The Best Curved Monitor For Every Budget

Curved monitors have rapidly captured the imagination of the majority of gaming and non-gaming users. Once an enthusiast product category, curved monitors now compete head to head with flat-screen monitors. Choosing the best curved monitor for your budget requires striking a perfect balance between features and price. Thankfully, there are plenty of options on the market today, including the following suggestions.

Tip: if you are shopping for a new monitor, you may want to determine whether a curved or flat monitor will meet your needs better.

1. Best Overall: BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R

Price: $749.99

The best overall pick must provide the most value without skimping on essentials and costing too much. The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R satisfies these conditions and then some. You get an ultrawide 34-inch IPS screen with a QHD 3440 x 1440 resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate, so gamers and creative professionals alike have nothing to complain about. Moreover, you even get decent built-in speakers, saving you a few bucks.

Tech Specs

• 34-inch 8-bit IPS panel with 3440 x 1440 resolution
• 1900R curve
• 144 Hz refresh rate
• 1ms MPRT response time
• 2.1 channel speaker and subwoofer
• AMD FreeSync Premium
• Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DP 1.4, 2 x USB 3.0

Pros

• Great mix of features for the price
• Highly responsive gaming performance
• Built-in 2.1 speakers, rarely seen in other models
• Decent HDR brightness of 400 nits
• Intelligent brightness and HDR control

Cons

• Thick chin to accommodate the speakers
• Dismal SDR max brightness of 200 nits
• Lower contrast ratio than other IPS models
• No NVIDIA G-Sync
• Only height and tilt adjustability

2. Best Ultra Budget: AOC CQ27G2

Price: $259.99

The AOC CQ27G2 is an impressive curved monitor for those hunting for an economical option. It’s 27 inches, putting it on the smaller end of curved monitors. However, you still get a 1440p (2560 x 1440) resolution and a VA panel for those deep blacks. Moreover, it offers excellent gaming performance for the price and can also be used for work and multimedia viewing.

Tech Specs

• 27-inch 8-bit VA panel, 2550 x 1440 resolution
• 144 Hz refresh rate
• 1500R curve
• 1ms MPRT response time
• AMD FreeSync Premium
• Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DP 1.2, 3.5mm headphone jack

Pros

• Great value for the money
• Impressive blacks for good dark-room performance
• Low input lag for responsive gaming
• Great ergonomics, especially for the price, with tilt, swivel, and height adjustability
• Accurate colors despite a VA panel

Cons

• Less than ideal brightness of 250 nits
• No HDR
• Average viewing angles

Good to know: you can check your monitor’s refresh rate using one of several websites.

3. Best Budget Gaming: Gigabyte G34WQC

Price: $379.99

The Gigabyte G34WQC is a great ultrawide option for gamers looking to spend a bit more. It sports a large 34-inch screen, ideal for immersive gaming and multitasking. The VA panel is responsive, delivers impressive blacks, and packs a 144 Hz refresh rate for excellent gaming sessions. There are some ergonomic compromises, but overall, you’re getting a great deal for the price.

Tech Specs

• 34-inch 8-bit VA panel, 3440 x 1440 resolution
• 144 Hz refresh rate
• 1500R curve
• 1ms MPRT response time
• AMD FreeSync Premium
• 2 x 2w speakers
• 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DP 1.4, 3.5mm headphone jack

Pros

• Great deal for the price
• High contrast ratio, thanks to the VA panel
• High SDR peak brightness of 380 nits
• High HDR peak brightness of 500 nits
• Accurate colors and great reflection handling
• Better-than-average design

Cons

• Only height and tilt adjustability
• Some users may feel the stand is too low
• No KVM control to switch between devices, unlike Gigabyte’s M-series models

4. Best Premium Gaming: Samsung Odyssey G7 32″ WQHD

Price: $674.99

Samsung’s Odyssey series gaming monitors brought fresh air when they first debuted. The Odyssey G7 32″ QHD is an easy recommendation in the mid-range segment. With a blistering-fast 240 Hz VA panel and an aggressive 1000R curve, you’re sure to be impressed. It might not have the mini LED backlighting of the newer Neo G7, but at around half the price, it’s hard to fault it for that. The Odyssey G7 brings high-end gaming to a relatively affordable price point.

Tech Specs

• 32-inch 10-bit (8-bit+FRC) VA panel, 2560 x 1440 resolution
• 240 Hz refresh rate
• 1000R curve
• 1ms MPRT response time
• AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• 2 x 2w speakers
• Ports: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DP 1.4, 3 x USB3.0, 5mm headphone jack

Pros

• 1000R curve for high immersion
• Excellent calibration out of the box
• Excellent contrast ratio and reflection handling for dark-room gaming
• Low input lag and response time
• High peak HDR brightness of 600 nits
• Great ergonomics with height, tilt, swivel, and clockwise rotation

Cons

• Poorly-implemented local dimming
• 1000R curve can feel too aggressive to some users
• No speakers, considering the price

Tip: these AMD motherboards are also great options for anyone building a new gaming PC.

5. Best Premium Productivity: LG 49WL95C-WY

Price: $889

For professionals who want to push multitasking to the limit, the LG 49WL95C-WY is the answer. Featuring a massive 49-inch screen with a subtle 3800R curve, you can make this display your work-from-home hub. Focused on productivity, this monitor also sports 85W power delivery through USB-C and 10W speakers. This might be your ultimate workplace centerpiece with an elegant design and exceptional color accuracy.

Tech Specs

• 49-inch 10-bit IPS panel, 5120 x 1440 resolution
• 60 Hz refresh rate
• 3800R curve
• 5ms MPRT response time
• 2 x 10w speakers
• 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DP 1.4, 4 x USB3.0, 1 x USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack

Pros

• Massive screen with high resolution and great sRGB accuracy
• Can charge other devices with a USB-C port
• Highly impressive speakers
• Above average HDR peak brightness of 400 nits
• Premium build quality
• Great height adjustability

Cons

• Weak HDR performance because of no wide color gamut
• Terrible tilt and swivel range
• 60 Hz refresh rate may disappoint at this price point

6. Best High-End Gaming: Samsung Odyssey G9

Price: $1229.98

When the Samsung Odyssey G9 first came out, it looked like something out of the future. An ultrawide 240 Hz, 49-inch screen wraps around your vision due to the 1000R curve. The pure-white build of the monitor looks highly premium, and the incredibly bright and fast VA panel delivers an exceptional HDR experience. Despite its high asking price, it even offers a breadth of gaming-oriented features to provide great value.

Tech Specs

• 49-inch 10-bit VA panel, 5120 x 1440 resolution
• 240 Hz refresh rate
• 1000R curve
• 1ms MPRT response time
• 2 x 10w speakers
• 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DP 1.4, 3 x USB3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack
• FreeSync Premium Pro

Pros

• Larger-than-life gaming with a ridiculously large, curved display
• Top-of-the-line design with tasteful RGB, removable back cover, cable management, and a headphone stand
• 240 Hz refresh rate, low input lag, and fast response time for highly responsive gaming
• 1000 nits peak HDR brightness for top-tier HDR performance
• Accurate colors without calibration

Cons

• 240 Hz is only achievable with GPUs supporting Display Stream Compression
• Local dimming is unusable, unlike the Odyssey Neo G9, which has mini LED backlighting
• Not ideal for dark-room gaming
• No speakers

Tip: when you buy a monitor, you may want to check whether it is compatible with your docking station.

7. Best High-End OLED Gaming: Dell Alienware AW3423DW

Price: $1299.99

The first implementation of QD-OLED technology in gaming monitors produced the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. Dell’s high-end gaming monitor combines the perfect blacks of OLED technology with the brightness and color variety of quantum dot displays. The result is a near-perfect gaming experience at high-refresh rates with an almost lag-free response time. Dell even offers a three-year warranty against the dreaded OLED burn-in.

Tech Specs

• 34-inch 10-bit QD-OLED panel, 3440x 1440 resolution
• 175 Hz refresh rate
• 1800R curve
• 0.1ms MPRT response time
• 2 x 10w speakers
• 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DP 1.4, 5 x USB3.0, 2 x 3.5mm headphone jack
• G-Sync Ultimate

Pros

• OLED’s Infinite contrast produces inky blacks in dark rooms
• Unbeatable HDR performance with 1000 nits peak brightness
• Large color gamut thanks to the quantum dot layer
• Jaw-dropping motion handling and response time
• Premium and minimalist design with excellent build quality

Cons

• Reduced contrast in bright conditions
• Color fringing with some text and around windows
• No native FreeSync, although it works

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I look for in a quality curved monitor?

When comparing curved monitors, you want to consider all of the normal technical specs of a monitor, like the resolution, aspect ratio, and refresh rate. The higher these ratings, the better your monitor’s performance will be.

However, another unique consideration of curved monitors is the viewing angle and monitor curvature. These ratings help you determine how far away you need to sit from the screen for optimum viewing. Without the proper setup, you won’t get the full view of a curved monitor.

What are the cons of a curved monitor?

One major con of curved monitors is that you must sit directly in front of the screen to avoid image distortion. While gaming or working alone may not be an issue for you, it can prevent your friends and family from getting a good view of the screen. Some curved displays are not ideal for co-op gaming due for this reason. Compared to flat monitors, curved monitors generally suffer from image distortion if you sit at less-than-ideal angles from the screen.

Is 1000R or 1500R more curved?

The “R” next to the curvature number refers to the circle’s radius that will be formed if you stack multiple monitors of the same model together. A 1000R curved monitor, when placed next to others of the same type, will form a circle with a radius of 1000mm, whereas the radius for a similar circle of 1500R monitors would be 1500mm. Hence, the lower the “R” number of a curved monitor, the more curved it will be.

What is the best size for a curved monitor?

It’s recommended that you get a curved monitor at least 32 or 34 inches wide if you want to fully perceive the curved screen’s effects. The wider a curved monitor is, the better the depth perception and peripheral effects you’ll experience. Curved monitors measuring 27 inches or lower have an imperceptible curve in most cases and might not be the best choice.

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