Best Ultrafast Monitors 2023: Let’s go larger

Do you need a lot of display space but still want to use a single screen? The ultra-fast screen is for you. These monitors feature a wider display panel which is more immersive and impressive than regular wide screens. We have tested a variety of ultra-high resolution monitors to determine which ones are the best. Below you will find information about our evaluation process as well as what to look out for in an Ultra HD Monitor.

More monitoring recommendations can be found in our roundup better monitors.

1. Alienware AW3423DWF – Best Ultra HD Monitor

Positives

• Excellent contrast ratio

• High quality accuracy and color range

• Great motion clarity

• Respectable HDR performance

• Very competitive price

Cons

• The stand is too big

• USB-C is not supported

• HDR maximum brightness can be dimmed

Alienware AW3423DWF monitor is a legend. It packs the incredible contrast and realism that OLED displays offer into a 34-inch panel. Yet, it costs only $1,099. It’s not cheap but it’s more affordable than other OLED screens.

It stands out because of its image quality. It delivers a rich, immersive and vibrant experience with deep dark levels and bright highlights. This is further enhanced by the glossy finish. Movies and games almost appear 3D. It’s as if the screen is looking through a glass, not at it.

What is the point? The screen isn’t bright in SDR so it’s not a good choice for brightly lit rooms. We also noticed that OLED panels had difficulty displaying small fonts smoothly. These are minor issues that should not be a problem for most owners.

This monitor is designed for gamers. It has a higher refresh rate of upto 165Hz and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to provide smooth frame rates in games. The excellent image quality will also be great for everyday use.

It offers excellent connectivity, with two DisplayPort inputs as well as one HDMI and a 4-port USB-A hub. You have a wide range of calibration options to help you dial-in the picture to your specifications.

Read the full article
Alienware AW3423DWF review

2. Asus ProArtPA348CGV – Professionals’ best ultrawide monitor

Positives

• The SDR image quality has excellent qualities

• Strong, bulky design

• Large range of customization

• The refresh rate of 120 Hz

Cons

• The USB-C hub does not have video or ethernet output

• HDR is acceptable

The Asus ProArtPA348CV exceeded all our expectations. At just $729.99, it’s the lowest price for a professional ultrawide monitor—yet its performance is near the top of the range.

This monitor has a wide color gamut and excellent color accuracy. It also features a virtual buffet with image quality calibration features that allow users fine-tune the image. It’s also bright and vivid, making it easy to use in any office. Admittedly, it doesn’t set any records in image quality tests—but it does come close to hundreds of dollars more expensive alternatives.

Asus includes a USB-C connector that supports DisplayPort Alternate Mode, and provides 90W of USB power delivery. It also has a four-port USB A hub with current. You can also connect to the video via two HDMI ports or one DisplayPort. This gives you four input options.

Surprisingly Asus offers a refresh rate of upto 120Hz. Although it is not intended to be a gaming monitor the monitor can still handle most games. This is great news if you have a single monitor at home for work and play.

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Asus ProArt PA348CGV review

3. LG Ultragear 3GN850 – The best ultragear budget for gamers

Positives

• Panel size 21.9 with a screen size 34 inches

• Curved screen

• Incredible gaming performance

• Convenient adjustment options

Cons

• Only average power consumption

• Expensive

The LG Ultragear 34GN850B was released in 2020 and was the king among ultra-fast games. Alienware’s new AW3423DWF knocked it out, so LG reduced the price. This monitor was originally $999.99. It is now available for $699.99 (and sometimes less).

This is fantastic news. Although Alienware has taken the Ultragear 34GN850B, LG’s monitor is still a great choice. It offers excellent color performance, high image clarity, and bright, vivid images. It offers a higher refresh rate of up 144Hz (with 160Hz Overclock mode) and supports AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync to ensure smooth gameplay.

Her weakness? variance. Contrast was lower than other monitors on this listing, such as the Asus ProArtPA348CV with an IPS panel. In darker scenes, the image can appear blurry.

Connectivity is excellent with two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort. There’s also a two-port USB A hub that connects wired peripherals. The monitor retains many of its high-end features, including a sturdy, comfortable stand and an attractive design.

Read the full article
LG Ultragear 34GN850 review

4. AOC CU34G2X Best Budget Ultrawide

Positives

• 21:9 Ultra Gaming Monitor

• Incredible gaming performance

• 34″ large curved plate

• Convenient adjustment options

While ultrawide monitors are great for many reasons, the price is not the best. Budget shoppers have a good choice: the AOCCU34G2X, available for $349.99 and less.

This monitor features a 34-inch ultrawide VA panel that performs very well compared to other more expensive options. It provides a good contrast ratio, vivid color performance, and a high level of color accuracy. It also has the same resolution of 3440 x 1440 as the other monitors in this list, so it looks sharp. It might be difficult for less-discerning shoppers to see any differences between this monitor and the more expensive options such as the Asus ProArtPA348CV.

The AOC CU34G2X gaming monitor has a higher refresh rate of up 144Hz. It does not support Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, but gamers may experience mixed results using these adaptive sync standards.

The AOC CU34G2X’s image quality is superior to its price, but the design feels cheap. The strong red and black gaming theme is heavily used. This will upset shoppers who prefer a quieter and less intrusive look.

The connectivity is excellent with two HDMI inputs, two DisplayPort ports and a four-port USB hub. The monitor has a height-adjustable standing, which is a must-have feature. However, it isn’t foolproof for ultrawide monitors.

Read the full article
AOC CU34G2X review

What are your expectations from an Ultra HD screen?

Although ultrawide monitors are a popular choice for PC enthusiasts, they remain a niche market in the larger monitor market. This leaves shoppers with fewer options. Ultra HD monitors usually have a 34 inch panel with a resolution 3440 x 1440, and a similar connection.

These screens can however differ in several key areas. Here’s the information you need.

It’s important to consider the type of board.

While ultrawide monitors have fewer options in certain areas, they offer more options when it comes to choosing a panel type. Ultrawide monitors are available in a variety panel types, including OLED, VA, IPS.

IPS panels are a common feature in ultrawide and middle-range monitors. This panel has excellent color performance, high maximum luminence, great clarity, and good motion performances. It can disappoint viewers who watch TV or movies due to its low contrast.

VA panels are usually considered a low-cost option, but there are premium Ultra HD monitors that offer them. They have better contrast than IPS panels and offer similar color and brightness performance—however, budget VA panels tend to do well in these areas. VA panels are often lacking in motion performance, which can cause blurry appearances when playing fast-paced video games.

OLED is the king of the hill. OLED leads in color, contrast and motion performance. Sharpness is sometimes slightly less than VA or IPS, but most people will only notice a slight dip. OLED is also the best option for HDR.

OLED is generally better than IPS and IPS is superior to VA. Some people prefer VA to IPS due to its better contrast ratio and darker appearance in dark content.

The height adjustable stand is an essential.

All of the monitors featured on this list feature an ergonomic stand that can adjust for height, tilt, or swivel. This is an essential feature, but it is not standard on Ultra HD monitors.

You’ll regret spending your money on a budget model with no height-adjustable stand.

Ultra-wide monitors can be bulky so a heavier and larger stand is required. This makes it more difficult for them to be placed on a raised platform. The old college trick to stick a screen over a shoebox will not work.

You can look for USB-C, but it is not something you should expect.

USB-C compatibility makes a great feature. USB-C hub displaysIt can help you get rid of a lot clutter from your desk. Many ultra-fast monitors aren’t compatible with USB-C yet, or have limitations that reduce the usefulness and usability of the USB port.

One exception is the Asus ProArt PA348CV professional ultra-wide monitor. It features a USB-C port that can deliver up to 90W of power delivery and a four-port USB A hub for downstream.

BenQ, HP, and Dell also offer Ultra HD displays with USB C. However, they don’t have an improved refresh rate and are generally more expensive than Asus.

Pricing is important. However, it can swing wildly.

Monitoring pricing is an important task, but it’s especially important for ultra high resolution displays. Although ultra-high definition displays are expensive at MSRP they see massive price drops during seasonal sales. They also see substantial price reductions almost continuously later in life.

The LG Ultragear34GN850-B is an example. It was originally priced at $999.99 but is now available for $699.99 and will drop to $599.99 during Amazon’s Black Friday sale. This is a 40% price reduction! Waiting for a deal could save you hundreds.

Do not buy a super-fast device to play console games

One word of caution: If you plan on plugging in a game console often, you should not buy an Ultra HD monitor.

Game consoles do not support ultra-wide angle aspect ratios. This means that you will see black bars on either end of the image. This is unattractive, and it wastes the screen’s potential. If console gaming is a priority, it is best to stick with a widescreen.

How do we test screens

PC World staff and independent reviewers conduct thorough monitor comparison tests across a wide range price points and categories. Each year, we test hundreds of monitors in order to determine which one is the best.

The SpyderXElite color calibration was used in our test. It provides objective, impartial measurements of a wide variety of metrics, including brightness, contrast and hue, colorfidelity, color temperature and gamma. The results are recorded and saved for future reference. This allows our experts compare multiple screens at once and eliminates subjective bias.