Alienware - 38 Curved Gaming Monitor - AW3821DW

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.

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

Which C would you recommend? I have a dual aw3821dw setup and need to do an upgrade for: 1. my current gaming pc 2. my work mbp 3. a potential mac mini 4 (I am just sick of my old mbp, which is constantly giving me different issues so I am probably gonna trade it in and since the new mini 4 gives the best value..) Thank you!

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

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 🥲

Very personal opinion: 38” is the sweet spot for productivity and gaming. I had a giant mega 57 and it was way too big, I like having the entire monitor in my view at all times. Maybe it was my desk setup, but i sold it and replaced with an alienware 38” and fucking love it for coding and gaming a few hours at night. On a Mac I can have 3 good sized vertical windows with Amethyst window manager, or two full sized ones. One with code and one with the program open. Coming from 2560x1440 it’s the perfect size. For gaming it’s also better because yeah a mega giga 57 inch can be really immersive, but like I said it felt like a better experience being able to see the whole thing without having to move my head or neck. There’s definite value in the giant ones and you may love it, but consider getting a nice 38” or 40-something OLED top of the line one (144hz, GSYNC, etc). For reference i have an alienware A3821W. Had the samsung G9 for the giant one

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.

Is this basically the same as the Alienware AW3821DW? I just got the AW3821DW and have to agree. Never going back. Still need to make my Ascension post haha

Ya you could tell the box had been opened from the outside, but everything inside was wrapped like it was brand new. The monitor is perfect with no defects. I have no idea how it got the “Used - Fair” condition. I’ve been using it for over a month and couldn’t be happier.

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

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.

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.

Personally I got rid of the 49” and got a 38” 3840x1600 from Alienware and for me that’s the sweet spot on size

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!

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

Where is the love for Alienware 38? I find it to be the best sweet spot above a 34 and smaller than a 40 but checking all the boxes for this exact setup work/play

I just snagged the AW38 from amazon

This is what I did and it worked well for me. I started with the AW3821DW 38 inch ultra wide. It has the same DPI as my previous 27 inch 2k monitor but much more screen and FOV. I love it. Then I built a new rig to get an adequate frame rate. I would recommend the AW3821DW if you have the right budget for the monitor and the rig to drive it.

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.

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

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.

I have a similar nano IPS in the form of the AW3821DW and it has the same contrast ratio rating on RTings.com. It's really not that terrible. My AW2721D, another LG nano ips panel, is rated for a higher contrast and the difference isn't that drastic. Going a bit more expensive, you can get an OLED and it's probably the best kind of monitor you can buy right now. Best contrast ratio, best response time, best color, best everything.

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'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 !

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