Alienware - 38 Curved Gaming Monitor - AW3821DW

I had a LCD Alienware 4k 38". I decided to go down to 2k with the LG 39 OLED and I love it. I will mever go back down the size of a monitot noe, the nrxt shpuld be 45" which I believr is the sweet spot for my gaming. Ngl you are gonna like itz and text is easily readable

I know this is ultrawide masterrace, but for the price of that Dell or LG, you could easily buy 2 x 32" 4K monitors. One OLED geared towards gaming and one IPS towards productivity. You'd get more real estate and it would cost less. Just depends on whether you think this is a compromise or not. I have a 38" UW (AW38dw) and also use 2 x 32" 4K. There are pluses and minuses to each. I only bring this option up because the LG is definitely better than the Dell at gaming, but is insanely expensive and the 800R curve isn't great.

Honestly, going back and forth from 4K on my Dell U32 32" Ultrasharp to 3840 x1600 on my 38" Alienware can be quite the difference, particularly in text clarity. When I only had the Alienware and it was an appropriate distance away, it wasn't noticeable, but as soon as I got the 32" Ultrasharp to play with, the text immediately appears more soothing to the eyes and going in the other direction is fairly jarring. Of course the 144Hz refresh rate of the Alienware makes the experience much smoother. And I absolutely notice the difference in brightness/nits during the day - the Alienware is much brighter. In short, if it were 4K, I think it'd be the perfect monitor and that's sort of what you get with the U4025, with the added benefit of the dock. I would choose brightness, refresh, and customer service of the Dell over the LG any day of the week. Particularly with regards to the latter, Dell has an outstanding premium panel exchange warranty whereas customer service with LG seems to be rather suboptimal. Only thing I'd caution is considering whether a curved screen will be appropriate for your CAD work case. From time to time, I do notice when working in Excel or other docs on my Alienware that the lines I'm drawing or looking at aren't 'straight' and it can be ever so slightly annoying. It's actually why I decided to experiment with the 32" Ultrasharp. Your eyes eventually adjust and trick your brain into thinking that the curved line you see on the Ultrawide is indeed straight(ish), and then when you look at a flat screen, the flat screen will look convex. I would imagine that this would be far more annoying in CAD visuals, but I don't spend a ton of time on graphics so not sure. If the cost of the Dell is tough to swallow, you could always consider getting 2x32" 4K displays. Could be cheaper with even more real estate and same vertical resolution. Just don't forget to factor in the theoretical cost of the dock in the comparison. Good standalone Thunderbolt docks aren't cheap.

I had one, I returned it, I disliked the FOV (distortion on the edges), and the head moving. Got a AW3821DW, happy !

I have a similar use case as you, and I love my Alienware AW3821DW. It truly is a great balance. It's a bit old at this point, but I would highly recommend you to consider the 38" -40" range with 21: 9 aspect ratio. It offers great real estate for work while not being absurly huge.

45” really feels like the sweet spot. The 57” Samsung is too wide but the 38” Alienware feels too short.

My 2c since the comment below I replied to was deleted. I’ve tried the 49 inch and 57 inch. Currently using this 5k2k because there was a great price on the Lenovo Canadian site lower than the advertised msrp. This is sad, but I received it in July, and have hardly gamed on it at all because work and life has been so busy. For work it’s been a fantastic solution and I haven’t missed 2 screens at all because I have a fancy zones layout that is effectively 3 full sized windows or combinations of smaller windows - since the monitor is so huge, you can have smaller, usable zones. The resolution on the 57 inch ruined the 49 for me for gaming. I bought my first 1440p monitor in 2011/2012 (whenever gsync came out). It was great for the time. But the detail and clarity in 4k or 4k ultrawide is something else, assuming you have the hardware to drive it. For work, I’ve loved the retina displays on MacBook pros forever. 4k screens provide a similar experience in text clarity. After you move from 1440p to 4k, it’s so hard to go back. Better for one to not experiment so as to not know what they’re missing. One of my fav ultrawides was the old 38 inch Alienware. Based on a 16:10 aspect ratio for equivalent normal monitor vs 16:9. But the colors were so washed out. And then oled became popular. Again, stuff has gotten TOO good. The 49 for me, where I work and game on the same screen, ended up being too “skinny”. In games it felt like you were peeking through blinds rather than being immersed in the world. The subtle curve actually wasn’t enough for a monitor of that width, leading you to turn your head a lot. The 57 was incredible for productivity. But it had smearing on the screen panel and ghosting if I recall right. All I remember is that the pixel density and larger sense of vertical space ruined the 49 for me in terms of size and resolution but then the ghosting triggered my OCD and was totally unacceptable for the price. It made me think how I wanted a 38 inch uw oled panel. The 5k2k is the closest we’ll get for a long time. Moved to 32 4k after that then the 5k2k once available. While work is great, due to the way I like to game and have something on a second screen, no ultrawide will truly replace a dual monitor set up - when I get time I’ll be setting the 4k panel beside the 5k2k since I still have it. The curve, while not being ideal and me preferring it to be less curved, has not been bad and I’d encourage people who have not tried it to experiment and not poo poo it without seeing if they adjust after 2-3 weeks of use.

Exactly what I did too. I had a 32:9, loved it for productivity/work but didnt like it for gaming, too short and had to move my head... plus fiddling with almost every game to make it work (HUD, resolution, black bars, etc.) I sold it and got the AW3821DW and its perfect for my needs.

oh well - still waiting for a worthy replacement for my aw3821dw. I need \~110ppi display, I don't want to use scaling ...

Would be great to upgrade from an AW3821DW. Tried a g9 odyssey and returned it. Sweet spot is definitely 40".

I've heard whispers of a 38-39" 5k2k OLED coming out second half of this year/H1 next year. As a AW3821DW owner who has been disappointed with the black levels since day 1, I'm looking forward to it.

++1. I have a 38” AW with 2x vertical 27”.

I have Dell Alienware AW3821dw (3840 x 1600), amazing on Windows and games but in the Mac Mini Pro m4 blurry text. I returned the mac 🥲

FWIW, I run an Alienware 38" curved monitor and I love it...but I'll probably upgrade to the 57R94 as soon as it's available. Yes, that's a 57" curved monitor.

Ultrawide is great for productivity but for gaming it just plain sucks. I'm sorry but no. It's rubbish. Game support is middling at best and having to mod it in is not good enough at all. I sold my 38" Alienware AW3821DW for a LG C4 42" OLED. Have not gone back and i doubt i will go back to ultrawide for gaming again. It's all well and good to say these are great gaming monitors but the game support for them is few and far inbetween.

not OLED? I had the alienware 38 inch a few years ago (AW38231dw) if i wasn't an oled snob I'd 1000% go back to that one. 3840x1600 really is the sweet spot imo. wish they made an oled variant but if you dont care about oled that would be a personal recommendation from me. there is also the 38gn950 from LG which is very highly recommended online (not tried it personally)

well the 38" i mentioned aren't oled so youre good for those. but they are mainly gaming monitors - they have a lot more 38" productivity monitors out there that may suit your needs better

I have AW3821DW, which is a perfect mix of games and productivity imo. Gentle curve. 3840x1600 resolution. 144hz. I could never use a 60 hz display again........i've been at 120hz+ for 15 years

yes it is an IPS.

aw3821dw was like 1500 at one point i think

You could check the older, really good IPS (with local dimming zones) AW3821DW (to clarify OP's worry. I am on purely on OLED since early 2022 and I have yet to have a panel that has burn in. (I do work on it too, home office, the thing is on most of the day) Just respect the pixel refresh and don't fall asleep with a still picture. cheers p.s.: The U4025QW is really good, it's like the perfect working monitor .. I loved the week I had it at home.

Hey, I'll chip in since I'm in the same boat, I can also grab U4021QW for $600 in perfect condition and warranty and I've been eyeing U4021QW - these can be had for around $900 if you get lucky. U4021QM is 60Hz, both HDMI outputs can only do 30Hz so you need to use USB-C and/or DP. U4025Q is 120Hz and there was a recent firmware update that addresses some MAC issues. I'm personally rocking AW3821DW and U3818DW. I do enjoy playing games here and there but I see no difference 60Hz vs 144Hz when it comes to productivity. I may grab U4021Qw just to check out since the price is so good. It's up to you how much you want to spend. HTH.

I snapped up a Dellienware AW3821DW, when they were being closed out. I use it for productivity mainly, but I also play games form time to time. Probably 80-90% of my use is productivity tasks. I'd probably go with the U4025QW, but damn, that price is steep... CAD $2,699.99 and I'm not sure a 4080 is enough, especially if you want to play a game like Cyberpunk, with all the bells and whistles on. [(Updated 2025) Word Examples on 32" (31.5" usable) 3840x2160 (137 ppi), 32" (31.5" usable) 1440x2560 (92 ppi), 38" (37.5" usable) 3840x1600 (110 ppi) 22" (21.5" usable) 1920x1080 (102 ppi)](https://imgur.com/a/word-examples-on-32-31-5-usable-1440x2560-92-ppi-38-37-5-usable-3840x1600-110-ppi-22-21-5-usable-1920x1080-102-ppi-mVUinLf) EDIT: Updated with Dell G3223Q 32" (31.5" usable) 3840x2160 (137 ppi) results.

Don’t think they are making it anymore, but you should still be able to acquire one. Alienware AW3821DW. I absolutely love mine.

I use the 38in Alienware. Amazing for spreadsheet work and great for games.

It is for this size, it's just 1440p for a 38 which is much taller than a 34 and slightly wider. Ends up almost as tall as a 32. I own the alienware version of this panel and love it. It sucks no oled or mini led in this size yet. No way I can go back to smaller 34s and the new 39 oled has a horrible 800r curve, which is too tight and it's 3440*1440 stretched across the similar size, so way lower pixels per inch.

Currently using the Alienware 38" 3840 x 1600 IPS @ 144hz for both work and gaming. I'd like to have a single-monitor solution but still need a few extra pixels so I have a side 1080p monitor. Having recently tried a friend's high refresh OLED, the GX9 might be a great solution/upgrade. Good luck to all!

38 Alienware checking it, best size imo

I had a 2060, now a 6700XT, paired first with the Alienware 34” IPS UW, now the 38” version. Performance hit going from 34” UW to 38” UW was noticeable (roughly 2k to 3k pixel count) and the 2060 couldn’t handle newer games when I got the 38” a few years ago. Now the 6700XT is struggling with new titles. You’ll notice an even bigger difference going from 4k to 1440p UW (2k) and I think the UW aspect ratio better utilizes the pixels. Overall, 34” 1440p UW is the sweet spot right now. You can get an IPS or VA for a reasonable price and pair with a mid range GPU. I prefer IPS panels over VA for mixed productivity/gaming use, but you have a lot of options in this range. OLED is nice for media (I have two OLED TVs that I love), but I’m not rushing to replace my two IPS monitors.

I have this same monitor & am getting fomo with QD OLED & 240hz…. I’m starting to give up hope of another 38” & looking at the best 34” options

This is exciting. I have the aw3821dw so it would be a downgrade in size but 240hz & QD OLED is very appealing

Exactly my Problem. I love my AW38 but would love to have OLED. Nothing Else.

I had a 38in Alienware and fell in love with the extra height that my Neo G9 just did not have. This 45 I got yesterday finally has that height. Not sure I could go with a 55, just seems like overkill unless mounted to the wall for video games on console.

I'm also coming from 38" Alienware, and it's so hard to find a good replacement. I tried samsung 49" (too wide) and AW 32" OLED and this was too narrow. Also some OLED can cause eye strain and headaches, and I'm very sensitive to this. Debating should I pull a trigger, since 5k2k finally coming down in price. Side note, I tried it previously, but returned, as I couldn't justify how expensive it was when it came out. Screen was gorgeous, but my ergotron LX arm barely could keep this monstrosity weight.

The AW3821DW is outdated but still great

I wish I could get this exact same monitor but updated

My first week with it, I was like I cannot take this anymore, and ended up returning due to QC issue on the 57 inch. Went back to my AW3821dw. Then 2 weeks later, I realized, yes the curve was too aggressive, but have the PBP, basically 2 32 inch screens is a productivity gift. So ended up finding a cool deal on the 57inch. Almost 2 years now and still fancy the 2 screens for work.

Personally, I think 39" is the sweet spot. UW is fantastic for immersion and also for a bit more FOV to see more. 39" is the sweet spot of not having to move your eyes too much to make use of that extra FOV. But until that comes out, this 45" might be the best alternative. Been dying for an upgrade to my old AW3821DW.

The 38” AW? It definitely is an IPS display. It is not in production anymore though.

i wen from crg9 49 inch to Alienware 38, 12:5 ratio (very close to 21:9) : 3840x1600, BEST decision i ever made.

I really think every monitor needs to be more than passable in a few areas: Brightness, Responsiveness, Color Quality, and Pixel Density. I (and I'm sure many here) have fallen into the pitfall of ordering a monitor that falls short in even just one category and winds up feeling a creeping and growing sense of buyers remorse. Even my current monitor (AW3821DW) excels in nearly ever aspect - but that local dimming is so bad it truly makes me consider selling it at a loss and replacing. I'd love to opportunity to go through in depth on the monitor, seeing not only how OLED improves over an IPS screen but also how the increased size and curve can impact drawn out gaming or research sessions

IMO yes. Amazing for both gaming (more immersive and better FOV) and productivity (more real estate for more windows). I moved from 27 inch to 38 a few years ago with the Alienware 38 and last week I moved to the LG 45 5K2K. Loving it so far.

Is it really worth over 2x the price of the LG38? Imo those 38 inch panels (LG and AW38) are the GOATs for a mixture of productivity and gaming. I use an AW38 and my use case is exactly the same as yours.

Can't comment on experience with the 38WR85QC-W, but I use the AW3821DW for work and absolutely love it. This won't apply to most people, but if you do any type of creative or intense color accurate work, you'll want a true 10bit panel like the AW3821DW. The 38WR85QC-W is 8bit+FRC. To be fair, the Alienware was produced in 2020(?) and the LG in 2023, much more future proof and newer/updated connections like HDMI 2.1 if that is important to you.

Soooo tired of waiting for those 1600p oled screens. 1440p ist too little for gaming work hybrid. Until then enjoying my Alienware 3821

The aw38” is perfect. It’s a shame this size never took off

Samsung can't be trusted to deliver a good product while also having good QA. Plain and simple. If you give them your money you are gambling basically. I love my Alienware 38 inch personally. It's great for gaming and media consumption.

It's got good PPI it's the AW3821DW. I think it might be discontinued now but LG has their version at 165 Hz. Same panel. Less warranty though. I shit 4 feet from my monitor with scaling at 150% due to being comfortable. No issues reading text or anything. Could easily scale it differently if I sat closer but I like leaning back in my armchair. If you want OKed I guess wait for the PG 45 inch 5k2k but be prepared to pay. Or wait a year for hopefully Alienware to release the same panel at a significant discount.

I have a 38 inch Alienware. If you can find it for a decent price I'd recommend that model.

I prefer the 38 inch from Alienware. It's a little more resolution though so your FPS might drop. There's an LG version also. See if you can find them on marketplace for about what you'd buy a 34 inch new .

I'm rocking an AW3821DW, and 38" feels really great ! 45" might be too big, 40/42" would be better I think. But I'd be happy to test it ahah ! The resolution will be a big challenge for my RX 6950 XT though !

Hopefully you get some good answers because I’m in a very similar situation to you lol. I have an older Alienware ips ultrawide that’s amazing for programming. I can have so much on screen at once. I wouldn’t want to worry much about burn in. That being said, if you only want it to last for 3-5 years and you don’t intentionally try to burn it in you may not notice the issues. Monitors unboxed has a series where they purposefully burn in their oled display, and it’s honestly not that bad from what I can tell under worst case scenarios

I have an older ips Alienware and I get ghosting. I’m guessing that’s fixed by now but if 34 is all you got, why not go oled.

Probably bc it doesn’t make sense financially they always kinda reemed you with IPS UW with decent refresh rate. You can get a strong VA for $370 not on sale, OLED for $800 or less on sale. A good IPS would have to be no more than $600 and even then the Dell AW on sale would still give it a run for its money.

It’s probably the difference between glossy and matte and the way the QD oled operates. I have the Dell/alienware too, it’s an incredible monitor especially when you correctly put the HDR in sRGB mode, surprisingly bright. Would love for them to make the exact same monitor in 5k2k