Black Friday is nearly here. Well, actually it’s arguably here already, as while the event kicks off proper on November 28, the deals are already beginning to skim across our desks. Take these two Alienware ultrawide gaming monitors, for example. They’re both absolute beauties, and have already dropped to prices that make either a very tempting proposition. I’ve got a good feeling about the Black Friday gaming monitor deals this year, haven’t you?
Both are 34-inch QD-OLED displays, and both are worthy of gracing the desk of any gamer with a chunk of cash to drop on a fabulous screen. Really, the choice here mostly comes down to whether you’re prepared to pay more for a very high refresh rate, or whether simply “high” is more than good enough for you. Let’s have a look together, shall we?
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Alienware AW3423DWF
This display has been part of our best gaming monitor lineup for so long now, it may as well have its own plaque on the wall. It’s the glossy variant of a 34-inch ultrawide we’ve loved from the first iteration, and this one’s even better, as we found in our review.
Sure, there are higher refresh rate options out there these days (look below to see its successor with just such a spec), and a 3440 x 1440p resolution might not be as wow-inducing as it once was. But this gloriously vivid display still looks great, is plenty speedy for most users at 165 Hz, and will work brilliantly for gaming.
It’s perhaps not the best productivity-focussed panel, by virtue of its pixel density being a touch on the low side, but otherwise? It’s a wonderful thing, and at $550, a brilliant value proposition, too.
Alienware AW3425DW
Should speed be what you need, I’d consider picking up this Alienware AW3425DW instead. It’s very similar to the monitor above, with two major differences—the refresh rate, and the stand and surround.
Ignore the latter for a second, as while it’s perhaps a nice visual upgrade, it’s not the reason you should be paying more for this display than the one above. It’s the 240 Hz refresh rate that should pique your interest here, as it can make all the difference for esports-style multiplayer gaming.
Us singleplayer peasants probably won’t gain much from such a lofty rate, but if your idea of a good time is clicking on heads in something like Valorant or Counter-Strike 2, you may well feel the benefit. A 240 Hz refresh rate is genuinely quick, and while the 165 Hz older model above is no slouch, this one’s got a distinct speed advantage along with a $150 discount at Dell right now.
Whichever of these 34-inch beauties you pick, you’ll be getting a great price on a fabulous QD-OLED display. That kicks the early Black Friday sales off with a bang, doesn’t it?