Gigabyte G34WQCP evaluate: A wonderful finances ultrawide monitor

Nearly a yr has handed since PCWorld reviewed the Gigabyte GS34WQC, a finances ultrawide monitor that earned our Editors’ Selection award. Now, Gigabyte is updating that mannequin with the brand new Gigabyte G34WQCP. It’s much like its predecessor however will increase the utmost refresh fee from 144Hz to 180Hz.  

Gigabyte G34WQCP specs and options 

The Gigabyte G34WQCP’s primary specs are much like different finances ultrawide screens. It’s a 34-inch, 21:9 side ratio show with a decision of 3440×1440. The monitor additionally makes use of a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, which is the extra frequent alternative on this class, although some opponents use an In-Airplane Switching (IPS) panel. The monitor helps Adaptive Sync by means of AMD FreeSync and in addition helps HDR. 

• Show dimension: 34-inch 21:9 widescreen 
• Native decision: 3440×1440
• Panel sort: VA 
• Refresh fee: As much as 180Hz 
• Adaptive sync: AMD Freesync Premium  
• HDR: Sure, VESA DisplayHDR 400 Licensed 
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm headphone 
• VESA mount: 100x100mm 
• Audio system: 2x 2-watt audio system 
• Worth: $349.99 MSRP 

Nevertheless, the G34WQCP makes two notable adjustments in comparison with the earlier Gigabyte G34WQC. As talked about, the refresh fee has been elevated from a most of 144Hz to 180Hz. As well as, the monitor now has two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, whereas the earlier mannequin had only one. 

Additional studying: See our roundup of the perfect gaming screens to study competing merchandise.

Gigabyte G34WQCP design  

The Gigabyte G34WQCP’s design is primary. From the entrance, the show panel is framed by skinny black bezels on three sides, with a small chin on the backside that includes a centered Gigabyte brand. Gigabyte makes use of matte black plastic for the stand, whereas the rear of the show panel combines that with some semi-gloss accents.  

Whereas the G34WQCP isn’t a lot to have a look at, it’s well-built. The monitor’s plastic panels didn’t warp after I dealt with the monitor, and I didn’t hear creaks or groans whereas I set it up. That’s not a excessive bar to clear, however finances screens don’t all the time hurdle it. 

The monitor’s show panel is curved with a radius of 1500R (a decrease quantity means a extra aggressive curve). It is a average, readily noticeable curve, however not so aggressive that it turns into distracting exterior of video games. With that stated, individuals who work with digital artwork, images, and video could not just like the curve, because it barely warps the looks of photographs and movies on the show (strains which can be straight could not seem so, for instance).  

Regardless of its reasonably priced worth, the G34WQCP consists of an ergonomic stand with an excellent vary of peak and tilt adjustment, although it doesn’t swivel. I discovered the stand simple to regulate, because it required little power to maneuver, but stayed firmly in place as soon as positioned. Organising the stand is finicky, although, because the stand doesn’t clip into place however as an alternative makes use of screws. It’s a minor annoyance, but it surely makes setup barely extra sophisticated. The show additionally helps a 100x100mm VESA mount to be used with third-party monitor stands and arms. 

Gigabyte G34WQCP connectivity and menus  

The Gigabyte G34WQCP gives two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, for a complete of 4 video inputs—yet another than is typical for a finances ultrawide monitor. That’s yet another port than the older Gigabyte GS34WQC, which had one DisplayPort enter. 

Nevertheless, the brand new G34WQCP doesn’t  assist its most refresh fee over HDMI; solely the DisplayPort connections can obtain the complete 3440×1440 decision at 180Hz. That’s not a significant downside, because the HDMI 2.0 ports are seemingly for use with recreation consoles that may’t obtain 180Hz. Nonetheless, it’s price understanding if you happen to plan to attach a PC over HDMI. 

USB connectivity can also be absent. There isn’t a USB-C enter and no USB downstream ports for connecting wired peripherals. That is typical for a finances ultrawide monitor, but it surely’s a minor disappointment, because it makes the monitor much less helpful in case your gaming den doubles as your house workplace. 

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The monitor’s on-screen menus are managed with a joystick positioned on the rear proper aspect of the show panel. The joystick is responsive, and Gigabyte’s menus are simple to navigate, due to well-labeled choices. The vary of choices is in depth and consists of changes for coloration temperature and gamma. 

Is Gigabyte Management Middle supported? 

The monitor additionally comes with a pair of 2-watt audio system that present primary audio. They aren’t loud and lack low-end depth, so that they’re not good for video games, films, or music. Most individuals will desire to make use of exterior headphones or audio system. Nonetheless, the built-in audio system are an appropriate possibility for watching a YouTube video or listening to a podcast. 

Gigabyte G34WQCP SDR picture high quality 

SDR picture high quality is, in fact, essential for the Gigabyte G34WQCP. Whereas the monitor does assist HDR, most PC video games nonetheless solely assist SDR, and most Home windows purposes are additionally restricted to SDR. Fortuitously for Gigabyte, the G34WQCP is a robust performer in SDR content material.  

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Beginning with brightness, the Gigabyte G34WQCP delivered a formidable most SDR brightness of 485 nits. That is a lot greater than obligatory for many conditions, but it surely’s a perk if you happen to plan to make use of the monitor in a brightly lit room or close to sunlit home windows. 

It’s additionally price noting that curved show panels tend to focus gentle sources behind the viewer, which might make the show much less snug to view. The G34WQCP’s excessive brightness helps steadiness out that downside.  

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Distinction is an actual spotlight, because the monitor achieved a formidable distinction ratio of 4720:1. That’s a wonderful outcome for a show that lacks a Mini-LED dynamic backlight or an OLED panel.  

The G34WQCP’s picture is immersive and gives convincing shadow element in darkish areas underneath most viewing situations. The G34WQCP’s edge-lit backlight means it can nonetheless show barely elevated black ranges within the darkest scenes, however distinction in any other case appears to be like improbable. 

Gigabyte has an edge over different screens on this worth bracket. IPS screens just like the RCA Premium Gaming Monitor and Asus ROG Strix XG27QCS have a far decrease distinction ratio, which might make their photographs seem barely flat and washed out. Different VA panel screens, just like the Xiaomi G34WQi, come near the G34WQCP, however Gigabyte’s result’s the perfect we’ve seen from a VA panel this yr. 

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The G34WQCP’s coloration gamut is stable however doesn’t present any benefit over the competitors. It achieves 95 p.c of DCI-P3 and 86 p.c of Adobe RGB—figures that translate to a brilliant, vibrant picture that appears saturated and energetic.  

Nevertheless, because the graph exhibits, the monitor’s efficiency is in keeping with equally priced screens.  

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The identical will be stated for coloration accuracy. The G34WQCP’s accuracy is nice sufficient that any errors are typically unnoticeable in typical use. Nevertheless, even finances screens now are likely to ship with sturdy coloration accuracy out of the field, so that is not a defining attribute.  

The monitor produced a gamma curve of two.3, barely off our goal of two.2, which suggests content material seems a bit darker than it ought to. Shade temperature got here in at 7000K, noticeably greater than the 6500K goal, giving the picture a cooler tone. The monitor does supply gamma and coloration temperature settings, so it’s attainable to regulate these outcomes, however the out-of-box picture might use some enchancment in these areas. 

With a decision of 3440×1440 unfold throughout a 34-inch ultrawide panel, the monitor has a pixel density of about 109 pixels per inch, which is an identical to a 27-inch widescreen monitor with a decision of 2560×1440. This stage of sharpness is sufficient to look crisp in video games, films, and images. It often seems sharp on the Home windows desktop and in apps, however small fonts can begin to reveal slight pixelation across the edges of characters. Nevertheless, customers don’t have a lot alternative on the subject of sharpness—apart from a couple of high-end 5K shows, almost all 34-inch ultrawides ship 3440×1440 decision. 

Total, the Gigabyte G34WQCP delivers a brilliant, high-contrast picture with sturdy coloration efficiency and acceptable sharpness. The monitor’s solely notable flaws are its coloration temperature and gamma outcomes, that are barely off-target, however these will be adjusted within the settings. The G34WQCP’s picture high quality is spectacular for the value; to see a big enchancment, you’d want to contemplate an OLED panel or a high-end Mini-LED monitor, each of which usually value nearer to $1,000. 

Gigabyte G34WQCP HDR picture high quality 

Whereas the Gigabyte G34WQCP proved itself in SDR, the monitor’s HDR efficiency was unremarkable. 

I measured a most sustained brightness of 372 nits. That stage of HDR brightness is typical for a finances monitor however, sadly, nowhere close to what’s required to do HDR justice. Most HDR content material targets a luminance of at the very least 1,000 nits, so HDR seen on the G34WQCP will look dimmer than meant and lack element in brilliant areas of a scene.  

The monitor additionally lacks some sensible options, like an HDR brightness override. Which means the brightness of HDR is solely managed by the content material displayed. That’s advantageous if you happen to’re viewing in a darkish room, however can turn into a difficulty in brighter rooms. 

In short, the G34WQCP isn’t an excellent HDR monitor. Buyers who need higher HDR on a good finances ought to take into account cut-rate Mini-LED shows, just like the Innocn 27M2V or Xiaomi G Professional 27i. These have their very own drawbacks however, on the subject of HDR, they’re much more succesful.  

Gigabyte G34WQCP movement efficiency 

Refresh fee is among the many Gigabyte G34WQCP’s highlights, because the refresh fee has elevated from a most of 144Hz to 180Hz. That appears like a giant enchancment on paper however, in actuality, I’m undecided I can discover the distinction. I feel a refresh fee bump to about 240Hz is required earlier than most individuals will discover it noticeable.  

With that stated, although, movement readability is nice given the monitor’s dimension and worth. The monitor shows small objects with good element and movement feels extraordinarily slick at excessive refresh charges. This stage of movement readability is desk stakes for a contemporary gaming monitor, but it surely’s nonetheless leagues higher than an old style 60Hz IPS or VA panel monitor. 

The G34WQCP, like different VA panel screens, tends to endure “dark smear,” which ends up in extra noticeable blur behind darker objects than brilliant objects. The issue is certainly seen, and it’s the explanation why aggressive avid gamers typically desire IPS and TN panels. With that stated, although, the issue didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the monitor. 

Adaptive Sync is accessible with official assist for AMD FreeSync Premium, however G-Sync additionally functioned after I linked a Nvidia-powered laptop computer to the G34WQCP. That is typical, as FreeSync and G-Sync have loads in frequent. Body pacing was easy and I didn’t discover any flickering or show drop-outs, although the identical will be stated of almost all screens I evaluate. 

Must you purchase the Gigabyte G34WQCP?

The Gigabyte G34WQCP picks up the place final yr’s GS34WQC left off. Whereas the 2 screens are comparable, the brand new G34WQCP delivers higher picture high quality due to its greater brightness and barely improved distinction. The G34WQCP additionally kicks up the refresh fee to 180Hz and provides a second DisplayPort.  

These additions barely enhance the value from $329.99 to $349.99, and that throws a wrinkle into this evaluate. The prior GS34WQC is accessible for as little as $279.99, and whereas the brand new G34WQCP is healthier, the older mannequin is an alluring various if you happen to’re on a good finances. The Gigabyte additionally faces stiff competitors from the not too long ago launched Xiaomi G34WQi, which performs equally to the G34WQCP however is inexpensive at $269.99.  

That makes the G34WQCP tougher to advocate than its predecessor. With that stated, although, it stays an excellent finances ultrawide with top-notch SDR picture high quality for the value.