TarsaaPicture: Matt Smith
Attain you will need an mountainous amount of usable sing feature, but don’t are looking out to bother with a double-video display setup? If so, an ultrawide video display is the ticket. Ultrawide monitors have a essential wider sing panel that affords an immersive experience and method more conceal conceal trusty-property than your average widescreen. I’ve examined a bunch of ultrawide monitors in declare to call the correct picks in various classes starting from those optimized for gaming to those most animated for educated use. Below you’ll earn a curated record of my favorites in each category. You may maybe study more about our evaluate job for monitors right here at PCWorld and what to look in an ultrawide video display under our ideas.
You may maybe earn essential more video display ideas in our roundup of the correct monitors.
Up up to now March 26, 2024: Dell’s Ultrasharp U4025QW joins our record of picks as the correct 5K ultrawide. Learn our summary under to uncover more about this impressive sing that now no longer handiest offers unparalleled clarity all the strategy thru its 40-fade IPS Dusky panel, but a generous array of ports for last productiveness, and a 120Hz refresh fee that makes it only for gaming. It’s so capable that it is seemingly you’ll moreover even forgive its top fee worth.
Alienware AW3423DWF – Most productive ultrawide video display
Mavens
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Beautiful distinction ratio
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High-notch color gamut and accuracy
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Large inch clarity
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Reputable HDR efficiency
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Extraordinarily competitive worth
Cons
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Stand within reason too large
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No USB-C
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Most HDR brightness is lackluster
Designate When Reviewed:
$1,099.ninety 9
The Alienware AW3423DWF is a legendary video display. It packs the unprecedented distinction and realism of OLED in a 34-fade widescreen panel, yet it’s priced at good $1,099. That’s now no longer more affordable, but it’s better worth than other OLED monitors on hand honest now.
Picture quality is the build it stands out. It delivers a shimmering, immersive, properly off experience with deep gloomy levels and like a flash-witted highlights, which may maybe presumably be enhanced by the sing’s silent produce. Motion photos and games appear nearly three-d—as whenever you occur to’re having a stumble on thru a window, now no longer looking out at a video display.
What’s the get? The video display is now no longer like a flash-witted, in particular in SDR, so it’s a putrid choice for a brightly lit room. We moreover observed the OLED panel has disaster rendering little fonts with out problems. These are minor disorders, although, and shouldn’t disaster most house owners.
This video display targets players, so it offers an enhanced refresh fee of as much as 165Hz and helps AMD FreeSync Top fee Expert for tender frame pacing in games. However, its incredible portray quality will seemingly be impressive in daily use, as properly.
It has honest connectivity, with two DisplayPort inputs and one HDMI, as well to a USB-A hub with four ports. There’s even a healthy range of calibration alternate choices that abet anxious homeowners dial in the image to their personal specs.
Learn our beefy
Alienware AW3423DWF review
Gigabyte GS34WQC – Most productive budget ultrawide video display
Mavens
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A huge selection of connectivity and menu alternate choices
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Ethical distinction ratio
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Stable color efficiency
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As much as 144Hz refresh fee with honest inch clarity
Cons
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Stand setup uses screws in approach to clip mechanism
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Modest most brightness
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HDR is supported but lackluster
Designate When Reviewed:
$329.ninety 9
The Gigabyte GS34WQC is a immense budget ultrawide video display. It has a spirited 34-fade ultrawide sing panel that affords 3440×1440 resolution. It moreover delivers steady ratings all the strategy thru distinction and color accuracy that most steadily rival more pricey shows. The discontinuance result is portray quality linked to many monitors sold for twice as essential.
Motion clarity is steady, as properly. The video display has a 120Hz refresh fee, which can moreover be overclocked to 135Hz, and helps AMD FreeSync for tender and constant gameplay. Digicam pans raise honest ingredient and fleet objects are straightforward to trace. There’s better monitors for inch clarity, in spite of every thing (equally priced widescreen monitors can hit a refresh fee of 240Hz), however the GS34WQC’s results are steady for the worth.
Gigabyte’s GS34WQC relies on a functional, although overall, effect. The video display’s originate quality is commendable and contains a sturdy stand. Assembling the stand is a bother, as you will ought to manually build four screws. Most competitors have a clip-in stand that may maybe presumably moreover be assembled with out instruments. Fortuitously, the GS34WQC has an intuitive menu gadget with intensive customization alternate choices that abet players customise the visuals to their resolution.
However the GS34WQC’s most animated trait is undeniably its worth. The video display carries an MSRP of $330 and may maybe presumably moreover be had for even much less on sale. It’s now no longer the most more affordable ultrawide on hand but it with out disaster beats the image quality of its more worth efficient ultrawide competitors.
Learn our beefy
Gigabyte GS344WQC review
LG Ultragear 34GN850 – Most productive midrange ultrawide video display for players
Mavens
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21:9 panel with a 34-fade conceal conceal
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Curved video display
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Impressive gaming efficiency
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Ergonomic adjustment alternate choices
Cons
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Most animated average strength consumption
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Costly
Designate When Reviewed:
999.ninety 9
The LG Ultragear 34GN850-B, launched in 2020, used to be as soon as the king of ultrawide gaming. It used to be dethroned by Alienware’s AW3423DWF—and as a result LG has slashed the worth. At the origin $999.ninety 9, this video display is now on hand for $699.ninety 9 (and as soon as in a while much less).
That’s immense data. Even although surpassed by the Alienware, LG’s Ultragear 34GN850-B is an extraordinary video display with incredible color efficiency, honest portray clarity, and a like a flash-witted, shimmering portray. It has an enhanced refresh fee of as much as 144Hz (with a 160Hz overclocked mode) and helps both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync for tender gameplay.
Its weakness? Difference. The IPS panel ratings lower in distinction than other monitors on this record, including the Asus ProArt PA348CV, which moreover has an IPS panel. The portray can stumble on hazy in darker scenes.
Connectivity is educated with two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and two-port USB-A hub for connecting wired peripherals. The video display moreover retains plenty of the aspects that is liable to be expected of a high-discontinuance video display including a sturdy ergonomic stand and tasty effect.
Learn our beefy
LG Ultragear 34GN850 review
Dell U4025QW – Most productive 5K ultrawide video display
Mavens
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Appealing, appealing, color-wonderful 5K sing
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Unprecedented connectivity including Thunderbolt, Ethernet
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Long record of menu alternate choices and aspects
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120Hz refresh fee is impressive at this resolution
Cons
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Stand is wobbly and laborious to adjust
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Difference ratio remains far in need of OLED competitors
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HDR doesn’t stumble on its most animated
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Extraordinarily pricey
Designate When Reviewed:
$2,399.ninety 9
The Dell Ultrasharp U4025QW is an overwhelming ultrawide video display with an limitless 40-fade sing and 5K resolution that ensures each ingredient is spirited and defined. However it’s now no longer good about its size and clarity; it’s crammed with aspects, too.
Visually, the U4025QW is a treat, offering unparalleled sharpness and an expansive workspace that enhances productiveness and elevates entertainment. The video display’s impressive 120Hz refresh fee is a rare earn at this resolution, guaranteeing tender inch on the Windows desktop and in games. It even has an IPS Dusky sing panel, which improves distinction and delivers a more life like, immersive portray.
The U4025QW’s connectivity is intensive. It has Thunderbolt, Ethernet, HDMI, and DisplayPort, as well to a USB hub that functions just a few downstream USB-A and USB-C ports. The video display’s menu alternate choices and settings present important portray quality management as well to precious aspects admire portray-in-portray and movie-by-portray modes.
That’s now to no longer claim it’s very most animated. The video display’s stand isn’t as sturdy as it desires to be, and while the dignity ratio of IPS Dusky is commendable, it may maybe in point of fact’t rival OLED. However the most serious downside is the worth, which soars stop to $2,000. However in declare for you a huge, spirited video display to succor as the point of pastime for a desktop sing center, the Dell Ultrasharp U4025QW is worth it.
Learn our beefy
Dell U4025QW review
Asus ProArt PA348CGV – Most productive ultrawide video display for consultants
Mavens
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Beautiful SDR portray quality
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Sturdy, hefty effect
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Large selection of customization
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120Hz refresh fee
Cons
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USB-C hub lacks video-out or ethernet
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HDR is merely sufficient
Designate When Reviewed:
729.ninety 9
The Asus ProArt PA348CV surpassed our expectations. Priced at good $729.ninety 9, it’s in direction of the low discontinuance of pricing for an educated ultrawide sing—yet its efficiency is come the discontinuance of the pack.
This video display has a large color gamut, incredible color accuracy, and a digital buffet of portray-quality calibration aspects that enable users precisely tune the image. It’s moreover a like a flash-witted and shimmering video display, making it straightforward to use in nearly any approach to industrial. Admittedly, it doesn’t method any data in portray quality assessments—but it ties or comes stop to imaginable choices which may maybe presumably be a entire bunch of greenbacks more pricey.
Asus throws in a precious USB-C port that helps DisplayPort Alternate Mode and delivers 90 watts of USB Strength Transport. It moreover drives a USB-A hub with four downstream ports. Extra video connectivity contains two HDMI and one DisplayPort for a total of four enter alternate choices.
Surprisingly, Asus throws in an enhanced refresh fee as much as 120Hz. It’s now no longer sold as a gaming video display, but it may maybe in point of fact take care of gaming properly sufficient. That’s honest data in declare for you one home approach to industrial video display for both work and play.
Learn our beefy
Asus ProArt PA348CGV review
Corsair Xeneon Flex – Most productive huge-conceal conceal ultrawide video display
Mavens
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Extremely immersive gaming experience
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Large Forty five-fade ultrawide OLED panel may maybe presumably moreover be adjusted from flat to 800R curve to fit your setup
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Distinctive portray quality, distinction, color efficiency, and HDR
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Elite inch clarity on a 240Hz panel
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Abundant connectivity with USB-C hub and strength transport alternate choices
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It made four folks that walked into my approach to industrial pause and speak “WHOA” admire Keanu Reeves
Cons
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Unhappy textual speak clarity and approved sharpness for productiveness work
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Very pricey
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No swivel or tilt alternate choices, stand can’t be replaced
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Bending mechanism feels clunky and mildly horrid at the originate
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Enabling HDR mutes desktop distinction and vibrancy
Designate When Reviewed:
$2,000
Desire a video display that takes immersion to a brand new level and outshines your good friend’s measly 34-fade ultrawide? The Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 is for you.
The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 takes immersion to a brand new level, outshining pedestrian 34-fade ultrawides. It’s an incomparable manner to relish visually sexy games.
The 45WQHD240 has an especially high distinction ratio and a large color gamut. Most brightness is high (for OLED) as properly, which is a succor in declare so that you can play games with HDR turned on. The video display’s 240Hz refresh fee and low pixel response situations present top-notch inch clarity. Even its modest 3440×1440 resolution may maybe presumably moreover honest be seen as a succor. While it does soften the image, it moreover reduces the stress on your GPU, making it imaginable to relish top quality settings on midrange hardware.
However there may maybe be far more to the Xeneon Flex, which is hinted at in its name: The sing aspects a uncommon versatile OLED panel that may maybe presumably moreover be adjusted from an totally flat method to 800R curvature, one in every of the tightest curves on hand in a video display. You adjust the curve manually, the use of the handles positioned on each facet of the sing. The flexibility is precious whenever you occur to relish a huge assortment of game genres (you may maybe perchance moreover need it flat while enjoying Civilization IV but zigzag in Cyberpunk 2077).
The Corsair Xeneon Flex aspects a sturdy and steady stand with integrated ports including USB-C. The stand doesn’t, alternatively, offer top adjustment. With a retail worth of nearly $2,000, the Xeneon Flex is an funding, but its versatile OLED panel and superior portray quality accomplish it an glaring choice for players.
Learn our beefy
Corsair Xeneon Flex review
What to look in an ultrawide video display
Ultrawide monitors are a favourite of PC followers, but remain a particular segment at some stage in the larger video display market. This leaves consumers with fewer alternate choices. Most ultrawide monitors have a 34-fade panel with a resolution of 3440×1440, and identical connectivity.
Restful, these monitors can range in plenty of key areas. Here’s what to look.
Panel kind is a huge deal
Ultrawide monitors offer much less choice in some regards but that script is flipped in phrases of panel kind. Ultrawide monitors reach in a unfold of panel kinds: IPS, VA, and OLED.
IPS panels are approved in mid-range and top fee ultrawide monitors. This panel kind delivers immense color efficiency, high most brightness, incredible sharpness, and honest inch efficiency. It’s ragged in distinction, alternatively, which can disappoint when viewing TV shows or movies.
VA panels are in overall a budget chance, although some are came all the strategy thru in top fee ultrawide monitors. They’ve better distinction than IPS panels and raise identical color efficiency and brightness—alternatively, budget VA panels tend to be merely k in these areas. Most VA panels fall short in inch efficiency and may maybe presumably moreover honest stumble on blurry when enjoying fleet-paced games.
OLED is king of the hill. It leads in color, distinction, and inch efficiency. Sharpness is on the total a minute bit reduced compared to IPS and VA, but most folk will earn it a minor downgrade. OLED moreover is the correct choice for HDR.
In approved, OLED is fitter than IPS, and IPS is fitter than VA. However, some folks may maybe presumably moreover decide VA over IPS on memoir of it has the next distinction ratio and looks darker in dark speak.
A top-adjustable stand is a ought to have
Your total monitors on this record present an ergonomic stand that adjusts for top, tilt, and swivel. This will seemingly be a ought to have characteristic, but one which isn’t came all the strategy thru on the most more affordable ultrawide monitors.
As tempting as it may maybe maybe presumably moreover honest be to construct cash on a budget mannequin with out a top-adjustable stand, that it is seemingly you’ll presumably presumably be apologetic about it.
Ultrawide monitors are corpulent and have an inclination to require a larger, heavier stand, which in turn makes them more sophisticated to method on an elevated platform. The old college trick of sticking a video display on a shoe field obtained’t work.
Look for USB-C, but don’t ask it
USB-C compatibility is an overwhelming characteristic, and USB-C hub monitors can clear away a entire bunch litter on your desk. Sadly, many ultrawide monitors don’t enhance USB-C yet, or have barriers that detract from the USB-C port’s usefulness.
Asus’s ProArt PA348CV, our favourite ultrawide for consultants, is one exception. It has a USB-C port with as much as 90 watts of Strength Transport, and the port drives a USB-A hub with four downstream ports.
Dell, HP, and BenQ moreover offer ultrawide monitors with USB-C. These originate of lack an enhanced refresh fee, alternatively, they most steadily’re in overall more pricey than the Asus.
Pricing is indispensable—and may maybe swing wildly
Video display pricing is repeatedly major, but it’s key for ultrawide monitors. Even although very pricey at MSRP, ultrawide monitors routinely gaze immense worth cuts at some stage in seasonal sales. They moreover receive major semi-permanent worth cuts later in their existence.
The LG Ultragear 34GN850-B is an instance of this. At the origin sold for $999.ninety 9, it’s now routinely on hand for $699.ninety 9, and went as low as $599.ninety 9 at some stage in Amazon’s Dusky Friday sale. That’s a 40 percent reduction in worth! Looking ahead to a deal can build you a entire bunch.
Don’t buy an ultrawide for console gaming
A short phrase of warning: You ought to never buy an ultrawide video display whenever you occur to suggest to construct a game console most steadily.
Game consoles don’t enhance ultrawide facet ratios, so you’ll gaze gloomy bars on either facet of the image. That’s unattractive and wastes the video display’s ability. It’s most animated to stay with a widescreen video display if console gaming is a precedence.
How we test monitors
PC World’s personnel of workers and freelance reviewers conduct in-depth making an strive out to envision monitors all the strategy thru a huge assortment of classes and cost aspects. We test dozens of monitors each 365 days to earn the correct decide for every category and cost point.
Our making an strive out uses a Datacolor Spyder X2 Extremely color calibration gadget. It delivers purpose, honest measurements for a huge assortment of metrics including brightness, distinction, color gamut, color accuracy, color temperature, and gamma. Outcomes are recorded and logged for future comparability. This permits our consultants to with out disaster compare many monitors at as soon as and eliminates subjective bias from the consequences.
FAQ
1.
What size of ultrawide gaming video display is most animated?
Most ultrawide monitors have a 34-fade panel with a 21:9 facet ratio, which is the correct chance for plenty of players.
Some ultrawide monitors are on hand in larger sizes, but these in overall aren’t the correct choice for players. Many develop now no longer enhance high refresh charges. Other folks who develop are pricey and on the total use the identical 3440×1440 resolution came all the strategy thru on smaller ultrawide monitors, that methodology they give the impact of being much less spirited than a 34-fade sing.
2.
What’s the correct resolution for an ultrawide video display?
Almost all 34-fade ultrawide monitors have a sing resolution of 3440×1440. This is an overwhelming choice for players.
It’s spirited sufficient to earn impressive in trendy games. However, this resolution remains very much lower in entire pixel depend than 4K, which makes it much less anxious on graphics hardware. That’s honest data whenever you occur to will have a mid-range graphics card admire an Nvidia RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6650XT.
Larger 38-fade objects have a greater resolution of 3840×1660—alternatively, nearly all these monitors lack enhance for high refresh charges, making them a putrid choice for players. LG offers a line of 34-fade 5K2K ultrawide monitors with 5120×2160 resolution, but this line moreover lacks enhance for enhanced refresh charges.
Just a few new Forty five-fade ultrawide monitors are on hand with 3440×1440 resolution. This may maybe moreover honest be a disaster, on memoir of stretching the identical resolution all the strategy thru a essential larger sing reduces sharpness. We recommend 3440×1440 good for 34-fade ultrawide monitors.
3.
What’s the correct refresh fee for an ultrawide gaming video display?
A refresh fee of 144Hz to 165Hz is most animated for plenty of ultrawide gaming monitors.
Exclusively just a few ultrawide monitors exceed this refresh fee, and folks that develop are too pricey to accomplish it a honest worth.
Also, players hunting for an ultrawide gaming video display are liable to make your mind up immersive and graphically anxious games that accomplish it sophisticated to earn the beefy good thing just a few refresh fee above 144Hz. You’ll need a high-discontinuance video card, admire an RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon 6800, to force most ultrawide gaming monitors at frame charges above 144 frames per 2d.
4.
Does an ultrawide gaming video display need HDR?
HDR isn’t a ought to have for an ultrawide gaming video display, but it’s a nice addition.
Gaming is a immense use case for HDR—arguably the correct, essentially—and it may maybe in point of fact raise improved portray quality. We recommend shopping an ultrawide gaming video display with HDR enhance in case your budget is $500 or more.
Writer: Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith is a contract skills journalist with 15 years of experience reviewing client electronics. Moreover to to PCWorld, his work may maybe presumably moreover be came all the strategy thru on Wired, Ars Technica, Digital Traits, Reviewed, IGN, and Lifewire. Matthew moreover covers AI and the metaverse for IEEE Spectrum and runs Computer Gaming The previous day, a YouTube channel dedicated to PC gaming ancient past.
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