{"id":812864,"date":"2026-07-20T19:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/812864\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T19:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:48:21","slug":"alienware-aw3426dw-review-gaming-monitors-get-thrown-a-curveball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/812864\/","title":{"rendered":"Alienware AW3426DW Review: Gaming Monitors Get Thrown a Curveball"},"content":{"rendered":"

All those coveted OLED monitors keep getting brighter, but\u2014thankfully\u2014that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all getting more expensive. Case in point: the Alienware AW3426DW. Ignore the obtuse serial number, because Alienware\u2019s 34-inch ultrawide monitor is a beautiful display. It just may not be the kind of monitor best for every kind of gamer.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, I sat in front of the viral Alienware AW3225QF<\/a> with an ebbing sense of wonder. In early 2024, QD-OLED displays were still novel enough that we could bask in the color depth and contrast and imagine there was nowhere left to go. That portent largely proved true. Today\u2019s monitors are better, but any high-end OLED screen launched in the last 30 months will feel on par with all others, so long as they get all the basics of brightness and build quality down pat.<\/p>\n

The last major consideration left is price. Alienware\u2019s AW3426DW starts at $800. For that, you\u2019ll get a plus-sized screen with a max refresh rate of screaming-fast 280Hz. But nobody should consider eight big ones \u201ccheap.\u201d In the world of high-end gaming monitors, any screen needs to work to stand out. Alienware supplies just enough to make this monitor worthy of consideration, despite its inherent downsides.<\/p>\n

Alienware AW3426DW Gaming Monitor<\/p>\n

If you enjoy brght screens, and if you enjoy ultrawide monitors, the Alienware AW3426DW doesn’t disappoint.<\/p>\n

One bright, pretty screen Easy setup Just enough ports Wide tilt and swivel options Plasticy base Low SDR brightness 21:9 aspect ratio will limit some games Not great for consoles <\/p>\n

This ultrawide monitor doesn\u2019t naturally support the 16:9 aspect ratio used by consoles and a heap of PC games. That means this monitor may not be your end-all be-all. The AW3426DW\u2019s 3,440 x 1,440 resolution marks this monitor as a sub-4K screen. I\u2019ve seen Alienware\u2019s flagship AW3926QW<\/a> first-hand back at Computex 2026<\/a>. That\u2019s a 5K monitor that will demand some beefy supporting gaming hardware if you hope to run games at its max 5,120 \u00d7 2,160 resolution, but\u2014seriously\u2014just look at this pretty thing<\/a>. The 34-inch version is the monitor for the rest of us, or at least the rest of us who can afford to drop $800 on a screen.<\/p>\n

Monitors do not get any simpler \"AlienwareGames that support this ultrawide format simply look spectacular. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

Alienware changed up its design aesthetic for its monitors starting last year. The most recent \u201cAW30\u201d look is centered around deep purple plastic that doesn\u2019t do much to help the screen stand out in a dark room. It\u2019s especially subdued if you still remember the obscene Alienware designs of decades past.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s AW2725Q<\/a>, a more straightforward\u2014and more expensive\u201427-inch 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor, didn\u2019t stand out too much, either. The base connects to an ovular stand that almost gives the appearance that the monitor is propped up by some impossible\u2014dare I say, alien\u2014architecture, but in reality it\u2019s just a low-profile base made of cheap-feeling plastic. It blends into the background. I imagine that\u2019s what some gamers want, just not me.<\/p>\n

\"AlienwareA single nub for all your monitor controls. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

While you expect an Alienware monitor to be suffused with RGB lights, the AW3426DW is far more subdued than that. Rather than add any rear-facing glow to blow up your walls with rainbow-puke effects, the monitor sports a single RGB fixture in a small Alienware logo located on the back panel. The rest of the panel is surrounded with puncture holes for the monitor\u2019s rear heat exhaust. It\u2019s an efficient piece of gaming gear, but it doesn\u2019t do much else to sell itself.<\/p>\n

The best aspect about this design is just how easy it is to put together. As soon as you open the box, you\u2019re greeted with the base and monitor arm that screw in together. Under that cardboard layer is the screen itself. All you need to do is slot the stand into the rear panel, hear the click, and voil\u00e0, you\u2019re done. There are no separate screws or Allen keys required. It\u2019s that excellent connection design that gives this monitor an edge over the more nuts-and-bolts-type displays.<\/p>\n

\"AlienwareThe Alienware ultrawide monitor contains two HDMI ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4 slot. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

Still, all that thin plastic makes this monitor seem cheaper than it is. It\u2019s not a device you\u2019re forced to fondle, so it\u2019s easier to accept Alienware\u2019s use of cheaper materials. The display also lacks any speaker or a headphone jack, so this monitor is purely a visual feast and nothing more. I came off reviewing the Lenovo Legion Pro 27UD-10<\/a> with its striking, though subdued, look, and that 27-inch monitor felt more premium and still supported a 4K resolution for around the same price.<\/p>\n

Just enough bells and whistles \"AlienwareThere\u2019s an additional USB-A and USB-C for passthrough charging. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

As for ports, Alienware\u2019s 1440p curved screen offers just enough bang for your buck\u2014though only just. It supports two HDMI ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4. There\u2019s no DisplayPort over USB-C, unfortunately. The monitor does include an Ethernet port on the back panel as well as a USB-A and USB-C slot just underneath the screen. You can use those ports for passthrough charging a controller or another peripheral.<\/p>\n

Up on your desk, the dominating 34-inch size has the wingspan to keep your attention, while the gentle 1,800R curve doesn\u2019t make you feel claustrophobic, like you\u2019re surrounded by a screen. The monitor has an even swivel, from -20 degrees to 20 degrees, so you can get a good look at the AW3426DW no matter where you sit at your desk.<\/p>\n

\"AlienwareThe stand features a good amount of swivel and tilt capabilities. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

It also has a sizable tilt range from -5 degrees up to 21 degrees. Finally, you can adjust the monitor a full 110mm, or 4.3 inches. It\u2019s not the full range of that aforementioned Lenovo Legion Pro, but it\u2019s enough for most use cases. It\u2019s far better than the 34-inch flat-panel Asus ROG Swift OLED<\/a> I reviewed earlier this year. At least Alienware\u2019s monitor takes up less physical desk space without a giant tripod stand.<\/p>\n

The kind of monitor made for PC gamers \"AlienwareSome games siply don\u2019t support the 21:9 aspect ratio. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

This is not the largest ultrawide display I\u2019ve sat on my desk recently. Last year, I propped up Samsung\u2019s Odyssey G75F<\/a>, a 40-inch 4K LCD ultrawide monitor in the same spot of our office. That\u2019s not even the largest available, with monitors like the Odyssey G9 and the monstrous 52-inch LG UltraGear 5K display<\/a>. With even more screen real estate, you can make better use of features like picture-in-picture mode, where you can have multiple video outputs running on the monitor at one time.<\/p>\n

With a 34-inch display, you don\u2019t have quite as much space to work with. The Alienware ultrawide monitor also supports a \u201cPIP\u201d mode with a bevy of options for how you can position and orient two of the three possible display inputs to the monitor (either two HDMI or an HDMI plus DisplayPort). Will you use this feature much? Probably not, considering that even a corner of a 34-inch screen takes up more screen space than you expect.<\/p>\n

\"AlienwarePicture-in-picture mode may come in handy for some gamers. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

You can leave most of the screens\u2019 other settings alone, though if you need a faux crosshair in the center of your screen, you don\u2019t have to dig too far to find it. There\u2019s an additional \u201cEsports\u201d mode that essentially eliminates the ultrawide experience by placing the picture in the center of the display. You may actually want to pay attention to this setting if you game on consoles. While the Xbox Series X and PS5 technically support the ultrawide 1440p resolution of the AW3426DW, it will only appear in a stretched format. Each console can only output at a 16:9 aspect ratio without a native 21:9 option. Remember that Alienware AW3225QF I mentioned at the top of this review? That monitor is taller and supports the 16:9 aspect ratio.<\/p>\n

Using a console for an ultrawide experience will necessarily make your games look ugly. The Esports mode fixes this, but it also limits the screen size to a measly 24.5-inch window and sets the resolution to 1080p (which is how most Esports gamers prefer to play). In the end, this variety of ultrawide monitors is better used for PC gaming. Still, at its best, this monitor is a looker, so long as the game supports that wide field of view.<\/p>\n

Just how much screen tech is in this thing? \"AlienwareThe black levels really sell this monitor. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

You\u2019ve heard the term \u201cQD-OLED,\u201d but I have to assume a few of you reading this don\u2019t know what the hell that means. Essentially, an organic light-emitting diode panel uses thousands of self-emissive lights capable of displaying red, green, and blue light. Without a backlight, OLED is technically capable of near-infinite contrast, so long as it can push the brightness of those lights\u2014hence those oft-described \u201cinky\u201d blacks. The \u201cQD\u201d in the name stands for quantum dots<\/a>, which are yet another layer of semiconductor nanocrystals built to enhance the colors you see on screen.<\/p>\n

But QD-OLED is so 2024. The new hotness is a slurry of jargon, technobabble, and alphabet-soup acronyms that all essentially relate to a higher brightness spec for OLED. This monitor uses \u201cPenta Tandem\u201d technology<\/a>, which, in essence, is five layers of OLED panels overlaid to offer a higher base brightness than what you typically get from this screen type. The monitor sits at about 300 nits of typical brightness. That\u2019s a relatively low SDR brightness for such an expensive display, but on the flip side, it can sit at a peak of 1,300 nits in HDR. This monitor is certified VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500, which essentially means it can hit that 500-nit brightness value in HDR content.<\/p>\n

\"AlienwareThis is Alienware\u2019s single RGB accent. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not all. Alienware\u2019s monitor also uses new RGB Stripe technology. That means it employs a layer of red, green, and blue subpixels arranged in a linear strip. All that matters to the end user is that it eliminates the fuzziness surrounding text you would sometimes notice on lower-end OLED monitors.<\/p>\n

All this combines into what\u2019s simply a very beautiful picture. The games I played on Alienware\u2019s 1440p ultrawide, from major titles like Cyberpunk 2077 to indies like Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, looked all the more crisp and gorgeous thanks to the monitor\u2019s excellent contrast.<\/p>\n

\"AlienwarePlayStation 5 games won\u2019t look right with your console plugged into this screen. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

That touted 280Hz refresh rate is not something most gamers will come anywhere close to hitting, not unless you game at a lower resolution and drop graphics settings for the sake of frame rates. That being said, the monitor supports all standardized forms of variable refresh rate, or VRR. That includes AMD FreeSync, Nvidia G-Sync, and VESA AdaptiveSync. There wasn\u2019t a moment in the hours I spent with this monitor that I experienced any issues like screen tearing.<\/p>\n

The monitor has a total pixel density of about 110 PPI (pixels per inch). That\u2019s about what you can expect from a 1440p monitor. I wasn\u2019t spending my time pining for the higher pixel density of a 4K display, though the lack of visual fidelity is more evident in some more graphically complex games. If you\u2019re spending $800 on a monitor, you would want the best quality you can possibly get. The Alienware is no slouch, but you can find QD-OLED flat-panel monitors that cost just as much as the AW3426DW.<\/p>\n

Ultrawide or bust \"AlienwareAt its best, Alienware\u2019s AW3426DW simply looks spectacular. \u00a9 Kyle Barr \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

Inevitably, using an ultrawide monitor will feel like a luxury until it isn\u2019t. There are some games that claim to support the 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, but that\u2019s only because they crop the image to a 16:9 aspect ratio. If I wanted to play Persona 3 Reload or Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, I\u2019m essentially playing a game with the sides cut off, shrinking my 34-inch display to two-thirds of what the screen is capable of.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the problem with any 21:9 monitor. It just feels worse if you spend $800 for the privilege of not using most of your screen. But here\u2019s the thing: When you do get to sit in front of a game spread out before you, it can create an intense feeling of joy. Most gamers may be better off finding a similar monitor that supports the taller field of view. Those who know what they\u2019re getting can bask in the joys of this big, bright display.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"All those coveted OLED monitors keep getting brighter, but\u2014thankfully\u2014that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all getting more expensive. Case in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":812865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[307326,64,63,1853,47386,229,105],"class_list":["post-812864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-alienware","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-gaming","tag-monitors","tag-reviews","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/812865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}