The Dell Alienware AW3225DM is a budget 1440p curved gaming monitor. As part of Dell's 2025 Alienware gaming lineup, it shares its rounded, blue aesthetic with other recent models like the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM and the Dell Alienware AW2725DM. It competes with a number of other budget curved 32-inch 1440p VA gaming monitors, such as the Acer Nitro XZ322QU V3bmiiphx, the AOC CQ32G4VE, and the Gigabyte M32QC. In addition to a 180Hz refresh rate and VRR support, it has other gaming features, like Dark Stabilizer to increase the visibility of dark parts of scenes, customizable crosshairs, and a frame rate display.
Our Verdict
The Dell AW3225DM is good for PC gaming. Fast-moving objects look fairly crisp, though there's a bit of smearing, and they look less crisp with VRR enabled. Additionally, its 180Hz refresh rate and very low input lag create a responsive feel. Its great contrast also makes deep blacks visible in a dark room in SDR. However, it has mediocre HDR performance, with a terrible local dimming system that doesn't make highlights pop, and you can't turn it off in HDR.
Consistent response time across all refresh rates.
180Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
Very low input lag for a responsive feel.
High native contrast ratio.
Terrible local dimming feature that can't be turned off in HDR.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
A bit of smearing with fast-moving objects.
The Dell AW3225DM is satisfactory for console gaming. It supports all features and nearly all resolutions of the PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S, though it doesn't support 4k @ 120Hz. It has very good motion handling, so fast-moving objects look crisp, though it has a bit of smearing, and it also has low input lag for a responsive feel. Additionally, it displays deep blacks in SDR. However, it isn't as good for HDR gaming, as it has a terrible local dimming system that you can't turn off in HDR. Additionally, it doesn't have an audio output, so you can't connect speakers to the monitor.
Consistent response time across all refresh rates.
Very low input lag for a responsive feel.
High native contrast ratio.
Supports most signals from consoles.
Doesn't support 4k @ 120Hz.
No audio output.
A bit of smearing with fast-moving objects.
The Dell AW3225DM is decent for office work. It has good text clarity and is large enough to let you see several windows at the same time for multitasking. It's also bright enough that you can see it in bright environments, though it has somewhat distracting reflections with bright objects. Additionally, it has narrow viewing angles, a curved screen, and it doesn't swivel, so it doesn't work well if you're trying to share your screen with a colleague.
Bright enough for you to easily see it in bright environments.
Good text clarity.
Large 32-inch display.
Narrow viewing angles.
Limited ergonomics.
Somewhat distracting reflections.
The Dell AW3225DM is satisfactory for editing. Its sRGB mode is quite accurate even before calibration, and you can see deep blacks in SDR, even in a brighter room. It also gets bright enough for you to see it in any environment. However, it's not good for editing HDR content, as it has a terrible local dimming system that you can't turn off in HDR. It also doesn't work well for sharing content with a colleague, as it has very limited viewing angles, it doesn't swivel, and it has a curved screen.
High native contrast ratio.
Bright enough for you to easily see it in bright environments.
Great accuracy before calibration.
Terrible local dimming feature that can't be turned off in HDR.
Narrow viewing angles.
The Dell AW3225DM has good brightness. While it's bright enough to see in bright rooms, highlights don't pop in HDR.
Bright enough for you to easily see it in bright environments.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The Dell AW3225DM has a very good response time. There isn't very much blur with fast-moving objects, though there is a bit of smearing. Additionally, it has consistent motion handling at any refresh rate, though if you enable VRR, the motion handling is slightly worse.
Consistent response time across all refresh rates.
A bit of smearing with fast-moving objects.
The Dell AW3225DM has passable HDR picture quality. While it has a great native contrast ratio, its contrast with local dimming on is much worse. Its local dimming feature is terrible, and you can't turn local dimming off or adjust the brightness when the monitor is receiving an HDR signal.
Terrible local dimming feature that can't be turned off in HDR.
The Dell AW3225DM has good SDR picture quality. Its great native contrast ratio allows it to display deep blacks. It also displays a wide range of colors.
High native contrast ratio.
The Dell AW3225DM has amazing color accuracy. It has great white balance and very good gray uniformity, though it slightly over-clamps colors before calibration. After calibration, it has outstanding accuracy.
Great accuracy before calibration.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Mar 17, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1.2. We added a new Panel Technology box, including the Spectral Power Distribution (SPD) graph.
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Updated Feb 18, 2026:
We clarified that the Dell Alienware AW2725DM is a similar model that performs differently.
- Updated Nov 10, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1.1. We removed the Vertical Viewing Angle test.
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Updated Oct 14, 2025:
We confirmed that G-SYNC Compatibility works over HDMI.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the 32-inch Dell Alienware AW3225DM. Dell has several similar models in its lineup, such as the 34-inch Dell Alienware AW3425DWM and the 27-inch Dell Alienware AW2725DM. However, these are different monitors, and the results here are only valid for this model.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Max Refresh Rate | Native Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AW3225DM | 32" | VA | 180Hz | 2560x1440 |
Our unit's label indicates it was manufactured in January 2025. We tested it with firmware M2C101.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell AW3225DM is a budget 32-inch 1440p curved gaming monitor. It's a great choice for someone on a limited budget who wants an immersive gaming experience and likes how a curved screen improves image consistency from a centered seating position. It's a particularly good choice for a bright room, as it gets bright enough for you to see it in any environment, and black levels don't rise very much in a bright room. Additionally, it works well for all gaming genres, as it has very good motion handling, though it has a bit of smearing, and fast-moving objects look slightly less crisp if you enable VRR.
However, there are usually trade-offs in the budget category, and this monitor has significantly worse HDR performance than you'll find with some other 1440p gaming monitors, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. The Dell's terrible local dimming system can't be turned off in HDR, so we don't recommend this monitor if you plan on using HDR. That said, if you don't mind using the monitor in SDR, it's one of the best choices for someone looking for a large, immersive gaming experience on a budget.
Also see our recommendations for the best 32-inch monitors, the best 1440p gaming monitors, and the best curved gaming monitors.
The AOC Q27G3XMN and the Dell Alienware AW3225DM are both 1440p gaming monitors. The AOC is the better option for most people, as it has more vivid colors, better motion handling, and an effective HDR system that makes highlights pop. However, if you really want a big monitor, the Dell is a better choice given its larger 32-inch size.
The LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B and the Dell Alienware AW3225DM are both 32-inch 1440p gaming monitors. The Dell is the better monitor if you want an immersive gaming experience, as it displays deeper blacks, gets much brighter, displays more vivid colors, and has much better motion handling.
The LG 32GP850-B/32GP83B-B and the Dell Alienware AW3225DM are 32-inch 1440p gaming monitors. The Dell is a better option for most, as it displays deeper blacks in a dark room, and it also gets much brighter. However, the LG is a better option if you plan to share your screen with others, as it has much better viewing angles, and it doesn't have smearing with fast-moving objects like the Dell.
Acer Nitro XZ322QU V3bmiiphx and the Dell Alienware AW3225DM are 32-inch 1440p curved gaming monitors. The Dell is the better monitor for gamers, as it gets considerably brighter, displays a wider range of more vivid colors, has better motion handling, and better console compatibility.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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