21:9 monitor ultra wide 144Hz and FreeSync

The Zealot · 9 May 2020 at 17:01

It's time to upgrade my TN 1920x1080@60Hz monitor that I have been using for the past 10 years, and while I think I would like to have a 4K144Hz monitor, in reality I would like the have a bit more real estate than a 16:9 monitor, but without having the space desk taken by a second monitor. A 21:9 monitor seems to be the compromise that I'm looking for, because if I need/want a small window to the side, or PIP, I can still have a game running in 16:9 on borderless fullscreen.

I live in London so I'm likely to buy from OCUK, but that's not necessarily mandatory.

I want the monitor to play all sorts of games (but more Fallout than Quake), and watch films and shows on Amazon Prime Video and Blu-Ray rips.
I'm sitting 56 cm (22") away from my screen, so I'm considering a 34" panel.
My CPU is a Ryzen 7 3800X, and my GPU is a Sapphire 5700 XT.

Must-haves:
21:9
144 Hz without overshoot or ghosting or colour problems (common sense applies here)
FreeSync (monitors with the new G-Sync module that came out in 2020 and work with FS are also eligible)
1440p (1080p is too 2010)

Like-to-have:
Height adjustment
Smart reduction of blue light at night
HDR10

Candidates that I'm considering:
LG 34GK950F
IPS
£1000
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lg-3...-curved-widescreen-led-monitor-mo-14w-lg.html
Review: https://youtu.be/vtHxh-yVzXc

MSI Optix MPG341CQR
VA
£869
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/msi-...klit-widescreen-gaming-monitor-mo-00q-ms.html
Review: https://youtu.be/OzGC8EHqXi8

Nixeus EDG34S
VA
£545

Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVqfuvUGPZU

Iiyama GB3461WQSU-B1
IPS (flat screen)
£400

Review: I can't find any!!!

There's also an AOC that doesn't inspire me with quality (unlike many AOCs that are really good for the price), and for that price I prefer the Nixeus. And there's a BenQ that also has problems with colour consistency if you're sitting too close, as mentioned in another thread in this forum.

So, opinions? Does anyone have personal experience with any of these monitors? Should I consider any other monitor?
Thank you.

**No competitors **

The Zealot · 10 May 2020 at 14:23

Storrm said:
What the difference (except the cost) between the 34GK950F amd 34GN850?? One has Freesync and GSync, the other Freesync 2

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lg-3...-led-curved-backlit-gaming-mon-mo-15l-lg.html
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lg-3...-curved-widescreen-led-monitor-mo-14w-lg.html

Thanks for that, I actually only found out about it yesterday night when I stumbled on a comment mentioning it on reddit. I had no idea it was arriving so soon in 10 days.
However it does seem to be a rebrand just like we have seen with graphics cards, but without the substantial price reduction that rebranded graphics cards usually bring (the 34GK950F was £850 late 2019 here on OC, that's £100 less than the 34GN850's launch price). I guess that LG is confident that an overclock to 160 Hz over 144 Hz is actually worth paying. :rolleyes:

I'll have to wait and see if there's a clearance of stock sale with a matching price reduction.

The Zealot · 11 May 2020 at 17:51

There's no gaming in that review though. Which I understand, being a flat panel, it's mostly intended for content creation first.

The Zealot · 11 May 2020 at 19:11

Kamakazie! said:
Isn't the Iiyama the same panel as in their 75hz IPS, but overclocked?
All the other specs are the same (brightness, contrast etc) so I'd assumed it was the same panel. If it is, there are reviews out there of that one.

I very much doubt that, we have never seen a staggering overclock of 44% on any panel before.

The Zealot · 12 May 2020 at 03:57

Poneros said:
Nixeus EDG34S seems like the no-brainer to me. I have an IPS UW and wouldn't buy one again, the contrast is too much of a deal breaker, and while the MSI has better PRT than the Nixeus, I wouldn't pay extra for it, and you get better contrast ratios anyway with the Nixeus.

Hi Poneros, which IPS UW do you have, why is contrast so important to you, and what do you mean by "better PRT" please?

The Zealot · 12 May 2020 at 16:13

Poneros said:
LG 29" UMP68-P? Something like that, forgot exact name, it's serving as my surveillance monitor now lol. PRT is the pixel response times, you can see it in the review you posted. The issue with too low contrast is that once you see a proper display with good contrast you can tell how hazy low-contrast is, like there's a grey fog preventing you from seeing the picture properly. Not to mention, with better contrast the image gets a greater sense of depth & 3 dimensionality. For me it just makes a world of difference and I'd always choose VA over IPS for those reasons. Ideally if you had the space you'd buy a TV with FALD (or OLED) and get the best PQ but I understand having lived in London space is at a premium

Yeah, no, I already have a Panasonic 55FZ802 OLED from 2018 for that.

And my wife already thinks my desk is huge at 140x80 cm, wait until I put a 34" monitor on top of this baby.

My saving grace is that the bezels are so large on this 24" TN monitor that the height will be the same.

I appreciate your opinion on contrast, of course it is important, it's just that it seems that it's not that important any more thanks to how IPS panels have evolved, especially the LG with Nanocell technology that keeps getting rave reviews.
One thing that greatly concerns me though is how LG has a solid 1 star out of 5 on Trustpilot UK, seems that they couldn't care less about their customers, and that is a big no no to me.