3423DW does not include a USB-C port for connecting a laptop with a single cable. It is also worth noting that the AW3423DW does not have built-in speakers, so you will have to rely on the included headphone amp for sound. Note that Alienware includes a number of cables, including a mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable, a regular DisplayPort cable, two HDMI cables, and one USB 3.2 Gen1 upstream cable.

Aspect Ratio and Refresh Rate

Alienware’s decision to use an ultra-wide screen for its first QD-OLED monitor was a coup. While a regular 16:9 widescreen makes sense for a living room, a 21:9 ultrawide screen is much more practical on a desk, with extra horizontal space making it easier to work with multiple apps at the same time. It’s also much cleaner than a multiple display setup. The 34-inch ultra-wide screen has a smooth curve that wraps the content on the screen around your field of view when viewed at a normal desktop distance, eliminating the need to constantly crane your neck.

The curve only adds to the immersion factor when playing games. We also have to commend Alienware’s decision not to use insanely high resolutions. The 3440 x 1440 resolution makes it easy to use the monitor to its fullest with higher frame rates, while still looking reasonably crisp in normal desktop use.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Controls and Menu

Unlike other Alienware displays, this model includes only one 5-axis joystick for OSD (OSD) control. Most of the buttons and controls are located on the right side, but on an ultra-wide screen, it’s more convenient to be centered. The power button, meanwhile, is located on the right below the screen.

The problem with having only a joystick instead of buttons? It takes a couple more clicks to get to the brightness or volume controls than we would have preferred. It’s not scary, but it can be annoying sometimes. A couple of clicks and you’ll find six preset modes offered in the menu: Standard, Creator, FPS, MOBA/RTS, RPG and Sports. You also get two gaming customizable presets.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED review: Performance

The AW3423DW is great for gaming. This is without a doubt the best gaming monitor we have ever used. An OLED panel with Quantum Dot technology is nothing short of a glimpse into the future of gaming monitors, and it’s a joy to use. Its closest competitor, the Acer X35, pales in comparison, as does every other LCD monitor we are tested. OLED is a game changer for PC with HDR. Before jumping into actual gaming, it’s worth checking out some of Dell’s claims about this display’s response time.

OLED is inherently much faster than LCD, and it works very effectively here, offering great responsiveness. Starting with the Blur Busters UFO test, the display shows extremely impressive results. Without the need for an overdrive setting, the bottom two rows are ghost-free. Small halos appear only in the top row, but they are completely invisible without image capture by a high-speed camera.

Final Words

In our opinion, the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is the best PC gaming monitor available right now. Pay attention to the qualifiers “PC” and “gaming” monitor – we will explain. There is no doubt that the OLED panel offers amazing performance and features that greatly differentiate it from desktop LCD monitors in several areas for gaming.

Dian Erwin
Dian Erwin
Dian Erwin is a review writer for Bollyinside, covering topics related to computing, such as laptops, tablets, phones, and other hardware. Dian spends much too much of his free time on Twitter, reading speculative fiction novels, playing video games, and reading comic books. He also enjoys reading video game manuals.

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With the AW3423DW, Alienware has brought the best display technology to the desktop. With infinite contrast and a huge color gamut, it offers a stunning picture with accurate colors without the need for calibration.Alienware 34 QD-OLED review