Dell has been at the top of its game when it comes to gaming monitors for years, and the Alienware brand has delivered pivotal technological advances, ranking among the first to embrace 500 Hz refresh-rate panels and QD-OLED technology. Dell is now claiming another “first” with its 39-inch Alienware AW3926QW, along with a fresh 34-inch QD-OLED SKU and two QHD/WQHD VA entries. All four new monitors use the same Alienware 30 design language, with AlienFX lighting, 360-degree ventilation, and streamlined cable management.
Alienware’s two new OLED gaming monitors
The Alienware AW3926QW is the largest monitor announced today and is billed as the world’s first 39-inch monitor to use an RGB Stripe Tandem OLED arrangement with 5K resolution. Dell is using an LG-sourced panel with a 4-stack light source consisting of two blue elements along with red and green elements. The stacked emissive layers reside behind an RGB-stripe subpixel layout.
Because of this particular architecture, we’re expected to see further improvements in color volume and brightness, as well as in text clarity, over legacy WOLED panels.
Using LG’s tech as the foundation, the AW3926QW features a 5120 x 2160 resolution with a native refresh rate of 165 Hz. However, since the AW3926QW is a dual-resolution monitor, dropping the resolution to 2560 x 1080 boosts the maximum refresh rate to 330 Hz. Dell boasts a 1.75 million:1 contrast ratio, aided by a polarizer layer that blocks ambient light and reduces reflections. As you might expect, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync are supported, and you’ll get a 0.03 ms GtG response time with 99 percent coverage of DCI-P3.
The monitor also supports various eSports display modes, allowing you to use just a portion of the display in predefined screen sizes. For example, you can simulate a 24.5-inch monitor with a 1520 x 855 resolution with a 330 Hz refresh rate or a 27-inch monitor with a 1680 x 945 resolution and a 330 Hz refresh rate. You can also configure the AW3926QW to work as a 31.5-inch monitor with a 4K resolution at 165 Hz. In each of these eSports configurations, the unused portion of the screen will remain black.
Additional features include an enhanced “personalized algorithm” that uses machine learning to predict your usage patterns and intelligently optimize panel brightness to extend panel longevity.
On the connectivity front, the AW3926QW includes two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 2.1 port, and a USB-C port (DisplayPort 2.1 Alt Mode with 90W PD) for video. There’s also a USB hub with two downstream USB-A 5 Gbps ports and one USB-C 5 Gbps port.
The next new monitor on the docket is the AW3426DW, which uses a QD-OLED panel with 5-stack “Penta Tandem” technology (the blue-emitting stack has increased from 4 to 5 layers). The Samsung-based tech is said to have a 1.3x uplift in luminous efficiency and a 2x improvement in panel longevity. A V-Stripe RGB subpixel arrangement is employed to deliver clearer, sharper text without the fringing that is common on traditional QD-OLED panels.
The end result is a 34-inch panel with a 3440 x 1400 resolution, a 1800R curve, and a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits (300 nits typical). You get a native refresh rate of 280 Hz, which is available over HDMI and DisplayPort connections. VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 and Dolby Vision are supported, along with FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync.
The AW3426DW features two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port for video. You’ll also find a USB hub with USB-A 5 Gbps and USB-C 5 Gbps ports (the latter of which supports 15W charging).
Alienware hasn’t forgotten about mainstream gamers with its new Alienware 32 and 34
There are also two monitors aimed at the mainstream gaming market: the AW3226DM and AW3426DWM. Both feature 1500R curved VA panels with a 240 Hz refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR 400 support, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, and 1ms GtG response times.
The two monitors primarily differ in their screen size and resolution. The AW3226DM features a 32-inch panel with a 2560 x 1440 (16:9) resolution, while the AW3426DWM has a 34-inch panel with a 3440 x 1440 (21:9) resolution.
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Both monitors have two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, along with downstream USB-A 5 Gbps and USB-C 5 Gbps ports.
At this time, Dell has not announced pricing for the AW3926QW or the AW3426DW, but the former will launch this fall, while the latter will be available in July. The AW3226DM and AW3426DWM debut in July, priced at $299.99 and $399.99, respectively.
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