Knowledgeable’s Score
Execs
Loads of connectivity and menu optionsGood distinction ratioSolid coloration performanceUp to 144Hz refresh charge with good movement readability
Cons
Stand setup makes use of screws as an alternative of clip mechanismModest most brightnessHDR is supported however lackluster
Our Verdict
The Gigabyte GS34WQC is a 34-inch ultrawide that delivers wonderful worth at a price range worth.
Worth When Reviewed
$329.99
Greatest Costs Right this moment: Gigabyte GS344WQC
$329.99
Shopping for a 34-inch ultrawide monitor requires some understanding of the nuances that separate seemingly similar displays. Most 34-inch ultrawides present the identical 3440×1440 decision, a refresh charge between 120Hz and 165Hz, and plenty of even look comparable with black plastic casings and enormous requirements. The Gigabyte GS34WQC doesn’t buck this system however executes properly sufficient on every level to earn a straightforward advice.
Additional studying: See our roundup of the perfect gaming displays to find out about competing merchandise.
What are the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s specs and options?
The Gigabyte GS34WQC’s specs are boilerplate for a 34-inch ultrawide monitor. It supplies 3440×1440 decision, by far the most typical amongst displays of this measurement, and a 120Hz refresh charge with 135Hz overclock mode. Adaptive Sync is supplied by AMD’s FreeSync.
Show measurement: 34-inch ultrawide
Native decision: 3440×1440
Panel sort: Vertical Alignment (VA)
Curved: Sure, 1500R
Refresh charge: 120Hz with 135Hz overclock
Adaptive Sync: FreeSync
HDR: HDR10
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5mm audio
VESA mount: 100x100mm
Audio system: None
Worth: $329.99 MSRP
What’s most notable concerning the monitor is its worth. Although not essentially the most cheap 34-inch ultrawide out there (options just like the Monoprice 35-inch Zero-G V2 dip beneath $300), it’s definitely in the direction of the low finish of the market. Gigabyte makes this occur with concessions in connectivity: The monitor lacks USB.
How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s design?
Matt Smith
Gigabyte retains issues easy with the GS34WQC which, given its worth, shouldn’t be a shock. Matte-black plastic is the order of the day, although the design does take pleasure in a couple of shiny piano-black highlights to boost the look. The monitor avoids garish touches like chrome or coloured inserts and it lacks RGB lighting—which I don’t thoughts, however might disappoint these wanting so as to add some aptitude to their setup.
Construct high quality is okay. The GS34WQC’s plastics would possibly profit from extra texture however really feel moderately strong in-hand. And there’s no disputing that stand’s heft. It’s an absolute unit that takes up appreciable desk area and retains the monitor planted. That is usually an issue, however Gigabyte opts for a flat stand base, so the area it takes in your desk stays (largely) usable.
But I’ve a beef with the stand. It mounts to an ordinary 100x100mm VESA bracket however doesn’t embrace a clipping mechanism, so it have to be screwed to the rear of the monitor with 4 supplied screws. That’s not the tip of the world, however it’s a problem. I additionally discovered the screws a bit finicky because the metallic they used was delicate and simply stripped if an excessive amount of drive was utilized. The stand additionally adjusts just for tilt and top, however doesn’t swivel, which is accessible with some displays round this worth level.
How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s connectivity and menu?
Matt Smith
The Gigabyte GS34WQC’s connectivity has strengths and weaknesses. It supplies a complete of three video inputs—two HDMI and one DisplayPort. That’s typical for a reasonable ultrawide monitor.
Nevertheless, the monitor lacks USB connectivity. There’s no USB-C enter and no USB-A downstream ports, so the monitor can’t be used as a USB hub. That’s a bit uncommon even for a reasonable ultrawide monitor. A 3.5mm audio jack for passthrough audio is included, no less than.
What the monitor lacks in connectivity it positive aspects in menu choices. The GS34WQC has a responsive, easy-to-use menu managed by a joystick on the lower-right bezel. A useful downward-facing LED makes this joystick straightforward to search out.
Matt Smith
Menu choices are intensive, too. There’s a number of coloration temperature and gamma modes, RGB coloration customization, and an sRGB preset, alongside the standard brightness and distinction settings. There’s additionally a number of gaming-centric options, similar to an on-screen crosshair. The wide selection of picture high quality changes is great to see in a reasonable ultrawide and can assist house owners customise the monitor’s look to their preferences, if desired.
Audio system aren’t included. That’s no shock, particularly at this worth. Headphones or exterior audio system are obligatory.
How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s SDR picture high quality?
The Gigabyte GS34WQC makes use of a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, a kind of show panel know-how that’s frequent amongst bigger displays and plenty of price range to mid-range televisions. It performs properly right here, offering an affordable distinction ratio and engaging coloration properly suited to enjoying engaging trendy 3D video games.
Matt Smith
With that mentioned, brightness is among the many monitor’s weaker factors. It achieved a most brightness of 324 nits in SDR, which (spoiler alert) doesn’t go a lot greater in HDR. That is in the direction of the low finish of what’s attainable from any trendy gaming displays.
This, to be truthful, shouldn’t be actually a problem for gaming or leisure in SDR content material, which is often seen in a darkened room the place you’ll have management over the ambient gentle. However the monitor could appear dim in a really vivid, sunlit room or company workplace. And whereas the panel has a semi-gloss end, the 1500R curvature can act as a focus for glare.
Matt Smith
Subsequent up is distinction, the place the GS34WQC supplies a convincing most distinction ratio of 3610:1. That’s basically similar to the Monoprice 35-inch V2 curved ultrawide, and it’s a lot better than most equally priced widescreen displays (which are likely to go for IPS show panel know-how as an alternative).
A greater distinction ratio supplies an improved sense of depth and immersion in video games and films. And, on this case, the distinction ratio improves not as a result of the panel is vivid, however as a result of it could possibly develop into darkish. That gives good element in darkish, shadowy scenes that will look grey and washed-out on different displays.
Matt Smith
Coloration gamut is a win, because the GS34WQC can show 95 p.c of the DCI-P3 coloration gamut and 88 p.c of AdobeRGB. These figures put it barely forward of many comparable displays.
A large coloration gamut is a profit in leisure, as it could possibly ship a extra saturated and vivid look that almost all viewers will take pleasure in. It’s additionally good for content material creation, because the monitor can actually show extra colours, an vital perk should you’re coloration grading video or enhancing skilled pictures.
The GS34WQC’s coloration gamut isn’t vast sufficient to suggest for severe skilled creators, however its efficiency is greater than ample for sketching out concepts or enhancing a YouTube video (except you’re Marques Brownlee).
Matt Smith
It’s an identical story with coloration accuracy, the place the GS34WQC delivers a mid-pack outcome. Colours largely look lifelike and convincing. The monitor’s coloration errors have been truly extra outstanding within the grayscale (which is to say, shades between black and white), which I discover is much less noticeable in typical use.
Talking of which, the GS34WQC hit a default gamma curve of two.1. That signifies content material might look a tad brighter than it ought to, and I did discover that in use. Happily, the monitor’s menu supplies ample gamma settings to regulate on your wants. The identical is true of coloration temperature, the place I recorded a default coloration temperature of 6800K, off the goal of 6500K. That signifies the monitor seems a bit extra cool and sterile than our best, however the included coloration temperature settings can regulate this.
Sharpness is sweet, because the monitor’s decision of 3440×1440 supplies roughly 109 pixels per inch. That’s much like a 27-inch 1440p monitor and a giant improve over a 27-inch 1080p monitor, which has roughly 82 pixels per inch. Some pixelation could also be seen round small fonts and aliasing can seem throughout high-quality objects in video games, however it’s hardly ever a significant distraction. These in search of improved sharpness ought to take into account a 5K ultrawide just like the LG 34WK95U-W—however that monitor is greater than thrice the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s worth.
How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s HDR picture high quality?
HDR is accessible on the Gigabyte GS34WQC, however it’s not nice.
The GS34WQC sustained a most brightness of simply 333 nits in my testing. The dearth of brightness will obscure high-quality particulars in vivid scenes, which is half the purpose of HDR. It’s definitely attainable to view HDR, however I’m undecided why you’d need to. It’s not going to look because it ought to.
I don’t maintain this in opposition to the GS34WQC. No monitor beneath $500 affords an excellent HDR expertise: The least costly displays we suggest for HDR begin round $700. Simply be warned: HDR is supported, however it received’t look the way you hope.
How is the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s movement efficiency?
Matt Smith
Avid gamers can be happy by the Gigabyte GS34WQC’s 120Hz refresh charge, which may be elevated to 135Hz in Overclock mode. The monitor additionally helps AMD FreeSync for easy gameplay with suitable AMD video playing cards.
Movement readability was a lot better than I’d anticipated. Screens with a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel normally endure an issue known as “darkish smear.” It seems as a darkish blur or path behind darkish objects and is brought on by sluggish pixel response occasions when displaying darker colours. This drawback is seen on the GS34WQC however far much less noticeable than anticipated. The G34QWC completely outperforms the Monoprice Darkish Matter 35-inch ultrawide.
Readability is in any other case good for a 120Hz/144Hz monitor. Scrolling check pictures from League of Legends present that character silhouettes and terrain are straightforward to make out and that hitpoint bars are seen, although the person ticks within the hit factors bar aren’t distinguished. Character names are virtually unimaginable to learn in movement, too. That is what I’d count on to see from a monitor with this refresh charge and a significant enchancment over a 60Hz monitor.
How does it examine to a equally priced 27-inch monitor, just like the LG Ultragear 27GR83Q-B? The Gigabyte GS34WQC is noticeably much less spectacular, largely because of the lack of readability in transferring textual content and small interface parts, similar to hitpoint bars. I don’t take into account this a knock in opposition to the Gigabyte, because it’s offering a bigger show at a lower cost. Nonetheless, extremely aggressive avid gamers might want a smaller monitor with a better refresh (just like the LG).
Do you have to purchase the Gigabyte GS34WQC?
The Gigabyte GS34WQC is a superb 34-inch ultrawide for gaming, leisure, and entry-level content material creation. It scores properly by most metrics of picture high quality, affords many picture high quality changes, and delivers engaging movement readability, all at an affordable worth and alongside a primary however sensible design. The dearth of USB connectivity is a bit disappointing, however nowhere sufficient to carry again the monitor. It’s a straightforward advice if you wish to take pleasure in the advantages of a 34-inch ultrawide at a worth no greater than most high quality 27-inch displays.