If you happen to’re on the lookout for a high-contrast laptop monitor, there are two applied sciences that ship most dynamic vary: OLED and Mini LED. I’ve lined OLED screens earlier than, and whereas they’ve the deepest blacks of any flat panel, they will’t get as vibrant as some LCDs. For peak rankings over 1,000 nits, solely full-array native dimming (FALD) fashions can compete. And OLED burn-in continues to be a priority for a lot of customers on the lookout for the greatest gaming screens.
ViewSonic already impressed me with the XG321UG 32-inch flat display, and now, I’ve a curved instance of its Mini LED Elite line, the XG341C-2K. This 34-inch VA panel with WQHD (3440×1440) decision and 1500R curvature guarantees peaks of 1,400 nits in HDR mode together with 200 Hz operation, Adaptive-Sync and a large colour gamut. Let’s have a look.
ViewSonic Elite XG341C-2K Specs
| Panel Sort / Backlight | VA / Mini-LED |
| Full array – 1,152 dimming zones | |
| Display screen Dimension / Side Ratio | 34 inches / 21:9 |
| Curve radius: 1,500mm | |
| Max Decision & Refresh Fee | 3440×1440 @ 165 Hz |
| 200 Hz w/overclock | |
| FreeSync: 48-165 Hz | |
| G-Sync Suitable | |
| Native Shade Depth & Gamut | 8-bit / DCI-P3 |
| DisplayHDR 1400, HDR10 | |
| Response Time (MPRT) | 1ms |
| Brightness (mfr) | 750 nits SDR |
| 1,400 nits HDR | |
| Distinction (mfr) | 3,000:1 |
| Audio system | 2x 5w |
| Video Inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1.4 |
| 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-C | |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
| USB 3.2 | 1x up, 3x down |
| Energy Consumption | 68.7w, brightness @ 200 nits |
| Panel Dimensions | 31.8 x 18.9-23.7 x 15.1 inches |
| WxHxD w/base | (807 x 481-601 x 384mm) |
| Panel Thickness | 5.2 inches (132mm) |
| Bezel Width | High/sides: 0.3 inch (8mm) |
| Backside: 0.8 inch (20mm) | |
| Weight | 25 kilos (11.4kg) |
| Guarantee | 3 years |
It’s straightforward to surmise that top brightness ranks as Mini LED’s chief benefit, however the extra necessary side is its better variety of dimming zones. A standard 21:9 side FALD show may need 384 zones, however the XG341C-2K has 1,152. Relating to excessive distinction and HDR, the extra addressable zones, the higher. Self-emitting panels like OLED can dim each pixel, creating thousands and thousands of zones, however Mini LED is the following smartest thing. And don’t suppose it’s a distant second. In my expertise to this point, the hole in picture high quality is small. The XG341C-2K additionally ups the ante with a VA panel, beginning with 3,000:1 native distinction earlier than making use of dynamic dimming.
Along with excessive brightness, the colour gamut is in depth. In my exams, I measured solely a hair beneath 100% protection of DCI-P3. That places the XG341C-2K in a small group of extra colourful screens than most wide-gamut screens, which cowl round 90%. The one factor lacking on that entrance is an sRGB mode. Although most customers received’t have a problem, you’ll be utilizing the total gamut for all content material, SDR and HDR alike.
The XG341C-2K additionally delivers gaming efficiency with a 200 Hz overclock mode, considerably bettering from the native price of 165 Hz. You additionally get Adaptive-Sync and blur discount, which ViewSonic calls Pure XP. It’s a backlight strobe with a number of settings, so you will discover the proper stability between smoothness and brightness. A five-level overdrive additionally works with AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync to scale back blur. The monitor carries FreeSync Premium Professional certification and I verified G-Sync operation in my exams. The XG341C-2K has not been licensed by Nvidia.
Distinction is the XG341C-2K’s forte, and with dimming disengaged, it hit practically 4,000:1 in testing. With dimming turned on, the dynamic vary is infinite for each SDR and HDR content material. The dimming has 5 ranges of aggressiveness to seek out simply the proper setting to your surroundings. This function actually ups each picture’s depth and pop, whether or not transferring or static, SDR or HDR.
The XG341C-2K is a premium product, however it isn’t fairly as costly as its predecessors. The closest instance is Acer’s Predator X35 which sells for over $2,000. The ViewSonic is available in at round $1,500. Curiously, that’s the identical worth as Samsung’s Neo G8, which presents comparable brightness and distinction with 240 Hz operation. The selection will come right down to decision and dimension. The ViewSonic’s ultra-wide display is tough to disregard.
Meeting and Equipment
The Elite XG341C-2K ships in a big clamshell carton with plenty of protecting materials inside. Sadly, it’s the crumbly stuff, so maintain a vacuum useful when unpacking. The upright and enormous base are stable steel and mated with a captive bolt. The panel then snaps in place. If you happen to’d slightly use a monitor arm, there’s a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included. The facility provide is inner, so that you’ll discover an IEC energy wire within the field. You additionally get USB-A/B, USB-C, DisplayPort and HDMI cables.
Product 360
Picture 1 of 5
The XG341C-2K sports activities a slim flush bezel of 8mm across the high and sides. On the backside is a wider trim strip with Elite silk-screened within the heart. On the proper is a tiny energy LED that glows blue when the facility is on and orange in standby mode. ViewSonic is printed on the bottom in small letters, and there aren’t any different graphics or bodily options to distract from the gameplay expertise.
You’ll discover a single joystick management that covers all monitor features within the again. It really works a bit of otherwise than others I’ve used. Urgent it toggles the facility, however as soon as on, urgent it once more turns it off slightly than displaying the OSD (you click on up or right down to entry the OSD). As soon as within the menu, don’t press the joystick since it should energy off. I made that mistake just a few instances earlier than adapting to those peculiarities. Additionally within the again is the Elite RGB lighting function with its 4 subtle strips that glow in all colours of the spectrum with 4 totally different results accessible.
The stand is fantastically styled and completed in a matte black powder coat. The bottom and upright are slender however rock stable. The bottom is sort of deep, with the panel set effectively ahead. On a typical desk, you’ll end up about two ft from the display if you happen to push the bottom all the best way again. The panel sits excessive sufficient that I may make it completely vertical and heart my eyepoint. That’s my most popular option to play on a curved monitor as a result of it retains extra of the picture centered at any given time.
Within the final picture above, you’ll be able to see the XG341C-2K’s curve of 1500R. This can be a good stability between immersion and picture distortion. You’ll be able to count on a traditional laptop monitor expertise when engaged on spreadsheets or writing duties. And it’s superb for picture modifying and net looking too.
The enter panel is totally stocked with two HDMI 2.1, a DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C, which might help peripherals or emulate DisplayPort. Moreover, there are three downstream USB-A and a single upstream USB-B port. A 3.5mm headphone jack helps audio from both DisplayPort or HDMI streams and there are two inner audio system that play with cheap quantity earlier than sounding distorted.
OSD Options
The XG341C-2K’s OSD has a business-like look that is freed from graphics. An virtually retro-styled font delivers all the data vital to be used. To open it, click on the joystick up or down. Don’t press it, or the facility will flip off. Ask me how I do know.
Picture 1 of 12
There are six sub-menus which might be effectively organized, although quite a lot of comfort options have been grouped into the setup menu on the finish.
We begin with Sport Modes, of which there are 10. I solely wanted the default, Customized 1, to run my exams and use the XG341C-2K for each work and leisure. What you received’t discover is an sRGB mode. All image modes use the total native gamut, which covers practically 100% of DCI-P3. That’s colourful to make sure, however not fully correct for SDR content material. Customized 1 makes all different image controls accessible.
The Show menu has gaming choices like a FreeSync (Adaptive-Sync) toggle, HDR modes, native dimming, Pure XP (blur discount) overclocking to 200 Hz, overdrive, and colour controls. There are just a few caveats to notice right here. If you wish to run at 200 Hz, you’ll be able to’t have Adaptive-Sync or Pure XP. To make use of these, 165 Hz is the restrict. And Pure XP works as a substitute of Adaptive-Sync. In follow, the XG341C-2K is a 165 Hz monitor, which isn’t essentially a foul factor. 200 Hz doesn’t present an enormous bump in velocity, however I’ll cowl that within the response and lag exams. Additional particulars on video processing choices will be discovered within the Gaming & Fingers-on part beneath.
You’ll be able to select from 4 colour temp presets or regulate the RGB values for image tweaks. Six gamma choices vary from 1.8 (mild) to 2.8 (darkish). Shade saturation can also be adjustable, and you may increase the black stage if shadow element is obscured. Picture Regulate is the place the brightness and distinction controls are, and there’s a sharpness possibility that ought to be lowered, because the default setting creates noticeable edge enhancement.
Three HDR modes interact robotically when an HDR10 sign is current. DisplayHDR is the only option, offering an outstanding picture with deep blacks and vibrant punchy highlights. HDR is clearly the XG341C-2K’s forte.
The following menu, ViewMode, alters the image additional relying on the Sport Mode chosen. I like to recommend leaving that one alone as a result of if you happen to begin tweaking it, there are a whole bunch of potential combos, most of them poor. Customized 1 and Commonplace are the most effective choices.
The Setup Menu has 4 screens of choices like aiming factors (three shapes in three colours), RGB lighting, USB energy, and OSD settings. The joystick can have its left and proper clicks set to a number of features for fast entry. Right here, you’ll discover a PIP and PBP possibility that allows you to view two video sources concurrently. On the final display, the Reminiscence Recall possibility resets the XG341C-2K to its manufacturing facility defaults.
ViewSonic Elite XG341C-2K Calibration Settings
The XG341C-2K confirmed me a cool grayscale and darkish gamma throughout preliminary testing, indicating that it wants calibration for the most effective picture. That is simply completed by tweaking the RGB values and altering the gamma preset to 2.0. The colour gamut shouldn’t be adjustable, so that you’ll at all times see round 100% of DCI-P3 (over 140% of sRGB), even in SDR mode. There isn’t a sRGB setting. In HDR mode, there aren’t any image choices save the three preset image modes that look very comparable. I like to recommend the default, DisplayHDR. The one different nitpick is that you just’ll want to modify the native dimming on and off manually. You’ll need it for HDR however not at all times for SDR because it makes the image very vibrant. My beneficial SDR settings are beneath.
| Image Mode | Commonplace |
| Brightness 200 nits | 17 |
| Brightness 120 nits | 7 |
| Brightness 100 nits | 4 |
| Brightness 80 nits | 2 (min. 72 nits) |
| Distinction | 70 |
| Gamma | 2 |
| Shade Temp Person | Purple 97, Inexperienced 99, Blue 100 |
Gaming and Fingers-on
With its 1500R curvature, the XG341C-2K is effectively fitted to work and productiveness. There isn’t a seen picture distortion, even when sitting nearer than three ft away. And the 109ppi pixel density is ideal for element and superb traces. I by no means noticed any jaggies or pixelation in graphics or when rendering small fonts. In follow, a 34-inch 21:9 monitor is almost the dimensions of two 27-inch 16:9 screens, and also you don’t have a line down the center.
Although the colour gamut is bigger than SDR’s sRGB customary, the additional saturation isn’t an issue except you want accuracy for picture work. The image has a pleasant glow with deep blacks and loads of depth for typical duties. The textual content is straightforward to learn in opposition to white backgrounds, and if you happen to activate the native dimming in SDR mode, the image turns into very vibrant. It may be an excessive amount of for lengthy work periods, however your expertise could fluctuate from mine.
Switching forwards and backwards between HDR and SDR revealed just a few quirks. The XG341C-2K goes to HDR with out a problem. However returning to SDR, the monitor remained caught in HDR mode, which distorted the colour palette considerably. I needed to manually flip off HDR, that means the following time I needed to view HDR content material, I needed to re-engage it within the OSD. So, in its present kind, it doesn’t swap forwards and backwards robotically.
The identical is true of the native dimming. If you wish to use it for SDR, you’re good. It should stay engaged for SDR and HDR on a regular basis. However if you happen to’d slightly swap it off for SDR, you could flip it on after switching to HDR mode and again off when returning to SDR.
One other factor I seen is that turning on Adaptive-Sync grays out the brightness management, which is uncommon. The set white stage is larger than 200 nits, settling in round 275. If you happen to work in a darkish room, the XG341C-2K can be fairly vibrant with Adaptive-Sync engaged.
These experiments took me to gaming, the place I attempted just a few totally different video processing choices. My expertise has proven that beneath 200fps, you want Adaptive-Sync. That isn’t an issue because the XG341C-2K runs it as much as 165 Hz. Nonetheless, at 200 Hz, Adaptive-Sync is off the desk. In follow, if you happen to can maintain body charges near 200, it isn’t important. However you’ll want a quick video card to run 200fps at 3440×1440. I used to be ready to do that with a GeForce RTX 3090. I selected to forego Adaptive-Sync since movement is a bit smoother at 200 Hz vs 165 Hz. In both case, the overdrive did an honest job holding artifacts at bay. Although I noticed some black ghosting in take a look at patterns, it didn’t come up throughout gameplay.
If you happen to’re tempted to attempt Pure XP, you’ll discover that its phasing artifact is outstanding sufficient to be a distraction. In equity, only a few screens have an excellent backlight strobe. Practically all present further traces behind transferring objects. I didn’t use it after my preliminary trial.
Enjoying Doom Everlasting, I regarded for accuracy in aiming and response when clicking the mouse. I acquired ample portions of each. I had no hassle working by way of acquainted maps shortly and dispatching enemies in massive numbers. The XG341C-2K is a really correct monitor for transferring and capturing. It additionally introduced an outstanding HDR picture with wealthy, daring colour and super-low black ranges. The Mini LED and its 1152 dimming zones assist this monitor impressively impersonate an OLED panel. HDR distinction right here is among the many greatest I’ve seen.
I additionally noticed better-than-average audio. The inner audio system are distortion-free as much as a fairly loud quantity and clearly current ambient sound and dialog. Although I desire headphones for the most effective expertise, these would do effectively in a pinch.
Regardless of just a few further steps in switching between HDR and SDR, the XG341C-2K proved to be a wonderful gaming device that can go well with players of all ability ranges as much as competing professionals. Listed below are my beneficial settings for SDR and HDR gaming.
- FreeSync Premium Professional – on for 165 Hz, off for 200 Hz (depending on video card velocity)
- Native Dimming – off for SDR, stage 2 for HDR
- HDR mode – DisplayHDR
- Overdrive – Quick (setting 3 of 5)
MORE: Greatest Gaming Displays
MORE: How We Check PC Displays