Alienware AW3418DW Introduction
- color gamut coverage of 99.1% sRGB
- and a color gamut coverage of 109.2% sRGB.
- On the bottom of the screen
- On the back of the monitor
- On the foot stand
- and the power led
The Alienware AW3418DW has a very interesting price tag (of course depending on your region) between 999 and 1300$ so that you even can pay less than for the Asus PG348Q or the Acer X34A. An overall better monitor for less money? Yes, definitely! The 21:9 aspect ratio offers an immersive gameplay experience combined with a high refresh rate panel and a crisp sharp image.
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Deviations in gaming monitors measurement results
- Gamma settings
- Contrast
- Native sharpness settings
- Max brightness
- Response time (overdrive settings)
- Pixel inversion and many more.
Ratings have been removed. In near future I will add comparisons (Rankings) - This will have two huge benefits. First: You will be able to compare a monitor within each topic (Coating, Black level, Black uniformity, VA Glow, Panel Frame Construction etc.) to find the best gaming monitor to for your personal preferences and second I can concentrate on much more reviews.
Updates
- Five people reported to me that they could not observe any retention issues. So in fact, this is an "issue" which can occur in individual units (lottery)
- One user had "horrible" calibration out of the box, probably gamma settings can vary strongly within this gaming monitor
- Several users reported flickering issues on the Alienware when enable 120Hz overclocking (The cable has been checked and it should be an issue on the gaming monitor)
- (24.03.2018) (Moving) Scanlines can occur when enabling G-Sync. These are very faint and hard to see. However, some users have clearly visible moving (darker) scanlines when enabling G-Sync in uniform colors (e.g. G-Sync Pendulum Demo)
- Some people in different forums have micro stutter issues when using G-Sync. I could not really observe stutter issues and there are also many other users that do not really can observe this stutter problem.
- (03.04.2018) Still, many people have Scanline issues on the X34P and the Alienware AW3418DW and people on a German forum reported that Scanlines becomes worse over time. In addition, some people have reported that Scanlines started to occur after several weeks or months.
- (15.08.2018) Several people have reported that the monitor (as well as the Acer X34P) starts to flicker after several weeks when using 120Hz. On 100Hz it is "totally fine".
- (27.01.2019) (Check the commentary section): "Apparently NVIDIA changed something in drivers around March 2018 and people reporting stable 120 Hz per like last 9 months. There is also some Reddit thread about drivers update for DP 1.3/1.4 in GPU's it also fixed flickering." - Seems like it is fixed now (:
Specifications
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Backlight | EDGE LED / W-LED |
| Display size and format | 34" Inch |
| Maximum Resolution | 3440x1440 (UWQHD "Ultrawide Quad-HD") |
| Pixel density | 109.68 (Pixel per inch) |
| Refresh rate | 100Hz native (120Hz Overclock) |
| Native color depth | 8-bit (native) |
| sRGB Color Space Coverage / Volume | Coverage: 99.1% / Volume: 109.2% |
| Response time (GtG) | 4 ms |
| Brightness | 300cd/m2 |
| Integrated speakers | No |
| Video inputs | 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x DP 1.2 |
| Audio | 1x 3.5mm out |
| USB Hub | Yes 4x USB 3.0 downstream (1x quick charge) |
| power consumption | ~ 60 watt (class C) |
| Frame width | ~11 mm in total |
| Warranty period | 2 years |
| Ergonomics | Tilt, Height, Swivel |
| Adaptive Sync | G-Sync |
| G-Sync Range | 30-120Hz |
| Contrast (Native) | 1000:1 stated |
| Vesa | Yes 100mm support |
| Curved | Yes 1900R |
Alternative Ultrawide QHD 1440p +100Hz G-Sync Gaming Monitors
Ultrawide QHD +100Hz Gaming Monitors with IPS/VA and G-Sync:
IPS:
Asus ROG Swift PG348Q Check Price / Watch Review
Acer Predator X34A Check Price
Acer X34P Check Price / Watch Review
VA:
HP Omen X35 Check Price / Watch Review
AOC AG352UCG6 Release soon.
AOC AGON AG352UCG Check Price
Acer Predator Z35P Check Price
Measurements
Contrast Overview
Optimal OSD Settings (on this unit)
Test-Photos
- Color Temperature Homogeneity (on its native white point)
- Scrolling Text, Eiffel Tower, & Chase Square Test
- Response Time (UFO Test)
- Brightness Distribution
- Sharpness Test
- Overdrive Settings
- Frame Skipping
- Retention issue on the UFO Test
Comparison Charts (Ultrawide Monitors)
Maximum Brightness
Maximum Contrast
Black point on 120 cd/m2
Brightness ULMB (Backlight Scanning)
ULMB not supported
Find your best gaming monitor (in progress)
Conclusion
Tipps & Tricks For the Alienware AW3418DW
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Pro & Contra
Pro:
- Currently the best ultrawide gaming monitor (panel)
- A lower price to the Asus PG348Q and the Acer X34A + a better screen
- 34" with a 1900R curve for an immersive gaming experience
- G-Sync with a very nice range of 30-120Hz
- Good image quality out of the box (gamma have to be tweaked a bit)
Note: VA Gamma 2.2 looks totally different from IPS Gamma 2.2
- Very solid build quality, especially the foot stand
- Very low input lag
- Black equalizer for fps games
Neutral:
- AlienFX lighting (RGBs)
- A bit darker top near the bezels inhomogeneity (not visible in games)
- Homogeneity issues on several units
Some units suffer from a cooler color temperature on the left and a warmer color temperature on the right side as same as my unit. On my tested unit however it is only very very slightly visible
- A tiny bit too much sharpness settings which cant be changed within the OSD
- You need a fairly deep desk so that you still have enough space on your desk and not sitting too close to the panel to avoid IPS glow
- Halfe matte panel coating (a bit more matte compared to the Asus PG348Q or the Acer X34A)
Contra:
- No gamma settings within the OSD (measured gamma on this unit = 2.4)
- Retention issues(!)
Update: They can vary in each individual unit so that you should check your unit for retention issues when you got your Alienware
- Unfortunately: ULMB still is not integrated
- Some people reported flickering issues when overclocking to 120Hz
- G-Sync (moving) Scanlines can occur when enabling G-Sync. Mostly it is only barely visible
IPS typical:
- Still, the IPS glow, especially on the left (but much less compared to older 100Hz IPS Ultrawide panels)
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The last Monitor Reviews
12 comments
Hey man and thanks (: I'm so sorry mate for the confusing stuff - I should receive soon some feedbacks from other users who will test the retention issue, then I will update this review of course. If you can't or don't want to buy these new HDR monitors, then the Alienware (or even the new Acer/AOC with the same panel) is currently still the best ultrawide gaming monitor on the market, at least in my opinion + colors + pixel responsiveness.
Watching 16:9 movies, of course, is not optimum on an ultrawide, especially on an IPS panel. But to be fair, all monitors don't work that well for movies due to VA/IPS Glow or gamma shift on TN + blacks. Especially in a pitch black room, current monitors without local dimming, I highly would recommend some nice ambient light which already can help to improve the subjectively perceived contrast.
So, as soon I will have some further updates according to the retention issue, I will post them instantly into the update section in this article :)
The problem mostly is (not only other reviewers but also me) that I am using the monitor for a review next to my full-time job so that I do not really play that much on a monitor (as well as in general simply because of the limited time) - Maybe for some hours (5 - max. 10) and that's it.
My flicker issue occurred when I had a static image for a longer time, but in games, I do not really could observe this issue. But it is good to know that other people are reporting me those issues so I can add them on the page. Thanks for that
Like others if set to 100Hz it's fine, but it flickers at 120HZ.
Very frustrating and a strange problem that only arises after a couple of weeks of use.
Thanks for your info... now several people have reported me that issue, unfortunately ;(
I have been on the fence about replacing my Dell U2415 triple monitor setup with an ultrawide monitor. I may keep two of the U2415s with the ultrawide but for gaming I will use the single ultrawide. I have been using Nvidia surround with the triple U2415s but Nvidia surround has its downsides. I imagine gaming on a single ultrawide will have less compatibility issues and of course no bezels.
Anyway, the reason I have waited so long is I am spoiled by the black levels of my LG OLED tv. I have always been a black level fanatic which is why I've only owned plasma tvs before OLED was released. My issue is all current monitors have horrible black levels in comparison to OLED. That had me leaning towards the much better black levels of a VA panel. I was considering the Acer Z35P. It seemed to be the best option but your review on the Hp Omen (similar panel I believe) changed my mind about getting a VA panel. I can't stand viewing angle issues. Which is why I've been using IPS panels at home and work for years. The silver sheen you describe the Omen displayed completely turned me off to it.
That led me to the Alienware AW3418DW or Acer X35P. I have been waiting for a decent deal on either one since they are so similar. I ended up ordering the Alienware a few days ago and I should be receiving it this week.
Now that I have finally ordered one I can't stop thinking about how disappointed I am going to be in the black level. The Dell U2415s I am using now have a similar contrast rating and I am not happy with their black level performance. Of course the Alienware is a much faster panel and will be much better in other areas. Which is why I want to upgrade. Gsync, 120hz refresh rate, more compatibility with games, etc. I know the Alienware will be a great monitor overall but the black levels are going to leave much to be desired.
Would it be possible for you to compare a current ultrawide 120hz monitor using a VA panel next to an IPS panel? I would love to see them side by side and hear your opinion on them.
Maybe one day there will be an affordable OLED monitor that is fast enough for gaming and doesn't suffer from burn in. Perfect black levels really are amazing and addictive.
Hey mate. The "problem" with reviews is, that every one tolerance level is different (and if course as you have mentioned it is hard to evaluate if your unit was worse than mine for example). The Acers contrast will be better, but the VA glow of the Acer (as well as of the HP Omen X35 for example) will brighten the blacks so that the contrast again will be closed on the level of the Alienware (while measurements do not include the VA/IPS Glow). Hope you will find your monitor. Personally, I can't really deal with the VA glow while other people cant with the IPS Glow. VA also has a color shift for example. The IPS Glow, as well as the VA Glow, will change on the distance/viewing angle to the monitor (the left on the Acer X34P and AW3418DW are definitely worse than the right panel side).
No, not really. 2 other ppl just told me that they can observe retention issue on the UFO test only when using 120Hz (OC). However, no retention issues on normal usage
Nice. Thanks for the update! :) *Added into the update section
