[PCM2]

That wouldn’t make a difference. The only models I’d strongly consider as viable alternatives that cost more are beyond even that price, for example the LG 34GN850 which we currently recommend. I made some comments on its predecessor in my first post on this thread.

[antrhax]

Got it! Thank you

[erikthebald]

Hi,

Thanks for all the help, really made me change my approach. I’ll probably pull the trigger on the AOC as my budget is £500. Question on the refresh rate though, I mainly work on a poc lenovo (85% of usage) with spreadsheets and presentations. The remaining 15 is strategy gaming with my Razer Advance with gtx 2080 super (Max-Q) but I mainly do this on the built in oled with 60hz. There is currently a £100 difference between the CU34G2 (100Hz) and CU34G2X (144Hz).

I was previously looking at the LG 35WN73A but take it the AOC is better even in this scenario? It has usb c which would be nice for cable management as it can double as a hub.

Also, do you have affiliate links for Amazon UK?

[PCM2]

The 144Hz refresh rate can be nice even on the desktop and in RTS games, but not essential and coming from a 60Hz model you’ll probably find the 100Hz refresh rate more than sufficient for your uses. The CU34G2 is similar overall to the CU34G2X, aside from the refresh rate and lack of HDR capability. The LG 35WN73A uses a 35″ AUO VA panel, essentially a newer version of the panel used in the AOC AG352UCG6. I don’t rate it as highly as the Samsung VA panel used in the AOC CU34 models – the colour consistency isn’t quite as good and the colour gamut is significantly narrower, which put together can make the image appear a bit washed out towards the edges in particular. The contrast tends to be weaker and those panels are prone to ‘interlace pattern artifacts’ as well. I wouldn’t sacrifice the core performance of the CU34s for the sake of slightly neater cable management.

[erikthebald]

Closing the loop, found a AOC CU34G2X for a low price and I’m very happy with it so far. The real estate is massive and I wouldn’t want to go lower in resolution. Colours look really good and using USB C-DP adapter means i get 100hz out of my Intel integrated 620 work laptop and the full 144hz out of my Nvidia Card. Now I just have to get all the settings right…

[m1chell3]

Hello,

I’ve read this whole discussion and I believe my post belongs here.
I decided to update from years of dual 16:9 144hz monitors to a ultrawide 21:9. My current monitors will be put to its sides, probably.

My reasoning:

1) It will be used for programming during the day (connected to my work laptop) and heavy gaming at night (connected to my PC). The old monitors will remain connected to my PC at all times. I figured an ultrawide will be perfect for both uses.

2) I live like a vampire. My house is always dark. I also don’t care about good viewing angles. From this I concluded I need a VA panel.

3) I’ll get a LG CX 65″ for the living room. This is where I’ll satisfy all my 4k 120hz gaming needs for games that I can play with a controller. I’ll buy a RTX 3080 as soon as it’s out (if I’m lucky to find one), and it will be connected to a receiver that supports HDMI 2.1. Everything should fall into place for when I want to play 4k games. For this reason, I don’t think I need to go higher than 1440p with the monitor.

Now, do you guys see any fault with my reasoning?

If not, and taking into account what I have available right now in Canada, the clear winner seems to be ever so famous AOC CU34G2X for 596 CAD.

My budget is bigger than this but honestly, when I look for something better the jump in price is just too big.

Am I unaware of a better option for less than, say, 1000 USD?

To name a few monitors that were previously mentioned but I can’t even find in Canada right now: Cooler Master GM34-VW and Gigabyte G34WQC

If they are better, I can wait for them to become available.

So, what do I do? =)

[PCM2]

Your reasoning seems sound and the AOC may well be worth trying. You’d certainly want to stay away from IPS models for viewing under dark conditions, VA would be my preference. Although if you’re going to have an OLED screen don’t expect the VA to look anything like that, this sort of comparison can really spoil pretty much any LCD monitor for you. And the 3440 x 1440 experience is certainly nice for both work and play and would give you something a bit different compared to your current monitors.

The Cooler Master GM34-VW and Gigabyte G34WQC use the same panel as the AOC and AOC puts the panel to good use, so in theory there’s little reason to wait for such alternatives. They may work better at relatively low refresh rates using ‘G-SYNC Compatible Mode’ – avoiding that screen blanking we described on the AOC. Although with an RTX 3080 you’re probably doing something wrong if you’re at such low frame rates when gaming at 3440 x 1440 and should probably consider bumping settings down a little for superior frame rates if you are. 😉

[antrhax]

Hey, now the Gigabyte G34WQC, 34″ has been released. 390€??? Aoc costs more (500), is this monitor maybe a flop? You told me to wait for this – now its time to buy something 😀

[PCM2]

I couldn’t say whether the G34WQC is a flop or not. I have no experience or user feedback to share. So in that sense nothing has changed since I last posted on that model. It’s very competitively priced, but I don’t think that should be taken as a sign that it is inferior to the AOC. It might be, but that has not yet been shown.

[antrhax]

Got it, maybe I will wait one or two weeks. Maybe there are some tests then.

[PCM2]

Hardware Unboxed has reviewed the Xiaomi Mi Curved 34″ now. For convenience I’ve summarised the main points from the review, weighted towards the points I like to focus on more in my own reviews for comparison purposes.

– Good build quality (not “cheap” plastics, solid matte plastics used extensively). What the manufacturer describes as “high-temperature matte
polyurethane coating, making it smooth and delicate to the touch.”

– Nice magnetic mechanism for cable-tidy clip.

– No USB ports.

– Gamma curve a bit ‘kinky’, averages 2.3 but quite a bit above ‘2.2’ in some regions and under in others.

– No sRGB emulation setting and colour controls very sensitive (slight changes make quite dramatic adjustment).

– Strong contrast performance (needs more data in my view, but they measured 3800:1 under their testing conditions).

– Poor bright shade uniformity (sample-specific, don’t look too much into this).

– Good brightness adjustment range (~60 – 388 cd/m²). So goes brighter than the AOC, but not as dim at the low end for light-sensitive users.

– 4 pixel overdrive settings. ‘Medium’ setting is considered decent. The weaknesses aren’t above what are expected for the panel – effective acceleration for some transitions, some notable weaknesses left over where darker shades are involved. Marginally faster than the CU34G2X for some transitions, slightly slower for others. Moderately strong overshoot in places for medium to brighter shades. It employs a degree of variable overdrive, avoiding overbearing overshoot at reduced refresh rates. But it seems to slacken off pixel responses too much with the ‘Medium’ setting – especially <100Hz. The 'High' setting speeds things up a bit, but overshoot becomes stronger. So it's again a trade-off depending on personal preferences for overshoot vs. pixel response speed. Input lag similar to the AOC as well, low signal delay.

So it looks to be quite a decent 34" UltraWide, largely comparable to the CU34G2X with the experience. I’d say the calibration isn’t as good, although that’s just basing this on 2 samples, and it offers no sRGB emulation setting whilst the AOC does (albeit an imperfect one). But it certainly offers strong contrast (more data points needed for proper comparison), similar overall responsiveness and colour performance. I’m not sure how it would stack up in terms of ‘G-SYNC Compatible Mode’ performance and I’ve raised a slight concern I have which the Hardware Unboxed review didn’t address, in this post. That is whether it is truly flicker-free (DC dimming) or whether PWM regulation is used. However, it appears to use DC dimming based on the pursuit photographs that are included in the Hardware unboxed review (around 8 minutes into their video).

[uncia]

While we’re on the subject of 34-inch monitors based on the current Samsung panel, I came across the Monoprice version today. It is HDR400 certified and licenses use of Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology. So there’s a chance it’s a step up from other models using this panel. I can’t say for sure. I’m just going by what little I can find on it.

I’m not sure whether the colours will be worthwhile when compared to IPS, but the price is still a lot better than 34-inch 144Hz IPS monitors out there. It’s a bit higher than than AOC, but I think the extra features might be worth it if you’re in the market for something using this panel.

The only caveat is Amazon in the US doesn’t have it yet. I found it on Amazon.ca, so it’s available some places. With the uncertainty in buying monitors, I wouldn’t risk buying one from anyplace else. So depending on where you live, you may have to wait a while for it to become available on Amazon.

[PCM2]

The Monoprice ‘Dark Matter’ may be worth considering, but there are too many unknowns with an untested product like that. No mention that it’s flicker-free, for example, and no saying how well the pixel overdrive is implemented or what the calibration is like. But in what way are you expecting it to be better than the others discussed here, such as the CU34G2X with more solid testing data associated with them? The use of Quantum Dot technology is simply an alternative means to enhance the colour gamut. It confers no specific advantages over an enhanced phosphor solution with similar gamut performance. Monoprice are simply monopolising on the term as a marketing ploy, if it was actually ‘better’ other manufacturers would be jumping to use the technology as well. They specify the same sort of colour gamut as the other models, ~90% DCI-P3. 🙂

[uncia]

I was enthused to see a monitor with this panel and quantum dots, HDR400, etc. I didn’t actually think about the company making it. Nor do I know how they’re sourcing quantum dots or qualifying for the HDR400 rating. The backlight AOC uses has been noted as unimpressive. I was hopeful someone came out with a better alternative. I also know that Samsung’s own monitors with quantum dot backlighting rate a higher colour gamut. This is misleading of Monoprice if they’re not attaining anything more than others who aren’t using the Samsung technology. Is it really no better than the “enhanced phosphor” alternative others use? Yet doesn’t Samsung do far better with theirs?

I’m not in the market for VA myself. I’d thought this was possibly a good option for others in the thread here. I suppose you can’t let the technical specifications overcome common sense. I know better, especially with these random companies like Monoprice and what is it, Massdrop? It seems everyone is making monitors nowadays.

[PCM2]

Quantum Dots can be used to good effect to offer a very wide colour gamut, as you see with something like the ASUS PG27UQ. They’re purely there as one method to enrich the colour gamut, nothing else. There are plenty of Quantum Dot implementations which fall well short of this kind of colour gamut (Acer X35, for example). In this case you’ve got a monitor with similar specified gamut to the Gigabyte G34WQC. The Gigabyte is also VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified, but you can get such a certification with very little extension beyond sRGB. It’s only VESA DisplayHDR 600 tiers and above that actually require reasonable DCI-P3 coverage (90%+ etc.) It is technically possible to have 2 monitors with 90% DCI-P3 but one of them to have a lot more over-extension beyond DCI-P3 than the other in some regions of the gamut. In this case I’d expect the gamuts to be very similar, though.

There are also quite a few Chinese companies getting in on the monitor game now as well. Recently Xiaomi joined in, but Hisense and Huawei are also going to join in soon. Whether these will be broadly available in North America remains to be seen.

[uncia]

I thought it was a basic science, use the Quantum Dots, gain the same effect. I suppose we can’t assume anything with monitor technology. I didn’t realize Gigabyte had an option using this panel. I wasn’t overly impressed by the model I tried from them previously, but that’s neither here nor there. I’d definitely encourage anyone interested in this 34-inch Samsung panel to consider them simply because they’re a more well-known brand. Hopefully, they’re working through their growing pains with monitors. The automatic brightness adjustment was still fairly buggy after the firmware update, and I noticed the OSD was slow and a bit clunky when compared to other brands I’d used. There are a lot options, but responsiveness and user-friendliness also make a difference.

As we’re discussing this specific panel, I wanted to point out your observation about static interlacing. I know it’s subjective and doesn’t bother anyone, but that’s one thing about VA monitors I can’t stand. Most people won’t mention it, I never see it in professional or user reviews, but it is very noticeable to the people who do notice and can make for a bad experience. To the people who are considering a monitor with this current wave of panels, it’s worth considering.

Ironic that DCI-P3 coverage only makes a difference for HDR 600. Then I only really care about HDR 400 certification for the higher peak brightness and often colour bit depth, 10 instead of 8. The latter is probably more placebo effect than actual practical purpose. As for the wider gamut, I’m not sure it matters outside of HDR, but I have noticed VA looks dull compared to IPS regardless. So there’s more to it than simple gamut coverage. I like VA for a lot of reasons. It just doesn’t work for my uses. If I had no interest in photography or graphic design, but just general purpose, I’d say it fits quite well for that.

I’d still take an AMOLED monitor over any of the alternatives, but I guess I’ll be waiting for old age at this rate. In the mean time, my current pick for a 34-inch ultrawide remains LG’s 34GN850. The only reason I haven’t purchased one is because it’s twice the price I budgeted for a monitor. Well that, and it’s never in stock on Amazon.

[airman]

Hello, adding to the quest of a good and budget friendly UW monitor.
I’m searching for a good monitor used for Sim Racing only, it’s going to be mounted on a rig. I can’t afford a triple monitor setup yet.
Response time and refresh rate are very important for that split second of hitting the apex just right.
I have a PG279Q as my main monitor and a GTX 1070.

I tried the AOC Agon AG352QCX and it was just awful, black smearing all over the place.
What do you think about the LG 34GL750-B? Right now i can get it for 450 euros in Romania.
Do i get tearing if the monitor is not G-Sync compatible but it is 144hz?
Thanks!

[PCM2]

You will get tearing (or stuttering, if using VSync) without ‘G-SYNC Compatible Mode’ or other VRR technology active on a 144Hz monitor, yes – but whether you notice it and it bothers you is another matter. We explore this in the relevant sections of our reviews, by the way. It’s also expained in our G-SYNC article. Getting rid of tearing (VSync off) or stuttering (VSync on) from frame rate and refresh rate mismatches is the fundamental purpose of VRR technology.

I’ve got no experience with the LG or user feedback to share. I’m not really very experienced with 34″ 2560 x 1080 models, for reference, because I much prefer 3440 x 1440 at that size. No offence intended and I appreciate 3440 x 1440 may be too difficult to drive or beyond your budget. Good luck if you do purchase the LG and any feedback would be welcome. That helps shape how I’d advise others in a similar position to yourself. What I would say with as good as absolute certainty is that it will be significantly more responsive than the AG352QCX. That’s basically like the Acer Z35 we looked at a while back which is the slowest high refresh rate VA model I’ve encountered.

[nothingnegated]

Hey sorry to bother youse but I notice a very indepth and informative review for the 346B1C but was wondering if anyone had anything on the newer 346P1CRH?

Specifically how is the HDR and responsiveness for gaming?

Cheers

[PCM2]

nothingnegated,

I’ve merged your thread with an existing one where this model and how it would compare with the similar model we’ve reviewed is covered.

[Author]

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