Dell Alienware AW3821DW (IPS)
Dell Alienware AW3821DW (IPS)
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CASUAL GAMING: Fair—6.0/10
COMPETITIVE GAMING: Poor—4.5/10
PRODUCTIVITY: Fair—6.6/10
MEDIA CONSUMPTION: Fair—6.2/10
RESOLUTION: Good—7.1/10
BRIGHTNESS: Good—7.3/10
CONTRAST: Poor—5.9/10
COLOR VOLUME: Poor—5.6/10
REFRESH RATE: Fair—6.6/10
RESPONSE TIME: Good—7.0/10
TEXT QUALITY: Good—7.1/10
The Dell Alienware AW3821DW is a premium-priced, large 38-inch monitor with a 3840 x 1600 resolution, which is great for an immersive gaming and productivity experience. Its IPS panel provides good color accuracy and wide viewing angles, making it suitable for digital photo editing and tasks where color representation is important. However, its contrast is only fair, which means blacks might not be as deep in a dark room. This monitor supports a variable refresh rate with a range of 20-144 Hz, offering a smooth gaming experience. It's not the best choice for HDR gaming and media consumption due to its limited HDR peak brightness. With a fast response time, competitive gaming is viable, although it may not be the top choice for professional gamers seeking the highest performance displays. For connectivity, it lacks HDMI 2.1 ports but includes HDMI 2.0 and a DisplayPort, sufficient for connecting a variety of devices. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Wide 38-inch IPS screen
- Adjustable stand for comfort
- Good for productivity tasks
- Decent for casual gaming
Cons
- Moderate contrast
- Low brightness for HDR
- Not ideal for competitive gaming
- Limited color accuracy for professional editing
Ratings by Category
Productivity:3.6
The productivity score is based on a variety of factors like resolution, screen size, pixels per inch, ergonomics and screen coating.
Media Consumption:3.3
The media comparison score is based on a variety of factors like resolution, contrast, brightness and screen coating
Casual Gaming:3.1
The casual gaming score is based on a variety of factors including refresh rate, resolution, contrast, brightness, color gamut and screen coating.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $1,000 | ||
Screen Size | 38" | ||
Resolution | 3840 x 1600 | ||
Screen Type | LED | ||
Screen Sub-type | IPS | ||
Local Dimming Zones | 32 | ||
COLOR, CONTRAST & BRIGHTNESS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Native Contrast | 883:1 | ||
SDR Peak Brightness | 495 nits | ||
HDR Peak Brightness | 660 nits | ||
Suitable for HDR Gaming and Media Consumption | No | ||
sRGB Color Gamut | 133 % | ||
MOTION CHARACTERISTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Total Response Time | 10.8 ms | ||
Variable Refresh Rate | 20 - 144 Hz | ||
Strobing / BFI | No | ||
Persistence Blur Score  | 6.6/10 | ||
Ghosting Score | 7/10 | ||
TEXT & IMAGE CLARITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Pixels Per Inch | 111 PPI | ||
Coating | Matte | ||
Text Clarity Score | 7.2/10 | ||
Image Clarity Score | 7.2/10 | ||
PORTS & CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
HDMI 1.4 Ports | 0 | ||
HDMI 2.0 Ports | 2 | ||
HDMI 2.1 Ports | 0 | ||
Micro HDMI Ports | 0 | ||
DisplayPort 1.2 Ports | 0 | ||
Shopping
Dell Alienware AW3821DW (IPS)
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Christian Eberle | April 2021
"The Alienware AW3821DW isn’t perfect, but right now, it’s the best value in 38-inch ultrawide gaming monitors. It delivers a solid gaming experience with a bright and saturated image that’s color-accurate. With premium styling and build quality, it’s sure to satisfy gamers looking for a jumbo display."
Comparison charts
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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