Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K review: Bringing Mini-LED to ultrawides

Price When Reviewed

$1,499

Best Prices Today: Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K

Ultrawide followers are well-served by displays just like the Alienware AW3423DWF, which boasts a stunning OLED panel. But it’s missing in a single space: brightness. Enter the Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K. It bursts onto the scene with a VA show panel and Mini-LED backlight that achieves the coveted VESA DisplayHDR 1400 certification. It’s a stunning show that may ship on the promise of eye-searing HDR, although a couple of odd selections knock it down a peg.

Note: See our roundup of the best ultrawide monitors to study competing merchandise, what to search for in an ultrawide show, and shopping for suggestions.

Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K: The specs

The primary specs of the Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K are much like most 34-inch ultrawide displays. It has a most decision of 3440×1440, a 21:9 side ratio, and helps a most refresh price of 200Hz when overclocked (and 165Hz in any other case). It has a VA panel which, though much less widespread than an IPS panel, remains to be quite normal.

• Display measurement: 34-inch ultrawide
• Native decision: 3,440 x 1,440
• Panel sort: IPS Mini-LED
• Refresh price: 165Hz (200Hz overclocked)
• Adaptive-sync: FreeSync Premium Pro
• HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 1400 licensed
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts Power Delivery, 3x USB-A downstream, 1x USB-B upstream, 1x 3.5mm audio out
• Stand adjustment: Height, swivel, pivot
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: 2x 5-watt audio system
• Price: $1,499 MSRP

Mini-LED is what makes this monitor stand out. It delivers a formidable 1,152 dimming zones, the best you’ll discover on the present technology of Mini-LED shows. Viewsonic additionally throws in a USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, a function that’s nonetheless uncommon amongst gaming shows.

Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K: Design

Matt Smith

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K is a looker. The monitor’s matte-black plastics appear easy at first look, however various textures and angles add curiosity and attract to the monitor’s profile. Viewsonic leans into the theme set by the monitor’s curved show panel by including slight curves to different surfaces together with the stand neck and base. 

It feels stable, too, with critical heft within the stand and stiff plastics alongside a lot of the panel. I do suppose Alienware has Viewsonic beat on this space, because the Alienware AW3423DW and AW3423DWF each appear and feel as premium as high-end televisions. They additionally profit from the thinner profile an OLED panel can present. Still, the Elite XG341C-2K feels extra luxurious than cheaper manufacturers, resembling Acer’s Nitro sequence and AOC. 

The monitor throws in some RGB lighting components in a cross sample on the monitor’s rear. They’re managed by the on-screen menu and add a pleasant little bit of aptitude when the monitor is utilized in a darkish room. There’s additionally a flip-out headphone hanger on the left aspect. 

However, the Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K runs afoul of a private pet peeve: The stand is far bigger than it must be. Its hefty neck and large legs take up gobs of desk house and push the monitor too near the person on narrower desks (resembling these typically bought at IKEA). You’ll want a giant, deep desk to make this monitor really feel at dwelling. The monitor has a 100x100mm VESA mount, so third-party monitor stands and arms are an choice you might need to train.

Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K: Features and menus

Viewsonic scores factors with its video enter choices. These embody two HDMI 2.1 inputs, DisplayPort, and USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. The USB-C enter additionally helps as much as 90 watts of energy supply for charging a related system. This stays a uncommon function amongst displays not bought for workplace or skilled use, so its inclusion within the Elite XG341C-2K is appreciated. 

However, it’s a merely decent USB hub monitor. Its downstream connections are restricted to 3 USB-A ports and one 3.5mm audio port. There’s no DisplayPort out or further USB-C out. The monitor can operate as a KVM swap when the USB-C and USB-B upstream ports are used to attach two PCs.

A single joystick controls the monitor’s menus. This is widespread, however the best way Viewsonic implements it’s uniquely irritating. Giving a joystick a faucet will open a fast menu, or the principle menu, on most displays. On the Elite XG341C-2K, this turns the monitor off. The fundamental menu is opened by shifting the joystick up. This is counter-intuitive, as tapping the joystick is in any other case used to verify settings and enter menus as soon as a menu is open. I by chance turned off the monitor greater than a dozen instances.

Matt Smith

Viewsonic’s menu choices are intensive, however navigating the menus stays a chore on account of how the menu timber are laid out. Once I acquired acquainted, I discovered the monitor has quite a few shade temperature, saturation, and gamma options, in addition to a complete of 5 backlight modes and 5 response instances modes. The monitor consists of an sRGB mode, although it didn’t appear to precisely restrain colours, and it doesn’t embody modes for different shade gamuts resembling DCI-P3 or AdobeRGB. This will disappoint some content material creators.

The monitor additionally has gaming-centric options resembling a black equalizer (which boosts brightness to see element in darkish areas of a recreation) and a crosshair. A pair of 5-watt audio system are included. They’re fairly loud and sound clear when dealing with easy content material, resembling podcasts. However, the dearth of bass is a giant downside with music, video games, and films. BenQ’s premium monitors, which pair speakers with a built-in subwoofer, stay the king of monitor audio.

Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K: SDR picture high quality

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K’s Mini-LED backlight has the potential for wonderful HDR, however SDR efficiency stays extra vital, as most content material considered on a PC will likely be considered in SDR. 

Matt Smith

Viewsonic leaps to an early lead, because the Elite XG341C-2K delivers a gob-smacking most SDR brightness of 706 nits. This clearly outpaces aggressive displays and leaves OLED options within the mud. 

Indeed, it’s cheap to ask if this stage of brightness is significant. The Elite XG341C-2K might be uncomfortable to make use of at its most brightness. Still, brightness has its perks, and I favor {that a} monitor able to this stage of brightness offers customers the choice to make use of it. If you want a vivid monitor as a result of your desk sits subsequent to eastward-facing floor-to-ceiling home windows, the Elite XG341C-2K is likely to be for you. 

Matt Smith

The monitor additionally delivers in distinction, with a most distinction ratio of 14290:1. This is a wonderful consequence for any monitor and defeated solely by OLED displays which, on account of their means to utterly flip off particular person pixels, have a virtually good distinction ratio. 

There are some quirks to distinction. Mini-LED displays have a draw back referred to as blooming, which causes vivid halos or spots to look round small, vivid objects. This occurs as a result of the Mini-LED dimming zones are round a half-inch broad, in order that they’re unable to completely align with what’s proven on-screen. 

But it’s not all unhealthy information. Mini-LED displays don’t typically undergo the dynamic brightness limitations of most OLED displays, which scale back brightness when displaying vivid photos full-screen. Because of this, the Elite XG341C-2K’s brightness is extraordinarily secure, with out noticeable dips or adjustments in brightness as various content material is displayed. 

Strangely, the Elite XG341C-2K I obtained didn’t have native dimming turned on by default, which suggests the Mini-LED backlight was not working to its full potential. A manufacturing facility reset confirmed this was the default. I’m technically bending my very own guidelines on this graph, as I usually report solely the out-of-box distinction ratio: The out-of-box distinction ratio was solely 4430:1. Be positive to modify native dimming on within the monitor’s settings. 

Matt Smith

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K can comfortably be referred to as a large gamut monitor, because it spans 100 % of sRGB, 96 % of DCI-P3, and 93 % of AdobeRGB. These figures fall a bit in need of OLED displays just like the Alienware AW3423DWF and top-notch IPS shows just like the Asus ProArt PA348CGV. 

Still, the Elite XG341C-2K’s shade gamut is greater than enough for on a regular basis use and most content material creation. It additionally gives the vivid, super-saturated look that’s widespread right now, and which many individuals appear to favor. 

Matt Smith

Color accuracy stays fairly good. In fact, the entire displays listed on this graph have a stage of shade accuracy ample for any use exterior of knowledgeable studio surroundings, and a few are in all probability enough even for that. And, as talked about, the Viewsoinc Elite XG341C-2K affords a wholesome vary of image-quality changes for additional calibration. 

The monitor’s default shade temperature was 6600Okay, which may be very near the goal of 6500Okay. I discovered that the picture’s shade temperature match my preferences nicely, with a practical look that wasn’t too heat or too cool. 

Gamma was a special story. I instantly seen that the monitor appeared too darkish, and my outcomes confirmed that with a default gamma curve of two.7, which is means off the goal of two.2. This made some content material so darkish that it could possibly be tough to see particulars. I used to be in a position to repair this by altering the gamma setting to Gamma 2.0, which resulted in a measured gamma curve of two.2. Content regarded proper at this setting, nevertheless it’s disappointing to see a monitor require person intervention.

Sharpness was good due to the monitor’s decision of 3440×1440. This is roughly the identical as a 27-inch widescreen monitor with 2560×1440 decision. Games and films look spectacular and detailed, and small fonts are displayed with no noticeable pixelation at a typical viewing distance of two and a half toes. You will discover a discount in sharpness in contrast side-by-side to a 4K monitor, although. 

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K’s general efficiency is a bit powerful to summarize. It can carry out extraordinarily nicely, but in addition falls brief on a couple of points. Local dimming is off by default, the gamma curve is wonky at default settings, and the colour gamut falls barely in need of some rivals. Tweaks shortly resolve the primary two points and, as soon as that’s performed, the monitor appears to be like completely very good. The monitor is a improbable selection for gaming, as its wonderful distinction ratio, excessive brightness, and good shade gamut mix for a vivid, dazzling picture.

Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K: HDR Image Quality

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K proudly carries DisplayHDR 1400 certification, which suggests it will probably exceed a peak brightness of 1400 nits when displaying small, vivid objects on an in any other case darkish display screen. It also can obtain 710 nits sustained throughout the complete show, which is the best sustained HDR brightness I’ve recorded from any monitor. 

As talked about beforehand, the monitor has wonderful brightness stability. You received’t discover wild swings in brightness because the monitor switches between displaying small, vivid objects and enormous, vivid scenes.

All of this provides as much as wonderful real-world HDR efficiency that not less than meets the bar set by earlier top-notch HDR shows just like the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX and Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. Indeed, the Elite XG341C-2K achieves a greater sustained brightness than both, so it objectively performs a tad higher in terms of brightness. Bright particulars, just like the headlights of a automobile driving down a darkish alley, and broad landscapes, like a snowy mountain, have eye-searing brilliance and ultra-punchy presentation. It’s an actual visible deal with, and one which approaches the very best HDR televisions I’ve seen. 

However, the monitor’s HDR excellence is proscribed to HDR content material, and it’s vital to be selective when enabling HDR. The monitor doesn’t deal with SDR content material nicely when HDR is turned on, inflicting a really washed-out look. It’s vital to show the HDR mode off when it’s not wanted.

Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K: Motion Performance

Matt Smith

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K’s specs recommend wonderful movement efficiency. It has a most overclocked refresh price of 200Hz, or as much as 165Hz with out, and helps AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. That sounds nice, however falls aside on nearer inspection.

Viewsonic’s overclocking mode is successfully ineffective. Turning it on disables each AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and native dimming, eradicating two of the monitor’s important options. It doesn’t make sense to spend $1,499 for a flowery Mini-LED monitor after which disable the perks of the Mini-LED backlight. The 200Hz Overclock is a gimmick I’d actively encourage homeowners to keep away from. 

The normal refresh price of 165Hz isn’t significantly better. This monitor makes use of VA panel expertise which, usually, can’t match the pixel response instances of IPS panels. VA panels are additionally recognized for “black smear,” an issue attributable to low response when transitioning via darker colours. This downside isn’t a deal-breaker for me, personally, nevertheless it does maintain again the monitor’s general movement readability.

Perhaps to compensate, Viewsonic affords 5 more and more aggressive response time modes. The default mode, “Fast,” introduces some reasonable overshoot seen within the type of trails round high-contrast objects and a shimmer in detailed textures. This downside turns into comically apparent within the extra aggressive modes. “Fastest,” essentially the most aggressive, introduces big shade shifts round shifting objects and vivid borders and halos in high-contrast areas. It appears to be like as if the shifting picture is handed via a foul Photoshop filter.

The “Standard” response-time mode, which is the least aggressive, was my desire. Motion readability is okay on this mode however noticeably gentle in comparison with an IPS or OLED monitor at an analogous 144Hz or 165Hz refresh price. Test photos from League of Legends confirmed that character outlines and well being bars have been distinct, however names and character particulars have been obscured. Motion was easy, not less than, when AMD FreeSync Premium Pro was enabled.

The monitor has a black body insertion function referred to as PureXP. This strobes the backlight which, due to our eyes’ incapability to maintain up, improves movement readability. It’s efficient, and the brilliant Mini-LED backlight helps. Because backlight strobing shortly turns the backlight on and off, it has the aspect impact of lowering brightness. But, with a most brightness of over 700 nits, you’re nonetheless getting over 300 nits with PureXP turned on. Despite these benefits, PureXP as soon as once more disables AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and the native dimming function. So, that’s one other no from me.

Finally, in a single closing pinch of salt into this monitor’s wounds, turning on AMD FreeSync Premium Pro disables the monitor’s brightness setting, which is odd. Turning on the Local Dimming function does the identical. Adjusting distinction sorta works round this, however the minimal stage of brightness that may be achieved may nonetheless be too vivid for SDR gaming in a darkish room.

Together, these points severely restrict the Elite XG341C-2K’s potential. In principle, it must be a improbable gaming monitor. In follow, I discovered myself banging my head towards the monitor’s many restrictions and underwhelmed by its readability.

Should you purchase the Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K?

The Viewsonic Elite XG341C-2K is a wonderful monitor held again by quite a few minor points. It advantages from the unimaginable distinction and brightness a Mini-LED backlight can present and actually struts its stuff in HDR content material, which appears to be like gorgeous. Unfortunately, Viewsonic makes a couple of unhealthy calls within the monitor’s on-screen menu controls and default settings, and the monitor’s movement efficiency falls in need of expectations. Even so, the Elite XG341C-2K can nonetheless make sense if nice HDR is your number-one precedence, because it places the brightness of OLED rivals to disgrace.