Gigabyte G34WQCP: An excellent budget ultrawide monitor

This $350 ultrawide earns high marks in SDR brightness, contrast, and color performance.

- MATTHEWS. SMITH

Almost a year has passed since PCWorld reviewed the Gigabyte GS34WQC (fave. co/3ZEvCjD), 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.

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: 3440×1440 Panel type: VA

Refresh rate: Up to 180Hz

Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium

HDR: Yes, VESA DisplayHDR 400 Certified

Ports: 2× HDMI 2.0, 2× DisplayPort 1.4, 1× 3.5mm headphone

VESA mount: 100×100mm

Speakers: 2× 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.

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.