The one thing that immediately hits you when you unbox the Alienware AW3225-QF is simply how beautiful it looks. Almost every monitor I have ever tested has been some variation of grey or black. I recall a white LG monitor from ages ago, and my daily driver is a BenQ one with a rust-brown finish, but by and large, everything has just been a dull black. This Alienware model, though, doesn’t just come in white; it comes in a more matte white with a stylish and modern design that will likely draw comments and jealous stares.
The little green G-Sync logo on one of the feet makes the design more attractive. And this is even before you turn it on and experience the joy of the 240 Hz, 4K, QD-OLED panel.
Dell Alienware AW3225-QF QD OLED Gaming Monitor Specifications
Before we continue with our review of the Alienware AW3225-QF QD-OLED Gaming Monitor, let’s examine its specifications.
Dell Alienware AW3225-QF Gaming Monitor
Resolution
3840 x 2160 pixels (4K)
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Size
32-inch
Panel Type
QD-OLED (with Anti-reflection coating)
Refresh Rate
240Hz
Response Time (MPRT)
0.03 ms
Color Gamut
10-bit Color, 99% coverage of DCI-P3 colour gamut, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, Dolby Vision
Tech
Nvidia G-Sync, VESA AdaptiveSync, ComfortView Plus for low Blue light, AlienFX Lighting
Input Ports
2x HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 1.4 and 2.3) (Both support up to 4K @240 Hz FRL, HDR, VRR as per HDMI 2.1 protocol. One Port includes eARC support for Dolby Atmos pass-through)1x DisplayPort 1.4 (HDCP 1.4 AND 2.3) (Supports up to 4K @240Hz DSC and HDR)2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Protocol (5Gbps) Downstream1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Protocol (5Gbps) Type-B Upstream1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 protocol (5Gbps) Type-C downstream (Supports USB BC1.2 (USB Battery Charging 1.2) with a maximum of 15W)1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 protocol (5Gbps) Type-A downstream
Audio
No
Editor’s Note: Dell India provided IGN India with a review unit of the Dell Alienware AW3225-QF 32-inch QD OLED Gaming Monitor for a limited time.
Ideal Design with Excellent Cable Management
The design is impressive not just because it looks good but also because it is, I believe, the best I have seen for managing the myriad of cables you will find on any gamer’s desk. For example, I have a wired keyboard, mouse, USB-C mic, headphones, USB DAC that requires two cables, a speaker controller, and a TrackIR unit.
With any other monitor, these cables simply snake around my monitor and dangle off the desk. However, with the AW3225-QF, there is a small and convenient gap under the legs through which I can pass all the cables. The cables that plug into the monitor pass unobtrusively through the hollow stand before entering the rear I/O. These can then be hidden behind a detachable panel. I wish more monitor makers would put this much thought into cable management.
While the rest of the design is just as good, the legs of the monitor are very long and eat up too much space on an average desk. My desk, for example, is 2.5 ft wide, but the monitor’s feet take up half that width, so my mousepad must either rest on the monitor’s feet or go under the feet and get squished. So, you will either need a larger desk or a monitor arm that can be fixed to the wall or the back-side edge of your desk to reclaim the lost space.
Display Quality of Alienware AW3225-QF QD-OLED Gaming Monitor
The display is brilliant. It is a QD-OLED panel with inky blacks and superb contrast and colour accuracy. This was, in fact, one of the few monitors that didn’t need much calibrating right out of the box. A slight green tinge needs to be corrected, but almost every large OLED I have ever used had this issue, so this is nothing unusual.
Alienware AW3235-QF Display Profile Information.
In line with Dell’s claims, the monitor covers almost the entirety of the DCI-P3 spectrum and boasts of a near-infinite contrast ratio thanks to the OLED technology. Do note that the colorimeter reading indicates a contrast ratio of 200,000:1, but only because it can’t measure the pure black of an OLED.
Profile Curve and Volume of the panel.
Talking about brightness, the monitor sits at around 190-200 nits in everyday use, hitting 250 nits if you max out the brightness slider. Since it is rated for HDR400, it should be able to hit 400 nits with HDR content. But I could not measure this number with my equipment. I usually find 200 nits to be a bit low for use in a brightly lit room, but given the excellent contrast, 250 almost felt too bright.
You can check our complete test report for this panel below:
The 32-inch panel does have a 1700R curve, which I didn’t like very much. To my mind, a 32-inch panel doesn’t need to be curved, and only serves to distort the image. This can be mildly frustrating when editing videos or working in Blender. However, I must admit that this is purely a matter of personal preference, as I never noticed the curve while gaming.
Image Source: Dell
Speaking of gaming, I do believe that I’ve had my best gaming experiences yet on this Alienware monitor. Turning on HDR—the monitor supports Dolby Vision—on that stunning OLED, paired with a 240 Hz refresh rate and stupidly fast response time of 0.03 sec, meant that gameplay and graphics have never looked better. Dropping 500 kg bombs on Bile Titans has never looked this good!
The feeling I got while gaming on the AW3225-QF!
The AW3225-QF comes with several additional features that assist when gaming, such as a high-contrast mode, zoomed-in mode, on-screen crosshair, and more. I don’t like these very much, so I didn’t game with them, but I did test them and can confirm that they work as advertised.
Inconvenient for Mac Users
Running away – my feeling while on Mac.
There was only one thing I didn’t like about this monitor: the lack of USB-C connectivity. I use a Mac and a PC simultaneously for work. It was frustrating to use so many cables (HDMI, power, USB-C to -A adapter for accessories) to connect my Mac, where I typically get by with a single USB-C cable. Most people will not care, but if you are a Mac user, this is enough of an inconvenience to avoid this monitor entirely.
Dell Alienware AW3225-QF: Pricing and Value for Money
Priced at INR 1,05,000, this monitor offers an excellent value. Everything about the AW3225-QF QD-OLED gaming monitor is impressive. Besides the lack of a USB Type-C port, which impacts Mac users specifically, I don’t see any significant shortcomings in this monitor. While expensive, it is easily the best and most impressive display I have used. Oh, and the price includes a 3-year warranty that covers burn-in.
I’ll say it again: the Dell Alienware AW3225-QF is a brilliant monitor with one of the best display panels and designs I have used. I love the white base and rear, the quality of the panel, its crazy-high 0.03-second response time, and the cable management. Whether you want this monitor for gaming or entertainment, if you have the means, you just can’t go wrong with something as impressive as this one.
