With a better-than-4K resolution and all-new panel hardware, the AW3926QW might have just raised the bar for Alienware’s mainstream gaming monitor line-up. Announced ahead of Taiwan’s Computex show, the firm’s new flagship screen is also its first to use an RGB stripe OLED, which aims to address some of the issues with existing OLED tech.
Tandem OLED is already doing the rounds on (among other gadgets) the latest Apple iPad Pros. It uses two layers of blue and independent layers of red and green sub-pixels, arranged in a three-subpixel RGB layout, to give a much sharper and better defined picture. Higher brightness and increased colour volume are also big upgrades over last-gen OLEDs, while keeping the stunning black levels and near-infinite contrast the tech is renowned for.
At 39in the AW3926QW is bigger than any monitor Alienware currently sells. The 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio panel has a huge 5120×2160 resolution – also known as WUHD or 5K2K – stretched over a subtle 1500R curve. Refresh rate is a fairly speedy 165Hz at the native res, with support for Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VESA AdaptiveSync variable refresh. An esports mode can then up the responsiveness even further to 330Hz by dialling back the resolution and framing your games in a more familiar 24.5in (1680×945 resolution) or 27in (1520×855).
There’s Dolby Vision support and a quoted 1300 nits peak HDR brightness. The AW3926QW has also been given the DisplayHDR True Black 500 thumbs up from VESA, while Alienware reckons it has a colour accuracy Delta E of under 2 and 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space.
On paper it seems like a direct rival to LG’s UltraGear Evo 39GX950B, which uses a tandem WOLED panel – given there aren’t any QD-OLEDs at this size, I’m betting Alienware is essentially using the same underlying hardware.
As well as DisplayPort 2.1 and two HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC) at the rear, there’s also USB-C with both DisplayPort support and 90W power delivery for a single cable hookup to a laptop. A KVM switch is also on board for quickly swapping peripherals between multiple systems. About the only thing missing is any kind of built-in speaker, though you do get a 3.5mm port for personal listening.
It’s an evolution of Alienware’s existing display lineup around the back, with stripped-back styling and a slim profile. Even the colour-customisable AlienFX logo lighting is on the subtle side. The centre stand has a compact desk footprint, with integrated cable routing to keep wires out of view. There’s up to 110mm of height adjustment, along with tilt, swivel and slant.
There’s currently no word on when the AW3926QW will go on sale, or for how much. Given Asus’ rival ROG Swift PG34WCDN (which also uses stripe OLED tech in a smaller 34in screen size) costs £1100, I’m betting the Alienware could be closer to $1500/£1300. I’m hoping to get a look at it in the metal later this week at Computex.
Alienware has several other new screens making their debut at this year’s show, including the 34in, 280Hz AW3426DW with next-gen QD-OLED panel, as well as the more wallet-conscious 32in and 34in AW3426DWM & AW3226DM, which have 240Hz VA LCD panels.
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