- Overall
The HP Envy 34c is a sophisticated ultra-wide monitor with a gentle curve, a high-contrast SVA panel, plus a pair of DTS speakers, all designed to excite the senses of the meticulous professional. But the biggest question for most our readers is, “Does the HP Envy 34c has enough firepower to make it a solid choice for gaming?”
HP Envy 34c Specifications
- Screen Size: 34 Inches
- Resolution: 3440 x 1440 UW-QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate: 100Hz
- Response Time: 8ms
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 300 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: Yes 2 x 8 Watts
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes (-5°/+25°)
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: No
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 3, USB 3.0 x 3, 3.5mm Audio Jacks
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 37.44″ x 18.79″ x 7.76”
- Weight: 21.63lbs
Design and Features
The HP Envy 34c comes in a massive form factor when viewed from the front but oozes with an appeal on its slimmer sides. The extra width comes from the inclusion of the two six-watt speakers tuned by DTS. The pair sounds more convincing thanks to their orientation, and they seem better, if not excellent when compared to standard sets found in lower-classed products.
The 34-inch screen is flanked by reasonably thick bezels plus the width of the pair of speakers, but you only really notice them when the screen is turned on. The rear of the cabinet has a matte white finish and a big HP logo in silver in the middle.
The HP Envy 34c features a variety of connectivity options to match its user’s needs. The I/O panel includes a DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, three USB 3.0 ports, and a 3.5mm jack for audio. While we have seen other options with a lot more to offer, for its purpose, the HP Envy 34c is already well-equipped.
There are three OSD buttons accessible from the front at the right-hand side of the cabinet, but for convenience, you get a 5-inch remote which has six buttons. If you use this gadget to access the OSD, the menu contents will appear bigger allowing users to see beyond near field range.
The aluminum H-shaped stand looks pleasing as it completes the aesthetic concept of the HP Envy 34c, but it lacks in ergonomics since it can only offer tilt. But on a positive note, it is quite sturdy despite having slender arms. The HP Envy 34c isn’t natively compatible with VESA mounting, for that, you have to use the included VESA adapter.
Display and Performance
The HP Envy 34c features a 34-inch ultra-wide SVA screen with a native resolution of 3440 x 1440. This module can only go up to 60Hz, but the worst thing about it is it has a 12ms response rate which can be accelerated to only 8ms via the overdrive function.
While not terribly slow, our Battlefield 1 test was plagued with ghosting and interlacing which is quite annoying if you are sensitive enough. But you may find yourself distracted by the rich chromaticity and fantastic grayscale performance, which makes it perfect for movies more than gaming.
Colors tend to pop thanks to the capabilities of the SVA panel, especially the red spectrum since it is a bit oversaturated, but well within reasonable standards. These results are not surprising since the gorgeous SVA panel can display over 100% of the sRGB color space and around 75% of the Adobe RGB gamut.
In that aspect, the HP Envy 34c cannot match the other professionals we reviewed, but if your usage blends into the mix-used category, you won’t find a lot to complain about with the HP Envy 34c, except its sluggish response. Of course, you can still use it for casual after-hours enjoyment, but we can’t promise you a snappy performance especially if you play FPS titles like Overwatch.
Another downer for this model is it does not include Freesync or Gsync, which would have made the HP Envy 34c a bit better for games. 3440 x 1440 isn’t an easy feat for most GPUs, so owners would benefit a lot from having a smoothening solution.
Thoughts
The HP Envy 34c is a gorgeous ultra-wide monitor with an excellent pair of speakers making it perfect for movies or working with background music. The fantastic colors and contrast help this model’s display out on par with the other products in the luxury ultra-wide category, but it does have some let downs.
The recognizable input lag of around 28ms will make its presence felt in a lot of games, creating imaging issues such as interlacing and ghosting. VA panels are ideal for immersive gaming, but the mentioned flaws become even more apparent in darker scenes found in such titles.
But if you are looking for a versatile option for document processing, a bit of image editing, or multimedia appreciation, the HP Envy 34c is a great choice, but there are better options out there from HP’s biggest competitors.
Leave a Reply