Gigabyte GS34WQC review: A shockingly good budget ultrawide

Price When Reviewed

$329.99

Best Prices Today: Gigabyte GS344WQC

$329.99

Buying a 34-inch ultrawide monitor requires some understanding of the nuances that separate seemingly similar displays. Most 34-inch ultrawides present the identical 3440×1440 decision, a refresh charge between 120Hz and 165Hz, and lots of even look comparable with black plastic casings and enormous requirements. The Gigabyte GS34WQC doesn’t buck this system however executes properly sufficient on every level to earn a straightforward advice.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to study competing merchandise.

What are the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s specs and options?

The Gigabyte GS34WQC’s specs are boilerplate for a 34-inch ultrawide monitor. It offers 3440×1440 decision, by far the most typical amongst displays of this dimension, and a 120Hz refresh charge with 135Hz overclock mode. Adaptive Sync is supplied by AMD’s FreeSync.

• Display dimension: 34-inch ultrawide
• Native decision: 3440×1440
• Panel kind: Vertical Alignment (VA)
• Curved: Yes, 1500R
• Refresh charge: 120Hz with 135Hz overclock
• Adaptive Sync: FreeSync
• HDR: HDR10
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5mm audio
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: None
• Price: $329.99 MSRP

What’s most notable concerning the monitor is its worth. Though not probably the most cheap 34-inch ultrawide obtainable (alternate options just like the Monoprice 35-inch Zero-G V2 dip beneath $300), it’s definitely in the direction of the low finish of the market. Gigabyte makes this occur with concessions in connectivity: The monitor lacks USB.

How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s design?

Matt Smith

Gigabyte retains issues easy with the GS34WQC which, given its worth, isn’t a shock. Matte-black plastic is the order of the day, although the design does get pleasure from just a few shiny piano-black highlights to boost the look. The monitor avoids garish touches like chrome or coloured inserts and it lacks RGB lighting—which I don’t thoughts, however might disappoint these wanting so as to add some aptitude to their setup.

Build high quality is ok. The GS34WQC’s plastics would possibly profit from extra texture however really feel moderately stable in-hand. And there’s no disputing that stand’s heft. It’s an absolute unit that takes up appreciable desk area and retains the monitor planted. This is often an issue, however Gigabyte opts for a flat stand base, so the area it takes in your desk stays (largely) usable.

Yet I’ve a beef with the stand. It mounts to a normal 100x100mm VESA bracket however doesn’t embody a clipping mechanism, so it have to be screwed to the rear of the monitor with 4 supplied screws. That’s not the tip of the world, nevertheless it’s a trouble. I additionally discovered the screws a bit finicky because the steel they used was gentle and simply stripped if an excessive amount of pressure was utilized. The stand additionally adjusts just for tilt and peak, however doesn’t swivel, which is obtainable with some displays round this worth level.

How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s connectivity and menu?

Matt Smith

The Gigabyte GS34WQC’s connectivity has strengths and weaknesses. It offers a complete of three video inputs—two HDMI and one DisplayPort. That’s typical for a cheap ultrawide monitor.

However, the monitor lacks USB connectivity. There’s no USB-C enter and no USB-A downstream ports, so the monitor can’t be used as a USB hub. That’s a bit uncommon even for a cheap ultrawide monitor. A 3.5mm audio jack for passthrough audio is included, at the least.

What the monitor lacks in connectivity it good points in menu choices. The GS34WQC has a responsive, easy-to-use menu managed by a joystick on the lower-right bezel. A useful downward-facing LED makes this joystick simple to seek out.

Matt Smith

Menu choices are in depth, too. There’s a number of coloration temperature and gamma modes, RGB coloration customization, and an sRGB preset, alongside the standard brightness and distinction settings. There’s additionally a number of gaming-centric options, resembling an on-screen crosshair. The wide selection of picture high quality changes is great to see in a cheap ultrawide and can assist homeowners customise the monitor’s look to their preferences, if desired.

Speakers aren’t included. That’s no shock, particularly at this worth. Headphones or exterior audio system are obligatory.

How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s SDR picture high quality?

The Gigabyte GS34WQC makes use of a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, a sort of show panel know-how that’s frequent amongst bigger displays and lots of price range to mid-range televisions. It performs properly right here, offering an affordable distinction ratio and enticing coloration properly suited to taking part in enticing trendy 3D video games.

Matt Smith

With that stated, brightness is among the many monitor’s weaker factors. It achieved a most brightness of 324 nits in SDR, which (spoiler alert) doesn’t go a lot larger in HDR. This is in the direction of the low finish of what’s potential from any trendy gaming displays.

This, to be honest, isn’t actually a problem for gaming or leisure in SDR content material, which is often seen in a darkened room the place you’ll have management over the ambient gentle. But the monitor could appear dim in a really brilliant, sunlit room or company workplace. And whereas the panel has a semi-gloss end, the 1500R curvature can act as a focus for glare.

Matt Smith

Next up is distinction, the place the GS34WQC offers a convincing most distinction ratio of 3610:1. That’s primarily similar to the Monoprice 35-inch V2 curved ultrawide, and it’s a lot better than most equally priced widescreen displays (which are inclined to go for IPS show panel know-how as a substitute).

A greater distinction ratio offers an improved sense of depth and immersion in video games and films. And, on this case, the distinction ratio improves not as a result of the panel is brilliant, however as a result of it might probably grow to be darkish. That offers good element in darkish, shadowy scenes that will look grey and washed-out on different displays.

Matt Smith

Color gamut is a win, because the GS34WQC can show 95 % of the DCI-P3 coloration gamut and 88 % of AdobeRGB. These figures put it barely forward of many comparable displays.

A large coloration gamut is a profit in leisure, as it might probably ship a extra saturated and vivid look that almost all viewers will get pleasure from. It’s additionally good for content material creation, because the monitor can actually show extra colours, an vital perk when you’re coloration grading video or enhancing skilled images.

The GS34WQC’s coloration gamut isn’t huge sufficient to advocate for critical skilled creators, however its efficiency is greater than sufficient for sketching out concepts or enhancing a YouTube video (except you’re Marques Brownlee).

Matt Smith

It’s an identical story with coloration accuracy, the place the GS34WQC delivers a mid-pack outcome. Colors largely look sensible and convincing. The monitor’s coloration errors have been truly extra distinguished within the grayscale (which is to say, shades between black and white), which I discover is much less noticeable in typical use.

Speaking of which, the GS34WQC hit a default gamma curve of two.1. That signifies content material might look a tad brighter than it ought to, and I did discover that in use. Fortunately, the monitor’s menu offers ample gamma settings to regulate to your wants. The similar is true of coloration temperature, the place I recorded a default coloration temperature of 6800Okay, off the goal of 6500Okay. That signifies the monitor seems a bit extra cool and sterile than our ideally suited, however the included coloration temperature settings can alter this.

Sharpness is nice, because the monitor’s decision of 3440×1440 offers roughly 109 pixels per inch. That’s just like a 27-inch 1440p monitor and a giant improve over a 27-inch 1080p monitor, which has roughly 82 pixels per inch. Some pixelation could also be seen round small fonts and aliasing can seem throughout nice objects in video games, nevertheless it’s hardly ever a serious distraction. Those on the lookout for improved sharpness ought to think about a 5K ultrawide just like the LG 34WK95U-W—however that monitor is greater than thrice the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s worth.

How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s HDR picture high quality?

HDR is obtainable on the Gigabyte GS34WQC, nevertheless it’s not nice.

The GS34WQC sustained a most brightness of simply 333 nits in my testing. The lack of brightness will obscure nice particulars in brilliant scenes, which is half the purpose of HDR. It’s definitely potential to view HDR, however I’m undecided why you’d wish to. It’s not going to seem because it ought to.

I don’t maintain this in opposition to the GS34WQC. No monitor beneath $500 affords an excellent HDR expertise: The least costly displays we advocate for HDR begin round $700. Just be warned: HDR is supported, nevertheless it received’t look the way you hope.

How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s movement efficiency?

Matt Smith

Gamers might be happy by the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s 120Hz refresh charge, which might be elevated to 135Hz in Overclock mode. The monitor additionally helps AMD FreeSync for clean gameplay with suitable AMD video playing cards.

Motion readability was a lot better than I’d anticipated. Monitors with a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel normally endure an issue referred to as “dark smear.” It seems as a darkish blur or path behind darkish objects and is attributable to gradual pixel response instances when displaying darker colours. This downside is seen on the GS34WQC however far much less noticeable than anticipated. The G34QWC completely outperforms the Monoprice Dark Matter 35-inch ultrawide.

Clarity is in any other case good for a 120Hz/144Hz monitor. Scrolling check pictures from League of Legends present that character silhouettes and terrain are simple to make out and that hitpoint bars are seen, although the person ticks within the hit factors bar aren’t distinguished. Character names are nearly unimaginable to learn in movement, too. This is what I’d anticipate to see from a monitor with this refresh charge and a serious enchancment over a 60Hz monitor.

How does it examine to a equally priced 27-inch monitor, just like the LG Ultragear 27GR83Q-B? The Gigabyte GS34WQC is noticeably much less spectacular, largely as a result of lack of readability in shifting textual content and small interface components, resembling hitpoint bars. I don’t think about this a knock in opposition to the Gigabyte, because it’s offering a bigger show at a lower cost. Still, extremely aggressive avid gamers might choose a smaller monitor with the next refresh (just like the LG).

Should you purchase the Gigabyte GS34WQC?

The Gigabyte GS34WQC is a good 34-inch ultrawide for gaming, leisure, and entry-level content material creation. It scores properly by most metrics of picture high quality, affords many picture high quality changes, and delivers enticing movement readability, all at an affordable worth and alongside a primary however sensible design. The lack of USB connectivity is a bit disappointing, however nowhere sufficient to carry again the monitor. It’s a straightforward advice if you wish to get pleasure from the advantages of a 34-inch ultrawide at a worth no larger than most high quality 27-inch displays.