Once rare, stunning ultrawide computer monitors—some of them curved—are now the tech-lust magnets in most display makers’ product lines. Designed to give discriminating office users, content creators, and gamers a more spacious, immersive view, they deliver eye-popping visuals or simply more room to work. This extra horizontal screen space, however, benefits the professional, gaming, and productivity worlds in differing ways. At PCMag, our analysts have been testing displays for decades. We have independently reviewed dozens of ultrawides since their inception, subjecting each to a rigorous testing regimen. Our current overall top choice in ultrawide monitors, the HP E45c G5, is a large-screen productivity display; the additional favorites we highlight here include the best ultrawide gaming, home-office, creative-pro, and general-purpose monitors that have visited PC Labs. We test them all for vitals such as screen brightness, contrast, color coverage, and input lag, as well as usability and value.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best Ultrawide Productivity Monitor Overall
HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor
Pros & Cons
Bright
Full sRGB color coverage
Two USB-C ports provide up to 100W USB power delivery
USB-A hub
165Hz refresh rate
Unique software, including KVM functionality
Intuitive mini joystick controller
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
44.5 inches
Native Resolution
5120 by 1440
Aspect Ratio
32:9
Screen Technology
VA
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
3,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
165 Hz
Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync
Video Inputs
USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
4
VESA DisplayHDR Level
N/A
Dimensions (HWD)
20.5 by 42.7 by 12.1 inches
Weight
32 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Why We Picked It
The HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor, a 45-inch ultrawide productivity monitor, renders a bright image with full sRGB color coverage. The E45c is a good replacement for a dual-QHD-monitor setup thanks to its virtual features that emulate twin displays. The E45c also has good ergonomics for an ultrawide monitor. Its range of connection choices includes Ethernet, dual USB-C ports that provide up to 100 watts of power delivery, four USB-A downstream ports, DisplayPort, and HDMI.
Who It’s For
The HP E45c G5 is a great fit for either a traditional office setting or a home office. Its screen isn’t quite as wide as the more common 49-inch monitors we have reviewed, but it may be easier to find room for in a home office or other place where space is at a premium.
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HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor Review
Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor Overall
Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 QD OLED Gaming Monitor
Pros & Cons
Excellent color gamut results
Unique, useful lighting feature
Attractive design
Plenty of connectivity options
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
34 inches
Native Resolution
3440 by 1440
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Screen Technology
OLED
Rated Screen Luminance
250 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1,000,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
175 Hz
Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, HDMI
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
4
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 400
Dimensions (HWD)
21.8 by 32 by 11.6 inches
Weight
19.4 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Why We Picked It
With an appealing cabinet design and a jumbo ultrawide OLED panel, the Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 is a top-notch monitor that will delight gamers seeking the best available display. It costs quite a bit, but it’s money well spent—it beat out several similar displays for our top recommendation in this category. The Evnia delivers excellent SDR and HDR image quality, with very accurate colors and wide color-gamut support.
Who It’s For
The Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 doesn’t come cheap, but it is an outstanding ultrawide gaming monitor and a good choice for anyone seeking a large-screen curved OLED panel. Its eye-catching design and modestly curved 34-inch screen with a gorgeous color range make it easy to overlook some of the display’s minor issues, such as longer-than-ideal input lag.
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Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 QD OLED Gaming Monitor Review
Best Value-Priced Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Cooler Master GM34-CWQ ARGB
Pros & Cons
Attractive design
Great color results out of the box
Solid contrast ratio
Affordable price
RGB lights must be plugged in to work
Limited height adjustment
Sensitive OSD joystick
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
34 inches
Native Resolution
3440 by 1440
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Screen Technology
VA
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
4000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync Premium
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, HDMI
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
4
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 400
Dimensions (HWD)
17.1 by 31.7 by 10.8 inches
Weight
21.8 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Why We Picked It
Cooler Master, a newcomer to the display market, has put the cool into the GM34-CWQ ARGB, a 34-inch curved panel. Sporting a minimalist aesthetic, the display rocks a thin black bezel atop a hexagonal base, complete with customizable ARGB lighting. The GM34-CWQ ARGB is a vertical alignment (VA) ultrawide display with 3,440-by-1,440-pixel resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. It offers low input lag and a great color range for a competitive price.
Who It’s For
This 34-inch monitor gives you vivid colors, a bright HDR mode, and snappy performance at a price that won’t put you in the poorhouse. The Cooler Master’s 1500R curve provides an immersive ultra-wide gaming experience, while its clean design, stylish base, and ARGB lighting will earn aesthetes’ approval.
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Cooler Master GM34-CWQ ARGB Review
Best High-End Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9
Pros & Cons
Dazzling OLED display
Exceptional color-gamut coverage and color accuracy
Samsung’s gaming and media hub included
Sleek, thin design
A whopper of a price
Few I/O ports
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
49 inches
Native Resolution
5120 by 1440
Aspect Ratio
32:9
Screen Technology
OLED
Rated Screen Luminance
250 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1,000,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
Video Inputs
HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
2
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 400
Dimensions (HWD)
20.8 by 47.0 by 9.3 inches
Weight
28.4 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year
Why We Picked It
The slim, feature-rich Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a feast for the eyes and the 32:9 aspect-ratio curved monitor to beat for immersive PC gaming. Its slim, sleek frame, paired with a gorgeous OLED panel, means that this 49-inch curved monitor is sure to impress even the staunchest of ultrawide naysayers. The OLED G9 has exceptional color accuracy and color-gamut coverage for a gaming monitor, not to mention the magnificent contrast that’ve come to expect from an OLED screen. It is also a smart monitor, which means it has access to Samsung’s online gaming hub, as well as other media features you might see on Samsung TVs, including plenty of streaming apps. If money’s not an object and you need to go big and broad, then the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is the monitor to beat.
Who It’s For
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9’s rarified price puts it out of reach of most casual gamers; it’s geared to super-ultrawide (32:9 aspect ratio) aficionados who are into as immersive a flight-sim or racing experience as they can get. Add in some OLED frosting, near-perfect color-gamut coverage and color accuracy, and high contrast ratio, and the recipe is perfect. Just be prepared to shell out some big bucks for this 49-inch curved behemoth.
Learn More
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Review
Best Very Large Ultrawide Monitor for General Use
Philips Brilliance 499P9H
Pros & Cons
Immense ultra-wide screen with 5K horizontal resolution.
Bright image.
Good color fidelity.
Supports HDR.
USB-C power delivery.
Built-in KVM switch.
On the pricey side.
Buttons, instead of joystick, for OSD control.
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
49 inches
Native Resolution
5120 by 1440
Aspect Ratio
32:9
Screen Technology
VA
Rated Screen Luminance
450 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
3000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
3
VESA DisplayHDR Level
NA
Dimensions (HWD)
22.4 by 47 by 11.9 inches
Weight
33.7 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year
Why We Picked It
With 49 inches of screen real estate, the Philips Brilliance 499P9H is a delight for multitaskers. Its curved ultrawide screen with 5K native resolution lets you work with photos and intricate diagrams or view two or three program windows side by side. It’s bright, it supports HDR, and it has good color coverage. Like others in its class, the 499P9H is on the pricey side, but it’s a highly capable display that’s easy to recommend for any office seeking a multitasking monster and a good user experience.
Who It’s For
Philips’ Brilliance 499P9H is a valuable addition to offices that can afford and have room for it. Its enormous curved screen makes it easy to work with multiple application windows at once, and between its high resolution and spot-on color coverage it handles photos and videos deftly. Extras like a Windows Hello-compatible webcam and a built-in KVM switch complete the picture.
Learn More
Philips Brilliance 499P9H Review
Best Very Large Ultrawide Monitor for Business Productivity
LG 49WL95C-W
Pros & Cons
Spacious 49-inch screen.
USB-C port can charge devices, including laptops.
Good color accuracy.
Can handle HDR content.
Powerful speakers.
Skimpy one-year warranty.
On the pricey side.
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
49 inches
Native Resolution
5120 by 1440
Aspect Ratio
32:9
Screen Technology
IPS
Rated Screen Luminance
350 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
4
VESA DisplayHDR Level
HDR10
Dimensions (HWD)
14.1 by 22 by 1.6 inches
Weight
33.5 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year
Why We Picked It
The LG 49WL95C-W’s vast (49-inch diagonal) screen area and good resolution for its size make it ideal for professionals who need to keep multiple windows open at once. Its image quality is fine for text, photos, and video. Connectors include two HDMI 2.0 ports, four downstream USB 3.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a USB-C port. The last supports DisplayPort Over USB-C as well as USB Power Delivery, letting you charge laptops or handheld devices. If you want to watch videos or crank up the tunes, you can do so without headphones thanks to a powerful speaker system.
Who It’s For
A primarily productivity-centered jumbo monitor with some entertainment chops, the LG 49WL95C-W is a multitasker’s dream panel. It’s a good investment if you’re working with giant spreadsheets, monitoring market feeds, or need to keep an eye on a working window, your email, and your social media activity all at the same time. This LG doesn’t come cheap, but gives you a lot—both feature-wise and in terms of sheer screen—for the money.
Learn More
LG 49WL95C-W Review
Best Ultrawide Productivity Monitor for Home-Office Use
Dell UltraSharp 38 USB-C Hub Monitor (U3824DW)
Pros & Cons
Expansive 38-inch ultrawide panel
IPS Black provides great contrast
Massive range of ports
Rich, well-saturated images
Dual built-in speakers
Height adjustment is a little balky
Lacks HDR support
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
37.5 inches
Native Resolution
3840 by 1600
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Screen Technology
IPS Black
Rated Screen Luminance
300 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
2000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, HDMI (2), USB-C
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
7
VESA DisplayHDR Level
N/A
Dimensions (HWD)
22.2 by 35.2 by 9.9 inches
Weight
29.3 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Why We Picked It
The Dell UltraSharp U3824DW, a 38-inch ultrawide productivity monitor, is ideal for a small or home office. Its modestly curved screen is more compact than the more common 45-to-49-inch productivity panels, yet is capable of multitasking wizardry. The Dell Display Manager app gives you great leeway in tiling windows. The U3824DW’s IPS Black panel provides superior contrast, and it easily covers the full sRGB color space. Add in a terrific range of ports, and you have a near-perfect monitor for home offices and small businesses.
Who It’s For
Dell’s U3824DW is ideal for home offices, sole proprietorships, and small businesses who have some space limitations but are still looking for a top-notch ultrawide productivity panel.
Learn More
Dell UltraSharp 38 USB-C Hub Monitor (U3824DW) Review
Best Ultrawide Monitor for Creative Pros
Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW)
Pros & Cons
Magnificent image quality
High contrast, thanks to IPS Black panel tech
Higher-than-4K resolution and pixel density
Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
Hub of six USB downstream ports
Low-impact audio from built-in speakers
Pricey
Specs & Configurations
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
39.7 inches
Native Resolution
5120 by 2160
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Screen Technology
IPS Black
Rated Screen Luminance
300 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
2000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Adaptive Sync
Yes
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (2), HDMI
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
6
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 600
Dimensions (HWD)
18 by 37.3 by 9.8 inches
Weight
30.4 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Why We Picked It
The Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor U4025QW represents a significant investment, but for the creative types who might spring for it, it will be money well spent. Between high resolution and pixel density in a large-screen ultrawide monitor, the high contrast afforded by IPS Black, and impressive image quality in our ad-hoc testing, it gets high marks for a monitor for videographers and other creative pros. Add to that a hub with two Thunderbolt 4 connectors and no less than six downstream USB ports, plus Ethernet, HDMI, and DisplayPort, and it has all connectivity bases covered. It is an exceptional candidate for professionals seeking a killer large-screen ultrawide display.
Who It’s For
The Dell U4025QW’s high ultrawide resolution (at 5,120 by 2,160 pixels), excellent contrast and pixel density, and top marks in our quantitative and experiential testing peg this monitor as a great choice for art directors, video editors, photographers, and other creative professionals. It has one of the most thorough assortments of ports of any monitor we have reviewed, living up to the “Hub” part of its name, and providing all the connectivity for a laptop that you would expect from a standalone docking station. It’s a solid match for the demanding workloads of creative pros.
Learn More
Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW) Review
Buying Guide: The Best Ultrawide Monitors for 2024
Ready to shop for an ultrawide display? The first fundamental to understand is aspect ratio—the relationship between a screen’s horizontal and vertical pixel count, i.e., monitor width and height.The two most common ultrawide aspect ratios are 21:9 and 32:9. The latter is a more extreme example, more than three times as wide as it is tall. Monitors with a 32:9 aspect ratio are sometimes called “super wide” or “super ultrawide.” We see them, however, as a subset of the ultrawide class, and we use the term ultrawide for both 32:9 and 21:9 displays.
(Credit: Kyle Cobian)
Though the current ultrawide wave is the most radical expression, computer monitors have gotten progressively wider relative to their height over the decades. Around the turn of the millennium, many monitors had a boxier 4:3 aspect ratio, which originally came from motion pictures (it’s the standard aspect ratio of 35mm film). Around 2005, monitors with a slightly wider 16:10 aspect ratio came into vogue, but their popularity was short-lived (although 16:10 laptops are now booming). Within five years the desktop standard became a 16:9 ratio—the dimensions of a high-definition television (HDTV) image.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
The 16:9 ratio remains the most popular today. Familiar resolutions such as 720p (1,280 by 720 pixels), 1080p (1,920 by 1,080), 1440p/QHD (2,560 by 1,440), and 4K or UHD (3,840 by 2,160) all have a 16:9 aspect ratio. The first 21:9 monitors appeared in 2012, and 32:9 displays in 2017.In addition to their unique aspect ratios, ultrawide monitors are, as you could guess, physically wide. Most have diagonal screen sizes of 34, 43, or 49 inches. The 49-inch models tend to really pack in the pixels, with native resolutions of either 5,120 by 1,440 or 3,840 by 1,080 pixels at a 32:9 aspect ratio. Most ultrawide monitors, especially the biggest ones, have large, often V-shaped stands to support their weight and keep their wide chassis balanced.The Best Ultrawide Monitors for BusinessUltrawide business monitors are a boon to multitaskers. Why? For starters, they let you open multiple full-size application windows on the same screen. A few manufacturers, Dell among them, include software to help you split the giant screen into neatly arranged windows. That software can go beyond what Windows’ built-in tiling, snapping, and auto-resize features can do.These panels are also a good substitute for multi-monitor arrays. A 32:9 monitor is twice the width of a 16:9 monitor with the same vertical pixel count. A 49-inch ultrawide with 32:9 aspect ratio gives you a screen size equivalent to two 27-inch monitors put side by side. (Remember again that screen size is measured diagonally, not left to right.) Generally, ultrawide business displays have an abundance of ports: at least one HDMI and one DisplayPort input, both upstream and downstream USB ports, and USB Type-C ports are typical. With many newer ultrawide business monitors, the USB-C port can transfer data as well as the video signal (the latter using the DisplayPort over USB protocol), while simultaneously powering or charging the laptop from which it’s displaying the image (if applicable).
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
A few monitors in this class can also make use of a USB-C port for a virtual keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switch. Such a feature lets you control two computers connected to the monitor via a single keyboard and mouse, as long as one computer is connected via the USB-C port. Users doing render work or data processing on a second PC might be attracted to this unusual, space-saving feature.
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
Many ultrawide business monitors have curved screens, although their degree of curvature tends to be milder than those of curved gaming displays. More on that in a moment.Widescreen Artistry: Ultrawide Monitors for Content Creators and GamersIn the professional-content-creator arena, graphic artists and photographers can benefit from extra screen width. They can open and work with two or more images (or several versions of the same photo or illustration) side by side. Ultrawides often let photo or video editors look at their source material in full resolution, while allowing enough screen space alongside it for palettes, toolbars, or timelines to coexist without requiring resizing or shuffling.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Many ultrawide gaming monitors are available as well. Not every gamer or game will benefit from an ultrawide panel, but they’re particularly suited for racing games, flight simulators, and other genres that give players a panoramic vista or reward gamers by letting them see areas in their peripheral vision.As mentioned, many gaming-focused models employ a curved screen to provide for a more immersive experience. A common curvature for gaming monitors is 1800R, which means that if you were to place enough monitors side by side to form a circle it would have a radius of 1,800mm (1.8 meters). The higher the curvature number, the gentler or shallower the curve. Conversely, the lower the number, the more drastically curved the panel; we’ve seen monitors with curvature as extreme as 800R.
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
Naturally, ultrawide gaming monitors have many features common to all gaming displays. Leading-edge models tend to have high refresh rates (up to 500Hz or more) and employ adaptive sync technologies like Nvidia’s G-Sync or AMD’s FreeSync. Ordinary productivity panels tend to refresh at a 60Hz rate, the norm for mainstream monitors. A higher refresh rate lets fast-twitch gamers enjoy smoother, more reactive play when the attached PC and graphics card can push consistent frame rates in excess of 60 frames per second (fps).Serious esports players often optimize their systems to run at ultra-high refresh rates to gain an edge in hyper-competitive titles. (Much more on that in our roundup of the best gaming monitors.) However, you’ll need a graphics card capable of pushing frames at the high resolution that top ultrawide gaming monitors support. In esports competition, sticking to a relatively modest 1080p resolution for the sake of a faster frame rate is actually an advantage. Gaming ultrawides also present some more caveats we’ll get into below.
Recommended by Our Editors
Some ultrawide gaming monitors flaunt RGB lighting schemes with embedded mood lighting on the back or around the sides, and many use the mini-joystick controls now found on other gaming (and some general-purpose) displays instead of buttons to manipulate onscreen settings. Port-wise, nearly all have DisplayPort and HDMI inputs and most have USB-C input as well.Ultrawide Monitors: Some Caveats to ConsiderSo is bigger always better? Not really. For starters, you’ll need plenty of desk space to accommodate an ultrawide monitor.These monitors’ panoramic screens, especially at screen sizes of 43 to 49 inches, may be simply too large for a typical desk. Take measurements before diving in. You’ll also probably want to enlist a friend to help you move the heavy monitor into place. Carrying an ultrawide monitor is a bit like carrying a beam of lumber; if you’re not careful, the front and back may start to wag back and forth.Gamers have additional potential concerns. Depending on the specific game and your playing style, ultrawide monitors can be a boon or a hindrance for multiplayer gaming. The panels can deliver benefits in many MOBAs, battle royale titles, and real-time-strategy (RTS) games. But hardcore esports competitors may actually want a smaller, more focused view of the proceedings without, say, being distracted by enemies that appear suddenly at the periphery of the screen. Some esports pros strongly prefer a compact 16:9 monitor to keep the action in the primary field of view.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Also bear in mind that most new AAA games will work fine on screens with 21:9 and usually 32:9 aspect ratios, but some older games may not support them. As a result, games may appear in a smaller window with large black bars at the sides (like movie letterboxing turned sideways), or even worse with the game image stretched across the whole panel and distorted. It’s best to check the game publisher’s support pages or relevant forums if you have any doubts or are married to a particular older game.Most of all, ultrawide monitors tend to be pricey, though part of that is simply their size—once you get above 32 inches, most displays of all kinds are ultrawides. Models in the 34-to-35-inch range run from around $250 for basic, general-purpose screens (or bare-bones gaming panels) to more than $2,000 for a fully tricked-out gaming monitor. Most 34- or 35-inch monitors, however, cost less than $1,000, while 49-inch models run from about $500 to $1,600.Ready to Buy the Right Ultrawide Monitor for You?Ultrawide monitors are not for everyone, but if you do want a display with an immensely spacious screen, whether for gaming, creating digital content, viewing ginormous spreadsheets, or comparing several versions of a photo or illustration, you have plenty of good choices. We’ve tested a whole passel of panels; check them out and click through for deep-dive reviews of each to learn more.
