by Every new technology comes with a learning curve. And with the new cataclysmically desirable Alienware 32 AW3225QF, we’re definitely learning some lessons about OLED as a display solution for PC gaming.
This isn’t, in fact, the first brave new generation 4K OLED we’ve sampled. A few weeks back, I threw my beady, treacherous peppers all over the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM. That’s another 32-inch 4K panel running Samsung’s latest QD-OLED technology, although the choice is equal to where Alienware chose to curve. And what a stunner it was.
But as we hear the hours with this new format, the whole wow factor is becoming more familiar. And with that comes, well, a slightly more basic understanding of what these monitors offer gamers. This is an incredible display. But like its Asus competitor, this Alienware is an elusive angstrom or three away from perfection. Living with these 4K OLED panels is just a little complicated.
However, let’s start with the basic speeds and feeds. Again, we’re talking 32 inches of 4K QD-OLED glory. That’s important because, until these new panels came along, you couldn’t have OLED displays and nice, tight pixel density. Previous OLED monitors were derived from relatively low DPI TV panels.
Alienware 32 AW3225QF specifications
Screen size: 32-inch
Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
Brightness: 250 nits full screen, 1,000 nits max HDR
Color cover: 99% DCI-P3
Response time: 0.03ms
Refresh rate: 240 Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 400 True Black, Dolby Vision
Aspects: Samsung QD-OLED 3rd Gen Panel, Adaptive Sync, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1
Price: $1,199 | £989
For this 4K option, Samsung has invoked an inkjet printing technique to pack 4K into a 32-inch panel. LG has its own 32-inch 4K offering coming, but the retail availability of monitors using that panel is a few months behind the Samsung QD-OLED. Watch this space for LG’s alternative coverage.
Anyway, despite the new manufacturing technique, the specs look familiar. Response is rated at 0.03 ms, HDR peak brightness at 1,000 nits, full-screen brightness at 250 nits and color coverage covering 99 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut. That’s all pretty much identical to existing QD-OLED monitors based on the earlier stock low-DPI panel, like the Alienware ultrawide 34-inch AW3423DWF.
The subpixel structure also remains the same. In other words, it’s still not a traditional RGB strip, but a triangular RGB arrangement. That was important in the past for sharpness and font rendering, because Windows ships with monitors assuming the RGB strip.
But with the increased density of 140 pso of this new 32-inch 4K class of OLEDs, it is no longer an issue. Yes, if you look very closely, you can just see some edges of text. But in normal use it disappears. Fonts look nice and crisp.
The other headline feature is the 240Hz refresh, of course. You’ll obviously need a heck of a GPU to feed all those pixels at 240Hz. It’s worth noting that LG is promising a 1080p 480Hz mode for its 32-inch 4K panel using integer doubling to achieve native-quality 1080p pixel definition on a 4K panel. It will be interesting to see how that pans out, although all attempts at integer doubling to reach lower resolutions have ultimately failed to deliver the claimed “native” experience.
Other notable features include DisplayPort 1.4 plus two HDMI 2.1 connections and a USB hub. What you don’t get is USB upstream for video input or laptop charging. There’s also no audio for connecting headphones or speakers, which is a bit odd. Likewise the KVM switch of the Asus competition is absent.
Rounding things out are some of the usual AlienFX RGB lighting and Alienware’s signature aesthetic, with the white Storm Trooper-style cover on the back of the chassis. I’m not a big fan of the look. But it is slapped together nicely and a little more resolved than the hard-edge, dated and alternative youth Asus.
If that covers the appearance of the hardware, what about the image quality itself? It’s no surprise, it’s a stunner. The triple of super pixel perfect OLED lighting with 4K pixel density and glossy panel coating to die for.
To achieve the brightest SDR results, you must enable HDR.
In particular, in SDR mode there is no brightness variability whatsoever. You can jiggle around or change windows as much as you want, the brightness stays pegged at the same 250-nit level. That’s good because the variability on some OLED panels can be very distracting. Early LG OLED monitors suffered badly, with brightness nose-diving if you wanted to maximize, say, a mostly white browser window.
That said, the Alienware 32 AW3225QF has even more pop in HDR mode. And that applies to SDR content, too. To achieve the brightest SDR results, you must enable HDR, and then maximize SDR brightness in the Windows display settings tool.
As it was achieved, you will then notice some variation of panel brightness when changing the size of windows and the like. But it is only small and you really have to look for it to notice. Anyway, that’s not the only little thing you need to be aware of.
The Alienware 32 AW3225QF gives very different results depending on which of at least nine HDR modes you choose. There are six of what you might call traditional HDR modes, as well as three Dolby Vision HDR modes.
If anything, the calibration feels even worse here than the same QD-OLED 4K technology does in the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM.
It’s a little baffling, to be honest. Making matters worse, when switching between some, but not all, of the HDR modes, the display may resync with your computer. First, it takes time which makes it more difficult to compare and choose between methods. It also starts back to the desktop if you’re in the game, which can happen with some titles. What a pallor.
For example, the HDR 400 mode seems best for outdoor scenes, but compresses detail for darker indoor and night scenes, while HDR 1000 is great for the latter, but dull for brighter images. .
In other words, there is no single optimal setting for HDR. It depends on the game you are playing and even the scene in question. Arguably that’s true of any display. It’s just a lot sharper here.
All that said, this panel still rocks positively. If anything, the calibration feels even worse here than the same QD-OLED 4K technology does in the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM. I don’t even mind the slight panel curve, which usually feels redundant on a 16:9 compared to an ultrawide monitor.
As if that wasn’t enough, you also have to contend with the whole burnt OLED thing. Alienware covers the panel for burn-in for three years. So that’s a reasonable bit of reassurance. But you still have to put up with burn-in mitigation tips popping up every now and then and generally emphasizing whether you should be switching the protection algorithms “Pixel Refresh” or “Panel Refresh”.
This way, life was a lot simpler with an SDR LCD monitor, that’s for sure. The basics, of course, are visuals that no LCD display can match, not even the latest and greatest IPS models with full-array local dimming.
The contrast that this Alienware delivers is simply awesome. Cyberpunk 2077 features a scene with an underground bar plastered with neon strip lights and signage. On this monitor, those neon lights seem real. They pop out of the panel completely, and the pixels around them remain black, effortlessly.
Then there’s the bonkers-quick pixel answer. These OLED screens have a clarity of motion that LCD panels can only achieve with backlight strobing. And backlight strobing does terrible things to brightness and colors.
Buy if…
✅ You want the combined glory of 4K crystal and OLED lighting: Perfect lighting per pixel, incredible OLED speed, plus 4K pixel density is an incredible combo.
Do not buy if…
❌ You want a simple life: What with all the HDR settings and OLED panel management, life is not simple in 4K OLED land.
So, this is undoubtedly a dominant gaming experience. It’s as good as 16:9 gaming gets right now. The increased pixel density also means that, along with its nemesis Asus, the first OLED gaming choice also makes a great all-round PC monitor. The pixel density is finally there, as is the full screen brightness.
Of course, if you prefer the ultrawide gaming experience, and we’re with you if you do, the 16:9 aspect ratio can feel a bit dowdy. For example, you can get Samsung’s epic 49-inch ultrawide OLED G9 panel for less money. It’s not as good as a whole, but it feels like a lot more monitor for the money.
In an ideal world, the choice would be 5K2K ultrawide OLED. At that point, you could arguably convince the entire gaming monitor. The latest maps suggest that it is indeed coming. But here and now, and despite the minor complications, this is as good as OLED gaming gets.
