Alienware AW3420DW User manual

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 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are
trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
2019 - 10
Rev. A00

|3
Contents
About your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Product features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Identifying parts and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Back view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Rear and bottom view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Monitor specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Resolution specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Supported video modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Preset display modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Physical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Environmental characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Power management modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Pin assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Plug and Play capability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
USB upstream connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
USB downstream connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
USB ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
LCD monitor quality and pixel policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Maintenance guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cleaning your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting up the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Attaching the stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Connecting the computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4|
Removing the monitor stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
VESA wall mounting (optional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Operating the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Power on the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Using the joystick control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Using the rear-panel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Accessing the menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
OSD warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Setting the maximum resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Using the tilt, swivel, and vertical extension . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tilt and swivel extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Vertical extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Using AlienFX application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Installing AWCC through Windows update . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Installing AWCC from the Dell Support website . . . . . . . . 48
Navigating the AlienFX window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Creating a theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Setting lighting effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Self-test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Built-in diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Common problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Product specific problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Universal Serial Bus (USB) specific problems . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
FCC notices (U.S. only) and other regulatory information .61
Contact Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

About your monitor | 5
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.
Component image Component description
Monitor
Stand riser
Stand base

6 | About your monitor
I/O cover
Power cable (varies by
country)
DisplayPort cable
(DisplayPort to
DisplayPort)
Mini-DisplayPort to
DisplayPort cable
USB 3.0 upstream cable
(enables the USB ports on
the monitor)
•QuickSetupGuide
• Safety, Environmental,
and Regulatory
Information
• Alienware Welcome
Letter

About your monitor | 7
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.
• Color gamut of 134.5% sRGB and DCI P3 98%.
• Tilt, swivel, and height adjustment capabilities.
• Removable stand and Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA™)
100 mm mounting holes for flexible mounting solutions.
• Digital connectivity via 1 DisplayPort and 1 HDMI port.
• Equipped with 1 USB upstream port and 4 USB downstream ports.
• Plug and play capability if supported by your system.
• On-Screen Display (OSD) adjustments for ease of setup and screen
optimization.
• AW3420DW offers a couple of preset modes, including FPS (First-Person
Shooter), MOBA/RTS (Real-Time Strategy), RPG (Role-Playing Game),
SPORTS (Racing) and three customizable game modes for user's own
preference. In addition, key enhanced gaming features such as Timer,
Frame Rate, and Display Alignment are provided to help improve gamer's
performance and provide best-in game advantage.
• 0.5 W standby power when in sleep mode.
• Optimize eye comfort with a flicker-free screen.
WARNING: The possible long-term effects of blue light emission from
the monitor may cause damage to the eyes, including eye fatigue, digital
eye strain, and so on. ComfortView feature is designed to reduce the
amount of blue light emitted from the monitor to optimize eye comfort.

8 | About your monitor
Identifying parts and controls
Front view
Label Description Use
1Cable-management slot
(on the front side of the
stand)
To organize the cables neatly.
2Power On/Off button
(with LED indicator)
To turn the monitor on or off.

About your monitor | 9
Back view
Back view without monitor stand
Back view with monitor stand
Label Description Use
1Joystick Use it to control the OSD menu.
2Function buttons For more information, see Operating
the monitor.
3Barcode, serial number, and
Service Tag label
Refer to this label if you need to
contact Dell for technical support.
4Cable-management clip To organize the cables neatly.
5Stand release button Releases stand from the monitor.
6VESA mounting holes (100 mm
x 100 mm - behind VESA
Cover)
Wall mount monitor using VESA-
compatible wall mount kit (100 mm x
100 mm).
7Regulatory label Lists the regulatory approvals.

10 | About your monitor
Rear and bottom view
Rear and bottom view without monitor stand
8Lighting dock connector When the stand riser is attached to the
monitor, the dock supplies power to
the light on the stand.
9Cable-management slot (at the
back of the stand)
To organize cables by routing them
through this slot.
10 I/O cover Protects the I/O ports.
Label Description Use
1Power connector Connect the power cable (shipped with your
monitor).
2Line-out port Connect your speakers.
NOTE: This port does not support
headphones.
3HDMI port Connect your computer with an HDMI cable
(sold separately).
4DisplayPort Connect your computer with DisplayPort-
DisplayPort or Mini-DisplayPort-DisplayPort
cable (shipped with your monitor).

About your monitor | 11
5Downlights 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.
Monitor State
On
No Signal
Standby
Downlights Status
When Spectrum is Off When Spectrum is On
Enabled Disabled
Enabled Disabled
Enabled Disabled

12 | About your monitor
* To avoid signal interference, when a wireless USB device has been connected
to a USB downstream port, it is not recommended to connect any other USB
devices to the adjacent port.
6USB downstream
port with Power
Charging
Connect to charge your USB device.
7Headphone port Connect headphone or speakers.
8, 10 USB downstream
ports (3)
Connect your USB device.*
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.
9USB upstream port Connect the USB cable (shipped with your
monitor) to this port and your computer to
enable the USB ports on your monitor.

About your monitor | 13
Monitor specifications
Model AW3420DW
Screen type Active matrix - TFT LCD
Panel technology Fast IPS Nano Color
Aspect ratio 21:9
Viewable image
Diagonal
Width (active area)
Height (active area)
Total area
867.2 mm (34.14 in.)
799.8 mm (31.49 in.)
334.8 mm (13.18 in.)
267773.0 mm2(415.01 in2)
Pixel pitch 0.2325 mm x 0.2325 mm
Pixel per inch (PPI) 110
Viewing angle
Vertical
Horizontal
178° (typical)
178° (typical)
Luminance output 350 cd/m² (typical)
Contrast ratio 1000 to 1 (typical)
Faceplate coating Anti-glare with 3H hardness
Backlight LED edgelight system
Response time 2 ms gray-to-gray
Curvature 1900R (typical)
Color depth 16.78 million colors
Color gamut 134.5% sRGB and DCI P3 98%
Built-in devices • USB 3.0 Super-Speed hub (with 1 USB 3.0
upstream port)
• 4 x USB 3.0 downstream port (including 1 port
which supports power-charging)

14 | About your monitor
Resolution specifications
Horizontal scan range •DisplayPort1.2:73to 180 kHz (automatic)
• HDMI 1.4: 30 to 140 kHz (automatic)
Vertical scan range • DisplayPort 1.2: 30 to 120 Hz (automatic)
• HDMI 1.4: 24 to 60 Hz (automatic)
Maximum preset resolution • DisplayPort: 3440 x 1440 @ 120 Hz
• HDMI: 3440 x 1440 @ 50 Hz
Supported video modes
Video display capabilities (HDMI
&DisplayPort playback)
480p, 576p, 720p, 1080p
Connectivity • 1 x DisplayPort version 1.2 (rear)
• 1 x HDMI port version 1.4 (rear)
• 1 x USB 3.0 upstream port (rear)
• 4 x USB 3.0 downstream ports (bottom: 2; rear: 2)
• 1 x headphone port (bottom)
• 1 x audio line-out port (rear)
Border width (edge of monitor to active area)
Top
Left/Right
Bottom
10.6 mm
9.9 mm/9.9 mm
19.1 mm
Adjustability
Height adjustable stand
Tilt
Swivel
0 to 130 mm
-5° to 21°
-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.
Model AW3420DW
Model AW3420DW

About your monitor | 15
Preset display modes
HDMI display modes
Display mode Horizontal
frequency
(kHz)
Vertical
frequency
(Hz)
Pixel clock
(MHz)
Sync polarity
(Horizontal/
Vertical)
VGA, 640 x 480 31.47 60 25.175 -/-
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 50 148.5 +/+
1920 x 1080p @ 60 Hz 67.5 60 148.5 +/+
3440 x 1440 @ 50 Hz 73.7 50 265.25 +/-
DP display modes
Display mode Horizontal
frequency
(kHz)
Vertical
frequency
(Hz)
Pixel clock
(MHz)
Sync polarity
(Horizontal/
Vertical)
VESA, 640 x 480 31.47 60 25.175 -/-
VESA, 800 x 600 37.88 60 40 -/-
VESA, 1024 x 768 48.36 60 65 -/-
3440 x 1440 @ 60 Hz 88.8 60 319.75 +/-
3440 x 1440 @ 50 Hz 73.7 50 265.25 +/-
3440 x 1440 @ 85 Hz 127.4 85 458.5 +/-
3440 x 1440 @ 100 Hz 151 100 531.52 +/-
3440 x 1440 @ 120 Hz 180 120 633.6 +/+
NOTE: This monitor supports NVIDIA G-SYNC. For information about
the graphic cards that support NVIDIA G-SYNC feature, go to
www.geforce.com.

16 | About your monitor
Electrical specifications
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.) at 0°C (cold start)
Physical characteristics
Model AW3420DW
Model AW3420DW
Signal cable type • Digital: HDMI, 19 pins (cable is not
included)
• Digital: DisplayPort, 20 pins
• Universal Serial Bus: USB, 9 pins
NOTE: Dell monitors are designed to work optimally with the video cables that
are shipped with your monitor. As Dell does not have control over the different
cable suppliers in the market, the type of material, connector and process used
to manufacture these cables, Dell doe not guarantee video performance on
cables that are not shipped with your Dell monitor.
Dimensions (with stand)
Height (extended) 559.4 mm (22.02 in.)
Height (compressed) 429.8 mm (16.92 in.)
Width 813.0 mm (32.01 in.)
Depth 273.8 mm (10.78 in.)
Dimensions (without stand)
Height 364.0 mm (14.33 in.)
Width 813.0 mm (32.01 in.)
Depth 117.9 mm (4.64 in.)
Stand dimensions

About your monitor | 17
Environmental characteristics
Arsenic-free glass and mercury-free for the panel only
Operating 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Non-operating • Storage: -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
• Shipping: -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
Operating 10% to 80% (non-condensing)
Non-operating • Storage: 5% to 90% (non-condensing)
• Shipping: 5% to 90% (non-condensing)
Operating 5,000 m (16,404 ft) (maximum)
Non-operating 12,192 m (40,000 ft) (maximum)
• 375.3 BTU/hour (maximum)
• 197.9 BTU/hour (typical)
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
(For wall mount or VESA mount
considerations - no cables)
6.8 kg (14.99 lb)
Weight of stand assembly 3.9 kg (8.60 lb)
Front frame gloss 17 +3 (only front chin)
Model AW3420DW
Compliant standards
Temperature
Humidity
Altitude
Thermal dissipation

18 | About your monitor
Power management modes
If you have a VESA DPM™ compliant displaycard 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. The following table shows the power consumption and
signaling of this automatic power saving feature:
VESA
modes
Horizontal
sync
Vertical
sync
Video Power
indicator
Power
consumption
Normal
operation
Active Active Active Blue 110 W
(maximum)**
58 W (typical)
Active-off
mode
Inactive Inactive Blanked White
(blinking)
Less than 0.5 W
Switch off ---Off Less than 0.3 W
Power Consumption Pon 39.13 W
Total Energy Consumption (TEC) 122.82 kWh
* Zero power consumption in OFF mode can only be achieved by disconnecting
the main cable from the monitor.
** Maximum power consumption with max luminance, and USB active.
This document is informational only and reflects laboratory performance. Your
product may perform differently, depending on the software, components and
peripherals you ordered and shall have no obligation to update such information.
Accordingly, the customer should not rely upon this information in making
decisions about electrical tolerances or otherwise. No warranty as to accuracy or
completeness is expressed or implied.
NOTE:
Pon: Power consumption of On mode measured with reference to
Energy Star test method.
TEC: Total energy consumption in kWh measured with reference to
Energy Star test method.

About your monitor | 19
Pin assignments
DisplayPort connector
Pin number 20-pin side of the connected
signal cable
1ML3 (n)
2GND
3ML3 (p)
4ML2 (n)
5GND
6ML2 (p)
7ML1 (n)
8GND
9ML1 (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 +3.3 V DP_PWR

20 | About your monitor
HDMI connector
Pin number 19-pin side of the connected
signal cable
1TMDS DATA 2+
2TMDS DATA 2 SHIELD
3TMDS DATA 2-
4TMDS DATA 1+
5TMDS DATA 1 SHIELD
6TMDS DATA 1-
7TMDS DATA 0+
8TMDS DATA 0 SHIELD
9TMDS DATA 0-
10 TMDS CLOCK+
11 TMDS CLOCK SHIELD
12 TMDS CLOCK-
13 CEC
14 Reserved (N.C. on device)
15 DDC CLOCK (SCL)
16 DDC DATA (SDA)
17 DDC/CEC Ground
18 +5V POWER
19 HOT PLUG DETECT
Plug and Play capability
You can connect the monitor to any Plug and Play-compatible system. The
monitor automatically provides the computer system with its Extended Display
Identification Data (EDID) using Display Data Channel (DDC) protocols so that
the system can configure itself and optimize the monitor settings. Most monitor
installations are automatic; you can select different settings if desired. For more
information about changing the monitor settings, see Operating the monitor.