The 5 Best Curved Monitors - Summer 2022 Reviews

The best curved monitor that we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It's an excellent overall monitor packed with gaming features and delivers stunning picture quality. It uses the 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. It also gets bright enough in HDR to make highlights pop. However, it performs best in dark rooms because ambient lighting in well-lit rooms causes the black levels to raise.

Looking at its gaming performance, 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. On top of the 1800R curve, its 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio delivers an immersive gaming experience. Note that this monitor is easiest to find directly through Dell's website and not through retailers.

If you find the Dell Alienware AW3423DW too expensive and don't need the best of the best, or if you prefer something with a 16:9 aspect ratio, then the Samsung LC32G75TQSNXZA is the best mid-range curved gaming monitor we've tested. It's different from the Dell because you don't get the same perfect black levels. However, it's still an excellent gaming monitor overall, with a high 240Hz refresh rate and an amazing response time that results in clear motion with very little blur no matter. It has incredibly low input lag and supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC compatible VRR technology, resulting in a nearly tear-free gaming experience.

It has very good picture quality thanks to its high contrast ratio for deep blacks and has good out-of-the-box color accuracy and a fantastic SDR color gamut. It also feels very well-built, but its aggressive 1000R curve might take some time to get used to. It's available in 27 and 32 inches; while the larger size is better for immersive gaming and you can take advantage of the curved edges, the 27-inch version has higher pixel density for better image clarity. There are some flicker and VRR issues at low frame rates, but as long as your PC maintains a high frame rate, you'll enjoy gaming on this monitor.

While budget-friendly monitors don't provide the best performance and you lose out on a few features found on higher-end models, you can still find monitors that provide good value for the price. If that's something you're interested in, the Dell S3422DWG is the best budget curved monitor that we've tested. It has the same 3440x1440 resolution and 1800R curve as the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, and it's good overall. The 21:9 aspect ratio is great for multitasking and delivers a more immersive gaming experience.

It provides decent HDR performance, especially for a budget monitor, as it has a high native contrast ratio, so blacks are deep and uniform, and highlights are bright enough to stand out in games. It also has a good HDR color gamut, with excellent coverage of the commonly-used DCI-P3 color space, so HDR content looks vivid and lifelike. You'll also be happy with the 144Hz refresh rate, and it has low input lag for a great gaming experience. If you want a budget monitor and don't like ultrawide displays, the Dell S2722DGM is a great gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution and a 27-inch screen, but it doesn't support HDR, so if you want the best value for your dollar and don't mind the exact screen size, the S3422DWG is a great choice.

None of the monitors we've mentioned have a 4k resolution, so if you play games from a current-gen console like the PS5 or Xbox Series X, we recommend the Gigabyte M32UC. It can take full advantage of the gaming consoles because it has a 160Hz max refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, allowing you to play 4k games up to 120 fps without any issue from the consoles. It also has VRR support that works with the Xbox Series X and PS5, and motion looks smooth thanks to its quick response time at its max refresh rate. It also has low input lag for a responsive gaming feel.

It's great for dark room gaming as it has a high contrast ratio for deep blacks and decent black uniformity. It doesn't have a local dimming feature, but that doesn't matter unless you want the best picture quality while gaming. Still, this monitor displays a wide range of colors and has good out-of-the-box accuracy, so colors and images look lifelike without any calibration.

If you find the other monitors have too many gaming features that you won't use and you want something for work, then the LG 40WP95C-W is the best curved display for work purposes. 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. It's great for office use thanks to its 5120x2160 resolution, resulting in fantastic text clarity, and the large screen gives you enough space to multitask. It's also great for content creators because it displays a wide range of colors and comes factory-calibrated, so you don't have to worry about calibrating it.

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.