Hi! i love your review on this monitor. I've recently got one and was looking for the best color settings for the monitor. If you have it calibrated can you please share your settiings. Thank you again!
@@kevinline Refer to the calibration section of the written review and in particular the 'Test Settings' - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration. As noted there individual units (and preferences) differ, you can't simply copy somebody else's settings and expect them to be optimal.
I bought it a couple of days ago and after watching this video I was afraid I would face black screens with Gsync emulation mode on. But no, everything works perfectly with my 2070S! AC Odyssey ultra settings, FPS drops much lower than 70, on average 57 and no black screens or flickering. LFC frequency doubling starts at around 50 fps or lower. Very satisfied, thanks for the great review.
Hey I'm thinking of getting this with a 2070S as well - have you noticed any bad flickering with your Gsync? Or any bad smearing? First time getting a monitor like this and all of these comments make me worried.
@@kevint4673 I have not tested many games yet, but no bad things have been noticed so far. Gsinc is enabled in full screen mode in the driver settings, Overdrive on Medium, MSI Afterburner is running in the background, DP cable from the box, signal input set to DP1 (not auto) and I have nothing to complain about.
The fact that you go above and beyond you give info in a way that everyone can understand earned you a sub! 👍 Its a shame you dont have more subs, I will recommend your channel to others. Thanks for the in depth reviews!
A lot of in-depth analysis to maximize this really attractive, reasonable budget UW gaming monitor. It's a real shame PC Monitors does not get enough attention. Thanks so much! With this and several Reddit users' help, I went from a very skeptical purchaser to a proud and happy customer. I was able to get the settings to my liking, if not almost.
I agree, proper in-depth reviews like this and Reddit contributions give you a wonderful idea of what to expect from a monitor. Much more so than 10 minute long tech-tuber product commercials or reviews that are basically rewrites of spec sheets. Glad you're enjoying the monitor and could make an informed decision! 🙂
Your the type of reviewer that does his job so good...that most companies would not send you a product out of fear that you would review it to good..lol Keep up the fantastic unrivaled reviews
You're not wrong there. LG are a good example - they just like positive reviews from influencers here in the UK so don't send products to actual reviewers who might point out flaws in their products. 😃
@@PCMonitors to be truthful your review was so incredible that I believe you should be employed by one of these big companies whether it's Samsung LG Sony etc overlooking their product before releases to the masses. Totally impressed with your review, once again.. keep up the great work!
Bro this video is great! I am from Russia and I was searching for a good review on this monitor for a quite long time and so here we go! Finally I found it. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
A heck of a good review! Well done. I read your written review of this display yesterday and it also was quite good. I ordered this monitor as a result. Thank you for the good work!
Awesome, in depth review! I'm in the market for a new monitor, never experienced anything beyond 24" 1080 screens,but i'm used to 144hz. I'm pretty sure this will do ok for me,since i'm primarily raiding in WoW. I'm hesitant of biting the bullet on this one tho, given i spend my off time playing tarkov and a few other fps's. Would this one keep up? The current one is a msi mag241cv. I don't do anything else on this pc but gaming...
I think you'll enjoy it and find it a nice upgrade overall. For fairly non-competitive gaming it's quite decent. As long as you're aware of the limitations and weaknesses exposed in the review, so you've got realistic expectations.
@@PCMonitors 😄 I am just more hurt that it isn't available here yet in South-Africa. I will have to import it, thus I would like a review from someone that is as criticical as I am. I stay away from the AOC just because of the red stripe at the bottom of the bezel, it will annoy my to no end. I might even have considered their CQ32G2E but they decided that height adjustment isn't important and slammed a DP 1.2 port on it, so I can't use HDR/G-Sync at the same time. Yes I am aware it's not true HDR as you need at least 1000 nits instead of 400 but I do appreciate the extra colours. It also has that annoying red stripe at the bottom. Oh yeah and that power led will blind me, I don't want to use another sticker to hide it. 🤣
Amazing review insanely in-depth great job. I am not sensitive to all this stuff and I had to stop watching some things because the more you point them out the more I notice its like subtitles on a movie you can't help but look, lol. So I had to move forward at some points to keep my mind safe from noticing all this stuff. lol, from what I see this monitor looks absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the amazing review.
That's a great review, keep up the great work! I currently use the BenQ EX3501R but the perceived motion blur is pretty noticeable and really annoys me. I saw it next to an Acer X34P and it was really bad compared to the IPS monitor. I love the contrast of VA though. Would you consider the AOC CU34G2X or the MSI Optix MPG341CQR a substantial upgrade over the BenQ or do you think that the difference in responsiveness isn't big enough? Thanks!
The extra refresh rate can be appreciated and that reduces perceived blur quite a bit. But the weaknesses in pixel responsivneness remain. You might enjoy the upgrade, but expect weaknesses as described.
@@PCMonitors Alright, thank you very much. I guess I have no other option to order it and to test it. You didn't have the chance to check if the MSI Optix performs better than the AOC as someone in the comments mentioned, right?
Did you read my response re. the MSI MPG341CQR as well? It isn't really "better" than the AOC. I think it's worth exploring the differences in more detail. Quite the opposite, depending on your perspective. - The MSI actually uses an older version of the panel with a worse subpixel structure. Most people won't notice the difference, but you get stronger static interlace patterns and some slight text clarity issues due to partial subpixel illumination. In other words, some letters will have tiny gaps rather than appearing properly blended - but the effect is subtle given the decent pixel density. - The pixel responsiveness is similar, although the MSI has a better 'max acceleration' pixel overdrive setting. As long as you can stomach a bit of overshoot. Otherwise you'll get a similar experience to the AOC's 'Medium' setting with the equivalent setting on the MSI. - No reports I'm aware of with 'screen blanking' on the MSI, but it seems it isn't universal on the AOC either. An odd one. - The colour gamut is a fair bit narrower on the MSI, so colours aren't as vibrant and looked a bit undersaturated in places. Especially lower down and to the sides of the screen where perceived gamma is lower.
@@PCMonitors Thanks again for the detailed explanations, I appreciate it. Wasn't aware of that. Just saw here and on reddit that people liked the MSI more because of the overdrive. The AOC monitor even has MBR although it might not be really usable because of its lower brightness. I will order it and check if the motion blur and responsivness is bothering me. So thanks again!
Both decent, both similar in many ways. Refer to this thread - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/ultrawide-monitor-for-casual-gamer-with-reasonable-price/page/3/#post-61372.
Excellent, thorough review. One issue i am inding with many AOC curved 1440p screens just now is that no where has them in stock in UK. Arent they quite new? Other option i am looking at is the MSI MAG341CQ or the 32" equivelants, but i cannot decide if i am happy with 91dpi at 32" or 108 dpi at 34" ultra....hmmm
This model is quite new, yes. The current pandemic is affecting stock levels of many monitors, it's not specific to AOC. They tend to ship relatively small batches at a time, so they simply sold out and haven't been able to replenish yet. The pixel density of a 31.5" WQHD VA model plus the supixel related sharpness issues are far from ideal, but it's a personal thing. I much prefer 3440 x 1440 34" models despite the more restrictive vertical height. I'd recommend reading one of our reviews of a 31.5" VA model (e.g. pcmonitors.info/reviews/asus-xg32vq/) so you're familiar with these aspects.
Refer to the written review and the 'Test Settings' there, which are just a suggestion. You need to adjust based on your own unit and preferences - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration.
Great in-depth review! I'm stuck between this or the Philips 346B1C - biggest deciding factor is the physical size, as my desk is relatively shallow at 60cm. Would you say this one has a smaller footprint compared to the Philips, or are they roughly the same? They have the same depth dimensions, but one may have the screen further back than the other (kind of hard to judge when looking at pictures).
Glad you liked the review. The written reviews include some measurements related to this. - For the CU34G2X: "The total depth of the monitor including stand is ~250mm (9.84 inches), with the centre of the screen sitting ~60mm (2.36 inches) back from the frontmost points of the stand base." - For the 346B1C: "The total depth of the monitor including stand is ~250mm (9.84 inches), with the centre of the screen sitting ~50mm (1.97 inches) back from the front edge of the stand." So the CU34G2X just edges it as the screen sits a bit further back from the front of the stand. Allowing you to get more distance between your eyes and the screen if pushed back as far as you can.
@@PCMonitors Thanks for the quick response 😄 Yes, I did read that, but I couldn't find anything related to the back of the stand. To my eyes, the two back legs on the stand of the AOC seem to be shallower than the square base of the Philips, thus allowing the AOC to sit closer to the wall - but I might be wrong here?
Did you read my full reply? It includes measurements for the entire stand depth, from front most edge to rear most edge. And also accounts for where the screen sits relative to the front edge of the stand. Which is important as it tells you how far away the screen will be from the back of the desk, if the rear of the stand is in-line with that.
Great review! Your opinion remains rather mixed ... you would recommend it or it would be more judicious to move towards another model? I plan to buy it ! thx :)
It didn't convince me enough to receive the 'recommended monitor' badge (pcmonitors.info/recommended-badge-in-reviews/). But that isn't to say it isn't a good monitor which is very nicely priced. There's really nothing I'd recommend above this for the same sort of price, you just have to be prepared to stomach the drawbacks covered in the review. And if you can there's plenty of enjoyment to be had.
What a great review. I have what I'm afraid is a dumb question but is it possible to fill the screen to the edges? It has black edges mostly to the top and each side so I wonder if I can resize it to fill better (can't find a OSD or g-menu setting though)
Are you describing the panel border which is visible in the video (perhaps more clearly in the written review - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Features_and_aesthetics )? Or do you have a larger black border?
@@PCMonitors yes I believe it is the panel border. Maybe it's just nostalgia or whining because this monitor is cheaper, but in the old days you could to resize the video output on the monitor to fill the entire display area with + - buttons :-)
All LCD monitors have a panel border, it's just that it's sometimes hidden by the bezel. As it mostly is on this one at the bottom. The panel border is flush with the rest of the screen so I see why you'd think it's an active area of the display, but it isn't. So you can't extend the image to fill it. This is part of what we refer to as a 'dual-stage' bezel design.
@@PCMonitors thank you for taking the time to reply! I watched another one of your videos and decided to get the Gigabyte M27Q I’m doing a fresh start on my setup for college and needed to replace my monitors Your videos have helped me after days of monitor searching so thank you so much
I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I think you'll find the responsiveness nicer for competitive gaming on the Gigabyte M27Q as well. And it's a good all-rounder.
Nice review. Wich one do you recomend in therms of performance and colours, for working and gaming, this one or the Philips 346B1C that you reviewed ? With a budget of 600€ tops do you recomend any better? Thank you in advance
They're very similar really, aside from refresh rate capability. The Philips has a few nice extra features (like the 'PowerSensor') and is arguably better constructed, but the 144Hz refresh rate of the AOC is nice to have. With your budget and uses in mind I think the AOC is a good choice really.
Thanks for the detailed review! Any idea why some CU34G2X's have a black stand base instead of silver? I just got one a week ago and it has a silver stand base instead of the black I am seeing on some reviews. I love the monitor for the value, although I have a 1080ti and I have the black screen issues. Also I noticed that on macOS (2019 Macbook Pro 15 inch) that I can't get the full resolution/refresh rate for the display - I can only select a max resolution of 2560 x 1440 / 60hz. I wonder if this is a macOS issue or if it is specific to this monitor. Have you tested this monitor on macOS as well?
@@PCMonitorsGotcha. Well I thought I'd ask since Mac's fall under the PC category as it simply stands for "Personal Computer". Maybe you should call the channel IBM-Compatible PC Monitors, after all 😉
Technically that's correct, at least if you take the term literally. But culturally it isn't. Apple don't ever refer to their Mac products as a "PC" and specifically distinguish themselves from "PCs". Anyway, that's besides the point - I don't own any Mac systems and don't test them. Not sure why the monitor doesn't work properly for you on a relatively modern Mac system, usually the limitation would be the DP revision or HDMI revision. Which should match on the system and monitor in this case.
@@PCMonitors Agreed on the culture bit - I was just being a bit cheeky. Yeah I've tested using a DP 1.4 cable which is what AOC lists as the DP revision for this model. I will keep trying to get it to work, hope it's user error on my part somehow instead of an issue with this monitor. My bigger concern is definitely the "black outs" on the 10 series Nvidia GPUs with adaptive sync enabled - I really hope they can fix that with a driver update, fingers crossed! 🤞
I haven't used the Samsung myself, but based on user feedback and review data it is actually rather similar to this AOC. Slightly faster pixel responses but still weaknesses in similar places. And with a significantly steeper curve which some like, but others don't. Quite tricky to separate them when it comes to overall image performance, I'd probably edge towards whichever was cheapest or easiest to get hold of unless you have a particular preference for curvature.
One year later, do you recommend this monitor? The only thing that I wonder is customer support. The warranty seems very good but I wonder if the service is actually good or not.
I recommend considering it still, it's well priced and offers a decent all-round experience. With a focus on strong contrast, as per the review. Customer support can be hit and miss with any manufacturer. I don't have experience with that side of things really, but if the PR team of AOC is anything to go by then they've got some good people on board working for them.
Thank you, Adam. As always, a very professional review, extremely helpful. I'm going to buy a 3440x1440p HRR gaming monitor this year and I value your opinion very much. I don't exclude VA yet (a hope die last :)), but I'm almost sure it should be fast IPS (I expect short response times, my eyes get tired quickly when I see blur), so now I'm very curious how good (and how expensive) will be LG 34GN850. I hope you will have a chance to test this monitor. It should be as fast as LG 27GL850, I suppose, and not as expensive as the present LG 34GK950 (I hope), because of competition. The latest nVidia drivers support LG 34GN850, so maybe rumors are right and we can expect LG 34GN850 in shops quite soon (May?). It would be great.
I'd like to take a look at the 34GN850, but unfortunately LG are very difficult to work with as an independent UK reviewer currently. They simply aren't communicative or easy (or even possible) to get review samples from at the moment. So don't hold your breath for that one. I'll try my best, more likely we'll look at that same panel in a product from another manufacturer who is easier to work with. That could change, PR companies do undergo reorganisation quite often. 🙂
Hallo, thanks for very detailed review. Everyone is talking about gaming performance, but what it is like in office tasks? It is suitable for coding? It is better as Philips 345B1C?
It's very much comparable to the Philips 345B1C for office-based tasks given that it basically uses a 144Hz version of the same panel. Important things to be aware of are; the pixel density, any issues with screen surface, subpixel layout, contrast and brightness adjustment range. All aspects are covered in the review. The pixel density is decent, screen surface is quite good (light and not overly grainy, decent glare-handling), there are no subpixel related issues and it offers quite strong contrast with good minimum luminance. The maximum luminance is not overly bright, good enough for most users and lighting conditions but not all. There are plenty of other boxes ticked on this one with relation to viewing comfort, but that's very subjective and there are many factors to consider - pcmonitors.info/articles/factors-influencing-pc-monitor-viewing-comfort/.
Man this review is so detailed and straight up amazing, I'm thinking of buying this monitor since its in the 500euro range that I'm looking for in an ultrawide, is there any other 1440p ultrawide you would recommend ? Right now I'm using a 1080p 60hz TN monitor from 2009 so im hoping all the negatives you see won't bother me too much.
Not at that price. You'd pay a significant premium for anything significantly better in terms of colour reproduction and responsivneness. Coming from such an old and basic monitor and 60Hz, there's a lot of upgrade to be had out of this one for sure.
@@PCMonitors thanks, I know that TN panels ar more responsive, mine has 2ms on the specs while this AOC has 1ms, but manufacturers tend to make these numbers up, is there a way I could measure this ?
@@PCMonitors its hard to tell from just looking, but the blur doesn't seem much different from the AOC except how blended your pictures are, but you do mention that its from the camera. I dont see much trailing happening on my monitor but i have a lot of that ink trail on my phone so i know how annoying it is. I also tried the viewing angle test which at first i thought you were supposed to see all the text in front of you (which is what my monitor does) but then i realised the image is supposed to be almost blank. Do you think having 80-100 fps with slow pixel response time is better than having 60fps with fast response time for gaming ? Sorry for all these questions but you know your stuff :D
Do you notice that the object itself is sharper when you look at the 144Hz pursuit photos from the AOC? Or at least, narrower? You should be able to see a clear difference with the main object when comparing to your 60Hz monitor. Of course it's difficult to appreciate what that means in a practical context, but it indicates a reduction in perceived blur due to eye movement as described in the review. That's very nice to have and so is the improved 'connected feel'. It's very subjective and personal whether that, with some trailing from pixel response weaknesses, is preferred to a lower refresh rate without those pixel response weaknesses.
There aren't screen blanks according to user reports (actually, not all CU34G2Xs seem to suffer them either). But there's quite a bit of flickering near and below the floor of operation with 'G-SYNC Compatible Mode'. Similar to what we found on the Philips 346B1C - pcmonitors.info/reviews/philips-346b1c/#Responsiveness. If the game usually runs above 60fps then I wouldn't worry about that, though. Some users aren't so sensitive to various issues with Adaptive-Sync (except screen blanks - they're obvious) and I haven't tested it myself, so I can't say exactly how it performs with that.
@@PCMonitors Hey i finnaly pulled the tricker and got one myself am getting it in some days. maybe tomorrow. Does the monitor include a displayport 1.4? not 1.2? I gues since its the 144 hz would be stupid to give a 1.2 displayport with the sceen.
Hi, great review! I have a question that I hope you can help me with but do you know if one of those HDMI/DP port cables (where one end is hdmi and the other end is dp) will work the same as a standard DP port?
But what would you hope to achieve instead of just connecting via HDMI? You won't gain VRR support on the PS5 and the native resolution and refresh rate of this monitor isn't supported either. You're always restricted by the system and the port you're using there.
@@PCMonitors wishful thinking i suppose lol but thank you for getting back with me. I ordered this monitor last night and it will be here tomorrow. It's a lot better than what I had previously. I've didn't in about a month to just invest in a 55' LG OLED 120hz. That should be enough to utilize the ps5. Again thanks for your response!
I'm completely stuck on whether I should go for this ultrawide monitor or the 16:9 ASUS ROG Strix XG32VQR. I wanted to go for this ultrawide but I've heard in several reviews that the colours are washy and not sharp. I've been using a cheap 24" IPS for several years and am also concerned about whether ultrawide is truly worth it. I want a big screen for more immersive gameplay and I don't want to be disappointed :) Any thoughts? Thanks for the detailed vid I've subscribed
As per the review colours are quite vibrant. If somebody says "colours are washy" then it's possible they haven't set the monitor up correctly or are comparing it to a monitor with wider gamut or perhaps one set up badly and showing clearly oversaturated colours. The gamma is right where it should be ('2.2' measured average) when using the correct gamma setting and the colour gamut extends quite a bit beyond sRGB. You get some losses in saturation towards the edges due to the panel type - but you get that on the XG32VQ as well. The XG32VQR is similar to the XG32VQ we've reviewed with the addition of basic HDR. So the colour gamut is wider than the AOC (a bit more vibrant), but the pixel density is significantly worse and text rendering is sub-par. You also miss out on the UltraWide experience, but gain vertical height which some people like for immersion. Might be worth giving this thread a read - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/dell-s3220dgf-32-1440p-va-monitor-options/.
This model doesn't have integrated speakers. I think it is incorrectly marked on the EU product page with a tick next to "Speakers", but there was certainly no sound coming out of mine (via DP or HDMI). Hence why speakers weren't mentioned in the review. The US product page has the correct product specs, including no mention of speakers and the correct DP 1.4 designation - us.aoc.com/en/gaming-monitors/cu34g2x.
There was a comment here mentioning CRU that was quite an interesting and detailed comment, but somehow it seems to have been deleted?! Anyway - CRU is not something monitor manufacturers like us to test or encourage others to use. Feel free to do so in your own time and with your own monitors, but it's not something we'll be promoting in our reviews. Points raised in our reviews such as Adaptive-Sync issues with Nvidia GPUs is always fed back to the manufacturer and if it's a simple fix then it can likely be rectified with future product revisions.
I get why you don't advertise it Adam but nevertheless I can report that on my BenQ EX3203R I had that same issue and used CRU tool to change the freesync range from 24hz-144hz to 48hz-144hz and haven't had the issue with black screen for many months :-)
I bought this monitor two weeks ago and I like it very much. One bad pixel in right top corner unfortunately but not visible at all. Pixel have red and blue sub pixel always turned on giving purple dot. Played Doom 2016 and didn't see ghosting/smearing issues but in Metro Exodus it is more visible but not annoying. Strange for me because DOOM is much faster. I always played on consoles and I can be less sensitive. Metro is more dark/grey and this could be it. I don't like Metro for graphics in overall. One thing... ultra wide is freakin awesome in games and while working to. Text is very sharp, very good feeling while coding or creating some docs. It is very bright and at first I had to reduce brightness to 10% because I wasn't used to it. You can read about flickering issues but i didn't see any yet (5700xt). Colours are stunning. Nice looking, good plastics, stable stand with nice adjustment. For that money I would buy it again or cheaper Xiaomi with same panel if available but AOC have good opinions about warranty service in Poland. Very nice device in overall, just lookout on dead pixels, specially in the middle of the screen. I checked display with magnifying glass and I didn't notice any dirt or something. I have not watched review yet, maybe tomorrow, so it is opinion from ex console peasant, keep it in mind. I was afraid of VA panel common issues and I can tell you one thing... do not read to much forums, just check any VA in local store or order it and send it back.
I'm sure Fototranzystor can confirm the same. But per another comment of mine: "This model doesn't have integrated speakers. I think it is incorrectly marked on the EU product page with a tick next to "Speakers", but there was certainly no sound coming out of mine (via DP or HDMI). Hence why speakers weren't mentioned in the review. The US product page has the correct product specs, including no mention of speakers and the correct DP 1.4 designation - us.aoc.com/en/gaming-monitors/cu34g2x."
Im looking for a 34" VA ultrawide with 100-144hz refresh rate and good adaptive sync, preferably gsync as im using a rtx 2080 (would like it to be as smooth as possible). Would you recommend this monitor or the older "AG352UCG6" with a proper gsync module? I can get both monitors at the same price. The CU34G2X does look more modern and sleeker and seems to be using a faster and newer VA panel, but with no variable overdrive. Would you rather go for a faster panel but with overshoot or slower panel but with variable overdrive? Since you have reviewed both, do you maybe know if the VA panel in CU34G2X flickers more with adaptive sync on than the VA panel in "AG352UCG6" with proper gsync?
I prefer this one myself, the AG352UCG6 was prone to weird issues (including some units with obvious 'interlace pattern artifacts), stronger overshoot and the image quality wasn't quite as good.
Unforuntately dead pixels can and do occur on any model. There are ~5 illion of them on this monitor to go wrong and sometimes they do :(. Which wallpaper, specifically? They're from various websites.
I think it was from a reddit thread that no longer exists. I've uploaded it to the website. Let me know when you've downloaded it so I can remove it from the server - pcmonitors.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/waterside.jpg.
If it's only for the highest resolution, check if you used a good enough cable (HDMI 2.0 or DP 1.4). If that checks out, it might be your GPU is not capable or the drivers (or firmware) need updating. Hope this helps.
Just realised I posted my comment on the wrong thread 😅 Thank you for that in depth review, I'm looking to buy an ultrawide mostly for editing (photo/video) so good colours are a must. I'm hesitating between this and the BenQ Ex3501r, which would you recommend? Thanks so much!
@@PCMonitors Thank you for that! I was starting to see various comments on that. I think I might go for the LG 34WN80C-B or would you have any recommendation around that price point? Thanks heaps!!!
Is the 34GN850-B $450 better than this? I've been going back and forth and $450 more is a lot to spend for a slight uptick in performance. The flickering/ghosting concerns me as an nVidia user but it seems like people stated that if you edit the settings you can get around those issues. Thoughts?
I'd say take a chance with this one, see how you find it. You might just love it and save a lot of money. It's a pretty apples to oranges comparison compared to the LG. The LG has superior colour reproduction and consistency and responsiveness, but weaker contrast. And clearly costs a lot more, as you identified.
Hi, since this monitor have been upgraded to CU34G2XP (claimed to use same Va panel technology like 27XMN), would you give some advice if im trying to buy it,. (i have only ever had Asus Tuf Vg279q1r but can only do 60hz, higher refresh rate will incur black screen). Just some info would be appreciated.
For general desktop use, gaming (mainly RPGs), DTP and video editing (in that order) how would you compare this to the Philips you have just reviewed. I've only used IPS monitors for the past 15" years, my 1440P 60hz died and am back on an NEC 21" 1600x1200 for the moment. So kind of worried that VA might be a culture shock.
The advantages of the Philips come purely from its design and external features. The light sensor, more solid construction and better (in my opinion) OSD arrangement. The panel capabilities of this AOC are the same aside from the increased refresh rate. I didn't notice the "screen blanking" issue with Nvidia GPU on the Philips, although there was pretty widespread flickering. It may take some adjustment coming from those models you've used to something like this one, but after a bit of adapting I'm sure you'd enjoy the experience. Despite its issues this monitor offers a lot of performance for the price and brings a lot to the experience that smaller, lower refresh rate and lower resolutions models do not.
Would you believe that the blackscreen issues could get fixed with driver updates from AOC? I am hesitant to go down the AMD gpu route given their issues with their drivers. Thanks for the very thourogh review!
It's possible, but I really have no idea. I haven't tested a monitor that has the "screen blanking" issue before, specifically. It might take a firmware update or new firmware revision from AOC rather than a driver.
@@PCMonitors Its a real pity. The monitor checks all the boxes for me. However since I plan on using it for Sim Racing I will be turning down the settings to have high fps, and that might help me pull the lever on a buy.
Yeah, the issue is certainly annoying. I actually just left Adaptive-Sync on most of the time with my GTX 1080 Ti and put up with the issue. I spent most of my time playing BFV with settings that would yield good high frame rates, so I didn't really have the issue crop up often at all.
I appreciate your detailed reviews. Good work. I'm currently in the market for a new monitor and can't decide between wqhd 27" IPS or an ultrawide 34". My budget is 500€. Coming from a TN 144 Hz (kinda old Asus VG248QE from 2014 i believe) i'm not sure about VA Panels at all. I only play single player games like RDR2, Anno 1800, Assassins Creed. Can you recommend this AOC monitor? I guess it is better than 100 Hz uwqhd displays like the non X version. Maybe they all are better than my old tn :) keep it up :)
The image quality of this model is significantly better than your ASUS in every conceivable way. And the screen size and resolution will be a very nice upgrade. It's also flicker-free, unlike the ASUS, so there are some potential benefits from that as well. Pixel responsiveness is certainly weaker, but whether you'll find this bothersome is something only you will know. You don't have to feel competitively disadvantaged playing the sort of games you do, so that's a bonus. I was quite happy to play Shadow of the Tomb Raider on this one (and other titles like Fallout 76), for example, despite noticing the sort of weaknesses explored in the video. The written review to be published shortly will give some more specific examples using Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
@@PCMonitors thank you so much. I was looking at the Philips ultrawide you reviewed before but since this one is suited for gaming i might give it a try. Have a nice sunday!
@@PCMonitors Hopefully it's not a stupid question, but if I'd play games like Anno 1800 with high details at low frame rates with my 1080TI, I'd have blackscreens every now and then, right? I wouldn't have that without G-Sync compatible turned on, but then I'd get tearing. Is this the way it is or is there any other way to compensate for low frame rates with a 1080TI?
Your understanding is correct. Although if you used VSync, you'd get stuttering rather than tearing. Not everyone is super-sensitive to such things so you might find it works just fine for your Anno 1800 gameplay.
@@PCMonitors ok :). Most other games I play (rocket league, Minecraft...) Are all at high framerates, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm coming from a 27" 4k@60, and I'm gonna buy this monitor tomorrow I think. Your review was very helpful, and I'm sure I can live with the few flaws of this monitor.
I’ve got a cheaper version CU34G2 with 100Hz refresh rate and for the price you cannot get better Ultrawide screen. Colors are nice and punchy, response times with medium overdrive are also pretty good, ofcourse since it is VA it’s not going to be as fast as TN or good IPS but it is good enough IMO. One problem with it is freesync or gsync with nvidia. The range on the cheaper model is 48-100Hz even on nvidia cards as I have GTX 1080. Below 48Hz LFC kicks in on nvidia cards too. But it does flicker. It does not shut off as the model shown in the review but it does Flicker. In some games it is more noticeable than it others while in some it barely happens. I do not know if there is a fix for that, many Samsung VA panels have that so it could be predicted. Maybe on Radeon cards it would not flicker but I do not have a way to check that. Overall for the price I doubt that there is a better ultrawide. Strange that it does not get more media coverage.
@@PCMonitors Great review on your side. Also one thing I forgot to mention. 100Hz variant has Displayport 1.2 instead of 1.4 so I cannot get the "HDR" option that the 144Hz variant has. Probably can be done through HDMI, but since I won't get Freesync then I did not to that.
@@PCMonitors Also I have one question for you. When you select gamma3 do you see crushed blacks? I'm changing grom gamma1 to gamma3 and gamma3 Has better colors but dark places look black. Is there any remedy for that? Thanks!
On our sample of the CU34G2X 'Gamma3' was correct, averaging '2.2' - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Features_and_aesthetics. Other gamma settings gave a lower average gamma. This would increase visibility artificially, so details in dark areas are lifted out more than they should be. It might not be that 'Gamma3' is "crushing blacks" so much. But perhaps that you're comparing them to other settings where excessive detail is shown. But you will get some 'black crush' with correct measured gamma on VA models like this. As explored in the review. You can alleviate that by using gamma settings with reduced gamma, but they tend to over-compensate and you'll drain depth for other shades as well. As you observed.
@@PCMonitors Thanks for the reply! I think I will stick with gamma3, the colors look just too nice to change it to 1 or even worse 2. There is some loss of visibility with 3 but I can live with that. I've had a Samsung C27FG73 before that and it had the same thing with it, so you are right about it being a thing with VA. But I just cannot switch to IPS, because of the better contrast and better blacks being just darker than on IPS.
There is a thread discussing this - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/ultrawide-monitor-for-casual-gamer-with-reasonable-price/. $800 is a bit of an awkward budget really. It cuts off slightly more expensive but very well-rounded models like the AW3420DW (and 34GK950F, when on offer). This AOC stands out below that budget, not everyone really minds about Adaptive-Sync funkiness as some people would happily not use it anyway (not so sensitive to tearing and stuttering). And then there are some users who have reported here that it seems to work fine for them, so perhaps it was just an issue with my early review sample.
@@PCMonitors I'm perfectly fine spending 1000$ but knowing that the best one i think its the LG 34GN850-B but then its only hdr 400 when i think they'll be hdr 600 coming out. So i'm like is it even worth it compare to the MSI 120hz 34" selling on amazon for 750$. I'll check the thread out.
Would you find this monitor to be a substantial upgrade into the ultrawide market from a Viotek GN27DB? Both are budget 144hz 1440p curved monitors, but I'm really wanting to step up to ultrawide. Other than dull colors, I've really enjoyed the Viotek.
The AOC has a more generous colour gamut so should appear more vibrant than the Viotek. It seems a good and natural upgrade path into the world of UltraWides. And I agree, the 21:9 experience is a nice one.
Bonjour superbe vidéo vous me conseiller cette écran pour jouer car je compte aussi prendre la 3080 le 17 septembre .Je vous remercie de votre réponse ^^^^
Ok i bought this one after I discarded an msi optix ultrawide 144hz, let's see if this behave better (costing almost half the price of msi monitor, I'm also willing to be more understanding)
Hi there - I do realize that I am commenting quite a bit late but I don't see any mention of "Screen flickering WITH G-Sync" on over here. In your tests, did u guys not find that issue? Any response will be appreciated.
The main issues on this model in relation to 'G-SYNC Compatible Mode' come in below the floor of operation. 49:50. Screen blanks are the main issue there, but there is some flickering as well in specific circumstances (51:55 onwards this is covered).
@@PCMonitors Thank you for responding. I saw that psrt closely now and it does make sense. In your opinion how much of a difference the quality of the Display Port cable makes? 🤔 I am using the default one supplied with the box.
It doesn't make a difference for this issue. The one in the box should be fine. I specifically test with a thick braided DP cable (high quality) and also any included with the monitor and it invariably makes no difference. Certainly didn't in this case, but it can't hurt to try a higher quality cable and see.
Would be a personal choice, depending on what graphics settings you like using. If you prefer setting them quite high vs. having the highest possible frame rates, the CU34G2 (100Hz) option would be more suitable.
I feel dumb that I couldnt notice the adaptive sync flickering or really the black smearing. (Maybe because I'm on my phone). Or hey maybe I wouldn't in person and my pleb eyes would be fine with those downsides for that contrast.
If by that you mean surprisingly good value and sometimes overlooked, I agree. I've been very impressed by the mixture of value and performance offered by many of their products over the years. The company themselves and their PR reps are also wonderful to work with, as with their cousins Philips. I've received plenty of feedback from users saying that their customer service reflects this positive and helpful attitude as well, so I definitely feel they're underrated by some.
Great review. I'm not using freesync... and I'm still getting the intermittent black screens... which is really starting to annoy me... and I'm thinking of returning it cos it's a real pain and I can't seem to get rid of it... I'm using the display port and a GTX 1080. Any advise would be great. Thanks
I've only done fairly limited testing without Adaptive-Sync, but I didn't notice screen blanking without it. I've noticed it only when the refresh rate passes below the floor of operation as covered in the review. I'm not sure what's causing it in your case. What are you doing with your system when it happens - running a game or a movie or what? Try clean installing (thoroughly removing, reinstalling) the graphics drivers, make sure the cable is firmly attached and that Adaptive-Sync is disabled in the OSD.
@@PCMonitors I'm playing Escape From Tarkov which is poorly optimised - so my frame rate is all over the show... saying that, it just seems to be very intermittent.. which is the strange thing about it... I think I'm using a 1.2 display cable, so I'm going to give it a go with a new cable and see if that does the trick... was also thinking of using a HDMI - however I think the max refresh rate goes down to 100 from 144... I presume display 1.4 is the best option? oh and thanks for the quick response :)
Correct, HDMI is limited to 100Hz. DisplayPort cables don't have versions, although better quality/better shielded cables can reduce the chance of signal drop-outs. So can using the DisplayPort furthest away from your motherboard, if possible. It's also worth re-seating the GPU and making sure you're not overclocking it or only doing so mildly. Various things related to the GPU or system could cause the screen to intermittently blank out especially during heavy load. The screen itself doesn't really care what the game or frame rate is doing if Adaptive-Sync is disabled.
Very subjective, you'd need to look at the responsiveness section in this video (and written review) and decide whether the weaknesses would bother you. They would bother some but not others, quite simply.
Would this monitor be OK to watch movies on from about 8-10 feet away? I ask because I might get this mainly for games but also like to lay in bed and watch movies from further away if you could help. I am asking because of the curve :)
The curve is only a potential issue with relation to viewing distance if you're off-centre. And even if the monitor wasn't curved, this would be an issue if you're sitting too far to the left or right. A bit below (curve or otherwise) should be fine.
@@PCMonitors I lay perfectly head on to my current monitor, so sounds like it isn't an issue. Thank you for the quick response. Just out of interest, I recently upgraded to the Omen HP X 27 1440p 27 inch 240hz tn panel, and as great as it is I am pretty certain I will swap to this one. I am a fairly competitive PUBG player with an average of 3-4 kills per game, but recently finding myself playing survival games like Stranded Deep and like to watch movies and Netflix at night. I don't think I really benefit from 240hz to justify not owning an ultra wide lol. The immersion looks amazing and for movies it looks incredible. Anyway, my question is do you know much about the equivalent MSI Optix for £799? I've read and watched extensive reviews and I personally can't see why anyone would spend over £300 more on the MSI with almost identical specs for the main features. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated 😊
Haha. I was going to say... You get some RGB LED lights! But no, I don't see a reason to buy the MSI instead. Same panel, no better calibrated or tuned (perhaps worse) according to user feedback. And more expensive, as you point out.
As always, that's covered in a separate video. We cover that more comprehensively than anybody else which is why they get their own videos. You can see it linked to in the written review or by searching the channel - th-cam.com/video/rdTGz2LUh48/w-d-xo.html.
I need some help I have a 32-inch monitor at 1440 but refresh rate 75 I need a new monitor should I get a 27 1440 165 refresh rate or 34 Ultra wide 1440 165 refresh rate any opinion would appreciate it
Really depends on how much you feel you'd like the ultrawide experience. And your GPU, because it's more demanding running 3440 x 1440 than 2560 x 1440! The resolution is described in some detail in this article which was mentioned in the review - pcmonitors.info/articles/games-movies-and-the-desktop-at-3440-x-1440/. To make a huge generalisation, I'd say 3440 x 1440 is well-suited for immersive gameplay whereas for competitive play the tighter area of a 27" model (and higher frame rate you'll get) is generally preferred.
Hi, thanks for informations. I have a question please, i would like to buy this screen or an other 34" uwqhd but i dont know if my graphic card can run on it. i have the sapphire pulse rx5600xt. i dont look for max fps but a good experience in high/ultra. thanks guys
I don't really cover system/graphics cards questions as it's not my area. But in general you're looking at a ~15% performance hit compared to the 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution. The WQHD resolution is quite widely benchmarked. The RX 5600XT is quite a bit more powerful than my AMD GPU (RX 580) and that delivers a reasonable but relatively low frame rate experience. If you're setting your games to 'High' or 'Ultra' with the RX 5600XT and you're comfortable with closer to 60fps than 144fps it'll probably work just fine for you.
@@PCMonitors Good evening, thank you for taking the time to answer me, I really appreciate it. Indeed, I don't play competitive games but rather games like The Witcher, Odyssey, Tomb Raider, GTAV, Star Citizen, Horizon, WOW and Cyberpunk soon. That's why I'm more looking for quality and immersion than performance. About the AOC, I think the 100hz version will fit my graphic card and my wallet better :)Besides, it's a long term investment, in case of a graphics card upgrade. What do you think between the 100hz and 144hz for my use ? thank you.
I agree, I think the 100Hz model would be more suitable for your system and budget. It's similar aside from refresh rate and HDR capability (which is weak on the 144Hz model anyway) and as you prefer high graphics settings you're realistically unlikely to gain >100fps with your GPU.
@@PCMonitors Yes exactly, it is more in line with my config and my games. as for HDR, I don't have any screens at home with this technology so that doesn't worry me :) I knew your website, thanks to which I bought my last 2 aoc screens, but not your channel. Chance does it right, you get a subscriber as it should. Thanks for your help, take care of yourself.
Amazing review as usual ! ;) For me smearing = no buy, and i do not understand how VA screens can be sold as a screen for gaming ... It is far too slow in response time, for me it is a marketing scam ... Can you tell me what monitor are you using ? :p
I use whichever model I'm reviewing most of the time. For my downtime I just use a Dell S2716DG. Has its own issues, but it's very snappy and responsive. And I got it for £90 back in the day due to a pricing error, so it's all good.
What about it? That's covered in the written review, which is an appropriate medium to explore such a setting - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Responsiveness.
Features & Aesthetics= 6:22
Contrast= 11:33
Colour reproduction= 20:15
HDR (High Dynamic Range)= 27:43
Responsiveness= 37:45
Hi! i love your review on this monitor. I've recently got one and was looking for the best color settings for the monitor. If you have it calibrated can you please share your settiings. Thank you again!
@@kevinline Refer to the calibration section of the written review and in particular the 'Test Settings' - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration. As noted there individual units (and preferences) differ, you can't simply copy somebody else's settings and expect them to be optimal.
Wow. What a reviewer. This guy is the HDTVTEST of PC monitors. Makes the other tech TH-camrs look more like influencers in comparison.
that's all tech youtubers are anyway really, good and valid point though
Wtf dude.. I've never seen anyone go to so much work for a monitor review. Thanks for your detailed explanation!
I bought it a couple of days ago and after watching this video I was afraid I would face black screens with Gsync emulation mode on. But no, everything works perfectly with my 2070S! AC Odyssey ultra settings, FPS drops much lower than 70, on average 57 and no black screens or flickering. LFC frequency doubling starts at around 50 fps or lower. Very satisfied, thanks for the great review.
Do you have to use a displayport in order to enable gsync on the same monitor and on the same gpu as yours?
'G-SYNC Compatible Mode' only works via DP, not HDMI.
Hey I'm thinking of getting this with a 2070S as well - have you noticed any bad flickering with your Gsync? Or any bad smearing? First time getting a monitor like this and all of these comments make me worried.
@@kevint4673 I have not tested many games yet, but no bad things have been noticed so far. Gsinc is enabled in full screen mode in the driver settings, Overdrive on Medium, MSI Afterburner is running in the background, DP cable from the box, signal input set to DP1 (not auto) and I have nothing to complain about.
Im using 2070S too, and im facing black screens whenever I game or do normal task in desktop.....
The fact that you go above and beyond you give info in a way that everyone can understand earned you a sub! 👍
Its a shame you dont have more subs, I will recommend your channel to others. Thanks for the in depth reviews!
Well said and much appreciated. For those patient enough to watch these long videos, there's a lot of unique information to be found. 🙂
@@PCMonitors You are very welcome, I plan on doing my monitor research through your channel first going forward. Keep up the fantastic reviews!
Just purchased this monitor because of your review. This is an excellent monitor for the price, thanks again!
A lot of in-depth analysis to maximize this really attractive, reasonable budget UW gaming monitor. It's a real shame PC Monitors does not get enough attention. Thanks so much! With this and several Reddit users' help, I went from a very skeptical purchaser to a proud and happy customer. I was able to get the settings to my liking, if not almost.
I agree, proper in-depth reviews like this and Reddit contributions give you a wonderful idea of what to expect from a monitor. Much more so than 10 minute long tech-tuber product commercials or reviews that are basically rewrites of spec sheets. Glad you're enjoying the monitor and could make an informed decision! 🙂
Your the type of reviewer that does his job so good...that most companies would not send you a product out of fear that you would review it to good..lol
Keep up the fantastic unrivaled reviews
You're not wrong there. LG are a good example - they just like positive reviews from influencers here in the UK so don't send products to actual reviewers who might point out flaws in their products. 😃
@@PCMonitors to be truthful your review was so incredible that I believe you should be employed by one of these big companies whether it's Samsung LG Sony etc overlooking their product before releases to the masses. Totally impressed with your review, once again.. keep up the great work!
This is the most detailed review that I have ever seen. I really appreciate your detail and attention. Thank you very much.
Bro this video is great! I am from Russia and I was searching for a good review on this monitor for a quite long time and so here we go! Finally I found it. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
A heck of a good review! Well done. I read your written review of this display yesterday and it also was quite good. I ordered this monitor as a result. Thank you for the good work!
If you appreciate the work, consider supporting it as well. 🙂
Watching this made my intelligence increase by 2%. On a serious note, that was a top review.
Awesome, in depth review! I'm in the market for a new monitor, never experienced anything beyond 24" 1080 screens,but i'm used to 144hz. I'm pretty sure this will do ok for me,since i'm primarily raiding in WoW. I'm hesitant of biting the bullet on this one tho, given i spend my off time playing tarkov and a few other fps's. Would this one keep up? The current one is a msi mag241cv. I don't do anything else on this pc but gaming...
I think you'll enjoy it and find it a nice upgrade overall. For fairly non-competitive gaming it's quite decent. As long as you're aware of the limitations and weaknesses exposed in the review, so you've got realistic expectations.
@@PCMonitors thank you! I'll give it a shot then!
Your reviews are always worth a look.
I still wish you would review the Dell S3220DGF. 😛
Haha. Well it's not a definite "no" , if I can slot it in. 😉
@@PCMonitors
😄
I am just more hurt that it isn't available here yet in South-Africa.
I will have to import it, thus I would like a review from someone that is as criticical as I am.
I stay away from the AOC just because of the red stripe at the bottom of the bezel, it will annoy my to no end.
I might even have considered their CQ32G2E but they decided that height adjustment isn't important and slammed a DP 1.2 port on it, so I can't use HDR/G-Sync at the same time. Yes I am aware it's not true HDR as you need at least 1000 nits instead of 400 but I do appreciate the extra colours. It also has that annoying red stripe at the bottom. Oh yeah and that power led will blind me, I don't want to use another sticker to hide it. 🤣
i can really appreciate this very in depth review thanks a ton man.
Thank you very much with this review with such detail explanation. I would LOVE to see more of these kind of videos
Chapeau! this is one of the best monitor tests i have seen on youtube, many thanks.
Subscribed.
Amazing review insanely in-depth great job. I am not sensitive to all this stuff and I had to stop watching some things because the more you point them out the more I notice its like subtitles on a movie you can't help but look, lol. So I had to move forward at some points to keep my mind safe from noticing all this stuff. lol, from what I see this monitor looks absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the amazing review.
That's a great review, keep up the great work! I currently use the BenQ EX3501R but the perceived motion blur is pretty noticeable and really annoys me. I saw it next to an Acer X34P and it was really bad compared to the IPS monitor. I love the contrast of VA though. Would you consider the AOC CU34G2X or the MSI Optix MPG341CQR a substantial upgrade over the BenQ or do you think that the difference in responsiveness isn't big enough? Thanks!
The extra refresh rate can be appreciated and that reduces perceived blur quite a bit. But the weaknesses in pixel responsivneness remain. You might enjoy the upgrade, but expect weaknesses as described.
@@PCMonitors Alright, thank you very much. I guess I have no other option to order it and to test it. You didn't have the chance to check if the MSI Optix performs better than the AOC as someone in the comments mentioned, right?
Did you read my response re. the MSI MPG341CQR as well? It isn't really "better" than the AOC. I think it's worth exploring the differences in more detail. Quite the opposite, depending on your perspective.
- The MSI actually uses an older version of the panel with a worse subpixel structure. Most people won't notice the difference, but you get stronger static interlace patterns and some slight text clarity issues due to partial subpixel illumination. In other words, some letters will have tiny gaps rather than appearing properly blended - but the effect is subtle given the decent pixel density.
- The pixel responsiveness is similar, although the MSI has a better 'max acceleration' pixel overdrive setting. As long as you can stomach a bit of overshoot. Otherwise you'll get a similar experience to the AOC's 'Medium' setting with the equivalent setting on the MSI.
- No reports I'm aware of with 'screen blanking' on the MSI, but it seems it isn't universal on the AOC either. An odd one.
- The colour gamut is a fair bit narrower on the MSI, so colours aren't as vibrant and looked a bit undersaturated in places. Especially lower down and to the sides of the screen where perceived gamma is lower.
@@PCMonitors Thanks again for the detailed explanations, I appreciate it. Wasn't aware of that. Just saw here and on reddit that people liked the MSI more because of the overdrive. The AOC monitor even has MBR although it might not be really usable because of its lower brightness. I will order it and check if the motion blur and responsivness is bothering me. So thanks again!
Written review now published, link added to description.
Amazing review, quick question. Would you prefer this one to Xiaomi surface 34 ultrawide?
Both decent, both similar in many ways. Refer to this thread - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/ultrawide-monitor-for-casual-gamer-with-reasonable-price/page/3/#post-61372.
Congratulations and thank you for your time and effort. Never stop!
Excellent, thorough review. One issue i am inding with many AOC curved 1440p screens just now is that no where has them in stock in UK. Arent they quite new? Other option i am looking at is the MSI MAG341CQ or the 32" equivelants, but i cannot decide if i am happy with 91dpi at 32" or 108 dpi at 34" ultra....hmmm
This model is quite new, yes. The current pandemic is affecting stock levels of many monitors, it's not specific to AOC. They tend to ship relatively small batches at a time, so they simply sold out and haven't been able to replenish yet. The pixel density of a 31.5" WQHD VA model plus the supixel related sharpness issues are far from ideal, but it's a personal thing. I much prefer 3440 x 1440 34" models despite the more restrictive vertical height. I'd recommend reading one of our reviews of a 31.5" VA model (e.g. pcmonitors.info/reviews/asus-xg32vq/) so you're familiar with these aspects.
Hello thanks for the review. Do you have any optimal settings for the best image quality?
Refer to the written review and the 'Test Settings' there, which are just a suggestion. You need to adjust based on your own unit and preferences - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration.
@@PCMonitors thanks
No other monitor reviewer comes close!
Great in-depth review! I'm stuck between this or the Philips 346B1C - biggest deciding factor is the physical size, as my desk is relatively shallow at 60cm. Would you say this one has a smaller footprint compared to the Philips, or are they roughly the same? They have the same depth dimensions, but one may have the screen further back than the other (kind of hard to judge when looking at pictures).
Glad you liked the review. The written reviews include some measurements related to this.
- For the CU34G2X: "The total depth of the monitor including stand is ~250mm (9.84 inches), with the centre of the screen sitting ~60mm (2.36 inches) back from the frontmost points of the stand base."
- For the 346B1C: "The total depth of the monitor including stand is ~250mm (9.84 inches), with the centre of the screen sitting ~50mm (1.97 inches) back from the front edge of the stand."
So the CU34G2X just edges it as the screen sits a bit further back from the front of the stand. Allowing you to get more distance between your eyes and the screen if pushed back as far as you can.
@@PCMonitors Thanks for the quick response 😄 Yes, I did read that, but I couldn't find anything related to the back of the stand.
To my eyes, the two back legs on the stand of the AOC seem to be shallower than the square base of the Philips, thus allowing the AOC to sit closer to the wall - but I might be wrong here?
Did you read my full reply? It includes measurements for the entire stand depth, from front most edge to rear most edge. And also accounts for where the screen sits relative to the front edge of the stand. Which is important as it tells you how far away the screen will be from the back of the desk, if the rear of the stand is in-line with that.
Amazing review!
I have the 100htz version with a NVIDIA 980ti. No issues, love this monitor for my racing and flight sims .
Great review! Your opinion remains rather mixed ... you would recommend it or it would be more judicious to move towards another model?
I plan to buy it ! thx :)
It didn't convince me enough to receive the 'recommended monitor' badge (pcmonitors.info/recommended-badge-in-reviews/). But that isn't to say it isn't a good monitor which is very nicely priced. There's really nothing I'd recommend above this for the same sort of price, you just have to be prepared to stomach the drawbacks covered in the review. And if you can there's plenty of enjoyment to be had.
@@PCMonitors Thx for all !
What a great review.
I have what I'm afraid is a dumb question but is it possible to fill the screen to the edges? It has black edges mostly to the top and each side so I wonder if I can resize it to fill better (can't find a OSD or g-menu setting though)
Are you describing the panel border which is visible in the video (perhaps more clearly in the written review - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Features_and_aesthetics )? Or do you have a larger black border?
@@PCMonitors yes I believe it is the panel border. Maybe it's just nostalgia or whining because this monitor is cheaper, but in the old days you could to resize the video output on the monitor to fill the entire display area with + - buttons :-)
All LCD monitors have a panel border, it's just that it's sometimes hidden by the bezel. As it mostly is on this one at the bottom. The panel border is flush with the rest of the screen so I see why you'd think it's an active area of the display, but it isn't. So you can't extend the image to fill it. This is part of what we refer to as a 'dual-stage' bezel design.
@@PCMonitors you are the man, thank you for being awesome and making me realize I am the Jon Snow of monitors ;-)
Would you recommend this monitor for competitive gaming ? How will the monitor preform with games like Overwatch, Rainbow 6, and Apex Legends ?
Very subjective and depends on sensitivity to the pixel response issues that are explored in detail in the review.
@@PCMonitors thank you for taking the time to reply! I watched another one of your videos and decided to get the Gigabyte M27Q I’m doing a fresh start on my setup for college and needed to replace my monitors
Your videos have helped me after days of monitor searching so thank you so much
I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I think you'll find the responsiveness nicer for competitive gaming on the Gigabyte M27Q as well. And it's a good all-rounder.
Nice review.
Wich one do you recomend in therms of performance and colours, for working and gaming, this one or the Philips 346B1C that you reviewed ? With a budget of 600€ tops do you recomend any better?
Thank you in advance
They're very similar really, aside from refresh rate capability. The Philips has a few nice extra features (like the 'PowerSensor') and is arguably better constructed, but the 144Hz refresh rate of the AOC is nice to have. With your budget and uses in mind I think the AOC is a good choice really.
i am so glad you came to similar results with freesync and nvidia.
Thanks for the detailed review! Any idea why some CU34G2X's have a black stand base instead of silver? I just got one a week ago and it has a silver stand base instead of the black I am seeing on some reviews. I love the monitor for the value, although I have a 1080ti and I have the black screen issues. Also I noticed that on macOS (2019 Macbook Pro 15 inch) that I can't get the full resolution/refresh rate for the display - I can only select a max resolution of 2560 x 1440 / 60hz. I wonder if this is a macOS issue or if it is specific to this monitor. Have you tested this monitor on macOS as well?
The stand colour differences are regional I believe. We don't test using MacOS - we're PC Monitors, after all. 😉
@@PCMonitorsGotcha. Well I thought I'd ask since Mac's fall under the PC category as it simply stands for "Personal Computer". Maybe you should call the channel IBM-Compatible PC Monitors, after all 😉
Technically that's correct, at least if you take the term literally. But culturally it isn't. Apple don't ever refer to their Mac products as a "PC" and specifically distinguish themselves from "PCs". Anyway, that's besides the point - I don't own any Mac systems and don't test them. Not sure why the monitor doesn't work properly for you on a relatively modern Mac system, usually the limitation would be the DP revision or HDMI revision. Which should match on the system and monitor in this case.
@@PCMonitors Agreed on the culture bit - I was just being a bit cheeky. Yeah I've tested using a DP 1.4 cable which is what AOC lists as the DP revision for this model. I will keep trying to get it to work, hope it's user error on my part somehow instead of an issue with this monitor. My bigger concern is definitely the "black outs" on the 10 series Nvidia GPUs with adaptive sync enabled - I really hope they can fix that with a driver update, fingers crossed! 🤞
Thanks for this enlightening review, I watched till the end. I was wondering if you had the chance to compare this monitor with Samsung G5 34"?
I haven't used the Samsung myself, but based on user feedback and review data it is actually rather similar to this AOC. Slightly faster pixel responses but still weaknesses in similar places. And with a significantly steeper curve which some like, but others don't. Quite tricky to separate them when it comes to overall image performance, I'd probably edge towards whichever was cheapest or easiest to get hold of unless you have a particular preference for curvature.
One year later, do you recommend this monitor? The only thing that I wonder is customer support. The warranty seems very good but I wonder if the service is actually good or not.
I recommend considering it still, it's well priced and offers a decent all-round experience. With a focus on strong contrast, as per the review. Customer support can be hit and miss with any manufacturer. I don't have experience with that side of things really, but if the PR team of AOC is anything to go by then they've got some good people on board working for them.
Thank you, Adam. As always, a very professional review, extremely helpful. I'm going to buy a 3440x1440p HRR gaming monitor this year and I value your opinion very much. I don't exclude VA yet (a hope die last :)), but I'm almost sure it should be fast IPS (I expect short response times, my eyes get tired quickly when I see blur), so now I'm very curious how good (and how expensive) will be LG 34GN850. I hope you will have a chance to test this monitor. It should be as fast as LG 27GL850, I suppose, and not as expensive as the present LG 34GK950 (I hope), because of competition.
The latest nVidia drivers support LG 34GN850, so maybe rumors are right and we can expect LG 34GN850 in shops quite soon (May?). It would be great.
I'd like to take a look at the 34GN850, but unfortunately LG are very difficult to work with as an independent UK reviewer currently. They simply aren't communicative or easy (or even possible) to get review samples from at the moment. So don't hold your breath for that one. I'll try my best, more likely we'll look at that same panel in a product from another manufacturer who is easier to work with. That could change, PR companies do undergo reorganisation quite often. 🙂
Hallo, thanks for very detailed review. Everyone is talking about gaming performance, but what it is like in office tasks? It is suitable for coding? It is better as Philips 345B1C?
It's very much comparable to the Philips 345B1C for office-based tasks given that it basically uses a 144Hz version of the same panel. Important things to be aware of are; the pixel density, any issues with screen surface, subpixel layout, contrast and brightness adjustment range. All aspects are covered in the review. The pixel density is decent, screen surface is quite good (light and not overly grainy, decent glare-handling), there are no subpixel related issues and it offers quite strong contrast with good minimum luminance. The maximum luminance is not overly bright, good enough for most users and lighting conditions but not all. There are plenty of other boxes ticked on this one with relation to viewing comfort, but that's very subjective and there are many factors to consider - pcmonitors.info/articles/factors-influencing-pc-monitor-viewing-comfort/.
Still recommend buying a new one of these in 2023?
If you like what you see in the review, then yes.
best review video I have ever seen. Thanks mate!
Man this review is so detailed and straight up amazing, I'm thinking of buying this monitor since its in the 500euro range that I'm looking for in an ultrawide, is there any other 1440p ultrawide you would recommend ? Right now I'm using a 1080p 60hz TN monitor from 2009 so im hoping all the negatives you see won't bother me too much.
Not at that price. You'd pay a significant premium for anything significantly better in terms of colour reproduction and responsivneness. Coming from such an old and basic monitor and 60Hz, there's a lot of upgrade to be had out of this one for sure.
@@PCMonitors thanks, I know that TN panels ar more responsive, mine has 2ms on the specs while this AOC has 1ms, but manufacturers tend to make these numbers up, is there a way I could measure this ?
I'd recommend a visual test such as testufo.com/ghosting. You can then compare to the pursuit photographs in our review.
@@PCMonitors its hard to tell from just looking, but the blur doesn't seem much different from the AOC except how blended your pictures are, but you do mention that its from the camera. I dont see much trailing happening on my monitor but i have a lot of that ink trail on my phone so i know how annoying it is. I also tried the viewing angle test which at first i thought you were supposed to see all the text in front of you (which is what my monitor does) but then i realised the image is supposed to be almost blank. Do you think having 80-100 fps with slow pixel response time is better than having 60fps with fast response time for gaming ? Sorry for all these questions but you know your stuff :D
Do you notice that the object itself is sharper when you look at the 144Hz pursuit photos from the AOC? Or at least, narrower? You should be able to see a clear difference with the main object when comparing to your 60Hz monitor. Of course it's difficult to appreciate what that means in a practical context, but it indicates a reduction in perceived blur due to eye movement as described in the review. That's very nice to have and so is the improved 'connected feel'. It's very subjective and personal whether that, with some trailing from pixel response weaknesses, is preferred to a lower refresh rate without those pixel response weaknesses.
Nice review. Any knowledge about the adaptive sync problems on the 100 hz version of this monitor?
There aren't screen blanks according to user reports (actually, not all CU34G2Xs seem to suffer them either). But there's quite a bit of flickering near and below the floor of operation with 'G-SYNC Compatible Mode'. Similar to what we found on the Philips 346B1C - pcmonitors.info/reviews/philips-346b1c/#Responsiveness. If the game usually runs above 60fps then I wouldn't worry about that, though. Some users aren't so sensitive to various issues with Adaptive-Sync (except screen blanks - they're obvious) and I haven't tested it myself, so I can't say exactly how it performs with that.
@@PCMonitors Thanks for reply. Was Vsync off?
VSync only affects how the monitor behaves above the refresh rate ceiling, not below it. It doesn't affect the described behaviour.
@@PCMonitors Hey i finnaly pulled the tricker and got one myself am getting it in some days. maybe tomorrow. Does the monitor include a displayport 1.4? not 1.2? I gues since its the 144 hz would be stupid to give a 1.2 displayport with the sceen.
@@GodSEndOMG DP 1.4 as per the review 10:48. Unless you mean the cable - DP cables don't have versions.
Hi, great review! I have a question that I hope you can help me with but do you know if one of those HDMI/DP port cables (where one end is hdmi and the other end is dp) will work the same as a standard DP port?
In what context? And why do you need to do this?
@@PCMonitors in hopes in would work with ps5 to monitor.
But what would you hope to achieve instead of just connecting via HDMI? You won't gain VRR support on the PS5 and the native resolution and refresh rate of this monitor isn't supported either. You're always restricted by the system and the port you're using there.
@@PCMonitors wishful thinking i suppose lol but thank you for getting back with me. I ordered this monitor last night and it will be here tomorrow. It's a lot better than what I had previously. I've didn't in about a month to just invest in a 55' LG OLED 120hz. That should be enough to utilize the ps5. Again thanks for your response!
Great video man, do you know if this is compatible with g sync?
It is, as mentioned in the review.
I'm completely stuck on whether I should go for this ultrawide monitor or the 16:9 ASUS ROG Strix XG32VQR. I wanted to go for this ultrawide but I've heard in several reviews that the colours are washy and not sharp. I've been using a cheap 24" IPS for several years and am also concerned about whether ultrawide is truly worth it. I want a big screen for more immersive gameplay and I don't want to be disappointed :) Any thoughts? Thanks for the detailed vid I've subscribed
As per the review colours are quite vibrant. If somebody says "colours are washy" then it's possible they haven't set the monitor up correctly or are comparing it to a monitor with wider gamut or perhaps one set up badly and showing clearly oversaturated colours. The gamma is right where it should be ('2.2' measured average) when using the correct gamma setting and the colour gamut extends quite a bit beyond sRGB. You get some losses in saturation towards the edges due to the panel type - but you get that on the XG32VQ as well. The XG32VQR is similar to the XG32VQ we've reviewed with the addition of basic HDR. So the colour gamut is wider than the AOC (a bit more vibrant), but the pixel density is significantly worse and text rendering is sub-par. You also miss out on the UltraWide experience, but gain vertical height which some people like for immersion. Might be worth giving this thread a read - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/dell-s3220dgf-32-1440p-va-monitor-options/.
Hi, thanks for the review! Do you have the sound from the speakers when connected via HDMI cable?
This model doesn't have integrated speakers. I think it is incorrectly marked on the EU product page with a tick next to "Speakers", but there was certainly no sound coming out of mine (via DP or HDMI). Hence why speakers weren't mentioned in the review. The US product page has the correct product specs, including no mention of speakers and the correct DP 1.4 designation - us.aoc.com/en/gaming-monitors/cu34g2x.
There was a comment here mentioning CRU that was quite an interesting and detailed comment, but somehow it seems to have been deleted?! Anyway - CRU is not something monitor manufacturers like us to test or encourage others to use. Feel free to do so in your own time and with your own monitors, but it's not something we'll be promoting in our reviews. Points raised in our reviews such as Adaptive-Sync issues with Nvidia GPUs is always fed back to the manufacturer and if it's a simple fix then it can likely be rectified with future product revisions.
I get why you don't advertise it Adam but nevertheless I can report that on my BenQ EX3203R I had that same issue and used CRU tool to change the freesync range from 24hz-144hz to 48hz-144hz and haven't had the issue with black screen for many months :-)
Users can try it if they're comfortable with it. That's not me officially saying "do it" or promoting it, but it can be worth a try if you like. 😉
Great review ! I've just bought mine minutes ago so waiting for it to be shipped to my home in a few days :D
How do you like it?
I bought this monitor two weeks ago and I like it very much. One bad pixel in right top corner unfortunately but not visible at all. Pixel have red and blue sub pixel always turned on giving purple dot. Played Doom 2016 and didn't see ghosting/smearing issues but in Metro Exodus it is more visible but not annoying. Strange for me because DOOM is much faster. I always played on consoles and I can be less sensitive. Metro is more dark/grey and this could be it. I don't like Metro for graphics in overall. One thing... ultra wide is freakin awesome in games and while working to. Text is very sharp, very good feeling while coding or creating some docs. It is very bright and at first I had to reduce brightness to 10% because I wasn't used to it. You can read about flickering issues but i didn't see any yet (5700xt). Colours are stunning. Nice looking, good plastics, stable stand with nice adjustment. For that money I would buy it again or cheaper Xiaomi with same panel if available but AOC have good opinions about warranty service in Poland. Very nice device in overall, just lookout on dead pixels, specially in the middle of the screen. I checked display with magnifying glass and I didn't notice any dirt or something. I have not watched review yet, maybe tomorrow, so it is opinion from ex console peasant, keep it in mind. I was afraid of VA panel common issues and I can tell you one thing... do not read to much forums, just check any VA in local store or order it and send it back.
Fototranzystor Can you confirm that it doesn’t have built in speakers?
I'm sure Fototranzystor can confirm the same. But per another comment of mine:
"This model doesn't have integrated speakers. I think it is incorrectly marked on the EU product page with a tick next to "Speakers", but there was certainly no sound coming out of mine (via DP or HDMI). Hence why speakers weren't mentioned in the review. The US product page has the correct product specs, including no mention of speakers and the correct DP 1.4 designation - us.aoc.com/en/gaming-monitors/cu34g2x."
@@happenstanceuk yes, NO speakers. There must be error on website site. I bought earphones and I'm happy.
Im looking for a 34" VA ultrawide with 100-144hz refresh rate and good adaptive sync, preferably gsync as im using a rtx 2080 (would like it to be as smooth as possible). Would you recommend this monitor or the older "AG352UCG6" with a proper gsync module? I can get both monitors at the same price.
The CU34G2X does look more modern and sleeker and seems to be using a faster and newer VA panel, but with no variable overdrive. Would you rather go for a faster panel but with overshoot or slower panel but with variable overdrive?
Since you have reviewed both, do you maybe know if the VA panel in CU34G2X flickers more with adaptive sync on than the VA panel in "AG352UCG6" with proper gsync?
I prefer this one myself, the AG352UCG6 was prone to weird issues (including some units with obvious 'interlace pattern artifacts), stronger overshoot and the image quality wasn't quite as good.
I just got mine! but it came with one dead pixel :( by the way can you share your wallpaper? TIA! nice review btw!
Unforuntately dead pixels can and do occur on any model. There are ~5 illion of them on this monitor to go wrong and sometimes they do :(. Which wallpaper, specifically? They're from various websites.
@@PCMonitors welp, I'll just wait for restock. It's the wallpaper from the last part of the video. The lake scene
I think it was from a reddit thread that no longer exists. I've uploaded it to the website. Let me know when you've downloaded it so I can remove it from the server - pcmonitors.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/waterside.jpg.
@@PCMonitors thank you! appreciate it
Hi ,Thanks for the perfect review, I’ve bought it today and I can see it’s only 30 Hz for the biggest resolution, how can I switch it to 144?
What GPU are you using and how have you connected it up?
If it's only for the highest resolution, check if you used a good enough cable (HDMI 2.0 or DP 1.4). If that checks out, it might be your GPU is not capable or the drivers (or firmware) need updating. Hope this helps.
You have bumped up my standards of monitor reviews. how can I watch any other revie now?
Just realised I posted my comment on the wrong thread 😅
Thank you for that in depth review, I'm looking to buy an ultrawide mostly for editing (photo/video) so good colours are a must. I'm hesitating between this and the BenQ Ex3501r, which would you recommend? Thanks so much!
Neither. You want an IPS-type model for such uses and if you need to sacrifice refresh rate due to budget constraints then you'll have to do that.
@@PCMonitors Thank you for that! I was starting to see various comments on that. I think I might go for the LG 34WN80C-B or would you have any recommendation around that price point? Thanks heaps!!!
The LG is a good choice really, you won't do better for the price and with your uses in mind in my view.
Off I go buying it then! Thanks heaps 😁
@@PCMonitors for $100 more would there be a better option? I might be able to put in more money
Amazing video. Thank you for all of the info.
You made an amazingly useful job. Thanks a lot.
Is the 34GN850-B $450 better than this? I've been going back and forth and $450 more is a lot to spend for a slight uptick in performance. The flickering/ghosting concerns me as an nVidia user but it seems like people stated that if you edit the settings you can get around those issues. Thoughts?
I'd say take a chance with this one, see how you find it. You might just love it and save a lot of money. It's a pretty apples to oranges comparison compared to the LG. The LG has superior colour reproduction and consistency and responsiveness, but weaker contrast. And clearly costs a lot more, as you identified.
Hi, since this monitor have been upgraded to CU34G2XP (claimed to use same Va panel technology like 27XMN), would you give some advice if im trying to buy it,.
(i have only ever had Asus Tuf Vg279q1r but can only do 60hz, higher refresh rate will incur black screen). Just some info would be appreciated.
For general desktop use, gaming (mainly RPGs), DTP and video editing (in that order) how would you compare this to the Philips you have just reviewed. I've only used IPS monitors for the past 15" years, my 1440P 60hz died and am back on an NEC 21" 1600x1200 for the moment. So kind of worried that VA might be a culture shock.
The advantages of the Philips come purely from its design and external features. The light sensor, more solid construction and better (in my opinion) OSD arrangement. The panel capabilities of this AOC are the same aside from the increased refresh rate. I didn't notice the "screen blanking" issue with Nvidia GPU on the Philips, although there was pretty widespread flickering. It may take some adjustment coming from those models you've used to something like this one, but after a bit of adapting I'm sure you'd enjoy the experience. Despite its issues this monitor offers a lot of performance for the price and brings a lot to the experience that smaller, lower refresh rate and lower resolutions models do not.
Would you believe that the blackscreen issues could get fixed with driver updates from AOC? I am hesitant to go down the AMD gpu route given their issues with their drivers. Thanks for the very thourogh review!
It's possible, but I really have no idea. I haven't tested a monitor that has the "screen blanking" issue before, specifically. It might take a firmware update or new firmware revision from AOC rather than a driver.
@@PCMonitors Its a real pity. The monitor checks all the boxes for me. However since I plan on using it for Sim Racing I will be turning down the settings to have high fps, and that might help me pull the lever on a buy.
Yeah, the issue is certainly annoying. I actually just left Adaptive-Sync on most of the time with my GTX 1080 Ti and put up with the issue. I spent most of my time playing BFV with settings that would yield good high frame rates, so I didn't really have the issue crop up often at all.
@@PCMonitors So with fps above 70 the issue is mainly present in menues and loading screens etc?
Also, would turning of adaptive sync solve it aswell?
I appreciate your detailed reviews. Good work. I'm currently in the market for a new monitor and can't decide between wqhd 27" IPS or an ultrawide 34". My budget is 500€. Coming from a TN 144 Hz (kinda old Asus VG248QE from 2014 i believe) i'm not sure about VA Panels at all. I only play single player games like RDR2, Anno 1800, Assassins Creed. Can you recommend this AOC monitor? I guess it is better than 100 Hz uwqhd displays like the non X version. Maybe they all are better than my old tn :)
keep it up :)
The image quality of this model is significantly better than your ASUS in every conceivable way. And the screen size and resolution will be a very nice upgrade. It's also flicker-free, unlike the ASUS, so there are some potential benefits from that as well. Pixel responsiveness is certainly weaker, but whether you'll find this bothersome is something only you will know. You don't have to feel competitively disadvantaged playing the sort of games you do, so that's a bonus. I was quite happy to play Shadow of the Tomb Raider on this one (and other titles like Fallout 76), for example, despite noticing the sort of weaknesses explored in the video. The written review to be published shortly will give some more specific examples using Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
@@PCMonitors thank you so much. I was looking at the Philips ultrawide you reviewed before but since this one is suited for gaming i might give it a try. Have a nice sunday!
@@PCMonitors Hopefully it's not a stupid question, but if I'd play games like Anno 1800 with high details at low frame rates with my 1080TI, I'd have blackscreens every now and then, right? I wouldn't have that without G-Sync compatible turned on, but then I'd get tearing. Is this the way it is or is there any other way to compensate for low frame rates with a 1080TI?
Your understanding is correct. Although if you used VSync, you'd get stuttering rather than tearing. Not everyone is super-sensitive to such things so you might find it works just fine for your Anno 1800 gameplay.
@@PCMonitors ok :). Most other games I play (rocket league, Minecraft...) Are all at high framerates, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm coming from a 27" 4k@60, and I'm gonna buy this monitor tomorrow I think. Your review was very helpful, and I'm sure I can live with the few flaws of this monitor.
Excellent review. Thanks mate.
I’ve got a cheaper version CU34G2 with 100Hz refresh rate and for the price you cannot get better Ultrawide screen. Colors are nice and punchy, response times with medium overdrive are also pretty good, ofcourse since it is VA it’s not going to be as fast as TN or good IPS but it is good enough IMO. One problem with it is freesync or gsync with nvidia. The range on the cheaper model is 48-100Hz even on nvidia cards as I have GTX 1080. Below 48Hz LFC kicks in on nvidia cards too. But it does flicker. It does not shut off as the model shown in the review but it does Flicker. In some games it is more noticeable than it others while in some it barely happens. I do not know if there is a fix for that, many Samsung VA panels have that so it could be predicted. Maybe on Radeon cards it would not flicker but I do not have a way to check that. Overall for the price I doubt that there is a better ultrawide. Strange that it does not get more media coverage.
Appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the 100Hz variant and I'm glad you're enjoying it overall. It is indeed very good value.
@@PCMonitors Great review on your side. Also one thing I forgot to mention. 100Hz variant has Displayport 1.2 instead of 1.4 so I cannot get the "HDR" option that the 144Hz variant has. Probably can be done through HDMI, but since I won't get Freesync then I did not to that.
@@PCMonitors Also I have one question for you. When you select gamma3 do you see crushed blacks? I'm changing grom gamma1 to gamma3 and gamma3 Has better colors but dark places look black. Is there any remedy for that? Thanks!
On our sample of the CU34G2X 'Gamma3' was correct, averaging '2.2' - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Features_and_aesthetics. Other gamma settings gave a lower average gamma. This would increase visibility artificially, so details in dark areas are lifted out more than they should be. It might not be that 'Gamma3' is "crushing blacks" so much. But perhaps that you're comparing them to other settings where excessive detail is shown.
But you will get some 'black crush' with correct measured gamma on VA models like this. As explored in the review. You can alleviate that by using gamma settings with reduced gamma, but they tend to over-compensate and you'll drain depth for other shades as well. As you observed.
@@PCMonitors Thanks for the reply! I think I will stick with gamma3, the colors look just too nice to change it to 1 or even worse 2. There is some loss of visibility with 3 but I can live with that. I've had a Samsung C27FG73 before that and it had the same thing with it, so you are right about it being a thing with VA. But I just cannot switch to IPS, because of the better contrast and better blacks being just darker than on IPS.
What do you recommend for under 800$, ultrawide and 1440p gaming?
There is a thread discussing this - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/ultrawide-monitor-for-casual-gamer-with-reasonable-price/. $800 is a bit of an awkward budget really. It cuts off slightly more expensive but very well-rounded models like the AW3420DW (and 34GK950F, when on offer). This AOC stands out below that budget, not everyone really minds about Adaptive-Sync funkiness as some people would happily not use it anyway (not so sensitive to tearing and stuttering). And then there are some users who have reported here that it seems to work fine for them, so perhaps it was just an issue with my early review sample.
@@PCMonitors I'm perfectly fine spending 1000$ but knowing that the best one i think its the LG 34GN850-B but then its only hdr 400 when i think they'll be hdr 600 coming out. So i'm like is it even worth it compare to the MSI 120hz 34" selling on amazon for 750$. I'll check the thread out.
Would you find this monitor to be a substantial upgrade into the ultrawide market from a Viotek GN27DB? Both are budget 144hz 1440p curved monitors, but I'm really wanting to step up to ultrawide. Other than dull colors, I've really enjoyed the Viotek.
The AOC has a more generous colour gamut so should appear more vibrant than the Viotek. It seems a good and natural upgrade path into the world of UltraWides. And I agree, the 21:9 experience is a nice one.
I love monitors man! try runnin like that on a tv youll always be stuck at 60 fps or under lol
Thanks - really detailed and useful
Bonjour superbe vidéo vous me conseiller cette écran pour jouer car je compte aussi prendre la 3080 le 17 septembre .Je vous remercie de votre réponse ^^^^
Merci. Si vous aimez ce que vous voyez sur la vidéo, oui. Vous pourriez tirer beaucoup de profit du moniteur avec le RTX 3080.
Ok i bought this one after I discarded an msi optix ultrawide 144hz, let's see if this behave better (costing almost half the price of msi monitor, I'm also willing to be more understanding)
What are your recommended settings for this monitor ?
Covered in the written review, under 'Test Settings' - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration.
I saw this was an hour long and thought to myself "No way I'm watching all of this". Well, here I am over an hour later...
Glad you were able to stick with it! 😉
Hi there - I do realize that I am commenting quite a bit late but I don't see any mention of "Screen flickering WITH G-Sync" on over here.
In your tests, did u guys not find that issue? Any response will be appreciated.
The main issues on this model in relation to 'G-SYNC Compatible Mode' come in below the floor of operation. 49:50. Screen blanks are the main issue there, but there is some flickering as well in specific circumstances (51:55 onwards this is covered).
@@PCMonitors Thank you for responding. I saw that psrt closely now and it does make sense.
In your opinion how much of a difference the quality of the Display Port cable makes? 🤔 I am using the default one supplied with the box.
It doesn't make a difference for this issue. The one in the box should be fine. I specifically test with a thick braided DP cable (high quality) and also any included with the monitor and it invariably makes no difference. Certainly didn't in this case, but it can't hurt to try a higher quality cable and see.
@@PCMonitors Thanks for taking the time to respond.
bless this review
Hi, i have a question please : im using gtx 1070ti..should i get The 144hz or 100hz one? Not planning on upgrading my GPU soon :(
Would be a personal choice, depending on what graphics settings you like using. If you prefer setting them quite high vs. having the highest possible frame rates, the CU34G2 (100Hz) option would be more suitable.
nice, thanks!
great vid
I feel dumb that I couldnt notice the adaptive sync flickering or really the black smearing. (Maybe because I'm on my phone).
Or hey maybe I wouldn't in person and my pleb eyes would be fine with those downsides for that contrast.
It's best to watch the video on a larger screen - this one is certainly large so issues like this can present themselves more clearly in reality.
Viewing video of a curved display showing a video of a curved display, on a flat display - doesn't straighten it out :)
Haha. I have only watched the video of the curved monitor showing a curved monitor on a curved monitor so far!
AOC isnt bad, kind of the TCL of gaming monitors
If by that you mean surprisingly good value and sometimes overlooked, I agree. I've been very impressed by the mixture of value and performance offered by many of their products over the years. The company themselves and their PR reps are also wonderful to work with, as with their cousins Philips. I've received plenty of feedback from users saying that their customer service reflects this positive and helpful attitude as well, so I definitely feel they're underrated by some.
My main game is world of warcraft,is there a way to find out if im going to have problems with black smearing ?
Great review. I'm not using freesync... and I'm still getting the intermittent black screens... which is really starting to annoy me... and I'm thinking of returning it cos it's a real pain and I can't seem to get rid of it... I'm using the display port and a GTX 1080. Any advise would be great. Thanks
I've only done fairly limited testing without Adaptive-Sync, but I didn't notice screen blanking without it. I've noticed it only when the refresh rate passes below the floor of operation as covered in the review. I'm not sure what's causing it in your case. What are you doing with your system when it happens - running a game or a movie or what? Try clean installing (thoroughly removing, reinstalling) the graphics drivers, make sure the cable is firmly attached and that Adaptive-Sync is disabled in the OSD.
@@PCMonitors I'm playing Escape From Tarkov which is poorly optimised - so my frame rate is all over the show... saying that, it just seems to be very intermittent.. which is the strange thing about it... I think I'm using a 1.2 display cable, so I'm going to give it a go with a new cable and see if that does the trick... was also thinking of using a HDMI - however I think the max refresh rate goes down to 100 from 144... I presume display 1.4 is the best option? oh and thanks for the quick response :)
Correct, HDMI is limited to 100Hz. DisplayPort cables don't have versions, although better quality/better shielded cables can reduce the chance of signal drop-outs. So can using the DisplayPort furthest away from your motherboard, if possible. It's also worth re-seating the GPU and making sure you're not overclocking it or only doing so mildly. Various things related to the GPU or system could cause the screen to intermittently blank out especially during heavy load. The screen itself doesn't really care what the game or frame rate is doing if Adaptive-Sync is disabled.
@@PCMonitors OK, that's great... thanks for the info... I'll give it a go. Thanks again
@@PCMonitors just thought i'd let you know... i replaced the display cable and the black screens are gone. cheers for the help again!!!
omg the jumpscare at ~09:40 😱
Haha. Knock knock. 😉
Hello, how would this be for fast paced sim racing? I'm looking for an ultra wide 1440p high refresh rate monitor
Very subjective, you'd need to look at the responsiveness section in this video (and written review) and decide whether the weaknesses would bother you. They would bother some but not others, quite simply.
The curve and VA panel is a dealbreaker. Luckily I found a better budget option that's IPS.
Is that available on the monitor arm ? Want to buy it but cannot find any details on the internet, thx
It comes with the stand shown, but it can be mounted using 100 x 100mm VESA to another stand or mount (including monitor arm) if you wish.
Would this monitor be OK to watch movies on from about 8-10 feet away? I ask because I might get this mainly for games but also like to lay in bed and watch movies from further away if you could help. I am asking because of the curve :)
The curve is only a potential issue with relation to viewing distance if you're off-centre. And even if the monitor wasn't curved, this would be an issue if you're sitting too far to the left or right. A bit below (curve or otherwise) should be fine.
@@PCMonitors I lay perfectly head on to my current monitor, so sounds like it isn't an issue. Thank you for the quick response. Just out of interest, I recently upgraded to the Omen HP X 27 1440p 27 inch 240hz tn panel, and as great as it is I am pretty certain I will swap to this one. I am a fairly competitive PUBG player with an average of 3-4 kills per game, but recently finding myself playing survival games like Stranded Deep and like to watch movies and Netflix at night. I don't think I really benefit from 240hz to justify not owning an ultra wide lol. The immersion looks amazing and for movies it looks incredible. Anyway, my question is do you know much about the equivalent MSI Optix for £799? I've read and watched extensive reviews and I personally can't see why anyone would spend over £300 more on the MSI with almost identical specs for the main features. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated 😊
Also not interested in the camera or rgb lights lol.
Haha. I was going to say... You get some RGB LED lights! But no, I don't see a reason to buy the MSI instead. Same panel, no better calibrated or tuned (perhaps worse) according to user feedback. And more expensive, as you point out.
Sir, I did not see a review of the OSD in your review.
As always, that's covered in a separate video. We cover that more comprehensively than anybody else which is why they get their own videos. You can see it linked to in the written review or by searching the channel - th-cam.com/video/rdTGz2LUh48/w-d-xo.html.
What graphics card are you using here?
Mainly the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti with some additional testing done using an AMD Radeon RX 580 (pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration ).
How do you put it on 120 fps on console I’ve been trying for the past 2 days
I need some help I have a 32-inch monitor at 1440 but refresh rate 75 I need a new monitor should I get a 27 1440 165 refresh rate or 34 Ultra wide 1440 165 refresh rate any opinion would appreciate it
Really depends on how much you feel you'd like the ultrawide experience. And your GPU, because it's more demanding running 3440 x 1440 than 2560 x 1440! The resolution is described in some detail in this article which was mentioned in the review - pcmonitors.info/articles/games-movies-and-the-desktop-at-3440-x-1440/. To make a huge generalisation, I'd say 3440 x 1440 is well-suited for immersive gameplay whereas for competitive play the tighter area of a 27" model (and higher frame rate you'll get) is generally preferred.
@@PCMonitors thank you
Hi, thanks for informations. I have a question please, i would like to buy this screen or an other 34" uwqhd but i dont know if my graphic card can run on it. i have the sapphire pulse rx5600xt. i dont look for max fps but a good experience in high/ultra. thanks guys
I don't really cover system/graphics cards questions as it's not my area. But in general you're looking at a ~15% performance hit compared to the 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution. The WQHD resolution is quite widely benchmarked. The RX 5600XT is quite a bit more powerful than my AMD GPU (RX 580) and that delivers a reasonable but relatively low frame rate experience. If you're setting your games to 'High' or 'Ultra' with the RX 5600XT and you're comfortable with closer to 60fps than 144fps it'll probably work just fine for you.
@@PCMonitors Good evening, thank you for taking the time to answer me, I really appreciate it. Indeed, I don't play competitive games but rather games like The Witcher, Odyssey, Tomb Raider, GTAV, Star Citizen, Horizon, WOW and Cyberpunk soon. That's why I'm more looking for quality and immersion than performance. About the AOC, I think the 100hz version will fit my graphic card and my wallet better :)Besides, it's a long term investment, in case of a graphics card upgrade. What do you think between the 100hz and 144hz for my use ? thank you.
I agree, I think the 100Hz model would be more suitable for your system and budget. It's similar aside from refresh rate and HDR capability (which is weak on the 144Hz model anyway) and as you prefer high graphics settings you're realistically unlikely to gain >100fps with your GPU.
@@PCMonitors Yes exactly, it is more in line with my config and my games. as for HDR, I don't have any screens at home with this technology so that doesn't worry me :)
I knew your website, thanks to which I bought my last 2 aoc screens, but not your channel. Chance does it right, you get a subscriber as it should. Thanks for your help, take care of yourself.
At 33:45 the color in this view looks better than my ips lg 4k waw very beautiful .
but can you mount it on your wall?
Yes, it supports VESA mounting as covered in the video (10:09). Which standard wall mounts will use.
Can you wall mount this monitor and if so what kind of mounts do I need?
100 x 100mm VESA is supported as per the video. That's a standard used across the industry for mounting solutions.
I have this monitor i having issues with setting up color and the profiles i should use any help woul;d be amazing
Refer to the calibration section of the written review - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Calibration.
wanted to buy this one but those black screens are kinda worrying
speakers?
No, it has no integrated speakers. I always mention in both the video and written review when there are speakers included.
Amazing review as usual ! ;)
For me smearing = no buy,
and i do not understand how VA screens can be sold as a screen for gaming ... It is far too slow in response time, for me it is a marketing scam ...
Can you tell me what monitor are you using ? :p
I use whichever model I'm reviewing most of the time. For my downtime I just use a Dell S2716DG. Has its own issues, but it's very snappy and responsive. And I got it for £90 back in the day due to a pricing error, so it's all good.
Mine no has a black display with the wire led at the bottom and will not work plz help no help from AOC not to big in usa need help
I'm not sure what you're describing here with "black display" or "wire LED".
Great review, glad a found your channel. 1 new sub incoming.
What about the MBR setting?
What about it? That's covered in the written review, which is an appropriate medium to explore such a setting - pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-cu34g2x/#Responsiveness.