The 6 Best Ultrawide Monitors - Fall 2019
Reviews

The Dell U3818DW is the best ultrawide monitor that we've tested so far. It's a 38 inch monitor, with a 3840x1600 resolution. This aspect ratio is a bit uncommon but has its merits. While most people find that ultrawide monitors are wide enough, they often lack vertical real estate, which causes more scrolling to see everything. Physically, the monitor is very minimalist, with thin bezels and a compact stand that allows adjustment for height, tilt, and swivel.

Picture quality is decent, and although the IPS panel does provide great viewing angles, do note that this is a curved monitor and may not be to everyone's liking. Additionally, IPS monitors often have mediocre contrast ratio and poor black uniformity, so this is more suited for well-lit rooms. Motion handling is also decent along with great response time, but there is noticeable motion smearing and it doesn't support any advanced gaming features, which is disappointing for some.

Last but not least, Dell managed to surprise us with yet another trick up its sleeves: it supports both Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture. This is great if you usually work on two computers, as you can see both screens at once. This monitor even has a unique set of connections that allows you to control both computers at once, with a single keyboard and mouse.

 Overall, it's a good monitor for most uses, a truly great ultrawide office monitor, and is our top recommendation.

When it comes to gaming ultrawide monitors, the Dell Alienware AW3418DW is the best ultrawide gaming monitor that we've tested so far. With a 3440x1440 resolution, a fast 100Hz refresh rate, and an excellent response time, it delivers a crisp image and clear motion with very little blur. There's something to be said about the movie-watching experience as well; as most modern movies are filmed in a 21:9 aspect ratio, movies fill up the screen from edge to edge, with no presence of black bars. The inclusion of NVIDIA's G-SYNC technology is truly the cherry on top, allowing near tear-free gaming without the use of vertical sync, which increases input lag.

As for ports, it doesn't have as many inputs as the Dell U3818DW, and doesn't support Picture-in-Picture or Picture-beside-Picture modes, which may be disappointing if you're looking for a more versatile monitor for a home office.

Lastly, like the majority of IPS monitors, this monitor doesn't look as good in a dark room due to the poor black uniformity. Overall, though, it's a great monitor and is our recommendation for the best widescreen monitor for gaming.

The LG 34GK950F-B is the best FreeSync ultrawide gaming monitor that we've tested so far. It has all the features of a great gaming monitor without the price premium of a G-SYNC variant. Excellent motion handling, excellent response time, outstanding low input lag, and the optional black frame insertion all contribute to a great gaming experience, where fast-moving objects are clear with minimal blur.

Like most IPS monitors, viewing angles are good, great for co-op gaming or if you like to sit close to the monitor. It has very good peak brightness and great reflection handling, so glare in a bright room shouldn't be an issue. HDR support is also present but doesn't improve the image quality all that much.

LG also provides a decent selection of ports, including a DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, and a USB 3.0 hub. The monitor sports a somewhat overused color scheme of red on black typical of gaming monitors; however, the red accents are mostly on the back and are fairly subtle.

Unfortunately, this monitor isn't a great choice for gaming in a dark room, though. The low contrast ratio causes blacks to look gray, and it has bad black uniformity. Overall, it's a great gaming monitor and is the best FreeSync ultrawide gaming monitor.