Summary
I’m in two minds about theAlienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED (AW3425DW). It’s another excellent refresh to the brand’s line of curved ultrawide monitors, which ultimately matters most. But, as someone who uses the previous iteration daily, it plays things too safe to be particularly exciting.
Alienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW3425DW)
A 34-inch 1440p QD-OLED curved ultrawide monitor with a 240 Hz refresh rate and a small base that reduces its desktop footprint.
Price and Availability
The Alienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED (AW3425DW) retails for $799.99 and comes with a power cord, one DisplayPort 1.4 cable, one HDMI 2.1 cable, one USB-A to USB-B 5 Gbps cable, and a microfiber cloth. All the cables measure 5.9 feet long.
A Smaller Base Makes a Big Difference
Alienware overhauled the design of all its monitors as a30th anniversary initiative, but I feel that gimmicky branding does the glow-up a disservice as the AW3425DW saves a ton of desk space while looking sleeker than ever.
The base has a tiny footprint of 10.63 x 9.13 inches and sits almost entirely behind the screen. It’s the exact same design I loved in theAlienware AW2725Qwhen I reviewed that monitor earlier this year, though it’s a little more impressive here given the size of the ultrawide display. More importantly, it’s a major upgrade from the V-shaped legs that jut out of theAW3423DWF (the former curved ultrawide model). Swapping in the new monitor immediately made my desk feel less chaotically cluttered while freeing up space for my keyboard and mouse pad. It’s easily my favorite thing about the AW3425DW.
There is a minor trade-off in how the screen wobbles when touched. It feels a touch less secure than the previous design and is prone to shake if the surface it’s on isn’t sturdy. It didn’t feel insecure and didn’t cause me any issues, so this shouldn’t prove an issue for most people. I’d take a slightly less fastened screen in exchange for a smaller base any day, so Alienware made the right choice here.
Speaking to the overall visual design of the AW3425DW, the navy blue that Alienware has implemented across its 2025 lineup of monitors retains its mature flair. It’s dark-toned enough that it’ll blend in with black color-coordinated setups. I do wish Alienware offered black and white variants to accommodate the preferences of different users, but I’m also glad to see the brand shaking gaming peripheral stereotypes.
One design aspect of Alienware really needs to reassess in its monitors is the thick, uneven bezel around the screen with branding on the bottom. When direct competitors like theLG 34GS95QEoffer uniform, thin bezels without branding, Alienware’s approach feels a bit aged and tacky. It’s not something I notice often while using the monitor, but it’s a bit of an eye-sore otherwise.
240 Hz Meets Modern Standards
The AW3425DW features a 240 Hz refresh rate and .03 ms response time, up from the previous model’s 165 Hz and .1 ms. This is the major performance enhancement that sets the two models apart and brings the monitor up to par with the competition.
Potato-ready games which easily maintain 240 FPS, likeBalatroandMonster Train 2,felt notably snappier. Others that my 4080 Super runs in ultrawide at more modest framerates, likeClair Obscur: Expedition 33andDoom: The Dark Ages,still benefit from faster response times.G-Syncis doing its usual heavy lifting here by adjusting the framerate of the monitor to that of a game, so you’re really only getting the full benefit of 240 Hz when your graphics card can support it.
The HDMI ports got a bump up to 2.1 to support the increased refresh rate. One of these replaced one of the two DisplayPort 1.4 ports on the prior monitor. Unfortunately, DisplayPort didn’t similarly get a bump to 2.1 here. Even if this monitor doesn’t stand to benefit much from DisplayPort 2.1, the higher bandwidth would still have provided a slight performance gain that would’ve kept the DisplayPort port competitive. Other monitors in this category usually support DisplayPort 1.4, so I can’t hold this against Alienware too much other than to say it adds to the sense the brand is playing catch-up rather than acting as an industry leader.
Where Are the HDR Upgrades?
One of the major features of the Alienware AW2725Q was the inclusion ofDolby Vision HDR. This technology differs from the more typical HDR10 by making brightness and color adjustments on a per-frame basis. In my experience, this results in a brighter, richer image. It’s not a feature that every game with HDR supports, but enough now do that it should be a priority for manufacturers to support it in premium monitors.
Sadly, the AW3425DW doesn’t include this feature despite Alienware implementing it elsewhere. This leaves the monitor with a QD-OLED panel that only differs from its predecessor in refresh rate. On the bright side, SDR content still looks vibrant, and with a maximum brightness of 1000 nits, the HDR is still pretty effective relative to what computer monitors typically offer. Plus, this is all building off the fact that the QD-OLED screen’s perfect contrast already does a ton of heavy lifting to make content look great.
One thing I’m glad Alienware didn’t change about the monitor is its 1800 R curvature. Whereas many curved monitors have sharper curves to increase immersion, this slightly flatter take still fills your field of view when you get up close and personal while also feeling natural from a distance. As someone who plays PC games with a controller often, this is important to me. I also personally feel pillarboxed aspect ratios read a bit better at a lower curvature. This is a major reason why I opt for Alienware’s curved ultrawide monitors for my own use.
An Excellent User Interface
Controlling the user interfaces of computer monitors can be an absolute pain, but Alienware makes it easy with a clean menu design and a joystick-like nub that makes navigating it easy. Once you’ve got a feel for the layout, it takes only seconds to jump in and tweak a setting.
If you don’t want to fiddle with hardware menus, the AlienFX app can make many of the same tweaks, largely without needing to plug in the USB-B cable. While the layout has room for improvement, it’s good to have options.
Should You Buy the Alienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED (AW3425DW)?
If you’re in the market for an ultrawide gaming monitor, theAlienware 34 240Hz QD-OLED (AW3425DW)is easily one of the best 1440p options. Its new design and higher refresh rate are great upgrades, and there aren’t any meaningful downgrades for them. Buy this with confidence.
However, if you’re looking at the AW3425DW as an upgrade prospect from a last-gen monitor, that’s a much tougher sell. The gains are minor compared to its hefty price tag. While I can appreciate the “ain’t broke, don’t fix” mentality, I do hope Alienware takes some bolder swings next time.
