Alienware’s 32-inch 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor is truly amazing

Choosing a new high-end PC gaming monitor isn’t fun. Once you know your budget, you’ll need to consider not only the actual screen quality, but also the image resolution, refresh rate, and appropriate size for your desk. Even after choosing a brand, you still need to sift through monitor names like poorly thought out email passwords. Which do you want, S32BG85 or OL231UHD? (Only one of them is real!)

We intend to simplify the process for the average monitor seeker who is willing to splurge on a suitable screen. If you want a good, reliable product (and you’d rather spend your time playing games than researching the latest and greatest display hardware), we recommend the Alienware AW3225QF. I first wrote about this when it debuted in mid-January.

This monitor takes full advantage of your PC’s power with 4K resolution support, refresh rates up to 240Hz, and a QD-OLED panel with near-instantaneous response time and wide viewing angles. Worried about variable refresh rates? We support all the usual formats, including compatibility with G-Sync and FreeSync. Have no idea what variable refresh rate is? No problem, it takes care of everything and looks great.

What I like about this monitor is that it performs virtually all functions well without any major caveats. This is not the case with his OLED monitors, which are still some of the best models of 2023. He emphasizes one use case over others. For example, previous Alienware QD-OLED models were great for gaming, but text clarity was mediocre. For someone like me who expected the monitor to serve both work and play roles, this was a major frustration. Additionally, when he uses an OLED for a pure white text document, the overall brightness drops rapidly. In contrast, this model is a more sophisticated draft of Dell’s QD-OLED efforts, and is equally robust for gaming, working, or watching movies. The latter is a reasonable choice when compared to Alienware’s 21:9 monitor. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it about the same size and shape as a small to medium-sized TV.

Image: Dell

The screen is OLED (pixels can be turned on and off individually, so no backlighting is required), so the contrast is superb. Its QD-OLED technology only enhances it with increased brightness and improved image quality compared to some standard OLED panels. Horror games and moody shooters are especially impressive, with games like the one where a character’s flashlight shines against the pitch-black shadows. resident evil 4 Remake. The screen has a useful HDR brightness, but as is the case with all but the most expensive UHD TVs, HDR generally requires some effort on the PC side, especially when it comes to switching between SDR and HDR. I am left with the feeling that there is a lot of room for improvement. no problem. On consoles, this is less of an issue as the HDR experience is more seamless and enjoyable.

What sets this Alienware monitor apart from most other OLED gaming monitors is its glossy coating. Like OLEDs and other types of high-end TVs, it can capture more reflections, but less than other products our team has experience testing, including our previous 32-inch curved QD-OLED. Provides slightly improved sharpness and color saturation. AW3423DW, and flexible Corsair Xeneon Flex.

As mentioned earlier, color reproduction requires almost no modification. The colors look great right out of the box. Display calibration is optional, but rarely necessary. For those who don’t care about things like “sRGB color space”, the excellent color reproduction provides the closest experience to what the game’s creators intended. If you see a red stop sign, good color reproduction means it’s the same as what the artist saw when they designed the game. Color fidelity becomes even more important when you create something unique, such as art, video, or games.

The quality of color reproduction on the monitor is true across SDR and HDR modes and benefits when playing games that use a wide range of color spectrum from indie games such as: hotline miami Open world with a big budget like this year Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthset in Hawaii, with its blue skies, azure beaches, and neon lights.

Image: Dell

As with any expensive purchase like this, there are limitations to consider. Maximalists may prefer the additional space provided by ultrawide and superultrawide monitors. However, as someone who just retired from Super Ultra Wide after 4 years, my word is that a large traditional monitor is easier on the neck than a horizontal obelisk that requires you to turn your entire head over the length of your desk. Please believe. Look at the side of the screen. Also, for those planning to connect a console, the monitor outputs both 1080p or 4K resolution with easy and effective HDR support (although the monitor will output both 1080p or 4K resolution for his PS5 or Xbox Series None of the X he supports 1440p resolution).

Those who are skeptical of OLED may still have concerns about burn-in. Burn-in is a problem that plagued more screens in the early days of technology than it does today. To calm your nerves, Dell offers her 3-year warranty, which covers issues such as burn-in. However, according to user reviews of Alienware’s recent OLED screens, image burn-in seems to be rare.

Finally, there is the issue of price. $1,199.99 is a great price for a TV. If you’re considering a new monitor, we recommend calculating the amount of time you spend in front of your gaming PC each day. If you spend more time sitting at your desk than on the couch, it stands to reason that your monitor needs to be just as good (if not better) than your TV. And if you’re like me and working on the same screen as the game, the decision becomes even easier. But if you only use your PC monitor occasionally, anything over $100 is going to be a big ask for most people.

If you have the money and want the best monitor right now, this is a great choice. If now isn’t the best time, that’s okay. Because we’ll be tracking the price of this product throughout 2024 and taking note whenever it dips near or below $1,000.