News
News Categories

Alienware and Dell's new gaming monitors are all about curved displays and high refresh rates

By Koh Wanzi - on 23 Aug 2019, 2:41pm

Alienware and Dell's new gaming monitors are all about curved displays and high refresh rates

Alienware 34

Dell has announced three new gaming displays at Gamescom 2019. The star of the show is undoubtedly the new Alienware 34 AW3420DW monitor, an updated version of its 2017 predecessor, the AW3418DW. The two screens share many of the same core features, including the same 3,840 x 1,440-pixel resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, and G-Sync functionality. However, 2019's model builds on that in important ways, serving up better display brightness, a new design, and an IPS panel with Dell's Nano Color technology

The Alienware 34 now sports a typical brightness of 350 nits, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and a native 120Hz refresh rate. Alienware lists its gray-to-gray response time as "fast", with the exact figure to be confirmed. Elsewhere, the screen also features a 1900R curvature and an impressive 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space and 134.5 percent coverage of sRGB, a significant improvement from before, thanks to the aforementioned Nano Color tech. 

In comparison, the older AW3418DW only covered 99 percent of the sRGB colour gamut. 

The Alienware 34 comes in a Lunar Light colour. (Image Source: Alienware)

In terms of connectivity options, the monitor is equipped with one DisplayPort 1.2, one HDMI 1.4 input, a four-port USB 3.1 (Gen 1) hub with one connector that supports Power Charge, and 3.5mm audio jacks. 

And given that this is an Alienware monitor, it'll also offer 4-zone AlienFX RGB lighting, comprising the logo, power button, rear LED strip, and underglow lighting. 

Like other recent products like the Aurora R9 desktop, the Alienware 34 now also adheres to Alienware's new Legend design, featuring a more modern and minimalist look and the Lunar Light colour scheme. The display houses a cable management chamber as well that lets your cables pass through discreetly to connect to ports within a concealed compartment on the back of the monitor. A magnetic slip-on cover hides the cables while internal cable guides help with routing. 

Separately, Alienware also revealed the Alienware 27 AW2720HF gaming monitor, a 27-inch screen with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel IPS display and a speedy 240Hz refresh rate. It offers a typical brightness of 350 nits, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and 99 percent coverage of the sRGB colour space. In addition, Alienware is claiming a 1ms gray-to-gray response time in Extreme mode. 

Alienware 27

 

Like the Alienware 34, it's also been given the Legend treatment, boasting a distinctive lighting strip at the rear. However, the lighting system is less elaborate, and you just get single-zone lighting comprising the logo, power button, and rear lighting strip. 

Alienware 27

Finally, there's the Dell 32 Curved Gaming Monitor S3220DGF, featuring a native 165Hz refresh rate over DisplayPort 1.2 (the HDMI 2.0 input supports up to 144Hz). It has a 1800R curvature and a 31.5-inch 2,560 x 1,440-pixel VA panel that is rated for a typical brightness of 400 nits and a 3,000:1 contrast ratio.

Dell 32 Curved Gaming Monitor

Better still, it supports FreeSync 2 HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified. According to Dell, the panel also covers 92.4 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space and 99.7 percent of the sRGB gamut. Other features include a frame rate counter and timer and also a Dark Stabilizer setting to improve details in poorly lit scenes.

Here's an overview of pricing and availability:

  • Alienware 34 Gaming Monitor (S$1,599, 23 October)
  • Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor (Pricing TBA, 8 November)
  • Dell 32 Curved Gaming Monitor (S$719, 25 September)
Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.