Alienware AW3420DW Monitor User’s Guide Model: AW3420DW Regulatory model: AW3420DWb
Notes, cautions, and warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if instructions are not followed. WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2019-2020 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Contents About your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Product features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Identifying parts and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Back view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing the monitor stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 VESA wall mounting (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Operating the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Power on the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Using the joystick control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Using the rear-panel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About your monitor Package contents Your monitor ships with the components shown below. If any component is missing, contact Dell technical support. For more information see Contact Dell. NOTE: Some components may be optional and may not ship with your monitor. Some features or media may not be available in certain countries.
I/O cover Power cable (varies by country) DisplayPort cable (DisplayPort to DisplayPort) Mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable USB 3.
Product features The Alienware AW3420DW monitor has an active matrix, Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and LED backlight. The monitor features include: • 86.72 cm (34.14 inch) viewable area (measured diagonally). Resolution: Up to 3440 x 1440 through DisplayPort and HDMI, with full-screen support or lower resolutions, supporting a high refresh rate of 120 Hz. • Nvidia G-SYNC-enabled monitor with a rapid response time of 2 ms gray to gray in Extreme mode *. • Color gamut of 134.
Identifying parts and controls Front view Label 8 Description Use 1 Cable-management slot (on the front side of the stand) To organize the cables neatly. 2 Power On/Off button (with LED indicator) To turn the monitor on or off.
Back view Back view without monitor stand Back view with monitor stand Label Description Use 1 Joystick Use it to control the OSD menu. 2 Function buttons For more information, see Operating the monitor. 3 Barcode, serial number, and Service Tag label Refer to this label if you need to contact Dell for technical support. 4 Cable-management clip To organize the cables neatly. 5 Stand release button Releases stand from the monitor.
8 Lighting dock connector When the stand riser is attached to the monitor, the dock supplies power to the light on the stand. 9 Cable-management slot (at the To organize cables by routing them back of the stand) through this slot. 10 I/O cover Protects the I/O ports. Rear and bottom view Rear and bottom view without monitor stand Label Description Use 1 Power connector Connect the power cable (shipped with your monitor). 2 Line-out port Connect your speakers.
5 Downlights When the monitor is completely set up, tap the touch sensor to turn the downlights on or off. NOTE: The factory setting is on, so the downlights are active if the power cable is connected. To change the default settings, see AlienFX Lighting. NOTE: When the Spectrum function is On, the downlights are turned off.
6 USB downstream port with Power Charging Connect to charge your USB device. 7 Headphone port Connect headphone or speakers. 8, 10 USB downstream ports (3) Connect your USB device.* 9 NOTE: To use these ports, you must connect the USB cable (shipped with your monitor) to the USB-upstream port on the monitor and to your computer. USB upstream port Connect the USB cable (shipped with your monitor) to this port and your computer to enable the USB ports on your monitor.
Faceplate coating Anti-glare with 3H hardness Backlight LED edgelight system Response time • 2 ms gray to gray in Extreme Mode * • 3 ms gray to gray in Super Fast Mode • 4 ms gray to gray in Fast Mode * The 2 ms gray-to-gray mode is achievable in the Extreme mode to reduce visible motion blur and increased image responsiveness. However this may introduce some slight and noticeable visual artifacts into the image.
Adjustability Height adjustable stand 0 to 130 mm Tilt -5° to 21° Swivel -20° to 20° NOTE: Do not mount or use this monitor in portrait (vertical) orientation or inverse (180°) landscape mount as it may damage the monitor. Resolution specifications Model AW3420DW Horizontal scan range • DisplayPort 1.2: 73 to 180 kHz (automatic) • HDMI 1.4: 30 to 140 kHz (automatic) Vertical scan range • DisplayPort 1.2: 30 to 120 Hz (automatic) • HDMI 1.
Preset display modes HDMI display modes Display mode Horizontal frequency (kHz) Vertical frequency (Hz) VGA, 640 x 480 31.47 60 25.175 -/- Pixel clock Sync polarity (MHz) (Horizontal/ Vertical) VESA, 800 x 600 37.88 60 40 +/+ VESA, 1024 x 768 48.36 60 65 -/- 640 x 480p 31.48 60 25.18 -/- 720 x 480p 31.5 60 27.03 -/- 720 x 576p 31.25 50 27 -/- 1280 x 720p @ 50 Hz 37.5 50 74.25 +/+ 1280 x 720p @ 60 Hz 45 60 74.25 +/+ 1920 x 1080p @ 50 Hz 56.25 50 148.
Electrical specifications Model AW3420DW Video input signals • HDMI 1.4, 600 mV for each differential line, 100 ohm input impedance per differential pair • DisplayPort 1.2, 600 mV for each differential line, 100 ohm input impedance per differential pair AC input voltage/ frequency/current 100 VAC to 240 VAC / 50 Hz or 60 Hz + 3 Hz / 1.5 A (typical) Inrush current • 120 V: 40 A (max.) at 0°C (cold start) • 240 V: 80 A (max.
Stand dimensions Height (extended) 450.8 mm (17.75 in.) Height (compressed) 443.0 mm (17.44 in.) Width 561.5 mm (22.11 in.) Depth 273.8 mm (10.78 in.) Weight Weight with packaging 16.9 kg (37.25 lb) Weight with stand assembly and cables 11.1 kg (24.47 lb) Weight without stand assembly 6.8 kg (14.99 lb) (For wall mount or VESA mount considerations - no cables) Weight of stand assembly 3.9 kg (8.
Power management modes If you have a VESA DPM™ compliant display card or software installed on your computer, the monitor can automatically reduce its power consumption when not in use. This is referred to as Power save mode*. If the computer detects input from the keyboard, mouse, or other input devices, the monitor automatically resumes to function.
Pin assignments DisplayPort connector Pin number 20-pin side of the connected signal cable 1 ML3 (n) 2 GND 3 ML3 (p) 4 ML2 (n) 5 GND 6 ML2 (p) 7 ML1 (n) 8 GND 9 ML1 (p) 10 ML0 (n) 11 GND 12 ML0 (p) 13 GND 14 GND 15 AUX (p) 16 GND 17 AUX (n) 18 Hot Plug Detect 19 Re-PWR 20 +3.
HDMI connector Pin number 19-pin side of the connected signal cable 1 TMDS DATA 2+ 2 TMDS DATA 2 SHIELD 3 TMDS DATA 2- 4 TMDS DATA 1+ 5 TMDS DATA 1 SHIELD 6 TMDS DATA 1- 7 TMDS DATA 0+ 8 TMDS DATA 0 SHIELD 9 TMDS DATA 0- 10 TMDS CLOCK+ 11 TMDS CLOCK SHIELD 12 TMDS CLOCK- 13 CEC 14 Reserved (N.C.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface This section gives you information about the USB ports that are available on the monitor. NOTE: This monitor is Super-Speed USB 3.0 compatible. Transfer speed Data rate Power consumption* Super-Speed 5 Gbps 4.5 W (Max, each port) High speed 480 Mbps 4.5 W (Max, each port) Full speed 12 Mbps 4.5 W (Max, each port) * Up to 2 A on USB downstream port (with battery icon) with battery charging version-compliant devices or normal USB devices.
USB downstream connector Pin number 9-pin side of the connector 1 VCC 2 D- 3 D+ 4 GND 5 SSRX- 6 SSRX+ 7 GND 8 SSTX- 9 SSTX+ USB ports • 1 x upstream - rear • 2 x downstream - rear • 2 x downstream - bottom Power charging port - the port with icon; supports up to 2 A fastcharging capability if the device is BC1.2 compatible. NOTE: USB 3.0 functionality requires a USB 3.0-capable computer. NOTE: The USB ports on the monitor work only when the monitor is turned on or in power save mode.
LCD monitor quality and pixel policy During the LCD monitor manufacturing process, it is not uncommon for one or more pixels to become fixed in an unchanging state, which are hard to see and do not affect the display quality or usability. For more information on Dell Monitor Quality and Pixel Policy, see www.dell.com/support/monitors. Maintenance guidelines Cleaning your monitor CAUTION: Read and follow the Safety instructions before cleaning the monitor.
Setting up the monitor Attaching the stand NOTE: The stand is not factory-installed. NOTE: The following instructions are only applicable for the stand that was shipped with your monitor. If you are attaching a stand that you purchased from any other source, follow the set up instructions that were included with the stand. CAUTION: The following steps are important to protect your curved screen. Do follow the instructions below to finish up the installation. 1.
5. Open the protective cover on the monitor to access the VESA slot on the monitor. CAUTION: When connecting the stand assembly to the display, do not place the stand riser directly on the display back panel. Doing so may damage the pogo pins on the stand due to misalignment. 6. Carefully insert the tabs on the stand riser into the slots on the display back cover and lower the stand assembly to snap it into place.
7. Route the power cable through the cable-management slot on the stand and then through the cable-management clip at the back of the display. 8. Connect the power cable to the monitor. 9. Now route the required cables through the cable-management slot on the stand and then through the cable-management clip at the back of the display.
10. Hold the stand riser and lift the monitor carefully, then place it on a flat surface. CAUTION: Hold the stand riser firmly when lifting the monitor to avoid any accidental damage. 11. Lift the protective cover from the monitor.
12. Slide the tabs on the I/O cover into the slots on the display back cover until it snaps into place. NOTE: Ensure that all cables pass through the I/O cover and cablemanagement slot on the stand riser. Connecting the computer WARNING: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the Safety instructions. NOTE: Do not connect all cables to the computer at the same time. NOTE: The images are for the purpose of illustration only. Appearance of the computer may vary.
2. Connect the other end of the USB 3.0 upstream cable to an appropriate USB 3.0 port on your computer. 3. Connect the USB 3.0 peripherals to the USB 3.0 downstream ports on the monitor. 4. Plug the power cables for your computer and monitor into a wall outlet. 5. Turn on the monitor and the computer. If your monitor displays an image, installation is complete. If it does not display an image, see Universal Serial Bus (USB) specific problems.
5. Disconnect the cables from the monitor and slide them out through the cable-management slot on the stand riser. 6. Press and hold the stand release button. 7. Lift the stand up and away from the monitor.
VESA wall mounting (optional) (Screw dimension: M4 x 10 mm) Refer to the instructions that come with the VESA-compatible wall mounting kit. 1. Place the monitor panel on a soft cloth or cushion on a stable flat surface. 2. Remove the monitor stand. (See Removing the monitor stand.) 3. Use a Phillips crosshead screwdriver to remove the four screws securing the plastic cover. 4. Attach the mounting bracket from the wall mounting kit to the monitor. 5. Mount the monitor on the wall.
Operating the monitor Power on the monitor Press the power button to turn on the monitor. Using the joystick control Use the joystick control on the rear of the monitor to make OSD adjustments. 1. Press the joystick button to launch the OSD main menu. 2. Move the joystick up/down/left/right to toggle between options. 3. Press the joystick button again to confirm the settings and exit. Joystick Description • When the OSD menu is on, press the button to confirm the selection or save the settings.
• For 2-way (up and down) directional navigation. • Toggles between the menu items. • Increases (up) or decreases (down) the parameters of selected menu item. Using the rear-panel controls Use the control buttons on the rear of the monitor to access the OSD menu and shortcut keys. The following table describes the rear-panel buttons: Rear-panel button Description To launch the OSD main menu. See Accessing the menu system. 1 Menu To exit the OSD main menu.
When you press any of these buttons (including the joystick button), the OSD Status Bar appears to let you know the current settings of some OSD functions. Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu Accessing the menu system Icon Menu and submenus Description Game Use this menu to personalize your visual gameplay experience. Preset Modes Allows you to choose from a list of preset color modes. • Standard: Loads the monitor's default color settings. This is the default preset mode.
Preset Modes • MOBA/RTS: Loads color settings ideal for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) and Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games. • RPG: Loads color settings ideal for Role-Playing Games (RPG). • SPORTS: Loads color settings ideal for sports games. • Game 1/Game 2/Game 3: Allows you to customize the color settings for your gaming needs. • ComfortView: Decreases the level of blue light emitted from the screen to make viewing more comfortable for your eyes.
Game Enhance The feature offers three available functions to enhance your Mode gameplay experience. • Off Select to disable the functions under Game Enhance Mode. • Timer Allows you to disable or enable the timer at the upper left corner of the display. The timer shows the time elapsed since the game starts. Select an option from the time-interval list to keep you aware of the remaining time. • Frame Rate Selecting On allows you to display the current frames per second when playing games.
Dark Stabilizer The feature improves the visibility in the dark gaming scenarios. The higher the value (between 0 to 3), the better visibility in dark area of the display image. Reset Game Resets all settings under the Game menu to the factory defaults. Brightness/ Contrast Use this menu to activate Brightness/Contrast adjustment. Brightness Brightness adjusts the luminance of the backlight.
Input Source 38 | Use the Input Source menu to select between the different video signals that may be connected to your monitor. DP Select the DP input when you are using the DisplayPort (DP) connector. Press the joystick button to confirm the selection. HDMI Select the HDMI input when you are using the HDMI connector. Press the joystick button to confirm the selection.
AlienFX Lighting Use this menu to adjust the LED light settings for the Power button, Alienware logo, downlights on the bottom of the monitor, and the light stripe on the stand. Before making any adjustments, select any or all of these 4 zones from the submenus. The illustration below indicates the lighting zones.
All Zones Zone 1: Back Zone 2: Stand To specify an LED lighting color for the selected area, select On and move the joystick to highlight the Custom Color option. Zone 3: Downlights Zone 4: Power Button Then you can make a selection from the list of 20 available colors by moving the joystick up or down.
The following table depicts the color number and the RGB codes used for the 20 LED colors. No. R G B 1 0 0 0 2 100 0 240 3 144 0 240 4 240 0 240 5 240 0 176 6 240 0 112 7 240 0 0 8 240 80 0 9 240 128 0 10 240 224 0 11 120 240 0 12 160 240 0 13 100 245 35 14 0 240 0 15 0 240 85 16 70 240 145 17 0 240 240 18 0 160 240 19 0 96 240 20 0 0 240 To turn off the AlienFX lights, select Off.
Spectrum When you select On, the AlienFX lights of 4 zones glow and change colors in the sequence of the color spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Reset AlienFX Resets all settings under the AlienFX Lighting menu to the Lighting factory defaults. Audio Volume Allows you to set the volume level of headphone output. Use the joystick to adjust the volume level from 0 to 100. Reset Audio 42 | Resets all settings under the Audio menu to the factory defaults.
Menu Select this option to adjust the settings of the OSD, such as, the languages of the OSD, the amount of time the menu remains on screen, and so on. Language Sets the OSD display to one of the eight languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, or Japanese). Transparency Select this option to change the menu transparency by moving the joystick up or down (min. 0/max. 100).
Others Display Info Firmware Displays the monitor's current settings. Displays the firmware version of your monitor. Power Saving The default setting is On, letting the monitor go to sleep as the system sleeps. Selecting Off may prevent the monitor from going into deep sleep and being unable to wake up. NOTE: Pressing any button (including the joystick button) on the rear panel of the monitor may also wake up the monitor after it goes into deep sleep.
Setting the maximum resolution To set the maximum resolution for the monitor: In Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1: 1. For Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 only, select the Desktop tile to switch to classic desktop. 2. Right-click on the desktop and click Screen Resolution. 3. Click the Dropdown list of the Screen Resolution and select 3440 x 1440. 4. Click OK. In Windows 10: 1. Right-click on the desktop and click Display settings. 2. Click Advanced display settings. 3.
Using the tilt, swivel, and vertical extension NOTE: The following instructions are applicable only for attaching the stand that was shipped with your monitor. If you are attaching a stand that you purchased from any other source, follow the set up instructions that were included with the stand. Tilt and swivel extensions With the stand attached to the monitor, you can tilt and swivel the monitor for the most comfortable viewing angle. NOTE: The stand is not factory-installed.
Using AlienFX application You can configure the LED lighting effects across multiple distinct zones on your Alienware monitor through AlienFX in AWCC (Alienware Command Center). NOTE: If you have an Alienware Gaming Desktop or Laptop, you can directly access AWCC to control the lightings. NOTE: For more information, see Alienware Command Center Online Help. Prerequisites Before installing the AWCC on a non-Alienware system: • Ensure the OS of your computer is Windows 10 R3 or later.
Navigating the AlienFX window With the Alienware Command Center, AlienFX allows you to control the LED lighting colors and transition effects for your Alienware monitor. In the AWCC home screen, click FX in the top menu bar to access the home screen of AlienFX. The following table describes the functions and features on the home screen: No. Functions Descriptions A CREATE NEW THEME... B Edit controls • EDIT: Provides options for you to customize lighting settings for your theme.
When you start to customize a theme, you should see the following screen: Screen with the front view of monitor Screen with the back view of monitor The following table describes the functions and features on the screen: No. H Functions LIGHTING panel Descriptions Use the controls in this panel to set up lighting effects for a theme. See Setting lighting effects for details. I SAVE THEME Click to save all adjustments and changes for the theme.
K Live preview The lighting zones are with numbered callouts. You may select a single zone by clicking the number on the image. When you make lighting adjustments, the preview of the monitor displays the new effects simultaneously. L Thumbnails Displays the thumbnails of the Alienware monitors connected to your computer. The image displayed in the live preview area is selected from this thumbnail list. Creating a theme To create a theme with your preferred lighting settings: 1. Launch AWCC. 2.
Setting lighting effects The LIGHTING panel provides various lighting effects. You may click Effect to open a drop-down menu with available options. NOTE: The options displayed may vary depending on the lighting zone(s) you specified. The following table provides an overview of different options: Morph Descriptions The effect changes the light color into another through a seamless transition. To make the adjustments: 1. Pick a preferred color from the color palette or the list of PRESET COLORS.
Pulse Descriptions The effect makes the light flash with a short pause. To make the adjustments: 1. Pick a preferred color from the color palette or the list of PRESET COLORS. The selected color and its RGB color codes will be displayed on the right field. NOTE: To change the color, use the up and down arrow buttons beside the R/G/B boxes to edit the color codes. 2. To add the selected color to the list of YOUR COLORS for quick access in the future, click . At most 12 colors can be added to the list.
Spectrum Descriptions The effect makes the light change in sequence of spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. You can drag the TEMPO slider to adjust the transition speed. NOTE: The option is available only when you select All Zones to make lighting adjustments. Breathing Descriptions The effect makes the light change from bright to dim. To make the adjustments: 1. Pick a preferred color from the color palette or the list of PRESET COLORS.
Troubleshooting WARNING: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the Safety instructions. Self-test Your monitor provides a self-test feature that allows you to check whether your monitor is functioning properly. If your monitor and computer are properly connected but the monitor screen remains dark, run the monitor self-test by performing the following steps: 1. Turn off both your computer and the monitor. 2. Unplug the video cable from the back of the computer.
Built-in diagnostics Your monitor has a built-in diagnostic tool that helps you determine if the screen abnormality you are experiencing is an inherent problem with your monitor, or with your computer and video card. NOTE: You can run the built-in diagnostics only when the video cable is unplugged and the monitor is in self-test mode. To run the built-in diagnostics: 1. Ensure that the screen is clean (no dust particles on the surface of the screen). 2.
Common problems The following table contains general information about common monitor problems you might encounter and the possible solutions: Common symptoms What you experience Possible solutions No Video/ Power LED off No picture No Video/ Power LED on No picture or no • Increase brightness and contrast controls in the brightness Brightness/Contrast menu. • Perform monitor self-test feature check. • Check for bent or broken pins in the video cable connector. • Run the built-in diagnostics.
Brightness Problems Picture too dim or too bright • Reset the monitor to factory settings. • Adjust brightness and contrast controls in the Brightness/Contrast menu. Geometric Distortion Screen not centered correctly • Reset the monitor to factory settings. Horizontal/ Vertical Lines Screen has one or more lines • Reset the monitor to factory settings. • Perform monitor self-test feature check and determine if these lines are also in self-test mode.
Wrong Color Picture color not • Change the settings of the Preset Modes in the Game menu OSD depending on the application. good • Adjust R/G/B value under Custom Color in the Game menu OSD. • Run the built-in diagnostics. Image retention from a static image left on the monitor for a long period of time Faint shadow • Use the Power Management feature to turn off from the static the monitor at all times when not in use (for more image displayed information, see Power management modes).
Universal Serial Bus (USB) specific problems Specific symptoms What you experience Possible solutions USB interface is USB peripherals • Check that your monitor is turned on. are not working • Reconnect the upstream cable to your computer. not working • Reconnect the USB peripherals (downstream connector). • Switch off and then turn on the monitor again. • Reboot the computer.
Appendix WARNING: Safety instructions WARNING: Use of controls, adjustments, or procedures other than those specified in this documentation may result in exposure to shock, electrical hazards, and/or mechanical hazards. For information on safety instructions, see the Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Information (SERI). FCC notices (U.S. only) and other regulatory information For FCC notices and other regulatory information, see the regulatory compliance website located at www.dell.
