Dell Alienware AW3420DW 120Hz Nano IPS UltraWide with G-SYNC
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made using the “Buy” button at the bottom of this post. Where possible, you'll be redirected to your nearest store. Further information on supporting our work.The 3440 x 1440 experience is enjoyable for both work and play. The Dell Alienware AW3418DW is a popular choice amongst gamers, for its combination of feature-set, attractive brand and styling. The AW3420DW is follow up to this model, with its refreshed “Alienware Legend” design. Slender dual-stage bezels are employed, with a slender hard outer component and a slim panel border that’s flush with the rest of the screen. The bottom bezel is somewhat thicker, although still quite slender. Matte black with blended grey ‘Alienware’ branding centrally. The OSD (On Screen Display) is controlled by a combination of pressable buttons and a joystick at the rear of the monitor. Towards the right side, as viewed from the front.
The monitor employs a 34″ LG Display Nano IPS panel, as seen in the 34GK950F and 34GK950G. This has a light matte anti-glare screen surface, for a relatively smooth look to lighter shades without obtrusive graininess. And it employs a 1900R (reasonably gentle) curve to slightly draw the user in a little bit without providing an unnatural viewing experience. Other important aspects of the specification include a 3440 x 1440 UltraWide resolution (21:9 aspect ratio), a 1000:1 static contrast ratio and 178°/178° horizontal/vertical viewing angles. A 120Hz refresh rate is supported using an internal overclock alongside Nvidia G-SYNC, removing tearing and stuttering from refresh rate and frame rate mismatches. 8-bit colour features alongside a flicker-free WLED backlight. The backlight uses enhanced phosphors (as is key to ‘Nano IPS’) to expand the colour gamut comfortably beyond sRGB (134.5% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3). A typical maximum luminance of 350 cd/m² is also specified alongside a 2ms grey to grey response time, which is usual should be taken with a pinch of salt.
The rear of the screen is predominantly matte white (‘Lunar Light’) plastic, with some black elements used centrally – including an oval-shaped mesh around the stand attachment point. ‘AlienFX’ RGB lighting also features, including a large oval at the rear of the stand neck, an Alienware logo towards the top right and two additional LED features on the underside of the bottom bezel. These four illuminated features can be controlled independently via the OSD or by using ‘AlienFX’ software. The included stand offers tilt and height adjustment and can presumably be removed to make way for an alternative 100 x 100mm VESA compatible solution. The ports face downwards, located beneath a removable port cover. They include; DP 1.2, HDMI 1.4, 4 USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm audio input and 3.5mm audio output.
The monitor should be available from 28th August with an initial price of $1499 USD.