Alienware debuted its first monitors in the spring, and it’s following up with a pair of 34-inch curved displays, the AW3418DW and AW3418HW. There’s a lot that’s similar between the two, but the differences are important and probably bound to cause confusion.
First the commonalities: they use the same stand, have the same connections and menu system, support game-specific lighting effects via the company’s AlienFX software and are G-Sync compatible. It’s not clear from the information I have whether the HW uses an IPS display or whether that’s just in the DW.
Everything else is different. The DW is more expensive at $1,500, thanks in part to its 3,440×1,440 resolution; the HW has a lower 2,560×1,080 resolution and price, $1,200. They have different curves — based on the numbers, the HW’s is much tighter, about the same as the LG 34UC89G (a monitor with very similar panel specs). Dell only provides maximum overclocked refresh rates. I don’t have UK or Australian prices yet, but those convert directly to about £1,160/AU$1,890 and £930/AU$1,510, respectively.
Alienware’s functional stand isn’t terribly attractive, but you can distract yourself with lighting schemes.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
The stand isn’t terribly attractive, but it does seem well designed — in addition to hidden cable organization, it supports tilting and swiveling as well as height adjustments, features which aren’t as common as they should be.
The AW3418DW is shipping immediately; the AW3418HW won’t be available until it’s time to start holiday shopping.
Basic specs
| Alienware 34 AW3418DW | Alienware 34 AW3418HW | |
| Price (MSRP) | $1,499 | $1,199 |
| Panel type | IPS | n/a |
| Backlight type | Edge-lit LED | n/a |
| Size (diagonal) | 34 | 34 |
| PWM backlight dimming | n/a | n/a |
| Curve radius | 1900R | 3800R |
| Resolution | UWQHD (3,440×1,440) | WFHD/UWUXGA (2,560×1,080) |
| Aspect ratio | 21:9 | 21:9 |
| Pixel pitch (mm) | 0.23 | 0.31 |
| Maximum gamut | 99 percent sRGB | n/a |
| Rotates vertically | No | No |
| Bit depth | 8 | 8 |
| Typical brightness (nits) | 300 | n/a |
| Sync standard | G-Sync | G-Sync |
| Maximum vertical refresh rate (at HD or higher resolution) | 120Hz (overclocked) | 160Hz (overclocked) |
| Gray/gray response time (milliseconds) | 4 | n/a |
| HDMI | 1 | 1 |
| USB Type-A (out) | 4 x USB 3.0 (1 x BC 1.2) | 4 x USB 3.0 (1 x BC 1.2) |
| USB 3.0 (in) | 1 | 1 |
| DisplayPort | 1 | 1 |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| Release date | August 2017 | Winter 2017 |
