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The high-end Dell Alienware AW3423DW excels at PC gaming and nighttime movie viewing thanks to its vibrant colors, deep blacks, and speedy response times.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
Released in 2022, the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is a high-end, QD-OLED gaming monitor featuring an anti-reflective coating on its curved screen. There are two HDMI sockets, a DisplayPort, a headphone port, and four USB type-A downstream ports. Like the best computer monitors, it boasts 1000 nits peak brightness and infinite contrast ratio. The monitor also allows for tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
Similar to the best gaming monitor, its refresh rate goes up to 175 Hz, and it supports NVIDIA and G-SYNC. Its 3-year limited hardware warranty covers OLED-burn in, and it employs low-blue light screen technology. For a responsive gaming monitor with a VA panel, read our Nixeus EDG 34 review.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DW excels in dim-light movie watching and competitive gaming with its 1000-nit peak brightness, rich blacks, and vast color gamut. However, the automatic brightness limiter kicks in when the screen is predominantly white, resulting in a washed-out appearance. The low input lag (4.3 ms) and speedy response time (1.4 ms) provide an immersive and ultra-smooth gaming experience. Its viewing angles are wide, with colors washing out only after 70°.
The monitor features a 175 Hz native refresh rate for handling fast-paced action scenes and incorporates FreeSync and G-SYNC VRR for tear-free gaming. That said, console gamers may be disappointed since the HDMI interfaces are restricted to a 100Hz refresh rate, impacting seamless gameplay. Despite this, the premium price tag is justified, given its exceptional value.
ReasonS to Buy
Spectacular image quality
Designed for watching movies and gaming in the dark, the Dell Alienware AW3423DW’s quantum dot OLED panel boasts a high 1000-nit peak brightness, which is among the highest we’ve tested. It has a wide color gamut (near-perfect 99.3% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space), its color accuracy is outstanding, and nighttime viewing displays inky blacks thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio (which is at the top of our tested devices).
Ultra-fast response time
You won’t notice any motion blur while gaming, given its snappy response times of 1.4 ms at 175 Hz, 1.9 ms at 120 Hz, and 3.3 ms at 60 Hz (ranking among the best out of our certified, tested monitors).
Low Input lag
The monitor is outstanding for quick command execution for competitive games since the input lag has reduced drastically (4.3 ms at max Hz) after the Dec 2023 firmware update.
High native refresh rate
Gaming is as smooth as it gets thanks to the 175 Hz native refresh rate, and you get tear-free precision with FreeSync and G-SYNC VRR.
Reason to Avoid
Bright surroundings reduce black levels
When the screen is white and bright (like while editing a document), the automatic brightness limiter causes the screen to appear washed out.
Not suited for gaming consoles
Its gaming experience is suboptimal as a PS5 and Xbox Series X monitor. While the consoles can support a higher refresh rate, the HDMI ports’ low 100 Hz refresh rate doesn’t fully use the console’s capabilities. For superior PS5 and Xbox compatibility, check out our Tempest GP27U review.
Dell Alienware AW3423DW Specs
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Available Inputs
3.5mm, DisplayPort, HDMI, USB
Bluelight Filter
Yes
Built-In Speakers
No
Built-In Webcam
No
Curved Screen
Yes
Display Type
OLED
Flicker Free
Yes
HDMI Inputs
1
HDR Format
HDR10, HDR400
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Yes
Max Resolution
3440 × 1440
Panel Type
n/a
Refresh Rate
165 Hz
Response Time
0.1 ms
Rotating Screen
No
Screen size
34"
Sync Technology
AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync Ultimate
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Computer Monitors based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Brightness (nits)
241.3944
Contrast Ratio (as ratio, x:1)
0
Color Gamut/Accuracy % (DCI P3 xy)
99.8057
Color Gamut/Accuracy % (DCI P3 uv)
0
Color Gamut % (Adobe RGB Coverage xy)
95.76
Color Gamut % (sRGB Coverage xy)
100
Color Gamut % (Rec. 2020 Coverage xy)
79.45
Color Gamut % (Rec. 709 Coverage xy)
0
Input Lag (ms)
15.8
Response Time (ms)
1.96
Reflections % (Total Reflections)
1.4
Horizontal Viewing Angle (Washout Left)
70
Horizontal Viewing Angle (Washout Right)
70
Vertical Viewing Angle (Washout Above)
70
Vertical Viewing Angle (Washout Below)
70
All Tests
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Released in 2022, the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is a high-end, QD-OLED gaming monitor featuring an anti-reflective coating on its curved screen. There are two HDMI…
Released in 2022, the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is a high-end, QD-OLED gaming monitor featuring an anti-reflective coating on its curved screen. There are two HDMI sockets, a DisplayPort, a headphone port, and four USB type-A downstream ports. Like the best computer monitors, it boasts 1000 nits peak brightness and infinite contrast ratio. The monitor also allows for tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
Similar to the best gaming monitor, its refresh rate goes up to 175 Hz, and it supports NVIDIA and G-SYNC. Its 3-year limited hardware warranty covers OLED-burn in, and it employs low-blue light screen technology. For a responsive gaming monitor with a VA panel, read our Nixeus EDG 34 review.
The Dell Alienware AW2723DF and Dell Alienware AW3423DW have comparable swivel and tilt ranges, but the AW2723DF stands out with portrait/landscape rotation. It also features…
The Dell Alienware AW2723DF and Dell Alienware AW3423DW have comparable swivel and tilt ranges, but the AW2723DF stands out with portrait/landscape rotation. It also features a higher 280 Hz native refresh rate compared to AW3423DW’s 175 Hz. However, the AW3423DW’s OLED panel boasts a near-infinite contrast ratio, unlike the AW2723DF’s subpar 1,020:1 contrast ratio.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DW and the Samsung Odyssey G85SB both have a QD-OLED display. The AW3423DW offers native G-SYNC compatibility, which is beneficial for NVIDIA…
The Dell Alienware AW3423DW and the Samsung Odyssey G85SB both have a QD-OLED display. The AW3423DW offers native G-SYNC compatibility, which is beneficial for NVIDIA graphics card setup, while the G85SB doesn’t. However, the G85SB is great for console gaming as it downscales 4k at 60 Hz, a feature not present in the AW3423DW. Read our Samsung Odyssey G85SB review for a detailed breakdown of the model.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DW’s infinite contrast ratio guarantees deep blacks compared to the Gigabyte M32U’s mediocre 1,125:1 contrast ratio. While both have a high variable…
The Dell Alienware AW3423DW’s infinite contrast ratio guarantees deep blacks compared to the Gigabyte M32U’s mediocre 1,125:1 contrast ratio. While both have a high variable refresh rate, the AW3423DW is slightly higher at 175 Hz than the M32U’s 144 Hz. For an in-depth breakdown, read our Gigabyte M32U review. And for a model with an even higher 240 Hz refresh rate, read our Viewsonic XG2431 review.
The newer Dell Alienware AW3423DW is a major improvement over the Dell Alienware AW3420DW. It offers superior nighttime viewing with its QD-OLED panel and supports…
The newer Dell Alienware AW3423DW is a major improvement over the Dell Alienware AW3420DW. It offers superior nighttime viewing with its QD-OLED panel and supports HDR, unlike the older IPS monitor. Its max refresh rate is higher at 175 Hz, ensuring improved motion handling compared to the AW3420DW’s limited 120 Hz refresh rate.
