Gigabyte G34WQCP review: An excellent budget ultrawide monitor

At a glanceExpert's RatingProsPlenty of video inputs Good SDR brightness Excellent contrast ratio Solid color gamut and accuracy ConsStand requires use of screws No USB connectivity Modest HDR brightness Our Verdict The Gigabyte G34WQCP is an excellent budget ultrawide monitor that earns high marks in SDR brightness, contrast, and color performance.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayPrice When Reviewed$349.99Best Prices Today: Gigabyte G34WQCPRetailerPrice$349.99View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketAlmost a year has passed since PCWorld reviewed the Gigabyte GS34WQC, a budget ultrawide monitor that earned our Editors’ Choice award. Now, Gigabyte is updating that model with the new Gigabyte G34WQCP. It’s similar to its predecessor but increases the maximum refresh rate from 144Hz to 180Hz. Gigabyte G34WQCP specs and features The Gigabyte G34WQCP’s basic specifications are similar to other budget ultrawide monitors. It’s a 34-inch, 21:9 aspect ratio display with a resolution of 3440×1440. The monitor also uses a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, which is the more common choice in this category, though some competitors use an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel. The monitor supports Adaptive Sync through AMD FreeSync and also supports HDR. Display size: 34-inch 21:9 widescreen Native resolution: 3440×1440Panel type: VA Refresh rate: Up to 180Hz Adaptive sync: AMD Freesync Premium HDR: Yes, VESA DisplayHDR 400 Certified Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm headphone VESA mount: 100x100mm Speakers: 2x 2-watt speakers Price: $349.99 MSRP However, the G34WQCP makes two notable changes compared to the previous Gigabyte G34WQC. As mentioned, the refresh rate has been increased from a maximum of 144Hz to 180Hz. In addition, the monitor now has two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, while the previous model had just one. Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to learn about competing products.Gigabyte G34WQCP design The Gigabyte G34WQCP’s design is basic. From the front, the display panel is framed by thin black bezels on three sides, with a small chin at the bottom featuring a centered Gigabyte logo. Gigabyte uses matte black plastic for the stand, while the rear of the display panel combines that with some semi-gloss accents. While the G34WQCP isn’t much to look at, it’s well-built. The monitor’s plastic panels didn’t warp when I handled the monitor, and I didn’t hear creaks or groans while I set it up. That’s not a high bar to clear, but budget monitors don’t always hurdle it. Matthew Smith / FoundryThe monitor’s display panel is curved with a radius of 1500R (a lower number means a more aggressive curve). This is a moderate, readily noticeable curve, but not so aggressive that it becomes distracting outside of games. With that said, people who work with digital art, photography, and video may not like the curve, as it slightly warps the appearance of images and videos on the display (lines that are straight may not appear so, for example). Despite its affordable price, the G34WQCP includes an ergonomic stand with a good range of height and tilt adjustment, though it doesn’t swivel. I found the stand easy to adjust, as it required little force to move, yet stayed firmly in place once positioned. Setting up the stand is finicky, though, as the stand doesn’t clip into place but instead uses screws. It’s a minor annoyance, but it makes setup slightly more complicated. The display also supports a 100x100mm VESA mount for use with third-party monitor stands and arms. Gigabyte has an edge over other monitors in this price bracket.Gigabyte G34WQCP connectivity and menus The Gigabyte G34WQCP provides two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, for a total of four video inputs—one more than is typical for a budget ultrawide monitor. That’s one more port than the older Gigabyte GS34WQC, which had one DisplayPort input. However, the new G34WQCP doesn’t support its maximum refresh rate over HDMI; only the DisplayPort connections can achieve the full 3440×1440 resolution at 180Hz. That’s not a major problem, as the HDMI 2.0 ports are likely to be used with game consoles that can’t achieve 180Hz. Still, it’s worth knowing if you plan to connect a PC over HDMI. USB connectivity is also absent. There is no USB-C input and no USB downstream ports for connecting wired peripherals. This is typical for a budget ultrawide monitor, but it’s a minor disappointment, as it makes the monitor less useful if your gaming den doubles as your home office. Matthew Smith / FoundryThe monitor’s on-screen menus are controlled with a joystick located on the rear right side of the display panel. The joystick is responsive, and Gigabyte’s menus are easy to navigate, thanks to well-labeled options. The range of options is extensive and includes adjustments for color temperature and gamma. Is Gigabyte Control Center supported? The monitor also comes with a pair of 2-watt speakers that provide basic audio. They aren’t loud and lack low-end depth, so they’re not good for games, movies, or music. Most people will prefer to use external headphones or speakers. Still, the built-in speakers are an acceptable option for watching a YouTube video or listening to a podcast. Gigabyte G34WQCP SDR image quality SDR image quality is, of course, very important for the Gigabyte G34WQCP. While the monitor does support HDR, most PC games still only support SDR, and most Windows applications are also limited to SDR. Fortunately for Gigabyte, the G34WQCP is a strong performer in SDR content. Matthew Smith / FoundryStarting with brightness, the Gigabyte G34WQCP delivered an impressive maximum SDR brightness of 485 nits. This is much higher than necessary for most situations, but it’s a perk if you plan to use the monitor in a brightly lit room or near sunlit windows. It’s also worth noting that curved display panels have a tendency to focus light sources behind the viewer, which can make the display less comfortable to view. The G34WQCP’s high brightness helps balance out that problem. Matthew Smith / FoundryContrast is a real highlight, as the monitor achieved an impressive contrast ratio of 4720:1. That’s an excellent result for a display that lacks a Mini-LED dynamic backlight or an OLED panel. The G34WQCP’s image is immersive and provides convincing shadow detail in dark areas under most viewing conditions. The G34WQCP’s edge-lit backlight means it will still display slightly elevated black levels in the darkest scenes, but contrast otherwise looks fantastic. Gigabyte has an edge over other monitors in this price bracket. IPS monitors like the RCA Premium Gaming Monitor and Asus ROG Strix XG27QCS have a far lower contrast ratio, which can make their images appear slightly flat and washed out. Other VA panel monitors, like the Xiaomi G34WQi, come close to the G34WQCP, but Gigabyte’s result is the best we’ve seen from a VA panel this year. Matthew Smith / FoundryThe G34WQCP’s color gamut is solid but doesn’t provide any advantage over the competition. It achieves 95 percent of DCI-P3 and 86 percent of Adobe RGB—figures that translate to a bright, vibrant image that looks saturated and lively. However, as the graph shows, the monitor’s performance is in line with similarly priced monitors. Matthew Smith / FoundryThe same can be said for color accuracy. The G34WQCP’s accuracy is good enough that any errors are generally unnoticeable in typical use. However, even budget monitors now tend to ship with strong color accuracy out of the box, so this is no longer a defining characteristic. The monitor produced a gamma curve of 2.3, slightly off our target of 2.2, which means content appears a bit darker than it should. Color temperature came in at 7000K, noticeably higher than the 6500K target, giving the image a cooler tone. The monitor does offer gamma and color temperature settings, so it’s possible to adjust these results, but the out-of-box image could use some improvement in these areas. With a resolution of 3440×1440 spread across a 34-inch ultrawide panel, the monitor has a pixel density of about 109 pixels per inch, which is identical to a 27-inch widescreen monitor with a resolution of 2560×1440. This level of sharpness is enough to look crisp in games, movies, and photography. It usually appears sharp on the Windows desktop and in apps, but small fonts can start to reveal slight pixelation around the edges of characters. However, shoppers don’t have much choice when it comes to sharpness—aside from a few high-end 5K displays, nearly all 34-inch ultrawides deliver 3440×1440 resolution. Overall, the Gigabyte G34WQCP delivers a bright, high-contrast image with strong color performance and acceptable sharpness. The monitor’s only notable flaws are its color temperature and gamma results, which are slightly off-target, but these can be adjusted in the settings. The G34WQCP’s image quality is impressive for the price; to see a significant improvement, you’d need to consider an OLED panel or a high-end Mini-LED monitor, both of which typically cost closer to $1,000. Gigabyte G34WQCP HDR image quality While the Gigabyte G34WQCP proved itself in SDR, the monitor’s HDR performance was unremarkable. I measured a maximum sustained brightness of 372 nits. That level of HDR brightness is typical for a budget monitor but, unfortunately, nowhere near what’s required to do HDR justice. Most HDR content targets a luminance of at least 1,000 nits, so HDR viewed on the G34WQCP will look dimmer than intended and lack detail in bright areas of a scene. The monitor also lacks some practical features, like an HDR brightness override. That means the brightness of HDR is entirely controlled by the content displayed. That’s fine if you’re viewing in a dark room, but can become an issue in brighter rooms. In brief, the G34WQCP isn’t a good HDR monitor. Shoppers who want better HDR on a tight budget should consider cut-rate Mini-LED displays, like the Innocn 27M2V or Xiaomi G Pro 27i. These have their own drawbacks but, when it comes to HDR, they’re far more capable. Gigabyte G34WQCP motion performance Refresh rate is among the Gigabyte G34WQCP’s highlights, as the refresh rate has increased from a maximum of 144Hz to 180Hz. That looks like a big improvement on paper but, in reality, I’m not sure I can notice the difference. I think a refresh rate bump to about 240Hz is required before most people will find it noticeable. With that said, though, motion clarity is good given the monitor’s size and price. The monitor displays small objects with good detail and motion feels extremely slick at high refresh rates. This level of motion clarity is table stakes for a modern gaming monitor, but it’s still leagues better than an old-fashioned 60Hz IPS or VA panel monitor. The G34WQCP, like other VA panel monitors, tends to suffer “dark smear,” which results in more noticeable blur behind darker objects than bright objects. The problem is definitely visible, and it’s the reason why competitive gamers often prefer IPS and TN panels. With that said, though, the problem didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the monitor. Adaptive Sync is available with official support for AMD FreeSync Premium, but G-Sync also functioned when I connected a Nvidia-powered laptop to the G34WQCP. This is typical, as FreeSync and G-Sync have a lot in common. Frame pacing was smooth and I didn’t notice any flickering or display drop-outs, though the same can be said of nearly all monitors I review. Should you buy the Gigabyte G34WQCP?The Gigabyte G34WQCP picks up where last year’s GS34WQC left off. While the two monitors are similar, the new G34WQCP delivers better image quality thanks to its higher brightness and slightly improved contrast. The G34WQCP also kicks up the refresh rate to 180Hz and adds a second DisplayPort. These additions slightly increase the price from $329.99 to $349.99, and that throws a wrinkle into this review. The prior GS34WQC is available for as little as $279.99, and while the new G34WQCP is better, the older model is an alluring alternative if you’re on a tight budget. The Gigabyte also faces stiff competition from the recently released Xiaomi G34WQi, which performs similarly to the G34WQCP but is less expensive at $269.99. That makes the G34WQCP more difficult to recommend than its predecessor. With that said, though, it remains a good budget ultrawide with top-notch SDR image quality for the price.