The LG 34WP65-B is a new gladiator in the increasingly competitive low-priced 144Hz ultrawide gaming monitor arena. It’s a bit pricier than the Gigabyte G34WQC, so it should have a few advantages the balance the difference out. Let’s check if the LG 34WP65C-B is worth the price or if you should wait for a discount before pulling the trigger.
LG 34WP65C-B Specifications
- Screen Size: 34 Inches
- Resolution: 3440 x 1440 UW-QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment
- Refresh Rate: 160Hz
- Response Time: 1ms MBR
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 300 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 7 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, 3.5mm Audio Jack x 1
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 31.85” x 22.37” x 10.24”
- Weight: 16.98 lbs
Design and Features
The LG 34WP65C-B starts out with a minimalist design that would make anyone think that it’s an office display instead of an UltraGear variant. It has a matte black chassis with an ArcLine stand so it doesn’t look too aggressive or gaudy compared to some of its competition. The display is bezel-free on three sides, but slim inner borders are still present.
Ultrawide monitors like this need some preparation before starting to consider buying it because of their size. Those with tiny desks or several peripherals on deck might have to make way for it and its width. It’s not as heavy as the other mentioned ultrawides, but it surely is bigger than most monitors you would encounter at school or at work.
Build quality for the LG 34WP65C is decent even if it’s a budget model that’s separate from the UltraGear monitors. The plastics used are reasonably durable, so you shouldn’t worry about cracking or flexing. The stand is firm and stable, but it can still wobble due to the weight and width of the monitor if you nudge it accidentally.
The product has an OSD joystick for your convenience and compatibility with the brand’s OnScreen Control app. It is easy to manually adjust the settings, but you can also utilize the software directly in Windows. That’s already easy enough to use so better implementations such as those with remotes are unnecessary.
The stand included with the LG 34WP65C only offers tilt and height adjustment, but that’s all you will ever need. Curved monitors are designed to be placed at dead center and they aren’t suitable as portrait displays so swivel and pivot are unnecessary. You can also use VESA mounts instead, but it’s only needed if you have limited space or multiple monitors.
Connectivity is where LG usually skimps on its budget offerings so it doesn’t have valuable extras like USB ports. You get DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports, along with a 3.5mm jack for headphones. The monitor could use productivity-focused features like USB-C, but that would increase the price considerably.
What’s nice about this option is its 7-watt speakers which are better than most built-ins, including those in high-end models. They can get louder with a noticeable amount of bass, but they still pale in comparison to dedicated speakers or headsets. However, it is nice to have decent backups for times when it’s too hot to use headsets or in the night as an alternative to pumping sound which can disturb those around you.
Display and Performance
The LG 34WP65C boasts a 34-inch VA panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution, a 160Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms boosted response time. The backlight has a 300 cd/m2 rating, while the contrast ratio is listed at 3000:1 like most VA monitors. This model has a 1800r curve and HDR10 compatibility, unlike the Gigabyte G34WQC which has 1500r and HDR 400 at least.
34-inch ultrawides are great for gaming and productivity due to their unique characteristics. The 21:9 aspect ratio gives more room for maneuvering your work and seeing more of what an immersive game has to offer. It’s sharp and detailed, but it’s not as demanding as 4K so it is easy to hit the maximum refresh rate using cards that are below the flagship models.
The LG 34WP65C renders 99% sRGB and 80% DCI-P3 which are expected from a monitor at this price range. Default accuracy is excellent since the deltaE average is only at 2.12, giving us the impression that it’s factory calibrated. Most users won’t need to tinker with the settings other than adjusting the backlight to comfortable levels.
Calibrating it reduced its deltaE average to 1.06 which is excellent for a budget to midrange gaming monitor. Doing so will make it even more usable for editing purposes, extending the flexibility of the product beyond its price range. However, you need a colorimeter to achieve this score, so it is only necessary for those who are into color-critical work.
Its backlight reached 311 cd/m2 at 100% while the contrast ratio reached as much as 4355:1 at 50% brightness. The screen is capable of deep blacks so games and movies with dark scenes will look satisfying and convincing. However, it’s not certified for HDR performance, but that’s okay since the price doesn’t include special implementations for that.
Uniformity for the VA panel had some issues due to small backlight leaks at the top and bottom edges of the screen. They resulted in some noticeable clouding in dark scenes, but they are unnoticeable in well-lit or full-colored scenes. This issue is common with curved monitors, but there are units that are not tinged with imperfections.
The LG 34WP65C has a decent pixel response time, but it still shows a bit of blurring in select instances. Setting the overdrive to its Fast setting helped alleviate it without overshoot, but some smudges and persistence can still become noticeable in highly contrasting scenes. VA panels are still susceptible to this issue, but in exchange, you get more than three times the contrast of faster IPS or TN panels.
It is compatible with FreeSync and G-Sync so you don’t have to worry about which GPU brand to use with it. This is handy now since the video card market is unstable, so getting a specific model from one brand or the other might prove to be challenging. Input lag sits at 4ms at 160Hz, so you don’t have to worry about delays while gaming.
Thoughts on the LG 34WP65C
The LG 34WP65C is an excellent curved ultrawide monitor at a very reasonable price that’s well below what older 100Hz VA ultrawides used to cost. It offers a simple, yet reliable design along with superb imaging performance that you could expensive from something higher-tiered or priced. It offers amazing contrast so it’s great for immersive games with plenty of night scenes.
However, the LG 34WP65C is still priced higher than its closest competitors, and it has some disadvantages and advantages. It could use more ports like USB slots to make it even more flexible, and its color coverage isn’t as wide in some cases. However, these are minor compared to gaming and imaging performance so it still is a good buy, especially if you catch it with a discount.
Pros:
- Great Default and Calibrated Accuracy
- High Contrast
- FreeSync/G-Sync Compatible
- Reliable Design
Cons:
- Higher Price than Competitors
- Limited Connectivity
- Prone to Blurring
About the Author: Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations and he believes that it’s every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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