Alienware Unveils Gorgeous 34-Inch Quantum Dot OLED Curved Gaming Monitor, Wireless Peripherals
Monitor manufacturers have taken their sweet time adopting OLED, but that is beginning to change. And as it does, Dell is laying claim to the world's first quantum dot OLED monitor through its Alienware division, with the just announced Alienware 34 QD-OLED (AW3423DW), a 34-inch curved display with a stylish design and various gaming features.
Why has it taken monitor makers so long to embrace OLED? It's probably a combination of cost and a consumer perception that burn-in is inevitable. While the latter is a possibility, there have been steps taken to make it less of a problem. In addition, premium smartphones with OLED displays and devices like Nintendo's Switch OLED may have assuaged some of those fears. Plus, Dell is backing this display with a three-year warranty, which includes coverage for burn-in.
As for cost, OLED has matured and come down in price over the past several years. It's still not cheap, but with Alienware being an enthusiast division within Dell, buyers don't really expect budget pricing. Whatever it ends up being for the AW3423DW, we'll have to wait and see—Dell won't announce a price until closer to its release.
"The jaw-dropping new design features a sleek QD-OLED
curved 1800R panel integrated into the iconic new Legend 2.0
ID, plus customizable stadium loop OLED AlienFX lighting,
360° ventilation for better heat dissipation, improved cable
management and a new centralized OSD 5-Axis joystick to
make adjusting your settings easier," Dell explains.
There's also a height-adjustable stand
with height markers , as well as tilt, swivel, and slant capabilities for making ergonomic tweaks.The Alienware 34 QD-OLED checks in with a 3440x1440 resolution and 175Hz refresh rate over DisplayPort or 100Hz over an HDMI connection. Other features include 178° viewing angles (horizontal and vertical), 99.3% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and 149% of the sRGB color space, and a 0.1ms response time (gray to gray).
It also features DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification and qualifies as a G-Sync Ultimate display. And for connectivity, Dell curiously chose not to embrace HDMI 2.1 (or HDMI 2.1a), but you do get a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, four USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, and a pair of 3.5mm jacks.
Dell says the Alienware 34 QD-OLED will be available on March 2, 2022 in China, March 29 in North America, and April 5 in EMEA.
Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Peripherals: Headset And Mouse
Dell also brought along a couple of tri-mode wireless peripherals to the show, including a gaming headset (AW920H). Aptly called the Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset, the stylized ear cans are designed to engross gamers in 3D sound with Dolby Atmos, powered by a set of certified 40mm high-res drivers.
The tri-mode designation comes from the connectivity options. Dell is promising lag-free audio when using the headset wirelessly via the USB Type-C dongle. Alternatively, users can leverage Bluetooth 5.2 on their laptops, phone, and tablet, and there's also a 3.5mm cord for wired connections.
According to Dell, the AW920H can last up to 30 hours over 2.4GHz and 55 hours over Bluetooth. It also supports fast charging—just 15 minutes nets six hours of usable time, the company says.
Other features include a 20Hz-40kHz frequency response, 320g weight, leatherette memory foam earpads, AI-assisted active noise cancellation, and of course RGB lighting. It also sports a unidirectional boom mic.
The AW920H will be available on February 9 in Lunar Light, and on April 19 in Dark Side of the Moon. Pricing has not yet been announced.
The other peripheral announced is the Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse (AW720M). Dell is promising "competitive-level precision" by way of a 26,000 DPI sensor, with 650 IPS tracking and 50G of max acceleration.
There are eight programmable buttons on board the AW720M, with the main clickers sporting optical switches and magnetically-sprung independent keyplates, which Dell says it has a patent pending for.
Once again, the tri-mode status refers to the connectivity options: 2.4GHz via a USB-C dongle with 1,000Hz wireless polling, Bluetooth 5.1, and wired (via an included USB-A to USB-C cable). As for the design of the mouse, its ambidextrous, with thumb buttons on both sides. That means both left-handed and right-handed gamers can use the mouse, albeit the usable number of programmable buttons is six (unless you can reach the thumb buttons on the opposite side).
Dell says the AW720M can last 140 hours via 2.4GHz, or 420 hours over Bluetooth. Five minutes of charging time promises 20 hours of gameplay.
The AW720M will be available on February 9 in Lunar Light and April 19 in Dark Side of the Moon. Pricing has not yet been revealed.
