The 6 Best Curved Monitors - Black Friday 2022 Reviews

The best curved monitor that we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It's an excellent overall monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio with an 1800R curve. It uses new QD-OLED panel technology that improves on the benefits of OLEDs by adding a quantum dot layer to display a wide range of colors. Blacks look deep and inky in dark rooms thanks to the near-infinite contrast ratio, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects either, making it a fantastic choice for gaming in dark rooms. However, it performs best in dark rooms because ambient lighting in well-lit rooms causes the black levels to raise.

It has a high 175Hz refresh rate with native G-SYNC support to reduce screen tearing. It's great if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, as you can take full advantage of it, and FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology also works. Motion looks smooth thanks to its near-instantaneous response time, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. Sadly, while it's fantastic for gaming, there are some drawbacks for office use or just browsing the web because there are some color fringing and text issues, so get this monitor if you're going to take advantage of its gaming performance.

If you think the text clarity and color fringing issues on the Dell Alienware AW3423DW are going to bother you and you want something with a ton of productivity features, then look into the LG 40WP95C-W. It doesn't have nearly the same amount of gaming features, but instead, it has a 40-inch screen with a 5k2k resolution that results in extremely sharp text. It has a much more subtle 2500R curve, which is just enough to bring the edges of the 40-inch screen within your field of vision, and it isn't aggressive enough that you'll be bothered by curved lines, especially if you're used to flat monitors. While it's great for the office, it's also great for content creators because it displays a wide range of colors and comes factory-calibrated.

It's easy to connect to it with your work laptop because it has two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, so you can display an image from a compatible laptop and charge it at the same time, thanks to the 96 W of power delivery. It has a few handy features like a Picture-by-Picture mode so you can display images from two sources at once, like if you need to use your personal computer and work laptop at the same time.

If you don't need all the office features of the LG 40WP95C-W and you want the great gaming performance of the Dell Alienware AW3423DW without spending so much, the LG 34GP950G-B is a great choice. It's a different monitor from the 40WP95C-W because it has a smaller screen with a lower resolution and doesn't have any office features like USB-C ports. Instead, it's more geared toward gamers with a higher 180Hz maximum refresh rate. Like the Dell, it also has native G-SYNC VRR support, which is great if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, and while you don't get the same near-instantaneous response time as the Dell, it's still fantastic, and you won't notice any motion blur with fast-moving objects.

It has the same 34-inch, 3440x1440 screen as the Dell with a more subtle 1900R curve, which helps bring the edges of the screen within your field of vision enough that it isn't too much of an aggressive curve. Thanks to its high resolution, it also has good text clarity that makes images look sharp, and with a large screen, you get an immersive viewing experience or enough space to open multiple windows if you need to browse the web or use the screen for productivity.

If you want something cheaper or don't want to spend a ton of money on an ultrawide display, check out the Gigabyte M32UC. It's very different from the LG 34GP950G-B because it has a 16:9 aspect ratio with a 4k resolution. It means that instead of getting an ultrawide curved screen with more horizontal screen space, you get a higher-resolution screen with remarkable text clarity. It's ideal if you like playing games with crisp detail or also need something for productivity. It has a big screen, and the 32-inch display is enough to open multiple windows at once.

This monitor has a ton of features for office and gaming. It features a USB hub with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, letting you display an image from a compatible device and charge it at the same time, but unlike the LG 40WP95C-W, it only supports 15 W of power delivery. If you're a gamer, it also has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and a 144Hz refresh rate, meaning you can play high-frame-rate games from your PC or console without issue. Although it has some issues with its motion handling, it at least has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience.

For something in the budget category, there are some ultrawide options you can choose from, like the AOC CU34G2X. As 4k monitors like the Gigabyte M32UC are hard to find at a low cost, it's easier to look for a curved screen with an ultrawide format like this one. Compared to the LG 34GP950G-B, it has many of the same features, but it's a step down in performance in a few areas, which is what you have to expect for a cheaper monitor. While it has a fast 144Hz refresh rate, its motion handling is just decent because there's black smearing behind fast-moving objects. It doesn't have native G-SYNC support, but it's FreeSync and G-SYNC compatible, so it works with AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards to reduce screen tearing.

The monitor's 1500R curve is beneficial because of its narrow viewing angles, so while the image looks washed out at the sides if you sit too close, the curved screen helps bring the edges more within your field of vision, so it doesn't look as washed out. It also has good ergonomics for an ultrawide monitor as you can adjust the height, swivel it, and tilt it, so you can easily place it in an ideal viewing position.

If you want a cheap, entry-level curved monitor, look into the MSI Optix G27C6. It's a rather basic gaming monitor with a 27-inch screen and a 16:9 aspect ratio, so it doesn't offer as much screen space as the AOC CU34G2X. It also has a low 1080p resolution, so images aren't as sharp as on higher-resolution displays, but they still look alright, and the screen size is still big enough to offer an immersive experience. It has a 1500R curve, which is aggressive for a screen of this size, but it helps bring the edges within your field of vision and is ideal if you sit directly in front.

Despite its cheap price, it offers good gaming performance, as it has a 165Hz refresh rate with native FreeSync VRR support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It also has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, but like the AOC, it has mediocre motion handling as there's black smearing with fast-moving objects. If you want something with quicker response times, check out the Dell S2721HGF, but it also costs more, and if you want a simple, cheap display, the MSI is the better choice.