The 5 Best Curved Monitors - Summer 2023 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 and a 1800R curve. Its QD-OLED panel delivers fantastic picture quality as 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. However, it displays those perfect blacks only in dark rooms, as using this model in bright rooms causes the black levels to rise.

It's excellent for gaming, as motion looks smooth due to its near-instantaneous response time. It has native G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing, which is useful if you have an NVIDIA graphics card. Even if you have an AMD graphics card and don't need the native G-SYNC support, the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a cheaper alternative that performs similarly. You can also consider the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9/G95SC S49CG95 if you want a 49-inch ultrawide screen with a QD-OLED panel, but it costs more; only consider it if you want that big of a screen.

There are some downsides to monitors that use a QD-OLED panel like this one. They risk permanent burn-in when exposed to the same static elements over time. If you want something for work and gaming, this is a concern, so if that's the case, the LG 34GP950G-B is another alternative that doesn't risk burn-in. However, it has worse picture quality and motion handling than the Dell, so if you need something mainly for gaming, the Dell is the better choice.

If you don't need gaming features and want a curved monitor only for work, consider the LG 40WP95C-W, which has a subtle 2500R curve. It's less versatile than the Dell Alienware AW3423DW and has worse picture quality because of its lower contrast ratio. Instead, it has a bigger 40-inch screen with a 5k2k resolution and high pixel density, producing extremely sharp text. It has many productivity features that make it great for office use, and it comes factory-calibrated, which is important if your work requires accurate colors.

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

If you don't want an ultrawide monitor and prefer something with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 4k resolution, look into the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85. It's a high-end monitor with less screen space than the LG 40WP95C-W but is versatile for different uses. It delivers great picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting that provides a decent local dimming feature, and the monitor displays deep blacks. However, it doesn't have perfect black levels like the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. Luckily, it gets bright in HDR, enough to make highlights pop, which is great if you want to sit back and watch your favorite shows.

It has a ton of gaming features, like its VRR support and 240Hz refresh rate, which lets you play games at a high refresh rate. Even if you don't want a monitor with such a high refresh rate, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 is similar with a 165Hz refresh rate and tends to cost less. Regardless of which monitor you get, motion looks smooth thanks to its quick response time, and it also has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles or HDMI 2.1 graphics cards.

If you find the Samsung too expensive, consider the Gigabyte M32UC. It also has a 32-inch, 4k screen and many of the same gaming features, but it has worse picture quality as it doesn't have the same Mini LED backlighting. However, if that isn't a concern for you, it's worth getting as it costs less.

If you don't want a high-end display and prefer something that doesn't cost much in the lower mid-range category, then the Dell S3422DWG is something to consider. It's different from both the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the LG 40WP95C-W as it has a smaller 34-inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution, so it's closer to the Dell Alienware AW3423DW with the same 1800R curve. The main trade-off is that it has worse picture quality than the AW3423DW, but that's what you have to expect for something cheaper. Instead of the QD-OLED panel, it has an LED-backlit LCD panel with good contrast and excellent black uniformity, but it doesn't get as bright or have the same vivid colors in HDR.

Besides the differences in picture quality, it's still great for gaming with FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing and good motion handling. However, there are some drawbacks to its panel type as it has narrow viewing angles that make the screen look washed out from the sides, but because of the curved screen, the edges won't look too inconsistent when you're sitting directly in front of it.

If you're looking for a budget monitor with a curved screen, there are a few good options, but they usually have smaller screens and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The Dell S2722DGM has a smaller screen than the Dell S3422DWG, so you can't see as much of your game at once, and it doesn't support HDR either. Its 1500R curve is more aggressive than the curve on the S3422DWG, and this is useful because it has narrow viewing angles, so bringing the edges more within your field of vision means that the screen won't look so washed out at the sides. Unfortunately, it has limited ergonomics, so it's hard to share the screen with someone sitting next to you, like if you want to use it for co-op gaming.

It's focused on gaming with a 165Hz refresh rate and FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. However, it has worse motion handling than the S3422DWG, as there's more smearing with fast-moving objects, but it at least has a backlight strobing feature to improve the appearance of motion.