At first glance, the Alienware AW3425DW looks like a slam dunk — a 34-inch curved QD-OLED ultrawide monitor with 3440×1440 resolution and a blistering 240Hz refresh rate for $1,200 AUD. But more time I’ve spent with it, and cracks begin to show. While it still offers rich contrast and smooth motion, Alienware’s follow-up to its first QD-OLED feels more like a recycled panel than a generational leap.
The visuals remain strong thanks to the Quantum Dot OLED tech. Colours are vibrant, blacks are deep, and the DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification adds a cinematic sheen to games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2. But here’s the thing: it’s the pretty much the same panel used in its predecessor the A3423DW that I loved three years ago. No tangible improvements in brightness, burn-in protection, or uniformity. And when competitors like the ASUS PG34WCDM or MSI MPG 341QR are offering similar visuals plus more features — and sometimes for less — it’s hard to call this a value pick.
Despite the 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms GtG response time, there’s no major advantage in real-world gaming unless you’re already on a top-end GPU and playing at high frame rates. NVIDIA G-SYNC Ultimate support is solid, and gameplay in Overwatch 2 and Apex Legends looked and felt buttery smooth, but that’s the bare minimum for this price range now.
What really hurts the AW3425DW is what it lacks. There’s still no USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode and power delivery which is really a no-no for a premium monitor in 2025. That also means no KVM switch. Both are pretty much standard in this tier — especially when nearly every competing QD-OLED from MSI, ASUS, and Gigabyte includes them. These omissions make it harder to recommend for productivity or creators juggling multiple devices. Furthermore, you’re stuck with the usual DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1a ports, a handful of USB-A connections, and that awkward-to-reach headphone jack.
The new build is one of the few standout elements of the AW3425DW. It debuts Alienware’s fresh AW30 design language, and it’s a looker. Inspired by the Aurora Borealis, it features a deep Interstellar Indigo finish, refined glyph lighting, and cleaner lines that finally steer Alienware’s aesthetic into something sleeker and more sophisticated. The 360-degree ventilation design is not only functional but visually striking, and the base is both compact and purposeful, freeing up desk space without compromising stability.
The stand might look delicate with its sculpted, pebblesque profile, but it holds the panel’s dramatic curve with ease. It’s a refreshing departure from the overdesigned gamer look—confident, futuristic, and genuinely one of the most elegant ultrawide designs out there today. A welcome return to form for Alienware.
Console support is technically present via HDMI 2.1, but it’s a bit of a stretch to call this a console-friendly display. Ultrawide isn’t natively supported on most titles, and while 120Hz at 1440p is possible, you’ll often deal with black bars or scaling issues. For most players, it won’t feel like a $2,299 experience unless you’re dialed into a PC rig that can push 200+ fps.
And yes, before you keyboard warriors start asking about burn-in, it is and OLED so still a consideration though only slightly. Modern OLED’s have plenty of burn-n protection features and the AW3425DW isn’t any different. It includes pixel refresh and OLED panel maintenance tools, most of which are mercifully unintrusive – stopping you in the middle of your work for a forced 4-hour refresh like the MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED.
In short, the AW3425DW is still one of the best OLED ultra-wide gaming monitors you can buy but the competition has long eclipsed Alienware. MSI has been nipping at the heels and quite frankly, has since surpassed Alienware’s monitors. One thing I can’t argue with is the price. At under $1,500, it’s one of the cheapest ultra-wide OLED’s you can buy and it’s always hard to argue with cheaper.
Alienware Australia kindly provided the AW3425DW to PowerUp for the purpose of this review.
