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Overall
The Asus PA34VC is the QHD representative of the ProArt line which embodies excellent factory calibration for the best imaging fidelity and quality. The horizontally extended screen is great for productivity, but the ProArt pedigree makes it even better for designers and creators who want the best in the market. The Asus PA34VC is sure to slot into the upper brackets when it comes to pricing, but how does it compare to cheaper and effective solutions from the brand’s competitors?
Asus PA34VC Specifications
- Screen Size: 34 Inches
- Resolution:3440 x 1440 UW-QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 100Hz
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Response Time: 5ms
- Brightness: 300cd/m²
- Built-inSpeakers:Yes (2 x 2 Watts)
- Stand:Height –Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- VESA Compatibility:Yes 100 x 100
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 1, USB-C x 1, USB-C Thunderbolt 3 (Input/Output) x 2, 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 309” x 16.46” x 8.77”
- Weight:25.13 lbs
Design and Features
The Asus PA34VC involves a sophisticated minimalist design with sleekness in mind, although its aesthetics takes a slightly different approach from its latest ProArt siblings. The monitor comes in matte black accented with gunmetal accents which looks fantastic no matter how you look at it. The screen is bezel free on three sides, but thin panel borders are still visible when you turn the device on.
The Asus PA34VC is a massive monitor, but its proportions, especially the depth of the chassis, are still within reasonable limits. The only characteristic that would make wall mounting non-ideal is the 1900r curvature which is slightly more aggressive than some professional ultrawides we’ve seen. What’s great about the physical design of this model is you won’t need to spend on an aftermarket armature due to its fantastic build quality and durability.
Once you hold the Asus PA34VC in your hand, you will instantly know where the obscene amount of cash you paid for went. The plastic panels feel thick and robust, plus there are no imperfections on the seams and edges of the device. The monitor stands stable not only due to the wide reaches of its footing but also due to the rigidity of the design.
It also helps that the Asus PA34VC’s stand already offers tilt, swivel, and height adjustments which won’t leave users wanting a VESA mount. Of course, you may still opt for one as long as it has a 100 x 100 adapter which will connect to the concealed bolt holes at the center of the rear panel. We love the nice metallic black on the stand as well, so really, there is no reason to get something else which will add to your total cost.
We love the control layout for the Asus PA34VC which already has a joystick for easier OSD manipulation and five other hotkeys for the device’s various functions. It can get confusing for some, but after a few tries, it should be manageable for most.
One of the highlights of the Asus PA34VC is its connectivity layout which includes the usual DisplayPort 1.2 and dual HDMI 2.0 for video inputs. But what makes it interesting is the addition of USB-C Thunderbolt 3 for input and output. The latter can be used for USB-C laptops like the latest Asus Zephyrus gaming laptops to draw charging power and send video signals simultaneously.
There is also a trio of USB 3.0 slots for accessories, but they are located at the rear instead of a hub on the side. There are built-in speakers in the chassis, but we wish Asus used a set that’s tuned by an audio company like on some of the Dell products we reviewed.
Display and Performance
The Asus PA34VC sports a 34-inch curved IPS panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution, a 100Hz maximum refresh rate, and 5ms response time. This model supports HDR10, but it can only translate the signals since it doesn’t have true HDR capabilities due to the limited 300 cd/m2 backlight and the 1000:1 contrast ratio. This model is a pre-calibrated variant for professional use, but the specs should also be fantastic for gaming due to the overclockable refresh rate.
We recommend getting a QHD variant like the Asus PA34VC if you want a 34-inch ultrawide with excellent crispness and detail. The 109.68 pixels per inch offer a level of clarity which isn’t comparable to UHD but is crisper than most regular displays we’ve tested. That bodes well for multitasking due to the larger desktop space, but its also great for gaming where clean lines and edges offer a pleasing visual advantage.
The Asus PA34VC posts excellent results which are in line with the ProArt branding once scrutinized with a colorimeter. The IPS panel is able to reproduce the sRGB gamut at 100% with an out of the box accuracy of DeltaE 1.4 which is well below the DeltaE less than 2.0 Asus promised. HDR requires a higher color volume, but this model isn’t fully marketed to be a full HDR display like the Asus PA32UC.
The contrast ratio for the Asus PA34VC hits as much as 920:1 in tests which is decent for an IPS display, but already surpassed by newer variants such as LG’s NanoIPS. The backlight fell short of the original specification at 275 cd/m2, but that is already too bright for daily use. We recommend toning the latter down to 40% to help with contrast and somehow counter the gamma which is slightly off at 2.3.
Panel uniformity for the Asus PA34VC is superb despite the known flaws of its panel type. The largest deviation in brightness on the upper corners did not exceed 10% so it would be difficult to notice if one quadrant is slightly dimmer than the others. Color uniformity remained intact as well since the farthest variance measured from the D65 standard is limited to DeltaE 1.8.
This gives us the notion that the IPS module for the Asus PA34VC was cherry-picked for quality which goes to show how much engineering the brand places in its ProArt variants. Of course, this aspect could vary from unit to unit since the IPS lottery rule still applies.
The Asus PA34VC’s motion handling is pretty close to what the Asus PG348Q offers when it comes to blurring and smoothness. There are some blurs noticeable in games like Apex Legends, but it isn’t on a very disturbing level that is detrimental to the point of high-refresh-rate displays. The 100Hz option really helps in this regard, although a 144Hz IPS display like the Aorus AD27QD will always feel more agile.
The Asus PA34VC is a FreeSync-compatible gaming monitor which can offer buttery-smooth visuals if paired with a Radeon Vega graphics card. Input lag averages at 15ms which is a bit higher than we expected, but is considered reasonable as far as gaming monitors are concerned.
Thoughts on the Asus PA34VC
The Asus PA34VC is a fantastic premium ultrawide monitor that’s great for editing and content creation with gaming on the side. The ProArt treatment has always deserved applause while the brand’s incorporation of gaming-grade capabilities makes this model a must-buy. We also prefer the design over the ROG aesthetics of offerings like the PG348Q since this model looks cleaner and it would fit well in any environment.
The good news is the Asus PA34VC should be ready to ship by the time summer hits since its already available for pre-order from our favorite retailers. The launch price is slightly steeper as far as 100Hz ultrawides go, but its worth a shot considering you get excellent color accuracy and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with the package.