The Dell Alienware AW3425DWM is an entry-level ultrawide gaming monitor. Part of the Alienware gaming lineup, it's newer than the popular Dell S3422DWG and sits alongside other budget-friendly models, like the Dell Alienware AW2725DM and the Dell Alienware AW3225DM. It has a 34-inch screen with a VA panel, 3440 x 1440 resolution, and a 1500R curve. It also has typical gaming features, like a 180Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, and HDMI 2.1 ports. It comes with Dell's updated design, which their 2025 models have, with a blue metallic finish and a stand that includes tilt and height adjustments.
Our Verdict
The Dell AW3425DWM is good for PC gaming. Its 180Hz refresh rate is high enough for most PC gamers, and it supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing. It also has low input lag for a responsive feel and a consistently fast response time at any refresh rate, but there's smearing with fast-moving objects. It even has good picture quality with a high native contrast ratio for deep blacks, but with a terrible local dimming feature, it fails to deliver an impactful HDR gaming experience. Unfortunately, it has distracting VRR flicker with changing frame rates, particularly in dark scenes.
Consistent response time at any refresh rate.
180Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
Low input lag for responsive feel.
High native contrast ratio.
Noticeable smearing with fast objects.
Terrible local dimming feature that's locked in HDR.
Distracting VRR flicker.
The Dell AW3425DWM is decent for console gaming. It supports most signals with a PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S, including VRR on both, but you'll see black bars on the sides as consoles don't support ultrawide signals. Gaming feels responsive thanks to its low input lag, but fast-moving objects have noticeable black smearing. It has good picture quality with deep blacks, thanks to its high contrast ratio, but it fails to make highlights pop in HDR for an impactful viewing experience.
Consistent response time at any refresh rate.
Low input lag for responsive feel.
High native contrast ratio.
Supports most signals with consoles.
Noticeable smearing with fast objects.
Only supports 4k signals at 60Hz.
Doesn't have an audio jack.
The Dell AW3425DWM is good for work. Its 34-inch screen is big enough to open windows side-by-side and has sharp text clarity. It also gets bright enough to fight some glare in a well-lit room, but it has distracting reflections from bright objects. Unfortunately, it's a bad choice if you need to share your screen with someone next to you, as it has narrow viewing angles and limited ergonomics. It doesn't have many office-oriented features besides two USB-A ports.
Bright enough to fight glare.
Sharp text clarity.
Ultrawide 34-inch display.
Distracting reflections.
Narrow viewing angles.
Limited ergonomics.
The Dell AW3425DWM is good for editing. It comes with an accurate sRGB mode that locks colors well to its sRGB color space, but it has white balance issues that need calibrating to fix them. It also has great SDR picture quality thanks to its high contrast ratio that helps it display deep blacks, but with a terrible local dimming feature that only turns on in HDR, it has limited picture quality when editing HDR content. On the plus side, its 34-inch screen is big enough to view most of your content at once and has good image clarity. Unfortunately, it has narrow viewing angles, so the image looks washed out when viewed from the sides.
High native contrast ratio.
Bright enough to fight glare.
Accurate sRGB mode.
Ultrawide 34-inch display.
Terrible local dimming feature that's locked in HDR.
Distracting reflections.
Narrow viewing angles.
Has white balance issues—needs full calibration.
The Dell AW3425DWM has good brightness. It gets bright enough to fight some glare in well-lit rooms, but fails to make highlights pop in HDR.
Bright enough to fight glare.
Fails to make highlights pop in HDR.
The Dell AW3425DWM has a good response time. It remains consistent with any refresh rate, but there's smearing and blur with fast-moving objects.
Consistent response time at any refresh rate.
Noticeable smearing with fast objects.
The Dell AW3425DWM has mediocre HDR picture quality. Despite having a high native contrast ratio, its local dimming feature performs terribly and doesn't improve the contrast ratio. It also fails to make bright colors look vivid.
High native contrast ratio.
Terrible local dimming feature that's locked in HDR.
The Dell AW3425DWM has good SDR picture quality. Its high native contrast ratio helps it display deep blacks, and the monitor also displays a wide range of colors.
High native contrast ratio.
The Dell AW3425DWM has impressive color accuracy. The dedicated sRGB mode locks colors well to the sRGB color space. However, it has white balance issues; you need to perform a full calibration to fix this.
Accurate sRGB mode.
Has white balance issues—needs full 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.
- 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 Jul 09, 2025:
We confirmed that it has a Local Dimming feature, which automatically turns on in HDR, and you can't turn it off.
- Updated Jul 04, 2025: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the 34-inch Dell AW3425DWM, which is the only size available. There are similarly-named models in the Alienware lineup, like the 27-inch Dell Alienware AW2725DM, the 32-inch Dell Alienware AW3225DM, and the ultrawide QD-OLED Dell Alienware AW3425DW, but these are different monitors, and the results in the review are only valid for the AW3425DWM.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Max Refresh Rate | Native Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AW3425DWM | 34" | VA | 180Hz | 3440x1440 |
Our unit's label indicates it was manufactured in February 2025. We tested it with firmware M3C101.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Dell Alienware AW3425DWM is an entry-level ultrawide gaming monitor. It's a newer model than the popular Dell S3422DWG, although it doesn't directly replace it because they're part of different lineups. That said, it's still a good upgrade compared to the older model, and it has features you'd expect in a gaming monitor, like a 180Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, VRR support, and low input lag. Although it still has black smearing with fast-moving objects, which is typical of VA panels like this one, it at least has a consistent response time across its VRR range. You'd have to consider an IPS option if you want less smearing, like the more expensive LG 34GP83A-B. While the market for entry-level ultrawide monitors is limited, it's a good value option that doesn't break the bank, so it's something to consider if you want an ultrawide without spending more on a premium OLED display.
Also see our recommendations for the best ultrawide gaming monitors, the best 34-49 inch monitors, and the best curved gaming monitors.
The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a higher-end ultrawide monitor than the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM. Although they both have 34-inch screens with a 3440x1440 resolution, there are some big differences between them. The AW3423DWF has a QD-OLED panel with much better picture quality, particularly in HDR, and superior motion handling. The main advantage of getting the AW3425DWM is that it gets brighter in SDR and doesn't risk burn-in with exposure to the same static elements over time, like the AW3423DWF has.
The Dell Alienware AW3425DWM is a newer model than the Dell S3422DWG, and improves in a few areas. The AW3425DWM has better motion handling as it has less smearing with fast-moving objects, although it's still there. The AW3425DWM also has a higher contrast ratio for deeper blacks, and it gets brighter, too, making it the better choice for gaming in well-lit rooms. The newer AW3425DWM also has better accuracy before calibration as it comes with a dedicated sRGB mode.
The LG 34GP83A-B and the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM are both ultrawide gaming monitors, with a few differences, mainly due to their panel types. The LG has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles and less smearing with fast-moving objects, so it's a better choice for playing action games with someone next to you. However, the Dell monitor has an advantage with picture quality, as its VA panel has a higher contrast ratio for deeper blacks. The Dell is also the better choice for gaming in well-lit rooms, as it gets brighter, too.
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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