OLED has proven itself to be an impressive screen technology, but as far as gaming monitors go, we’ve only seen it appear in two size categories—compact 27-inch models like the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED and huge 40- and 50-inchers like the LG 45 UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor. Alienware’s latest targets the middle ground. Debuting at CES 2024, the Alienware AW3225QF ($1,199) is a 32-inch curved 4K QD-OLED monitor with a stunning screen made mightier by a high refresh rate. It’s sure to be one of the best gaming monitors of 2024, and easily earns an Editors’ Choice award.Bringing 4K to the Midsize OLED MarketThis isn’t the first time Alienware has dabbled in OLED monitors in this size range. In fact, one of our favorite monitors last year was the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor. The biggest difference (and what makes the AW3225QF a world’s first) is its 4K resolution. Previously released OLEDs skirted around this resolution, landing firmly in conventional QHD territory (2,560 by 1,440 pixels) or its ultrawide equivalent of 5,120 by 1,440 pixels. This is the first gaming monitor we’ve seen to hit this size and resolution.
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The new 4K OLED monitor features a slight curve, even more slight than the Alienware 34’s curve. The AW3225QF bends to 1,700mm (also known as 1700R) instead of the typical 1,800mm curve of ultrawide monitors. The curvature is less pronounced than tighter-curved monitors like the Corsair Xeneon Flex, but the slight curve does come with benefits, including reduced glare and deeper perceived blacks. Plus, it makes the screen look bigger than it actually is.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The monitor looks gorgeous, with bold black bezels surrounding its screen. Turn the monitor around, and you’ll find the loud, traditional Alienware aesthetic: a two-tone black-and-white color scheme. Around back you’ll also find the Alienware logo and a giant “32” (in case you forget your monitor’s size), both of which are backlit with customizable RGB lighting. I can’t say this doesn’t evoke an in-your-face gaming look, but the rear of the monitor is more than just a statement piece, as it hides a ventilation layer between the panel and back housing to ensure the screen doesn’t overheat.
Toward the bottom of the monitor, a white panel protects the port hub, which contains two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, a USB-B upstream port, and a DisplayPort. Additional USB-A and USB-C connectors can be found under the monitor, closer to the screen. HDMI 2.1 will ensure you can tap into higher frame rates on gaming consoles, as well as variable refresh rates and the monitor’s low latency mode. What you won’t find is a DisplayPort 2.1, likely due to its limited use case. (The port is currently only compatible with AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX GPUs.) There are no speakers, either, but the monitor does support eARC compatibility with external Dolby Atmos speakers and soundbars.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The monitor measures 18.6 by 28.2 by 12 inches and weighs 13 pounds without the stand. That’s slightly taller than the Lenovo Legion Y32p-30, but all in all, a fairly compact size that’s a good choice for gamers who are short on space but want something bigger than 27 inches. The long white stand provides support for the monitor and embues it with a surprising amount of dexterity in the form of tilt, swivel, and height adjustments. As for gaming performance, the AW3225QF is nothing to scoff at, at least judging by its rated specs. The 240Hz refresh rate should draw hard-core gamers like moths to a flame, and the 4K resolution and rated 0.03ms response time should keep them around. Plus, OLED technology outclasses IPS, VA, and TN panels in everything from power efficiency to color gamut support. OLED monitors are able to display “true blacks,” which means that the black pixels turn off to create zero-light zones and maximum contrast.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
New to this monitor is Dolby Vision HDR, meant to expand the HDR experience by improving brightness, contrast, and color (more on this in the performance section below). Meanwhile, VESA AdaptiveSync certification ensures a seamless, tear-free gaming experience—and yes, it’s Nvidia G-Sync compatible as well.Testing the Alienware AW3225QF: An All-Around WinnerSo it seems that Alienware’s gorgeous OLED screen is easy to love, but how does it stack up against other OLED monitors? To quantify the monitor’s capabilities, we tested color gamut, brightness, color accuracy, and contrast ratio using Calman monitor calibration software, a Murideo Six-G signal generator, and a Klein K-10A colorimeter. We also ran the monitor through a gauntlet of games to measure input lag and judge its real-world performance.First, we tested the monitor in its default picture mode with an SDR signal. Under these conditions, it saw an average brightness of just 238 nits (candelas per square meter). This relatively low brightness might raise an eyebrow, but it is sometimes preferred, especially for OLED monitors that reside in dim gaming dens, since OLED technology can maintain contrast with less brightness. Of course, the low brightness may be an issue in brighter rooms or those lit with natural light.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Switching over to HDR, we measured 483 nits of brightness while using the Standard preset profile with the HDR Peak 1000 setting. That’s slightly above the monitor’s VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification.The monitor also boasts a rated 1,000 nits of peak brightness in HDR, a claim that also checked out, as we measured peak brightness of 1,098 nits at a 2% sample size. (We measure sustained HDR brightness at a 10% window size, but to measure peak brightness, we drop the test size down to 2%). However, you probably won’t reach this brightness level in normal gaming conditions. OLED displays become brighter as the test patch size gets smaller, but there are few scenes in video games and movies where the highlight is reaching this measurement.Turning our attention to the monitor’s color gamut performance, we see the OLED panel continue to shine. It spanned 100% of the sRGB color gamut, 95% of Adobe RGB, and 97% of DCI-P3 in our tests. Those are excellent ratings, just slightly below Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G9, and roughly in line with the Alienware 34. Still, it’s worth noting that we’ve yet to find an OLED that couldn’t faithfully reproduce colors. They’re always top performers in this category.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
We can sing the same praises for color accuracy as well, as the monitor recorded an excellent Delta E measurement of 0.6. The higher the Delta E, the more colors tend to stray from their intended hue. A value under 1 is ideal, though very few gaming monitors reach it, especially out of the box.Our final test measures the contrast ratio, which indicates the difference in luminance between the brightest white and darkest black that a monitor can produce. It makes a difference in picture quality, especially during dark scenes in games. The AW3225QF is rated for a peak contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, but that’s a number you’ll likely never see in normal day-to-day use. In our testing, we measured a contrast ratio of 254,391:1. OLED and mini LED panels can reach dramatically higher contrast ratios than other panel types, at least in theory, due to the nature of the black pixels. For comparison, IPS panels typically target contrast ratios of 1,000:1 to 3,000:1.Media and Game PerformanceWith remarkable performance results, the Alienware AW3225QF is clearly a gorgeous monitor, but what about response times, the most important metric to serious gamers? To quantify that, we use an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix to measure the monitor’s input lag and play a handful of games from our library to see if there are any noticeable blemishes, like screen tearing.First, the input lag results: We measured less than 1 millisecond (ms) of lag. That’s phenomenal, and necessary for players looking for smooth performance in first-person shooters and action games alike. To be fair, though, it’s a number that probably won’t mean much outside of the hard-core esports crowd, which will likely not be playing on this type of monitor anyway. Competitive play is better suited to smaller monitors with even higher refresh rates, like the Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor (AW2524H).When it comes to gaming on an OLED, the numbers only go so far; seeing is believing. And believe me, games like Returnal, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Halo: Infinite all look fantastic here. Playing games like Counter-Strike 2 and Fortnite at higher frame rates is also an excellent experience, with no noticeable screen tearing.Verdict: 2024 Already Has a Must-Buy MonitorAll of this splendor comes at a total price of $1,199, the downside to owning an OLED gaming monitor. Prices this high are usually regulated to larger screens or wider ones. But while you can find slightly cheaper and equally impressive OLED monitors like the Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 or the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED, none of them reach that coveted 4K resolution.The year may have just begun, but the Alienware AW3225QF has ensured that it’s starting with a bang. A 4K resolution with a high refresh rate would make any gaming monitor a worthy contender for your hard-earned cash, but the addition of an OLED panel, an excellent color gamut, low input lag, and great HDR support seals the deal. The only downside? There’s no way around that high price. Still, if you’re in the enviable position to invest in an OLED gaming monitor, the Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD-OLED is the strongest candidate thus far, and an Editors’ Choice winner.
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