Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Review: Contrast and Color for Days

The Alienware AW3423DWF is a 34-inch 21:9 QD-OLED gaming monitor with 3440x1440 resolution, 1800R curvature, HDR 1000, extended color, Adaptive-Sync, 165 Hz and infinite contrast.

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Alienware AW3423DWF
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(Image: © Dell)

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It's likely that LCD will remain the dominant flat panel technology for the foreseeable future. However, OLED will always have a picture quality advantage thanks to its higher contrast. The ability to produce a true black, as in a pixel that’s completely extinguished, is something LCD cannot do. Its light valve operation means that the backlight will always be a factor.

OLED is a rare thing in computer monitors, but unless you need a lot of light output, it is the best choice for gaming and entertainment. It doesn’t require overdrive to achieve smooth motion processing. And the latest QD-OLED panels boast very large color gamuts. Those concerned with burn-in can trust the panel maintenance features built into displays like the Alienware AW3423DWF.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

As a gaming monitor, the AW3423DWF is unparalleled. The picture is beyond stunning for both SDR and HDR content. Color is richly saturated and vivid. Contrast is phenomenal and the clarity is fantastic. Accuracy proved to be a non-issue, with no calibration required. With the available Creator mode, I could call up an equally accurate sRGB mode when needed. And the gamma issues I noted in my review of the AW3423DW have been rectified. The monitor excelled in every color test with results that rival any professional display.

Motion processing is also above the norm. Though it runs at 165 Hz, the AW3423DWF delivers the smoothness of a faster monitor. It will easily have you thinking it runs at 200 or 240 Hz. There’s no tweaking of overdrive necessary either. It just does its thing without fuss. And it eliminates frame tears with equal precision for both FreeSync and G-Sync systems. I also noted that it had lower input lag than its stablemate AW3423DW, beating the other 165 Hz screens for overall quickness.

At $1,100, the AW3423DWF is undoubtedly a premium display. But it’s a good value considering the superb picture quality and gaming performance. Unless you need even more speed, it’s hard to imagine a better gaming monitor. I’ll have a hard time sending this one back.

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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.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • SpadeM
    What FW version did this ship with?
    Reply
  • s1aver
    Great now I really don't know which to get. The input lag is better than the AW3423DW but EOTF in HDR 1000 which tracked perfectly for the AW3423DW, for the AW3423DWF is a mess.
    Reply
  • ssj3rd
    Is 10 Bit with 165hz (DSC) possible now? And not a word about the Fan(s)/Cooling/Noises?
    Reply
  • ikernelpro4
    s1aver said:
    Great now I really don't know which to get. The input lag is better than the AW3423DW but EOTF in HDR 1000 which tracked perfectly for the AW3423DW, for the AW3423DWF is a mess.
    input lag doesn't exist, get over it.
    Reply
  • anonymousdude
    SpadeM said:
    What FW version did this ship with?

    Updateable firmware and the first update supposedly only affects the fan, so all results should be valid here.

    ssj3rd said:
    Is 10 Bit with 165hz (DSC) possible now? And not a word about the Fan(s)/Cooling/Noises?

    No DSC. Also no 10 bit 144hz like the DW had in its supported resolutions weirdly enough. So if you want that you'll have to use a custom resolution though I have seen people having trouble getting that working. 10 bit 120hz is confirmed to work as a custom resolution though.
    Reply
  • kiniku
    "Alienware, like its parent company Dell, ships its monitors in sustainable packaging where most of it is recyclable." I've been holding out on buying a $1000.00+ monitor until now. that sold me today.
    Reply
  • s1aver
    anonymousdude said:
    Updateable firmware and the first update supposedly only affects the fan, so all results should be valid here.



    No DSC. Also no 10 bit 144hz like the DW had in its supported resolutions weirdly enough. So if you want that you'll have to use a custom resolution though I have seen people having trouble getting that working. 10 bit 120hz is confirmed to work as a custom resolution though.

    DWF has a higher pixel clock this why it can only 120hz. If 144hz at Displayport 1.4 HBR3 limit by 103% so even custom res would kick you to 8bit at 144hz. If account lag and response the DWF is probably faster at 120Hz than DW at 144Hz. Though like I mentioned above bad HDR 1000 EOTF tracking on DWF vs the DW is a deal breaker for me. Hopefully they fix via firmware update.
    Reply
  • PsychicAnomaly
    Something doesn't make sense, how is there a 7ms difference between dw and dwf when dw has under 5ms signal processing time (source:TFT)
    Reply
  • s1aver
    Can you guys test the HDR 1000 EOTF with source tone mapping enabled( game>console>and source tone map in the monitor controls ) and see if fixes the EOTF tracking? Ppl are suggesting it does but no one has actually tested it. Please confirm. Thanks
    Reply