More widescreen 3440x1440 monitors coming?

Dancer · 11 Apr 2016 at 10:30

I want to get my hands on the Acer 34" curved IPS 3440x1440 100 Hz monitor, but it is just too expensive for me.

Are there more monitors like this coming along and are we likely to see cheaper versions or price drops later in the year or next year?

My priorities are that it must be 32" + and 2560x1440 or ideally 3440x1440 and 100 Hz+

Nexus18 · 11 Apr 2016 at 11:25

Yup 30+" 3440x1440 and over 100HZ, iirc there will even be 144HZ 3440x1440 Samsung displays.

Probably not till after summer though.

Legend · 11 Apr 2016 at 11:35

Keep in mind though you'll need a new GPU for these new monitors (when they are released) given DP 1.3 will be required to utilise anything over 100Hz at that res, so if you're on a tight budget the X34/PG348Q will likely be the cheaper option! I shudder to think what these new monitors will cost given what the current 34" 21:9 monitors are, and none of those are really that advanced technically. I'll be surprised if the new next-gen monitors don't well exceed the £1K mark, so with a new GPU on top, you'd better get saving yesterday!

I think it will be quite a while before we see budget 34" 21:9 (with G-Sync/Freesync anyway). You can get the 29" 1080p ultrawides at a very decent price, but just as with 16:9 1440p, the prices always seem to stay quite high with the premium 'gaming oriented' offerings. X34/PG348Q prices will drop though, no doubt, but in a year they'll still be around the £650-700 mark I reckon.

Dancer · 11 Apr 2016 at 11:49

Thanks, been struggling to dig up much on the lay of the land ahead for 32"+ high refresh widescreen so it is nice to read that there are more coming.

Yes, the new GPU requirement is part of the reason this is too expensive for me. I'm hoping these monitors will get more common and mass production will push prices down like today's UHD tvs.

I currently have a 27" 2560x1440 and it feels a bit small, whereas I love my 32" 2560x1440 at work so that is my minimum size-wize and I also really want the fast refresh / sync for gaming.

heartburnron · 11 Apr 2016 at 23:14

Do you really need 100hz? That is at the edge of the IPS adaptive sync panel technology so you are going to pay a premium for it. And there isn't a GPU available that will be capable of achieving those frame rates at 3440x1440 resolution. Yes you could try crossfire but at the expense of a lot disappointment and frustration - it's not like just having a more powerful single card. I have the Acer X34 75Hz 3440x1440 Freesync monitor and the MSI R9 Fury X. Here are some of the FPS scores I get for games with everything maxed:

Rise of the Tomb Raider (antistropic x4, HXAA antiailsing) - 50FPS
Fallout 4 - 38 FPS
Shadow of Mordor - 67 FPS
Grid 2 - 61FPS
Just Cause 3 - 59 FPS
Bioshock Infinite - 83 FPS
HITMAN - 57 FPS

These games run and look brilliant on that monitor - I can't imagine the experience being improved that much that I would strive for and pay a lot more money to have it.

Dancer · 12 Apr 2016 at 06:01

Thanks for sharing your experience and FPS numbers. I would certainly be very happy with the Acer X34 if it gets a bit more affordable. I get the impression that g-sync/freesync is in many ways more important than the max refresh rate, but I am lacking experience in this area. Would you say that 75Hz provides any benefit over 60?

heartburnron · 12 Apr 2016 at 15:40

Dancer said:
Thanks for sharing your experience and FPS numbers. I would certainly be very happy with the Acer X34 if it gets a bit more affordable. I get the impression that g-sync/freesync is in many ways more important than the max refresh rate, but I am lacking experience in this area. Would you say that 75Hz provides any benefit over 60?

Personally I find it really hard to tell the difference. For me it's all about having a high enough average frame rate so that when you get those large dips in minimum frame rates in the game hotspots, it doesn't drop below 30FPS. With freesync it's about keeping the frame rates between 30 and 75 FPS.

According to Linus the difference between 60 and 75Hz is 'night and freakin day' but I honestly don't really notice. For example, I play both Grid 2 and Grid Autosport - I get close to 75 FPS in Grid 2 and 60 FPS in Grid Autosport but they both feel the same speed to me...

Link to Linus review: https://youtu.be/VqsQBeAW8kk

Spuddy · 12 Apr 2016 at 17:50

can we expect a lot of new monitors at Computex?

Bluntwrapped · 14 Apr 2016 at 13:11

Here's hoping LG are looking for a solution to fix the BLB issues with their current panels.
I've needed a new monitor got about 18 months now. Been looking on and off at the 34" UW monitors but I point blank refuse to pay so much for something that isn't perfect. QC never used to be so much of an issue, nor did BLB with the old CCFL panels. One step forward two steps back..