It may be Amazon Prime Day — or Big Deal Days, if you’re into that — but thus far, I’d argue best deals of this Black Friday-came-early season have actually come from “anti-Prime Day” sales at retailers like Walmart and Best Buy. One discount from these that’s piqued my interest in particular is a deal on one of Alienware’s best gaming monitors, the QD-OLED ultrawide AW3423DWF, that slashes the price down to $699.99 at Best Buy.
That’s a full $200 off the 34-inch display’s $899.99 MSRP, making this one of the most tempting October Prime Day deals I’ve seen. It’s so tempting, in fact, that I’m seriously considering buying it even though I’m literally writing this article using a nice LG ultrawide I got a few years ago. I’m not going to pull the trigger, though — after all, I probably shouldn’t…right? — but if you’re looking for a new gaming monitor, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t!
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals
We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here’s where to find more savings:
Join the ultrawide gang — you’ll never look back
Ever since getting my first ultrawide gaming monitor several years ago, I’ve never once yearned for the dark days when my in-game field-of-view (FOV) was tragically limited to the confines of a 16:9 aspect ratio. 21:9 3440×1440 is where it’s at, baby, and I’m confident you’ll agree with me once you experience it for yourself. Being able to see extra space on your left and right is a godsend in intense shooters like Helldivers 2 that make situational and environmental awareness paramount, and it elevates the beauty of the vistas you’ll come across in cinematic RPGs and action games, too. I also like it for work, as I can keep several programs open without the screen feeling cluttered.
But why get this ultrawide? Well, for starters, its 34-inch QD-OLED panel — learn more about why QD-OLED rocks in our display type explainer — features a jaw-dropping 99.3% DCI-P3 color gamut with HDR support, an incredible peak brightness of over 1,000 nits, and an infinite contrast ratio, all of which come together to deliver one of the best-looking PC gaming experiences out there. On top of that, its 165Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro tech, and 0.1ms response time ensure you’ll be able to enjoy it with buttery smooth framerates (check out these iBuyPower PC deals if you need a powerful rig), zero screen tearing, and no input lag.
The physical design of the display is clean, sleek, and adjustable, with slim bezels and support for VESA mounting in the event you want to use something like a monitor arm. There’s also customizable Alienware-themed RGB accents on the back, five USB ports, slots for HDMI and DisplayPort (use the latter for the full 165Hz), and a cord compartment for effective cable management.
All in all, it’s pretty much my dream gaming monitor, and I wish I had some extra money in the bank right now so I could buy this October Prime Day deal on it without having to worry about some expenses I know are coming. If you have room for it in your budget, however, I recommend going for it, as it’s one of the best gaming monitors out there right now.
What does 21:9 mean?
21:9 is the aspect ratio of most ultrawide monitors, and represents the relationship between the display’s width and height. Normal displays have a 16:9 aspect ratio, while extremely wide ultrawides get up to 32:9 or higher.
What are ultrawide monitors good for?
Ultrawide monitors have more horizontal screen space than regular 16:9 displays, giving you a wider FOV in games that support them. This can help you spot threats faster than someone with a regular panel could, and also allows for incredibly cinematic views in visually impressive titles.
What resolution do ultrawide monitors have?
While some budget-friendly ultrawides have a resolution of 2560×1080, the vast majority of ultrawide displays have a resolution of 3440×1440. This means that it’s as sharp as a 1440p display, though it has added width on either side.
Can an ultrawide replace a dual-monitor setup?
Thanks to their impressive width, getting an ultrawide is a great way to get much of the value of a dual-monitor setup while saving a considerable amount of money. With that said, having one wider monitor doesn’t give you the full flexibility of having two; with a pair of monitors, for example, you could rotate one to a portrait configuration and use it to keep an eye on something like Discord chat scroll while keeping the other one in landscape for gaming.
