Alienware AW3425DW WQHD QD-OLED review: Near-perfect color and premium performance

34-inch WQHD curved ultra-wide 21:9 QD-OLED gaming monitor with 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and wide gamut color

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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

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Alienware AW3425DW
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Measuring both window and full field patterns reveals that the AW3425DW does not employ variable brightness in SDR mode. There is no option for it, so the peak will always be around the 259 nits I measured. This is in the category of “not super bright but more than bright enough.” A screen this large doesn’t need 400 nits to look good in a sunlit room. Even the 200 nits I use for testing were plenty. My only nitpick is that I’d like the option to have variable brightness for SDR to add impact in games and video content.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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Alienware AW3425DW
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

I could have ended my calibration after dialing down the brightness to 200 nits, but I tweaked the Custom Color mode’s RGB sliders for a tiny gain in accuracy. This doesn’t affect contrast which thanks to the AW3425DW infinite black levels, is unmeasurable. The ANSI test yields the same result, which is typical OLED brightness and contrast performance.

Test Takeaway: The AW3425DW doesn’t include variable brightness for SDR, so some competing panels have brighter peak values. You’ll need to measure a 25% window to see the difference, but in games and video, their highlights will be brighter. That said, the AW3425DW is plenty bright and will satisfy anyone’s lust for OLED’s incredible contrast and black levels.

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Morgan xXx
    Admin said:
    Alienware delivers on all counts with its AW3425DW. It’s a 34-inch curved ultra-wide QD-OLED panel with WQHD resolution, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10 and wide gamut color. It couples near-perfect color accuracy with premium gaming performance.

    Alienware AW3425DW WQHD QD-OLED review: Near-perfect color and premium performance : Read more

    Are there any issues with Auto Dimming? I'm still with an LG C2 OLED (may go to C4) because it is thus far, the only OLED that allows you to turn off Auto Dimming, or ASBL, using the service menu in SDR. When gaming in HDR ASBL is on, but PC work is in SDR and it's great to have it off.

    I'd like to go with an OLED monitor for Display Port and usually a KVM, but inability to turn off ASBL is a deal breaker for me.
    Reply
  • Elrabin
    Morgan xXx said:
    Are there any issues with Auto Dimming? I'm still with an LG C2 OLED (may go to C4) because it is thus far, the only OLED that allows you to turn off Auto Dimming, or ASBL, using the service menu in SDR. When gaming in HDR ASBL is on, but PC work is in SDR and it's great to have it off.

    I'd like to go with an OLED monitor for Display Port and usually a KVM, but inability to turn off ASBL is a deal breaker for me.
    I have its predecessor, the AW3423DWF and if you set it to the TrueBlack400 setting, there is no auto dimming enabled.

    I'd be really surprised if this one isn't set up similarly.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    Morgan xXx said:
    Are there any issues with Auto Dimming?
    I have it and haven't used it outside of TrueBlack, but can confirm I've noticed no such thing there. I've only noticed panel refresh when the display turns off (either via PC or manually) and this process can be interrupted if you're resuming usage.
    Morgan xXx said:
    I'd like to go with an OLED monitor for Display Port and usually a KVM, but inability to turn off ASBL is a deal breaker for me.
    Keep in mind using DP with 240Hz refresh requires DSC which has its own set of downsides which may or may not be important for your use case.
    Reply
  • Makaveli
    Great for gaming no doubt but how is this monitor for rendering text?

    Can this be used 8 hours a day for work also?
    Reply
  • Elrabin
    Makaveli said:
    Great for gaming no doubt but how is this monitor for rendering text?

    Can this be used 8 hours a day for work also?
    I've had the Alienware 3423DWF(this monitor's predecessor) for over 2 years so far and it's on 8 hours a day for work and at least a couple hours a night for gaming/watching streaming.

    I do the pixel refresh every 4 or so hours of use when it reminds me to do so. I just finish what i'm doing when i get the popup, lock my PC and go take a walk or change out laundry or some other 5 minute chore and by the time I get back, it's done

    Text looks no different than my high end IPS monitors
    Reply
  • thestryker
    Makaveli said:
    Great for gaming no doubt but how is this monitor for rendering text?
    I think it depends on what you're doing and how sensitive you are. The subpixel layout is the same as the Gen 1 QD-OLED panels despite being a Gen 2 panel. My secondary display is slightly better text wise, but not to the degree that I'm bothered by the AW display.
    Reply