The Dell S3422DWG is an ultra-wide gaming monitor that seeks to settle the question of whether you need a 34-inch gaming monitor. It does so with solid creds that will impress both gamers and productivity users who need a monitor with solid image quality and other extras for professional creatives.
This 34-inch bright, colorful, curved display is a worthwhile accessory for any gamer or artist with any PC with a quad HD output, provided you have the desk space to accommodate it – and the money to afford it. With an easy setup and plenty of connectivity ports, connecting the Dell S3422DWG is pretty easy, and switching between presets for various game genres is just straightforward.
Since the Dell S3422DWG is both expensive and expansive, it’s not necessarily the best gaming monitor for every PC gamer. But if you’ve got your eye on a huge quad-HD curved monitor, it’s a good place to start.
We’re used to ultra-wide monitors to deliver the gaming cred and work is certainly easier to accomplish on a 16:9 screen, with 32 inches being the ideal size for just about anything one does with a computer.
However, with the S3422DWG, Dell delivers a 21:9 34-inch VA panel with a 1800R curve, QHD resolution, DCI-P3 color, DisplayHDR 400, AMD FreeSync Pro, and a 144Hz refresh rate. The result is a premium display that is ideal, both on paper and in person, for both gaming and play.
Dell S3422DWG Specifications
| Panel size | 34-inch |
| Panel technology | VA |
| Native resolution | 3440 x 1440 |
| Aspect Ratio | 21:9 |
| Refresh rate | 144Hz, HDMI 100Hz |
| Response time | 1ms MPRT, 2ms GtG |
| Curved Screen | 1800R |
| Contrast | 3,000:1 |
| Color | 99 percent sRGB |
| Brightness | 400 cd/m2 |
| Adaptive Sync | AMD FreeSync Premium |
Design and Features
Styling is unmistakably Dell, and the S3422DWG’s gaming character isn’t obvious at first glance. The 1800R curve might throw a hint or two, but otherwise, there’s nothing to set it apart from general use or business monitor like the BenQ PD3220U. The stand clicks in place and is sturdy without a hint of play. The monitor gets all the necessary ergonomics you’d expect for a premium monitor – height and tilt (no swivel), with smooth and sure movements without wobbling. The case is finished in black and grey with no reflective surfaces, whatsoever.
Controls are at the back-right and consist of six tiny buttons and a power toggle at the bottom that lights up when activated. The buttons click firmly and never miss when navigating the entire menu system. Small icons pop above them on the screen to denote their functions. The first four can be programmed for quick access to lots of functions, like brightness/contrast or input selection.
The back is fairly smooth with only an iridescent Dell logo on the upright, except for a ribbed trapezium where the stand attaches to the screen. Pressing a large button releases the panel from the stand and reveals a 100mm VESA mount.
The side view is chunky, like any curved monitor, the actual monitor thickness is only 2.5 inches. It’s flush-mounted and so appears frameless when it’s powered off. You get two HDMI 2.0 inputs and a single DisplayPort 1.4. You also get USB pass-through for two ports on the rear and two ports on the underside of the bezel, along with an easy-access headphone jack – a nice touch, and not something too many monitors offer in such a convenient location.
There are no built-in speakers, but you get a 3.5mm analog output for headphones, and you can control the volume via the on-screen display (OSD).
Gaming Performance
Out of the box the Dell S3422DWG is well calibrated, so you don’t have to tinker with any color profiles or settings, although for the more experienced gamer or photo editors there’s always something to check inside of the OSD menu.
Overall, it’s the blacks that are the main selling point for this monitor, keeping in mind VA is never a second-rate type of monitor when it comes to color pop. Thanks to that ability, the Dell S3422DWG produces seriously crisp blacks when needed, which helps boost up the contrast ratio. While it does suffer a bit on viewing angles, but given that you’ll be sat in the center of this 34in curved behemoth, we don’t see that as a problem.
- SEE EVERY DETAIL: This 1800R curved gaming monitor provides a truly immersive experience...
- A NEW VIEW: A WQHD (Wide Quad HD) curved monitor screen provides a display resolution of...
- A SMOOTHER EXPERIENCE: A 144Hz refresh rate allows fast-moving visuals to be seen with...
Another feature worth mentioning must be the all-encompassing refresh rate. The 144Hz refresh of pure smoothness makes this one of the only ultra-wide panels on the market to provide you with that feeling and trust us, once you go over and above the 100Hz mark with an equally beefy graphics card (maybe an RTX 3060 or above), you certainly won’t be coming back.
Playing Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla with FreeSync and RTX 3070 graphics card (high settings) yields frame rates between 86 and 94 frames per second (fps). FreeSync Premium Pro has tone mapping that looks fairly better than regular FreeSync, but we can’t consider that alone as a reason to upgrade. In Call of Duty, the night scenes look realistically dark with rich shadow detail. You’ll not need to reach for the black stabilizer as the finest elements are clearly rendered.
VA is certainly the way to play games with dark content. Important highlights like spotlights and fire really pop with a three-dimensional quality. As ever with high-contrast VA panels, the color remains bold and vivid throughout.
Productivity Performance
As a productivity monitor, we find the S3422DWG as an ideal size, shape, and resolution for any use. Provided you have the space to accommodate this behemoth, the fine details are rewarding enough. The Windows desktop is generous and the curve almost makes it seem taller than a flat 32-inch screen.
As a result, work tasks are a pleasure with so much heigh available. You won’t have to scroll unnecessarily since you can fit an entire word processing page or spreadsheet on the screen while keeping the fonts at a readable size. You can sit about 3 feet away and still have no issue discerning the finest details in photos or moving images. As a bonus, the color is nice for all content, even though it isn’t strictly accurate.
Dell S3422DWG Review: Verdict
Ultra-wide monitors have this unique soft spot among gamers, especially those playing first-person shooters, flight simulators, and pretty any game that entails a large virtual world. However, these monitors are less practical when editing basic documents or graphics. For those tasks, you mostly need plenty of vertical space. The solution is a 32-inch ultrawide.
There are plenty of flat monitor options (like the Dell S2722QC I’m using to write this review). That screen is wholly not crafted for gaming, especially with its 60Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time.
Dell has answered the call with an ultra-wide, versatile display with the S3422DWG. By adding a 1800R curvature to a 21:9 34-inch panel, it draws the user right into the action without compromising the Windows desktop or the ability to comfortably view documents and photos.
A 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and unofficial G-Sync compatibility means gamers can have a smooth and responsive play while enjoying the enhanced dynamic range and extended color offered by a DCI-P3 color gamut.
That Dell has packed all this goodness into a super-bright display and not pushed the price too high is the icing on the cake. While some may wish for a 4K gaming monitor like the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQ, but you’re not missing any extra pixels here. Simply put, with fast panel response and low input lag, the Dell S3422DWG is a perfect candidate for gamers of all skill levels.
Is S3422DWG good for gaming?
Dell really has pulled off something special here, the VA panel’s popping colors, that 144Hz refresh rate and powerful 3440 x 1440 resolution combined with a curved 34-inch form factor makes this one of the best super-wide gaming screens currently – provided you have the space to accommodate it and can afford it.
Last update on 2024-06-30 at 14:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Our Pick
Dell Curved Gaming Monitor 34 Inch Curved Monitor with 144Hz Refresh Rate, WQHD (3440 x 1440) Display, Black - S3422DWG
8 used from $211.64
