VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Gaming Monitor Review

The VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Monitor is designed for immersive gaming, with a 3000:1 crisp contrast ratio (3,000,000:1 Dynamic), 99% SRGB, and HDR Ready 300cd/m2 brightness. And, unlike 1800R monitors, the 1500R curved VA screen wraps around you for a wider field of vision.

SKU: VIOTEK-GNV34DB2-MON Category: Monitors

The pixel density of a WQHD display (3440×1440) on VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Gaming Monitor is 2.5 times that of a full-HD panel. Images are very bright, clear, and razor-sharp. It’s ideal for gaming or binge-watching movies and television programs.

GAMEPLAY IS FLAWLESSLY SMOOTH: Winning characteristics keep you on top of your game: Adaptive Sync (compatible with FreeSync and G-SYNC), a display refresh rate of 100Hz, and a reaction time of 6ms are all features. Add in GAME PLUS crosshairs for pinpoint precision, and you’ve got a winning combination.

BIG SCREEN, BIG FEATURES: Display more information simultaneously with a 3-screen split and Picture-in-Picture (PIP). Connect a video gaming console, streaming device, PC, or laptop to the three HDMI and one DisplayPort connector.

Get lost in the game: The VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Monitor is designed for immersive gaming, with a 3000:1 crisp contrast ratio (3,000,000:1 Dynamic), 99% SRGB, and HDR Ready 300cd/m2 brightness. And, unlike 1800R monitors, the 1500R curved VA screen wraps around you for a wider field of vision.

Best-in-class support: We don’t mess around with dead pixels. You won’t either! Our Zero-Tolerance Dead Pixel Policy and 3-Year Limited Warranty cover all new Viotek gaming PC displays. Customer service is only available in the United States.

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My Honest VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Gaming Monitor Review

I’ve had this monitor for a little over a month now, and I must say that I’m really happy with the quality for the price. However, this is the price for a reason, and some corners have been cut, but they are likely to be sacrifices that most consumers are ready to accept in exchange for savings.

The Positive/Expected

As far as I know, this monitor has a Samsung VA panel, and the image quality is fairly good right out of the box. Because it’s a VA panel, the contrast ratio should be near 3000:1 out of the box, which is quite a good increase over an IPS or TN panel, in my experience. One of the best-looking monitors I’ve ever used right out of the box, and I usually skimp on displays (a strange habit considering I bought an OLED TV). I don’t have a calibration tool, but the reds are slightly oversaturated, the blues and greens appear slightly undersaturated, the white point is great, and the gamma is likewise perfect (about 2.2 based on the lagom website’s calibration test). Don’t put too much stock in the color performance I’ve provided; if you don’t purchase precalibrated displays or have never calibrated a monitor before, the out-of-the-box performance will certainly wow you. However, the matte coating isn’t the best, leaving individual pixels visible, which is surprising given the quality. It’s simple to adjust and only apparent in strong, vivid colors. Viewing angles are also typical for a VA panel. Significantly superior to TN, but not as excellent as IPS. The picture distorts considerably better than TN since it’s almost just a color shift and isn’t too extreme. The monitor’s small curvature mitigates color shift concerns at the corners. However, they will persist to varying degrees depending on your distance from the screen.

So, how does VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Monitor fare in terms of gaming? Although input latency feels amazing, it is seldom a problem with displays. I upgraded from a 144hz 1440p TN panel, and although the reduced 100hz refresh rate is obvious, it doesn’t upset me nearly as much as I expected. If you’ve only used 60hz, you’re in for a treat. Motion blur/ghosting is a common issue with VA panels; this monitor is no exception. The overdrive option is not enabled by default on display. I HIGHLY suggest setting this to the top choice since it has no obvious overshoot (for those unfamiliar with the word, it’s similar to inverse ghosting, which may seem much weirder) and greatly improves motion performance. Smearing is visible on near-black to near-white transitions even with this option enabled. If ghosting is a serious irritant for you, you should avoid VA panels and instead go for TN or high-end IPS.

So far, everything seems to be precisely what you’d anticipate and hope for from a name-brand display. Excellent out-of-the-box performance with all desired parameters (including freesync/gsync). So, where did the corners get cut?

The Not-So-Great about VIOTEK GNV34DB2 Monitor

So, in this panel, let’s discuss freesync/gsync. It generally works, which is a good thing! Where it’s terrible, it isn’t very pleasant. The issue is that the display has irregularity in brightness, or “flickering,” inside a specified range of its free sync window. You’ll see the brightness discrepancy when your game runs between 48-54 fps (or when your frame times rise to this range, which isn’t unusual, particularly at this resolution!). It took some time to find out what was making this thing tick, but once I did, I didn’t have too much trouble working around it. One of the biggest advantages of free sync/gsync is that you may lock your games to whatever framerate you can maintain consistency, making it appear buttery smooth. So, if I have a game that is often spiking to frame times that low, I use RTSS to lock the game at 45 or 46 FPS. This activates LFC (or inadequate framerate compensation) for both Nvidia and AMD, implying that freesync/gsync will continue to function outside its stated range. So, it works, but it’s an annoyance and possibly a deal breaker for people who aren’t patient or educated enough to find it out and work around it. So, what else is wrong with this monitor?

It’s not a big deal, but the tuning choices on display are limited. You’ll have to do it in software if you want a completely calibrated screen. Again, most users will be satisfied with the out-of-the-box performance; thus, it is only a concern for those who wish to faultless color performance.

Additional Information

I have my switch dock connected to this, which upscales to the right height while maintaining the aspect ratio (there are other scaling choices if you don’t want that). Despite being an incredibly poor switch monitor (most switch games are under 1080p, upscaled to 1080p by the switch, then upscaled to 1440p by the monitor), the visual quality is about as excellent as you can expect. The contrast ratio contributes significantly to the image’s sharpness.

I weighed VIOTEK GNV34DB2 gaming monitor without the stand since the weight of this item seems to be a mystery, and it’s a little under 15 pounds. It works well on my twin monitor VESA mount, which holds up to 17 pounds, and is linked here for anyone interested in seeing something that will work. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077X9Z7MT

Because the power source is built into the monitor, there is no need for a power brick beneath your desk. The display also does not grow too hot to the touch. It’s always a bonus.

If you want to overclock this, you’re out of luck. DisplayPort 1.2 is used by the display, and 3440×1440 @100hz is close to the standard’s bandwidth maximum. You’ll get artifacts if you go a few hertz higher. You may be able to overclock at a lower, non-native resolution, but I didn’t attempt it.

I attempted to be as comprehensive as possible with my evaluation since genuinely detailed reviews are few. I hope this helps someone out there make an informed choice. Despite the flaws, I strongly suggest this monitor for the money ($400).

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Product Brand

Viotek

Product Manufacturer

VIOTEK