Alienware AW3425DW review: This OLED is aggressive on pricing and image quality

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OLED monitors are incredibly prolific, so much so that it’s easy to forget they weren’t really a thing just five years ago. The Alienware AW3423WF was arguably the monitor that changed that, but it’s now several years old. So, Dell has discontinued the AW3423DWF in favor of a successor: the Alienware AW3425DW.

Like its predecessor, the AW3425DW is a 34-inch ultrawide with 3440×1440 resolution, but it now has support for refresh rates up to 240Hz. While not necessarily the most impressive OLED monitor on the market, the AW3425DW’s design and pricing make it a sensible choice.

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best ultrawide monitors for comparison.

Alienware AW3425DW specs and features

The Alienware AW3425DW’s basic specifications don’t look much different from its predecessor. This is still a 34-inch ultrawide monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a display resolution of 3440×1440. It still has a Samsung QD-OLED panel, too, although the refresh rate has increased to 240Hz.

• Display size: 34.2-inch 21:9 aspect ratio
• Native resolution: 3440×1440
• Panel type: Samsung QD-OLED 10-bit
• Refresh rate: 240Hz
• Adaptive sync: Yes, VESA Adaptive Sync, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• HDR: HDR 10
• Ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB 5Gbps Type-B, 1x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB-C 5Gbps with 15 watts charging
• Additional features: AlienFX
• Audio: None
• Warranty: 3-year warranty
• Price: $799.99 MSRP

The monitor unfortunately lacks a USB-C input, which is disappointing for a premium monitor sold in 2025. On the plus side, however, the monitor provides official compatibility with VESA Adaptive Sync, Nvidia G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, so you should enjoy smooth pacing no matter what video card you use.

Pricing might be the most appealing specification as the monitor retails with an MSRP of just $799.99. Older QD-OLED ultrawide monitors currently sell around $700 or slightly below, so you’re only paying a roughly $100 premium for a newer QD-OLED panel with a higher refresh rate.

Alienware AW3425DW design

The Alienware AW3425DW’s design doesn’t follow the same script as its predecessor. Like other recent Alienware monitors, it ditches the older model’s retro-futuristic vibe for a curved, organic look. It’s also available in just one color: dark blue.

To be honest, I don’t much like the look of it. I think it’s a clear downgrade from Alienware’s earlier models, which seemed more premium. The AW3425DW also reduces the RGB-LED lighting elements found on earlier models. Only the Alienware logo and the power button provide RGB-LED lighting, and both are rather small.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

It’s not all bad news, though. While the design isn’t remarkable, it’s inoffensive, and the monitor feels solid in-hand. I also like the monitor’s subtle curve. Personally, I prefer flat-screen ultrawides (in the 34-inch size, at least). The AW3425DW isn’t flat, but the curve is often unnoticeable in day-to-day use.

I also like the small and compact stand, which minimizes the monitor’s impact on your desk. It’s an upgrade over the large, wing-shaped stand that shipped with the AW3423DWF. Like its predecessor, and most competitors, the AW3425DW’s stand adjusts for height, tilt, and swivel. It can also “slant” up to five degrees for fine-tuning the angle at which the panel sits relative to your desk.

A 100x100mm VESA mount is available for connecting a third-party monitor stand or arm.

Alienware AW3425DW connectivity

The Alienware AW3425DW’s video connectivity includes two HDMI 2.1 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4, all of which can handle the monitor’s full refresh rate and resolution.

What you won’t find, however, is a USB-C port with DisplayPort and USB Power Delivery. Many competitive monitors now offer USB-C with Power Delivery, so the lack of USB-C is notable. The lack of USB-C also means the monitor doesn’t have a KVM switch.

The monitor’s downstream USB connectivity doesn’t impress, either. It has just one USB-A downstream port and one USB-C downstream port. The USB-C port offers 15 watts of Power Delivery, and both ports provide 5Gbps of data. Because the AW3425DW doesn’t have USB-C upstream, owners instead need to connect their PC to the monitor over a USB-B upstream connection (a USB-A to USB-B cable is included in the box).

You won’t find a 3.5mm audio-out jack for audio passthrough, either. This is unusual for a gaming monitor in 2025, and it’s bad news if you use headphones with a 3.5mm connector.

In short, the AW3425DW’s connectivity is as basic as it gets for an OLED monitor in 2025. This is exactly the opposite of what I would have expected, as most of Alienware’s competitors are going all-in on USB-C.

However, USB-C carries a premium, and competitors with it are often more expensive. The MSI MPG 341CQPX is very similar to the AW3425DW but offers USB-C with 98 watts of Power Delivery, and it retails at $899.99.

Alienware AW3425DW menus and features

Owners can control the Alienware AW3425DW’s options with a joystick centered behind the monitor’s lower bezel. This is a typical arrangement for a 34-inch monitor, and the AW3425DW’s joystick feels responsive.

The monitor’s features can also be changed through Alienware’s Command Center software. It’s an attractive utility that provides quick access to many monitor settings including brightness, contrast, and input, to name a few. It doesn’t offer adjustment for gamma or color temperature, however.

The AW3425DW’s range of image quality options is decent, though there’s still room for improvement. Alienware provides a Creator image mode preset, which has sub-modes for sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut, as well as gamma calibration which targets precise values.

However, this mode doesn’t allow for color saturation, temperature, gain, and offset adjustments. These instead are found in different modes; all game modes, as well as the custom color mode, provide significant color calibration. There’s enough here for most users to calibrate the monitor’s image quality as desired, but it’s odd that Alienware doesn’t provide an image mode that allows adjustment for all the above simultaneously.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Moving beyond image quality, the AW3425DW offers a good range of gaming-centric features. It has a dark stabilizer, which can increase brightness in dark scenes to make enemies easier to see, plus an on-screen crosshair, timer, and FPS monitor. Gamers can also customize and select from three Alienvision presets, which apply some of these features to a limited portion of the display (sort of like looking down the scope of a gun in an FPS game).

One feature you won’t find is a pair of built-in speakers. This is common among gaming monitors, as built-in speakers rarely perform well enough to do games justice. Still, the lack of built-in speakers means you’ll have to use headphones or desktop speakers if you want to hear anything at all.

Much as with connectivity, the AW3425DW’s feature set feels built to a budget. It covers the basics but doesn’t provide any significant features not available from competitors.

Alienware AW3425DW image quality

The Alienware AW3425DW has a Samsung QD-OLED panel with a refresh rate of 240Hz. Monitors with QD-OLED panels tend to look great in SDR (as well as HDR), but there’s often not much difference between monitors from different manufacturers. The AW3425DW doesn’t change that trend, though it does score a few small victories.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness. As expected, all the OLED monitors performed more or less the same. The Alienware AW3425DW’s maximum sustained SDR brightness of 258 nits is a little higher than some QD-OLED alternatives, but in the real world, these results will look rather similar.

It should also be noted that the LG Ultragear OLED 45GX950A-B scored the highest of the monitors used for comparison, and it uses an LG WOLED panel. So, if you do want the best SDR brightness, you might want to look at that monitor, although it is quite a bit larger than the 34-inch alternatives.

Even so, the Alienware AW3425DW’s SDR brightness is more than adequate for use in a typical home office or a gaming den. However, if you’re trying to use it in a brightly lit room or room with large windows that don’t have shades or blinds, it might not be bright enough. Also, the AW3425DW has a rather glossy finish over the display panel, which can make glare more obvious.