AOC CU34G2X 34" Curved Frameless Immersive Gaming Monitor, UltraWide QHD 3440x1440, VA Panel, 1ms 144Hz Adaptive-Sync, Height Adjustable, 3-Yr Zero Dead Pixels, Black/Red

This review is for the 34" CU34G2X UltraWide QHD 3440x1440 monitor. Used for about a week before writing this. This is the best monitor I've ever seen with my own eye's! The curve is perfect, not too much, not too little. It's really immersive for gaming in particular. And for reading online and working for long durations the curve still looks great and is not distracting. Looks amazing on its own, even without content! Solid metal stand and wide metal feet. Very sturdy. The metal feet have lots of solid, grippy rubber pads on them so it stays right where you put it. The screen isn't too glossy or too matte. The red trim is well placed and not over done. It looks very modern and professional, but still calls attention to itself like a gaming monitor should! Refresh rate does indeed go up to 144hz no problem in games and in Windows 10. Color reproduction is really good to my eyes. They include a printed sheet with the color calibration results for your specific monitor with serial number, so AOC really is going the extra mile to prove that these really are high-end monitors. This is a super low latency "VA" type panel. So it is the best looking panel type from a technical and color reproduction perspective. IPS panels traditionally had lower refresh rates than VA panels, but this monitor proves you can have the best looking VA panel type, AND super low 1ms refresh rates. Games look amazing in the ultra-wide format. Halo on PC for example actually gives you a full field of view with this monitor, same with Rocket League. So you do actually get an advantage in some games. You literally can see more of the field of play with the ultra-wide aspect ratio 21:9, than anyone else stuck on the 16:9 ratio that most 1080p or 4k monitors use. Brightness is great, even too bright at highest settings unless your in a really bright room. So that's nice to have if it's needed. All brightness and contrast settings and even gaming profiles are adjustable through physical buttons under the monitor, but also through the G-menu software. So using the G-menu software you don't need to fiddle with the physical controls of the monitor at all to fully adjust and control the monitors settings. G-menu even has hot-keys so you can change your monitor settings to different profiles almost instantly. You can download the G-menu software from AOC's support website. Make sure to use the included DisplayPort cable with this monitor. The HDMI ports don't have the same capabilities as the DisplayPort connectors. To get freesync, 144hz, and native 3440x1440 resolution all together; you MUST use either of the two DisplayPort connectors on this monitor. AND make sure your not just converting from HDMI at the source to DisplayPort. The source signal from your PC also needs to be DisplayPort. There is also a usb3.0 cable included. You can use it to hook it to your computer, then you can use the monitor as a USB 3.0 hub. Power Delivery is off by default on the USB 3.0 ports, but you can enable it via the monitors settings menu, or through the G-menu software. Amazing monitor, highly recommended.

When I first got the monitor hooked up, I did run into some issues. Not the monitors fault, but I'd like to share my experience in case anybody else is having the same issues. I have a GTX 1080ti, and when I rebooted my computer for the first time, I got a VGA error QLED light on my motherboard. After about 2 days of on and off tinkering, I learned i needed to update my GPU Firmware. Not the driver, but the firmware. So just a heads up if you're having that issue. Again, not the fault of the monitor whatsoever but just an incompatibility somebody else might experience. If you're using a newer card though you shouldn't have any problems. This is my first 1440p or Ultrawide, so my enamor at this monitor could definitely be that I didn't know what I was missing, but after tinkering with some picture settings (there is software to access the menu from windows if you hook up to USB) I found the picture and color to be good enough. I do mild amounts of video and photo editing, and color accuracy didn't seem like it was off in any noticable-to-me way.The slim bezel is good enough for my standards as well, and I like that it uses both a standard power cord straight to the monitor, and plain old HDMI and DisplayPort. I've also been working from home, and the extra screen width is so nice to have. I'm able to have 2 email accounts up and a text based web page, up on the left side of the screen, and on the right, a youtube video playing using a popout player extension, and a word or excel document. I highly recommend installing PowerToys from microsoft and setting up the fancy snap sections. If you're a gamer who is considering getting an ultrawide, this monitor is well worth it, at the $450 price point IF you can find it for that price. Plus a USB hub built in is always nice.

I rate this monitor three stars. It's big and spacious. You really get to see the 'whole picture' when gaming or just browing the web or multi-tasking. I was really excited to use this monitor when I got it. I've had it for a few weeks now and the biggest issue I have is the flickering. I've tried updating the drivers, changing the settings on the monitor, googling solutions but none of them work. It's a really good monitor but man the flickering is really damn annoying. Luckily it only happens with certain games and scenarios I'm just not sure what's really going on. The second problem I have with the monitor is that the buttons to configure the brightness, contrast and basically all the settings are underneath the monitor panel. They are really flat buttons too so you're really just touching and feeling and trying to figure out what you're about to press. Most of the time when I'm trying to open the Menu, I accidentally power off the monitor instead which is really annoying. I don't know why a $450 monitor doesn't come with a remote to access those settings, especially when you put the buttons in such a wildly inconvenient place. The buttons have pictures on the front of the monitor but because they're so dark and engraved you'll need a flashlight or to be in a really bright room to see them in the first place. If picture quality, flickering isn't an issue for you and you just want size to browse the web or big picture gaming this would be the way to go. Otherwise look for something else, it's just not worth the trouble. Update: Having owned it since May 2021, I'm bumping up from 3 stars to 5 despite adding to this review another issue. When the monitor loses power or turns off because you shut down or what have you some settings are lost. Specifically the Picture Boost which brings more color to the monitor. Combining this with the fact that I have to find the invisible buttons under the monitor to access the settings means this thing is quite literally a pain in the ass. If I could go back in time and stop myself I would have saved up and bought something that had a remote and memory system for my settings. But for the price I'm not sure you could get a curved ultrawide like this one so I'm going to say it's 5 stars for the price point. You get what you paid for.

This replaced my Dell 2716DG, a gsync 144hz 2560x1440p TN monitor. I had always wanted to get an ultrawide, but couldn't bring myself to spend more than 500 dollars. This monitor was released and had the features I wanted at the price point I wanted. As with most monitors, the secret sauce is in the settings. I've never had a monitor that didn't look better after some settings tweaks. This monitor has freesync instead of gsync. When I first used gsync in 2016 it became a must have feature. Then I built a new rig and moved from Windows 7 to 10. Windows sometimes breaks gsync, making the price premium for it no longer part of my purchasing decision. While this monitor isn't gsync certified you can enable it via the Nvidia control panel. At first I would get intermittent black screens that would last a few seconds with gsync enabled. Needless to say this was ruining my gaming experience, so I looked for a solution. First I downloaded new drivers from AOC's website and manually installed them. Problem persisted. Then I updated the driver on my 1080ti. Problem persisted. I tried using a program to change the freesync range which some people claimed helped. No dice. Finally I found a solution that worked: 1. Make sure freesync is set to ON in your monitor's onboard controls 2. Right click on the desktop and go to the Nvidia control panel 3. Set up gsync in "Set Up G-Sync" 4. Select Manage 3D settings. 5. Change "Monitor Technology" to Fixed Refresh 6. Select the "Program Settings" tab within manage 3D settings 7. Select the game you want to run 8. Change Monitor Technology to G-sync 9. Do this for every game you want to play with G-sync For some reason this works. No more black screens! My rig is Windows 10, 9900K, 1080ti with latest drivers. Coming from a TN the colors were a bit better, but it wasn't a life changing experience. Apparently my previous monitor was dialed in pretty good. The pixel response isn't as fast as my old TN, but after a few days I don't notice it anymore. If you aren't Mr. E-Sports tournament guy it won't matter. If you are that kind of guy you probably aren't even looking at this monitor as an option. Now for the bad. The monitor often needs more brightness. Even with brightness set at 100 I still find myself upping the brightness in game settings. If a game doesn't have a brightness slider you can use "Picture Boost" in the monitor's on board settings. This is a great option. So why put it in the bad section of the review? The monitor doesn't remember this setting when you turn it off. If you need it for a game you have to reset it every damn time. AOC needs to update their firmware to fix this. It's keeping this good monitor from being truly great. Every time I want to play Assault Android Cactus I have to mess with this. Not cool. Beyond the black screen workaround and the picture boost not being saved I'm happy with this monitor. It was great step up from my 27 inch TN, and now I can never go back to regular sized monitors. Size does matter. It will probably be another four years until a 4K with comparable features is released at a reasonable price. I won't be allowed to purchase another monitor until then since my sister in law dimed me out and pointed out to the wife my new toy. That's the last time she stays with us during her spring break.

If you've been wanting to make the plunge to 21:9 Ultrawide but don't want to spend 700 to a 1000 (entry, some are double the price), this is the monitor. I got mine for $370 on black friday, but the mid $400's they are current asking is still a steal. First off, the specs are out of this world and they hold true. 3440 x 1440p is the best resolution you can get without going 4k, and with 4k you need a proper rig to run games at decent FPS. Check your CPU tho, if it's older it might struggle a bit with this res, but not much. 1ms response time is pretty much best available, the 1500R curve is simply the best balance between a nice curve and not feeling like you are surrounded. It's not flat, but appears somewhat flat while viewing, but there's just the right amount of curve. The colors are nice, very accurate. Doesn't quite pop like an IPS panel, but it looks fantastic. Even in mid 2022, 1440p gaming is still considered the sweet spot unless you've got the budget for a $300 CPU and $1,200 GPU, not counting RAM, MOBO etc... The onboard controls could be a tad better, and are difficult in low light until you memorize the button patterns, but that is easily forgivable. The brightness is well bright, I never go over 70 even in a well lit room. Overall, I can't say enough about this monitor, AOC really hit it out of the park with this model. It's kind of been glossed over by the thousands upon thousands of dollars for an LG or Samsung, and that's a shame, because AOC should be praised for what they've done here. No dead pixels, everything has been beyond smooth, easily the best monitor I've ever owned, I'll NEVER go back to a flat panel. Oh and did I mention this thing is 34 inches? Most monitors with these specs are 1080p 27 flats, or maybe a 32 if your are lucky. As a gamer for over 20 years, I promise, do yourself a favor and pick this bad boy up.

This monitor checks all the boxes for a gaming monitor at a great price that also doubles as a productivity enhancing second screen for work. Curved display is functional at this width without being too severe. Default settings need to be adjusted for best display. I can easily have two browser windows open side by side without them being too narrow. Games look great. The first one only lasted 6 months. Powered up, but zero display. Not even the "no input" message window. AOC support said it was defective and it was covered under warranty, and instructed me to contact them via support form on their site (seems simple enough). I did so, and received an email asking for some info about the monitor. I responded, then nothing. I responded to the same email several times, and nothing. So I called back and was told to follow the same process. In the end, I had to call 4 additional times, and send another support form, which required me to resend all the same information. From the time the monitor broke to the time I finally got my shipping label it took almost 2 weeks. Once I finally received it, I needed to go to a UPS store and pay another $30 out of pocket to have the monitor boxed and sent back. The shipping was covered, but not the packaging. If only I knew I would need it 6 months later, I would have kept that enormous box it came in and saved myself $30. After I shipped it out it took 3 and a half weeks to then receive a replacement monitor. That amount of time isn't too bad considering, but it sure was a hassle to make it happen. So far the new monitor looks fine, no dead pixels. We'll see how long it lasts. In the end, I paid about $450 for a monitor that worked great for 6 months, then had to jump through a ton of hoops, deal with some seriously unfriendly support folks, pay more money out of pocket, then wait another few weeks to finally get back to where I started. It's a good monitor, but at this price, it's not worth taking the risk of getting a dud.

Wow... wow wow wow. Ever since I first switched to flat screen panels, I've always felt like they can never live up to the color reproduction or clarity of my old Sony Trinitron. It was a giant white plastic cube with flat glass that felt like it weighed more than I did, but that monitor has always been the gold standard for me. No flat screen I've used since has been able to match it. This is the first time a flat screen monitor hasn't left me feeling like the game I'm playing would have looked better on that Trinitron. This is also my first experience with a VA panel, or with a monitor this large in general, but I am honestly shocked by the quality of the image this monitor produces. You definitely need a video card with sufficient power and memory to get this monitor to do 144 hz.. I am using an 8-year old GTX 680 lightning and while it is still a capable card in some respects (I use it for an oculus rift with no problems) its 2Gb of VRAM lack the memory bandwidth required to push 3440 x 1440 at 144 hz. No worries here though, because I'm upgrading my card to a new Radeon 5700 xt with the money i saved by buying this direct from Amazon. (Amazon is the only retailer not price gouging and sells this monitor for 459$ when they have it in stock so be patient!) I will update my review after testing it with my new card because reviewing it without testing 144 hz at 1440 is premature, but right now I couldn't be happier. It's nice to be bottlenecked by my system for once. Considering your monitor is the peripheral that you spend all your time starting at, it should be as robust as the system you're pairing it with. This is my dream monitor and it feels good just looking over and seeing it on my desk even when it's turned off. I'm surprised no one has mentioned how classy and solid the stand seems or how clean the overall styling of the monitor itself is. The legs are a work of art and the stand goes up and down so smoothly.. it's impressively easy to lift up and down considering the weight of the monitor. This thing is far better engineered than the Asus, Dell or ViewSonic flatscreen monitors I've used in the past. Contrary to what I read in the reviews prior to my purchase, I was pleasantly surprised by the out of box settings. I thought I would have to tweak it a lot after reading the other reviews. This might only apply to the 34-inch version of this monitor since it's the flagship, and might be finer tuned than the other panels during production. It also arrived just as promised with no dead pixels.. and I love that the company offers a 3-year guarantee on that. Though I doubt I'll ever have to use it. I mentioned this above, but it's worth noting you can get this monitor for way less than the 900$ currently being demanded by some retailers. I think the high number of people stuck at home during quarantine upgrading their toys is driving prices up.. after almost buying this for 900$ I kept checking and sure enough Amazon got a couple in stock the other night for $459. They also had a few of the 32 inch non-curved displays for 259 but I went ahead and splurged. My wife gave me permission cuz it's my anniversary present... She's the best. Amazon shipped it to my door in just a couple days and I couldn't be happier. *Edit after upgrade to 5700 xt* 5/19/2020 Holy moly I'm in love with this monitor. The colors are wonderful and I can finally push this monitor to it's full 144 hz in a lot of games. It's worth noting a lot of older games don't scale to ultrawide very easily but if you mod Skyrim it's amazing to behold in 3440 x 1440.. especially at 144 hz. If you can get this monitor without being price gouged, jump on it.

Needing a replacement for my damaged ultrawide monitor, I picked this one as a step up. It's NOT full 4K, but given the 1)size, 2) curve, 3) relative price, this monitor seemed like a good value. Also, I have owned AOC (not the Congressperson) products before, so I was not expecting to be blown away or anything, and to have some complaints, but also I was expecting something that did the thing it was supposed to do. Quick takes: 1) Not an ultra-precise display for color or all viewing angles (I mean, if you need ULTRA perfect), but if you're looking for that, you wouldn't consider this price-point anyway 2) 100% great for general desktop use and gaming-- sitting at the center, color and brightness are uniform from edge-to-edge, and normally-imperceptible color variation from top-to-bottom (you will see it with some colors during a manual calibration, but not normally otherwise) 3) Be prepared to make a lot of adjustments to the monitor's settings in order to get the picture where you want it-- AOC does themselves a disservice shipping it the way it's set, as many out-of-the-box users are going to be confused and disappointed, I expect. So, out of the box, the monitor is pretty substantial-- it has a heft and build quality I'm used to seeing in more expensive monitors. Setup is as easy as you'd expect for any monitor these days. I used DisplayPort, but the monitor also has HDMI inputs also. Right away, though, I could see something was off about the monitor's settings, which isn't a huge deal, because you can just change the settings, right? Well, yes, but... this monitor insists on having the MOST HORRIFIC combo of on-screen display and small, identical-feeling, hidden control buttons. Getting around the OSD menu is a nightmare of accidentally exiting menus, turning the monitor off, and paranoia about pressing the wrong buttons. One thing, right off the bat, that was extra-confusing is that (despite what some of the listing info says above this monitor DOES have HDR). However, turning it on in Windows immediately makes the picture entirely washed out, giving me a new starting point to calibrate and to question the sanity/value of HDR (honestly, with it turned on in Windows and on the monitor, I can't see a big difference, but just some odd behavior in games sometimes.. not even sure why). I'm not a pro at calibration, but I get the basics and, walking through some online manual (as in, by-hand) calibrations, I both learned a lot about the display, and got the picture to a decent place-- it's annoying the default settings didn't start closer. I was able to get it to a place I like-- others have said things about the brightness, but I've had no issue-- I've had to turn my brightness down a bit to get it to a comfortable place. Anyway, I recommend it, just know what you're getting into.