Alienware AW3821DW User manual

Alienware AW3821DW Monitor
User’s Guide
Model: AW3821DW
Regulatory model: AW3821DWb

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.
© 2020-2021 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.
2021 - 03
Rev. A02

|3
Contents
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
About your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Product features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Identifying parts and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Top view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Back view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Rear and bottom view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Monitor specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Resolution specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Supported video modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Preset display modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Physical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Environmental characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Pin assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Plug and Play capability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps) upstream connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps) downstream connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
USB ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
LCD monitor quality and pixel policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Ergonomics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Handling and moving your display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Maintenance guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Cleaning your monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

4|
Setting up the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Attaching the stand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Connecting the computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Removing the monitor stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
VESA wall mounting (optional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Operating the monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power on the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using the joystick control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using the rear-panel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Accessing the menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
OSD warning message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Setting the maximum resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Using the tilt, swivel, and vertical extension . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Tilt and swivel extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Vertical extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Using AlienFX application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing AWCC through Windows update . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing AWCC from the Dell Support website . . . . . . . . 56
Navigating the AlienFX window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Creating a theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Setting lighting effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Self-test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Built-in diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Common problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Product specific problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Universal Serial Bus (USB) specific problems . . . . . . . . . . . 70

|5
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
FCC notices (U.S. only) and other regulatory
information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Contact Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
EU product database for energy label and product
information sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6 | Safety instructions
Safety instructions
CAUTION: 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.
• Place the monitor on a solid surface and handle it carefully. The screen is
fragile and can be damaged if dropped or hit sharply.
• Always be sure that your monitor is electrically rated to operate with the
AC power available in your location.
• Keep the monitor in room temperature. Excessive cold or hot conditions
can have an adverse effect on the liquid crystal of the display.
• Do not subject the monitor to severe vibration or high impact conditions.
For example, do not place the monitor inside a car trunk.
• Unplug the monitor when it is going to be left unused for an extended
period of time.
• To avoid electric shock, do not attempt to remove any cover or touch the
inside of the monitor.

About your monitor | 7
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
Display
Stand riser
Stand base
I/O cover

8 | About your monitor
Power cable (varies by
country)
DisplayPort to DisplayPort
cable (1.8 meters)
Mini-DisplayPort to
DisplayPort cable (1.8
meters)
HDMI cable (1.8 meters)
USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps)
upstream cable (enables
the USB ports on the
monitor, 1.8 meters)
•QuickSetupGuide
• Safety, Environmental,
and Regulatory
Information
• Alienware Welcome
Card

About your monitor | 9
Product features
The Alienware AW3821DW monitor has an active matrix, Thin-Film Transistor
(TFT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and LED backlight. The monitor features
include:
• 95.29 cm (37.52 inch) viewable area (measured diagonally). Resolution:
Up to 3840 x 1600 through DisplayPort and HDMI, with full-screen
support or lower resolutions, supporting a high refresh rate of 144 Hz.
• NVIDIA® G-SYNC® ULTIMATE monitor with a rapid response time of 1 ms
gray to gray in Extreme mode*.
• Color gamut of 130.6% sRGB and DCI P3 95%.
• 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 2 HDMI ports.
• Equipped with 1 SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1) Type B
upstream port, 1 SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1) Type-A
downstream charging port, and 3 SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2
Gen1) Type-A downstream ports.
• Plug and play capability if supported by your system.
• On-Screen Display (OSD) adjustments for ease of setup and screen
optimization.
• AW3821DW 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.
• < 0.3 W in Standby Mode.
• VESA DisplayHDR™ 600.
• 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.
*The 1 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. As every
system setup and every gamer's needs are different, Alienware recommends that

10 | About your monitor
users experiment with the different modes to find the setting that is right for
them.
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.
Solid blue light indicates that the
monitor is turned on and
functioning normally. Blinking white
light indicates that the monitor is in
Standby Mode.

About your monitor | 11
Top view
Label Description Use
1Ambient light sensor Detects ambient light and adjusts
the brightness of the display
accordingly. For more information,
see Ambient Light Sensor.
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. The
Service Tag is a unique alphanumeric
identifier that enables Dell service
technicians to identify the hardware
components in your monitor and
access warranty information.
4Cable-management clips (2) To organize the cables neatly.
5Stand release button Releases the 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.
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.
12 | About your monitor

About your monitor | 13
Rear and bottom view
Rear and bottom view without monitor stand
Label Description Use
1Power connector Connect the power cable (shipped with your
monitor).
2HDMI port (HDMI 1) Connect your computer with the HDMI
cable (one HDMI cable is shipped with your
monitor).
3HDMI port (HDMI 2) Connect your computer with the HDMI
cable (one HDMI cable is shipped with your
monitor).
4DisplayPort • Connect your computer with DisplayPort-
DisplayPort cable (shipped with your
monitor)
or
• Connect your computer with mini-
DisplayPort-DisplayPort cable (shipped
with your monitor)

14 | About your monitor
5Downlights When the monitor set up is complete, tap the
touch sensor at the bottom of the display 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
Downlights Status
When Spectrum is Off When Spectrum is On
On Enabled Disabled
No Signal Enabled Disabled
Standby Enabled Disabled
6SuperSpeed USB 5
Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1)
Type-A downstream
port with Power
Charging
Connect to charge your USB device.

About your monitor | 15
*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.
7Headphone port Connect the headphone or speakers.
CAUTION: Increasing the audio output
beyond 50% on the volume control or
equalizer may increase the output voltage
on the headphones thereby increasing the
sound pressure levels.
8, 10 SuperSpeed USB 5
Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1)
Type-A downstream
port (3)
Connect your USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps)
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.
9SuperSpeed USB 5
Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1)
Type-B upstream port
Connect the USB cable (shipped with your
monitor) to this port and your computer to
enable the USB ports on your monitor.
11 Line-out port Connect your speakers.
NOTE: This port does not support
headphones.

16 | About your monitor
Monitor specifications
Model AW3821DW
Screen type Active matrix - TFT LCD
Panel technology IPS
Aspect ratio 21:9
Viewable image
Diagonal
Width (active area)
Height (active area)
Total area
952.9 mm (37.52 in.)
879.7 mm (34.63 in.)
366.5 mm (14.43 in.)
307758.9 mm2(477.01 in2)
Pixel pitch 0.22908 mm x 0.22908 mm
Pixel per inch (PPI) 110.874
Viewing angle
Vertical
Horizontal
178° (typical)
178° (typical)
Luminance output 450 cd/m² (typical)
600 cd/m² (HDR peak)
Contrast ratio 1000 to 1 (typical)
Faceplate coating Anti-glare with 3H hardness
Backlight LED edgelight system
Response time • 1 ms gray to gray in Extreme Mode*
• 2 ms gray to gray in Super Fast Mode
• 3 ms gray to gray in Fast Mode
*The 1 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. As every system setup and every
gamer's needs are different, Alienware recommends
that users experiment with the different modes to
find the setting that is right for them.
Curvature 2300R (typical)
Color depth 1.07 billion colors

About your monitor | 17
Resolution specifications
Horizontal scan range • DisplayPort 1.4: 246 to 246 kHz (automatic)
• HDMI 2.0: 30 to 141 kHz (automatic)
Vertical scan range • DisplayPort 1.4: 1 to 144 Hz (automatic)
• HDMI 2.0: 24 to 120 Hz (automatic)
Maximum preset resolution • DisplayPort: 3840 x 1600 @ 144 Hz
• HDMI: 3840 x 1600 @ 85 Hz
Color gamut 130.6% sRGB and DCI P3 95%
Built-in devices • SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1) hub
(with 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps) upstream port)
• 4 x SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen1)
downstream port (including 1 port which supports
power-charging)
Connectivity • 1 x DisplayPort version 1.4 (rear)
• 2 x HDMI port version 2.0 (rear)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps) upstream port (rear)
• 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 Gbps) 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
11.0 mm
10.3 mm/10.3 mm
21.9 mm
Adjustability
Height adjustable stand
Tilt
Swivel
0 mm 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 AW3821DW

18 | About your monitor
Supported video modes
Video display capabilities (HDMI
&DisplayPort playback)
480p, 576p, 720p, 1080p, QHD
Preset display modes
HDMI 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 -/-
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 +/+
1920 x 1080p @ 120 Hz 135 120 297 +/+
2560 x 1440 @ 60 Hz 89.43 60 243.25 +/-
2560 x 1440 @ 120 Hz 183 120 497.75 +/-
3840 x 1600 @ 30 Hz 49.2 30 196.65 +/-
3840 x 1600 @ 60 Hz 99.4 60 397.4 +/-
3840 x 1600 @ 85 Hz 141.6 85 566.25 +/-
Model AW3821DW

About your monitor | 19
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 -/-
3840 x 1600 @ 60 Hz 99.4 60 397.4 +/-
3840 x 1600 @ 85 Hz 141.6 85 566.25 +/-
3840 x 1600 @ 100 Hz 167.8 100 671 +/-
3840 x 1600@ 120 Hz 203.3 120 813 +/-
3840 x 1600 @ 144 Hz 246.8 144 987.25 +/-
NOTE: This monitor supports NVIDIA® G-SYNC® ULTIMATE. For
information about the graphic cards that support NVIDIA® G-SYNC®
ULTIMATE feature, see www.geforce.com.
NOTE: In order to get the full NVIDIA® G-SYNC® ULTIMATE
functionalities and experience, you must ensure that the monitor is
directly connected to the HDMI or DisplayPort with direct output from
Nvidia Graphics card on your PC.

20 | About your monitor
Electrical specifications
Video input signals HDMI 2.0/DisplayPort 1.4, 600 mV for each
differential line, 100 Ωinput impedance per differential
pair
AC input voltage/
frequency/current
100 VAC to 240 VAC / 50 Hz or 60 Hz +3 Hz / 1.8 A
(typical)
Inrush current • 120 V: 40 A (max.) at 0°C (cold start)
• 220 V: 80 A (max.) at 0°C (cold start)
Power consumption • 0.2 W (Off mode)1
• 0.3 W (Standby Mode)1
•43.5W(Onmode)
1
•125W(Max.)
2
• 46.35 W (Pon)3
• 144.04 kWh (TEC)3
1 As defined in EU 2019/2021 and EU 2019/2013.
2 Max brightness and contrast setting with maximum power loading on all USB
ports.
3Pon: 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.
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.
Model AW3821DW