The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a 34-inch ultrawide QD-OLED monitor. It's a similar model to the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, which was released before. There are a few differences, as it has native FreeSync support and a Console Mode that improves the compatibility with the PS5 and Xbox Series X because it can downscale a 4k @ 60Hz signal. It also has Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes, as well as the ability to update the firmware, both of which the original AW3423DW doesn't have. Its QD-OLED panel aims to combine the perfect black levels of OLEDs with the wide range of colors of quantum dot displays, but like other first-generation QD-OLED displays, it still lacks a polarizing layer, and the black levels raise in bright rooms.
The Dell AW3423DWF is excellent for mixed usage. It's fantastic for consuming multimedia content in dark rooms, whether you're watching in HDR or SDR, because it has a near-infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity. However, the black levels raise in bright rooms. It's also good for work purposes thanks to its ultrawide screen, remarkable color accuracy, and wide viewing angles. However, there are some minor text clarity issues due to its subpixel layout. Lastly, it's fantastic for gaming as it has a near-instantaneous response time, low input lag, and variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing.
The Dell AW3423DWF is good for office use. With an ultrawide, 34-inch screen, there's plenty of space to open multiple windows at once. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain consistent from the sides, and the curved screen brings the edges within your field of vision. While its overall text clarity is decent, there are some color fringing and text issues caused by the subpixel layout, but it isn't a serious problem. Also, while it reduces glare from bright light sources well, ambient light causes the black levels to raise.
The Dell AW3423DWF is fantastic for gaming. It has a near-instantaneous response time that makes motion look extremely smooth and has low input lag for a responsive feel. It has a 165Hz refresh rate with native FreeSync VRR support, and it also has G-SYNC compatibility to use with NVIDIA graphics cards. It's also a great choice for dark room gaming as it displays perfect black levels in a dark room without any blooming around bright objects.
The Dell AW3423DWF is remarkable for media consumption. It looks best in dark rooms because it displays deep blacks without blooming, but it looks worse in bright rooms as ambient light causes the black levels to raise. Its ultrawide screen is great for watching movies, and it displays a wide range of colors with okay HDR peak brightness, so colors are vivid and smaller highlights pop.
The Dell AW3423DWF is incredible for media creation. Its ultrawide format provides plenty of screen space to open multiple windows at once. It also has remarkable accuracy before calibration in the sRGB mode, so you won't need to get it calibrated for the most accurate image possible. Unfortunately, it has some color fringing issues that are noticeable if you have multiple windows open, and while there are some problems with the text clarity, it isn't too distracting.
The Dell AW3423DWF is exceptional with HDR. It displays deep blacks in dark rooms thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects either. Its QD-OLED panel also displays a wide range of colors, making them bright and vivid. However, its HDR peak brightness is limited, so some larger highlights don't pop as they should.
We tested the Dell AW3423DWF, which is similar to the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, with a 34-inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution. Although they use the same QD-OLED panel technology, there are a few differences in their features, which you can see below. Another difference between the two is that you can update the firmware on the AW3423DWF, which you can't do with the AW3423DW.
Model | Size | Refresh Rate | VRR | Console Mode | Inputs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AW3423DW | 34" | 175Hz | G-SYNC Ultimate | No | 1x DisplayPort 2x HDMI |
AW3423DWF | 34" | 165Hz | FreeSync Premium Pro | Yes | 2x DisplayPort 1x HDMI |
Our unit of the Dell AW3423DWF was manufactured in October 2022, and you can see the label here.
The Dell AW3423DWF is an excellent overall monitor that delivers fantastic picture quality, especially if you're using it in a dark room. Its QD-OLED panel produces better HDR performance than most monitors, including those with Mini LED backlighting like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, but it doesn't get as bright as the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. Compared to the AW3423DW, it improves in a few areas, like the addition of the Console Mode and the ability to update the firmware. Unless you need the native G-SYNC support on the AW3423DW or want to play 10-bit HDR games at a higher refresh rate, consider the AW3423DWF, as it offers much of the same performance at a lower cost.
Also see our recommendations for the best ultrawide monitors, the best ultrawide gaming monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G85SB S34BG85 use the same QD-OLED display. They perform closely in visual performance, and they offer relatively similar features. If you're going to use your monitor for purposes that involve a lot of static screens, like office work or media creation, you have to factor in burn-in. As a result, the Dell is a better option as it comes with a three-year replacement warranty against burn-in. If you enjoy watching content, the Samsung also comes with the Tizen OS built-in, meaning you can stream media directly from the monitor.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a newer model that's similar to the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. They use the same QD-OLED panel type, so the picture quality is nearly the same between each, except that the AW3423DWF doesn't get as bright in HDR. The main difference comes with their VRR support, as the AW3423DW has native G-SYNC support while the AW3423DWF has native FreeSync support. The AW3423DWF also has a Console Mode that the AW3423DW doesn't have, letting you send 4k @ 60Hz signals from the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM are different types of OLED displays. The Dell is an ultrawide monitor with a larger screen, and it uses extra quantum dot technology to display a wider range of colors that are brighter and more vivid than on the ASUS. However, the ASUS still gets brighter, so small highlights pop more. The ASUS also has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, which makes it ideal for competitive gamers.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF are both high-end gaming monitors that are different in a few areas. The Samsung is a 4k monitor with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it an ideal choice for console gaming, and it also has a higher refresh rate, while the Dell has an ultrawide screen if you like to play atmospheric games. In terms of picture quality, the Samsung monitor uses Mini LED backlighting that lets it get much brighter, and the Dell is better for dark rooms thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9/G95SC S49CG95 are both QD-OLED monitors with some differences. The Samsung has a large 49-inch screen and 32:9 aspect ratio, offering more screen space than the Dell. The Samsung has a few extra features, like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and a built-in smart system, which the Dell doesn't have, and the Samsung has a higher 240Hz refresh rate.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the LG 27GR95QE-B are both 1440p OLED gaming monitors with a few differences. The Dell has an ultrawide screen for a more immersive gaming experience, and its QD-OLED panel also delivers better picture quality with brighter highlights and more vivid colors. However, the LG has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, which is great if you're a competitive gamer, and it supports 4k @ 120Hz gaming from consoles. Lastly, the LG doesn't have the same raised black level issue in bright rooms as the Dell, meaning blacks are still deep and inky when viewed in well-lit rooms.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED both use the same QD-OLED panel and have many similarities, but some differences exist. The Dell has better PQ EOTF tracking, so the image looks more accurate on the Dell. However, the MSI has a few advantages in other areas, like its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that lets it take full advantage of gaming consoles and its extra productivity features like a KVM switch and Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF uses an OLED panel like the LG 42 C2 OLED, but there are differences between each display. The Dell is an ultrawide monitor with a 3440x1440 resolution and uses a QD-OLED panel. It allows it to display a wider range of colors with better luminance levels than the LG. On the other hand, the LG is a 42-inch 4k TV with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which is great if you want to use it for console gaming with the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 and the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF are both high-end gaming monitors with a 165Hz refresh that are different in a few areas. The Samsung is a 4k monitor with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it an ideal choice for console gaming, while the Dell has an ultrawide screen if you like to play atmospheric games. In terms of picture quality, the Samsung monitor uses Mini LED backlighting that lets it get much brighter, and the Dell is better for dark rooms thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 are both fantastic ultrawide gaming monitors with a few differences. The Samsung is a super ultrawide display with an even bigger 49-inch screen compared to the Dell. They also use different panel technologies as the Samsung gets brighter thanks to its Mini LED backlighting, while the Dell displays perfect blacks due to its QD-OLED panel. Lastly, the Samsung has a higher 240Hz refresh rate which you can use for gaming at a high frame rate.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a different type of ultrawide gaming monitor compared to the Dell Alienware AW3821DW. It uses a QD-OLED panel that results in much better picture quality, particularly for dark room gaming, as it displays deeper blacks without any blooming. It also has better motion handling thanks to its near-instantaneous response time. While they each support VRR, the AW3423DWF is better for use with AMD graphics cards because it has native FreeSync support, and the AW3821DW has native G-SYNC support for use with NVIDIA graphics cards.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF and the Corsair XENEON 27QHD240 are different types of OLEDs. The Dell has an ultrawide display with a QD-OLED panel, allowing it to get much brighter with more vivid colors than the Corsair. On the other hand, the Corsair has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for competitive gaming, and it supports 4k signals up to 120Hz from the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which the Dell can't do.
The Dell AW3423DWF looks like the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, with the main difference being that the plastic panels are black instead of white. It has some RGB lighting on the back, but it doesn't have a ring of light around the stand attachment.
The build quality is excellent. The all-plastic body feels solid as it doesn't flex much, and the stand also supports the screen well without any wobble.
While one of the major concerns of the Dell Alienware AW3423DW was its audible fan noise, the issue isn't as prevalent with this monitor. There still is a fan inside the monitor which you can hear if you put your ear close to the monitor or you're in a really quiet room, but most people won't be able to hear it, or at least it isn't loud enough to be bothersome for most people. However, there are are users reporting on Reddit that they still hear a coil whine noise, particularly when plugged into 230V outlets. While we didn't experience this on our unit, it seems to be a concern if you need to use a 230V outlet.
The ergonomics are decent, especially for an ultrawide monitor. You can adjust it in any way you like, but like most curved and ultrawide displays, you can't rotate it into portrait mode. You can route all your cables through the stand for cable management.
The stand is heavy and very solid, as it holds the screen well with minimal wobble. While you need a deep desk to place it on, there's enough space between the legs to put a smaller keyboard or other objects.
There's a single joystick underneath the center of the display to control the on-screen display, and there's a power button on the right side to turn it On/Off.
The Dell AW3423DWF has an OLED panel with a near-infinite contrast ratio. It means that it displays perfect blacks next to bright highlights. However, it looks best in a dark room because the black levels raise in a bright room, causing blacks to look purple/pink when there's any ambient light on the screen.
This monitor doesn't have a backlight, so it doesn't require a local dimming feature. However, with a near-infinite contrast ratio, there isn't any blooming around bright objects, and it's the equivalent of a perfect local dimming feature. We still film these videos on the monitor so you can see how the screen performs and compare it with a monitor that has local dimming.
The Dell AW3423DWF has okay SDR peak brightness. It doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare, but because of its fantastic reflection handling, you won't see distracting glare with a few lights around, either. It maintains its brightness consistent across different scenes in SDR, which is good as there isn't any noticeable changes in screen brightness. These results are from after calibration in the 'Custom Color' Preset Mode with the Brightness at its max.
The Dell AW3423DWF has okay HDR brightness. These results are in the 'HDR Peak 1000' Smart HDR mode with Console Mode and Source Tone Map both enabled. While some small highlights are around 1,000 cd/m², the overall real scene peak brightness is worse than the Dell Alienware AW3423DW.
These results are with firmware M3B104, released in June 2023. It makes the image a bit brighter, but the main difference is that the EOTF tracks closer to the target PQ curve, meaning it displays images at their intended brightness. Before the update, the EOTF was brighter than the target. The firmware update also fixes the bug that caused colors to look washed out with Source Tone Map and Console Mode both disabled on previous firmware, as it performs nearly the same with those settings off with firmware M3B104. However, the EOTF is slightly different with both settings disabled, as there's a slower roll-off at the peak brightness, meaning it's tone mapping before the source does, causing highlights to be too dim.
Similar to the AW3423DW, it has an aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL) that dims the screen when there are full-screen windows open in HDR. It's most distracting when minimizing and maximizing windows, but it isn't an issue with real content.
We did the testing with a PC with an NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics card, and the brightness is the same even with an AMD RX 6600 XT graphics card. Only while playing Destiny 2 on the Xbox Series X did the real scene brightness get brighter, with a max of 765 cd/m².
While the results above are within the 'HDR Peak 1000' mode, you can also see the results in the 'DisplayHDR True Black' mode, which targets a brightness of 400 cd/m². Console Mode and Source Tone Map were enabled for these too, and this was done with firmware M3B102:
The ABL is less aggressive in 'DisplayHDR True Black', meaning there isn't a distracting change in brightness when minimizing and maximizing windows like with 'HDR Peak 1000'. You can see the EOTF in the 'DisplayHDR True Black' mode with Console Mode and Source Tone Map disabled. The slow roll-off is similar to the EOTF with those settings disabled even in 'HDR Peak 1000'.
The Dell AW3423DWF has an outstanding horizontal viewing angle. Although it technically isn't perfect, you visually won't see any inconsistencies when viewing from the sides or if you sit close to the screen.
Like with the horizontal viewing angle, the vertical angle is outstanding, and you won't notice any inaccuracies.
The Dell AW3423DWF has fantastic gray uniformity. You won't notice any issues when displaying large areas of the same colors. Like any OLED display, there are thin vertical lines in near-dark scenes, and it has the Venetian Blind Effect with darker grays. However, neither issue is noticeable unless you're looking for them. While we didn't take photos with darker grays on this monitor, below you can see what darker grays look like on the Dell Alienware AW3423DW to see these minor problems, and the AW3423DWF looks the same:
The accuracy before calibration is remarkable in the 'Creator' Preset Mode, which limits the colors to the sRGB color space. There aren't any noticeable inaccuracies with the white balance, colors, and color temperature. While gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve perfectly, it's still great overall. The 'Creator' mode only locks you out of the RGB controls, so you can still adjust any setting to your liking.
The accuracy after calibration is fantastic. The colors and white balance are worse than before calibration because the calibration is done from the 'Custom Color' Preset Mode. It means that the 'Creator' mode is still the most accurate option, and it limits the colors to the sRGB color space. However, the difference between the two isn't noticeable.
The Dell AW3423DWF has an incredible SDR color gamut. It has perfect coverage of the commonly-used sRGB color space. Even the Adobe RGB color space used in some publishing has fantastic coverage, but reds and greens are still off, which is disappointing if you need to work with those colors.
The HDR color gamut is fantastic. It displays a wide range of colors and has good tone mapping with both the DCI-P3 and wider Rec. 2020 color spaces. With firmware update M3B104, the color gamut is similar as on the previous firmware, but you don't need to enable both Source Tone Map and Console Mode for the best results. While we tested it with those settings on, it performs similarly with them off. There was a bug with past firmware that caused colors to look washed out with Source Tone Map and Console Mode disabled, so updating the firmware can help fix that issue if you're still experiencing it.
These results are in 'HDR Peak 1000', and the color gamut is similar even in 'DisplayHDR True Black'.
The Dell AW3423DWF has a fantastic HDR color volume. One of the advantages of using a QD-OLED panel is that it displays a wider range of colors at higher luminance levels than traditional OLEDs like the LG 48GQ900-B. This means that it displays colors as bright as pure white.
With firmware update M3B104, the color volume is similar as on the previous firmware, but you don't need to enable both Source Tone Map and Console Mode for the best results. While we tested it with those settings on, it performs similarly with them off. There was a bug with past firmware that caused colors to look washed out with Source Tone Map and Console Mode disabled, so updating the firmware can help fix that issue if you're still experiencing it.
These results are in 'HDR Peak 1000', and the color gamut is similar even in 'DisplayHDR True Black', but colors and highlights are brighter with 'HDR Peak 1000'.
In theory, the reflection handling of the Dell AW3423DWF is remarkable. There aren't any distracting reflections from strong light sources, meaning glare won't be an issue if you want to use it in a bright room. However, light also stretches across the screen, as you can see in the photo above. The main issue with QD-OLED displays is that they lack a polarizing layer, which causes the black levels to raise when there's ambient light on them. It means that blacks look closer to purple/pink in a bright room, and you lose the advantage of the near-infinite contrast of OLEDs. You need to be in a dark room to see the perfect black levels. This issue isn't only limited to monitors, but any current QD-OLED display, including the Samsung S95B OLED.
This monitor looks like the Dell Alienware AW3423DW in bright rooms, and you can see examples from the AW3423DW of what the AW3423DWF looks like in a bright room:
The Dell AW3423DWF has decent text clarity and has the same issues present as the Dell Alienware AW3423DW due to its triangular subpixel structure. It's different from LED-backlit LCD monitors, which have all three pixels in a line, and most programs render text better with that. While the text clarity isn't as good as other 34-inch, 3440x1440 displays, it isn't a serious issue, and text is still easy to read. Whether or not you like it is a personal preference and you can read more about our writer's and tester's subjective opinions about the text clarity and other aspects of the AW3423DW here. There are also workarounds to this, like using The free utility Better ClearType Tuner, which improves text clarity significantly.
The biggest issue with this subpixel structure is the color fringing around some text and at the top and bottom of windows. You see a thin green line at the top of every window and a thin red line at the bottom. However, these aren't noticeable unless you look for it. Below you can see photos of the pixels from the Dell Alienware AW3423DW review, and the results are also valid for the AW3423DWF.
You can see better examples of the color fringing around text with the AW3423DW around the Google logo as shown here or with zoomed out images with ClearType on and ClearType off. As for the AW3423DWF, enabling ClearType doesn't have an impact on the text clarity, and text looks the same in Windows 11 as you can see with ClearType on here and off here.
The Dell AW3423DWF has a slightly lower max refresh rate compared to 175Hz on the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, but you won't notice any difference between them. However, the max refresh rate is limited when sending a 10-bit signal with its native resolution, even over a DisplayPort connection, as you can only choose between a 100Hz or 60Hz refresh rate in the EDID. Luckily, you can still create a custom resolution if you want a higher refresh rate with a 10-bit signal, but we don't consider custom resolutions as part of our test results. If you need a monitor where the maximum refresh rate works over all inputs, check out the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G85SB S34BG85.
Although the Dell AW3423DWF doesn't have native G-SYNC support, it still works with NVIDIA graphics cards over both DisplayPort and HDMI connections. The monitor also supports Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) for the VRR to continue working even at low frame rates.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
No Overdrive | Chart | Table | Photo |
The Dell AW3423DWF has a near-instantaneous response time that results in almost no motion blur with fast-moving objects. However, because of the sample-and-hold method that OLEDs use, there's still a bit of persistence blur. There's a bit of overshoot with very dark transitions, but it's hard to notice anyways. It doesn't have the option to adjust the pixel overdrive.
The Dell AW3423DWF doesn't have a Black Frame Insertion feature to further reduce persistence blur.
The backlight isn't technically flicker-free because it has a slight dip in brightness that corresponds to the 165Hz refresh rate. However, it isn't considered pulse-width modulation like on LED-backlit monitors because it isn't a full-screen on-and-off flicker, and you won't notice it.
The Dell AW3423DWF has low input lag for a responsive feel. These results are with Console Mode enabled, but the difference with it disabled is minimal.
The ultrawide screen has the same height as a 27-inch monitor, but it has a wider screen horizontally. If you aren't a fan of ultrawide displays, you can also consider the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM.
The Dell AW3423DWF has a Console Mode, making it more compatible with the PS5 than the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, which doesn't have the same feature. It can downscale a 4k @ 60Hz signal from the console, which results in a sharper image than a native 1440p signal, and there aren't any issues with VRR or HDR. Since the monitor doesn't support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, you can't play 4k @ 120Hz games. If you want a QD-OLED monitor that supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and can take full advantage of the PS5, check out the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED.
The Xbox Series X works without issue on this monitor, except 4k @ 120Hz doesn't work due to HDMI bandwidth limitations. There aren't any obvious problems, but you'll see black bars at the sides.
The audio port underneath the left side is meant for your headphones, while the one in the back is meant for speakers with their own volume control. It's because you can only adjust the volume of the headphone port and not the one in the back.
You need to connect the USB-B to USB-A cable to your PC if you want to use the USB-A ports to plug in your peripherals like your mouse and keyboard.
The Dell AW3423DWF works well with recent MacBooks. There aren't any issues with VRR, and HDR also looks good in games, but if you're using it for general desktop usage, colors look a bit better in SDR. Windows also stayed in place after waking the laptop up from sleep or opening the lid.
There are Text Clarity issues like on Windows PCs due to the unique subpixel layout, and you can see two additional text clarity photos on macOS with the Dell Alienware AW3423DW here and here. These photos also apply to the AW3423DWF.
The Dell AW3423DWF has a few extra features, including a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture option to use with two devices. There are other features, including: