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The 5 Best Ultrawide Monitors - Spring 2023 Reviews

Updated
Best Ultrawide Monitors

The desire to reach new productivity levels has led to the creation of a new class of monitors known as ultrawide. These large, widescreen monitors offer the ultimate in-office productivity, allowing you to place two or more windows side-by-side on one screen, which is easier than getting multiple monitors for the same screen space. If you're a gamer, they offer a more immersive gaming experience as you can see more of your game at once. Ultrawide monitors aren't all created equal, so finding the best option for your needs depends on your personal uses and budget.

We've bought and tested more than 270 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best widescreen monitors to buy. See our picks for the best ultrawide gaming monitors, the best curved monitors, and the best 34-49 inch monitors.


  1. Best Ultrawide Monitor

    The best ultrawide monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. It's a great overall monitor that's versatile for different uses. It's considered a super ultrawide monitor because it has a 49-inch screen and a 32:9 aspect ratio, which is even bigger than regular 34 or 38-inch ultrawides with a 21:9 aspect ratio. It provides more screen space for multitasking or an immersive gaming experience, and it has an aggressive 1000R curve that helps bring the edges within your field of vision. It delivers great picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting, which helps it display deep blacks in dark rooms while also displaying bright highlights.

    It's an excellent gaming monitor because it has a 240Hz refresh rate and variable refresh rate (VRR) support. It also has a quick response time with low input lag for smooth motion handling and a responsive gaming experience. Unfortunately, Samsungs like this have flicker issues with low-frame-rate content, particularly in dark scenes, but that's not a major concern either. If you aren't a gamer, it still offers good office performance thanks to its high peak brightness and sharp text clarity.

    See our review

  2. Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor

    While the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is an excellent gaming monitor, if you want something for dedicated PC gaming, there are better options, like the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It's different from the Samsung because it has a smaller 34-inch screen, meaning there's less space to view more of your game at once, but the smaller screen is also easier to see within your field of vision. The main advantage the Dell has over the Samsung is that it uses a QD-OLED panel that displays perfect black levels for outstanding picture quality, and it also has a near-instantaneous response time for even better motion handling.

    It also has native G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) support to take full advantage of NVIDIA graphics cards. However, if you have an AMD graphics card and prefer something with native FreeSync VRR instead, the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a slightly cheaper alternative with similar performance. Regardless of which one you get, they're both better for PC gaming than general work use because QD-OLEDs are prone to burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, but it isn't as much of a problem for gamers.

    See our review

  3. Best Upper Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor

    If you're concerned about the risk of permanent burn-in and still want a high-end monitor for work and play, an upper mid-range option like the LG 38WN95C-W is a good alternative. It doesn't deliver the same perfect black levels as the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, and you don't get the same outstanding picture quality, but you won't have to worry about burn-in, and it also offers a slightly bigger screen. Another reason this monitor is more versatile is it combines productivity features like Thunderbolt 3 support on its USB-C port with gaming features like a 144Hz refresh rate. It helps provide a smooth gaming experience, and with a quick response time across its entire refresh rate range, you won't see much blur with fast-moving objects.

    It has impressive peak brightness, enough to fight glare, and produces life-like colors with impressive accuracy before calibration. It also has a 3840x1600 resolution, which results in good text clarity and sharp images. The LG 40WP95C-W is another option if you prefer an even higher resolution, as it has a 5120x2160 resolution for sharper text. However, it costs more, and the 38WN95C-W is still better overall.

    See our review

  4. Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor

    If you want to save money by getting a mid-range option, consider the Dell S3422DWG. It's a good overall ultrawide monitor focusing on gaming, but there are some trade-offs compared to the LG 38WN95C-W. It has a smaller screen and fewer productivity features, as it lacks a USB-C port like on the LG, but it's still good for work use if that's what you need it for. It's also a great gaming monitor as it has the same 144Hz refresh rate as the LG, but its motion handling isn't as good, as there's black smearing with fast-moving objects. However, its input lag remains low for a responsive feel, and it has VRR support to reduce screen tearing.

    One of the Dell monitor's advantages is that it gets bright, even in HDR, meaning highlights pop. It also has a good native contrast ratio that makes blacks look good in the dark, and there's minimal blooming around objects. Even if you want to use it in a well-lit room, it gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling.

    See our review

  5. Best Budget Ultrawide Monitor

    If you're looking for an ultrawide monitor on a budget, know they aren't as cheap as other smaller budget monitors. However, you can still find low-cost ultrawide displays, like the Gigabyte M34WQ. It has a 34-inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution like the Dell S3422DWG, but they use different panel types that each have their own pros and cons. The Gigabyte looks worse in dark rooms and doesn't get as bright in HDR as the Dell, so the overall picture quality isn't as good. However, it also has wider viewing angles, so the edges of the screen don't look washed out.

    It has a few office-oriented features, including a built-in KVM switch. It allows you to control two devices with the same keyboard and mouse, which is great if you have to connect a desktop and a laptop simultaneously. It also has a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, but it's limited to only 15W of power delivery. Lastly, if you want to use it in a bright room, you'll be happy to know it has high peak brightness and great reflection handling.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Samsung LS34BG850SNXZA: The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G85SB S34BG85 uses the same QD-OLED panel as the Dell Alienware AW3423DW for fantastic gaming performance and has lower input lag. However, it also costs more for a minimal difference in performance. See our review
  • LG 34GP950G-B: The LG 34GP950G-B is a smaller alternative to the LG 38WN95C-W, and its native G-SYNC support is great if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, but it can be hard to find. See our review
  • AOC CU34G2X: The AOC CU34G2X is comparable to the Dell S3422DWG because it has many of the same features and uses the same panel type. It's in the same price range, but the Dell offers better motion handling and picture quality. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Apr 21, 2023: Restructured the article to reflect current market prices and availability; added the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 as the 'Best Ultrawide Monitor' and renamed the LG 38WN95C-W as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor'; removed the LG 34GP83A-B because it's hard to find, and removed the AOC CU34G2X because it went up in price; renamed the Gigabyte M34WQ as the 'Best Budget Monitor' and added the Dell S3422DWG.

  2. Mar 24, 2023: Restructured the article to better represent how people are looking for ultrawide monitors; replaced the LG 40WP95C-W with the LG 38WN95C-W and renamed as the 'Best Ultrawide Monitor'; renamed the Dell Alienware AW3423DW as the 'Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor' for consistency with other articles; replaced the LG 34GP950G-B with the LG 34GP83A-B because it's easier to find; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

  3. Jan 26, 2023: Moved the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 to Notable Mentions and added the LG 40WP95C-W as the 'Best Ultrawide Monitor For Work' to be in line with what people are searching for.

  4. Nov 25, 2022: Replaced the LG 38WN95C-W with the Dell Alienware AW3423DW as the 'Best Ultrawide Monitor' because it's better overall and for consistency with other articles; added the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 as the 'Best Super Ultrawide Monitor' for consistency; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

  5. Sep 26, 2022: Removed the LG 40WP95C-W and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 because there are cheaper options available; replaced the Dell S3422DWG with the AOC CU34G2X because it's cheaper; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors currently available with an ultrawide screen. They're adapted to be valid for most people, in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our ultrawide monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.