Can the AW3425DW do 240Hz over HDMI?

Yes — both HDMI 2.1 ports are full-bandwidth FRL (48Gbps) and run 3440x1440 at 240Hz, confirmed by Dell's spec and by PCWorld and Monitors Unboxed. It is one of the few ultrawides where HDMI is not the compromised input.

Can I dock a laptop over USB-C on the AW3425DW?

No. The USB-C port is downstream data with 15W charging only — it carries no video signal, and there is no KVM. Laptop users should look at our USB-C guide instead.

Why do reviews disagree on its HDR brightness?

Because the answer depends on mode and window size: PCWorld measured 978 nits in a 10% window, figures reported from RTINGS put the same window near 500 nits, and Monitors Unboxed found the True Black 400 mode capped at 450 while Peak 1000 reaches ~1,000 in dark scenes. All three can be true of different settings.

Is the AW3425DW being replaced?

A 280Hz successor (AW3426DW) has launched at the same $799.99 list price, which is why this model is discounted to about $700. At that price the 240Hz model is the value pick unless you specifically want 280Hz.

Home › Alienware AW3425DW Review

Alienware AW3425DW Review: 240Hz Ultrawide OLED, Honestly Measured

Name: Alienware AW3425DW
Brand: Alienware

By Akbar Khan, Editor · Last updated November 10, 2026

How we check: every monitor spec below was verified against the manufacturer's own page plus an independent review (RTINGS, PCMonitors and similar) or a major US retailer listing in November 2026. Prices are typical US street-price ranges, not one-day deals. This page may earn a commission from retailer links at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, BuyBestMonitor earns from qualifying purchases. The ranges shown are our own street-price checks, not Amazon prices — the live price is the one shown on Amazon when you click through. See our disclosure.

The short verdict: the best-value ultrawide OLED we have checked — a genuine 240Hz over both HDMI and DisplayPort, measured response around 0.3ms, and a street price near $700. The compromises are connectivity (its USB-C port is data-only — no video, no KVM), first-generation text fringing, and HDR modes that behave very differently from each other. Labs disagree on one HDR figure by a wide margin; we print both numbers below rather than picking one.

Model	Panel	Resolution	Refresh	Typical street price
Alienware AW3425DW	34.2" QD-OLED, 1800R	3440x1440	240Hz	$700-$800

Prices checked November 2026 — live prices at the retailer may differ.

Claimed vs measured

Figure	Dell claims	What labs measured
SDR brightness	250 nits	246 nits (Monitors Unboxed); 258 nits (PCWorld) — claim essentially confirmed
HDR, 10% window	1,000 nits peak (window not stated)	978 nits (PCWorld) vs about 500 nits (RTINGS, as reported) — a genuine disagreement; mode and method differ
HDR behaviour	True Black 400	True Black 400 mode caps at 450 nits; Peak 1000 hits ~1,000 in dark scenes but dims bright ones (Monitors Unboxed)
Response time	0.03ms GtG	~0.3ms at 240, 120 and 60Hz, no overshoot (Monitors Unboxed)
Input lag	Not claimed	Sub-1ms processing delay (Monitors Unboxed) — that is processing delay, not a total lag figure; no lab total was published
DCI-P3 coverage	99.3%	99.4% (Monitors Unboxed); 98% (PCWorld)
Contrast	1,500,000:1	Effectively infinite — 0-nit blacks (PCWorld)

Ports: the rare honest HDMI, and one trap

Both HDMI 2.1 ports are the full-bandwidth FRL kind — 48Gbps — and drive the panel's full 3440x1440 at 240Hz, confirmed by Dell, PCWorld and Monitors Unboxed. Almost no rival ultrawide does that. DisplayPort 1.4 reaches 240Hz with DSC. The trap is the USB-C port: it is a downstream data port with 15W charging and no video input, so there is no laptop docking and no KVM — the core of PCWorld's criticism, alongside no speakers and no headphone jack.

Where the labs push back

Text clarity. Monitors Unboxed identifies the panel as the first-generation QD-OLED layout with triangle subpixels (some secondary guides call it Gen 2 — the sources disagree), and its pink-green fringing on text edges is visible at this 110 ppi density; RTINGS' findings, as reported, call text clarity rather poor. For gaming it is a non-issue; for all-day document work, weigh it. HDR modes need choosing: Peak 1000 is spectacular in dark scenes and dims bright ones. The small internal fan was effectively inaudible in Monitors Unboxed's testing. Warranty is 3 years including burn-in with Advanced Exchange.

Price check, November 2026

Street price is about $700 at Best Buy and Amazon (TFTCentral's deals tracker, 9 November 2026) against a $799.99 list. Context that explains the discount: a 280Hz successor, the AW3426DW, has launched at the same $799.99 list — which makes this 240Hz model at $700 the value buy of the two for most players.

Our verdict