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Overall
The ViewSonic XG350R-C which was first surfaced at this year’s CES is highly anticipated not because of ground-breaking specs, but tremendous value. The display is still a 100Hz VA panel, but what makes us excited about this model is its wallet-friendly price tag along with the excellent performance and practicality provided by the brand. The ViewSonic XG350R-C costs half of what previously released ultrawides were asking for in the past year, but does its capabilities hold up to your standards?
ViewSonic XG350R-C Specifications
- Screen Size: 34Inches
- Resolution: 3440 x 1440 UW-QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate: 100Hz
- Response Time: 3 ms
- Contrast Ratio: 2500:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 300 cd/m²
- Speakers: Yes (2 x 5 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4x 1, HDMI 0 x 2, USB 3.0 x 3, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 33.39” x 17.11” x 12.05”
- Weight: 29.76 lbs
Design and Features
The ViewSonic XG350R-C takes its aesthetic cues from the XG240R which isn’t overdone or aggressive just to make the statement that its made for gaming. The monitor has a nice to touch matte black finish with a few glossy accents which are nice, but very prone to scratches. The display isn’t bezel-free like we all prefer, but the subtle plastic strips help to conceal the VA’s naturally thick panel borders.
We love that the ViewSonic XG350R-C doesn’t use OSD buttons like its smaller, 1080p sibling. There is a lone joystick at the bottom corner which is accessible on the right-hand side. You only have to click it once to open the menus and navigate with ease through the device’s plentiful settings.
The ViewSonic XG350R-C is also equipped with four RGB LED strips at the rear which glows brightly enough to beautify your system and double as a bias light. ViewSonic’s Elite RGB lighting technology works with other popular RGB ecosystems such as Razer’s Chroma, allowing gamers to build a truly synchronized battle station. That aesthetic aspect alone makes the product worth a second look since many manufacturers are still blocking or having trouble making their RGB systems work with one another.
Build quality also isn’t an issue even if the ViewSonic XG350R-C is considerably more affordable than its competitors. The plastics feel thick and sturdy, while the mechanism on the stand feels smooth yet firm enough to hold your desired angle permanently. The device doesn’t wobble, even if you raged and pounded on your desk during a gaming session.
The ViewSonic XG350R-C is also fully adjustable, so getting a centered view to appreciate the 1800r’s curve is doable for most, if not all users. You can tilt, swivel, and adjust the height, but pivoting is impossible since the cabinet is too wide. This model is also compatible with aftermarket VESA stands, but its unnecessary and it adds extra cost in our opinion.
The ViewSonic XG350R-C’s connectivity panel offers everything you will need for typical operation. The layout includes DisplayPort 1.4 and dual HDMI 2.0 slots for video inputs, including HDR10 signals. There is also a trio of USB 3.0 slots for accessories, but you do need to connect the type-B port to your PC for data transfers.
There is also a pair of 5-watt speakers which are certainly more powerful than the regulars we’ve come across. They sound decent for background music while working, but headphones will always be better for gaming since it complements the product’s immersive features.
Display and Performance
The ViewSonic XG350R-C boasts a 35-inch VA panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution, 100Hz refresh rate, and 3ms response time. The 300 cd/m2 backlight is more than you will need, but it isn’t sufficient for the monitor’s premise of HDR capabilities. The 2500:1 specified contrast ratio is a bit lower than most competitors, but it will still provide the extended dynamic range VA displays are known for.
The QHD resolution and 35-inch display size go hand in hand quite well when it comes to balance. The pixels create a substantially more detailed image than 1080p variants, but it does it without any need for scaling when reading text. The latter is the most problematic when it comes to high-resolution displays with tight pixel densities, but that isn’t an issue with this type of monitor.
The ViewSonic XG350R-C posts incredible results in color quality once it’s tested and scrutinized with a colorimeter. The VA panel produces 100% sRGB and around 80% DCI-P3 with an accuracy score of only DeltaE 1.6. It would be difficult to find something better at this price, making this model a fantastic value purchase if you game and work in editing or content creation.
The ViewSonic XG350R-C doesn’t get bright enough for true HDR performance even if it exceeds its backlight specification at 340 cd/m2. Contrast is excellent, reaching as much as 1850:1, but black luminance isn’t as low as we’ve seen on other VA panels. What’s perfect, however, is the screen’s gamma of 2.21 which doesn’t deviate a lot to induce variances in the overall output.
This model is advertised as an HDR monitor, but we did not see any considerable changes when the mode is active. Contrast remains the same and there are no pump-ups in the vibrancy, so there is very little reason to buy this model if you are into HDR gaming. However, we feel its priced accordingly so the lack of compatibility cannot be counted as a fault for the ViewSonic XG350R-C.
Panel uniformity is more than decent for the ViewSonic XG350R-C since deviances in brightness did not go over 10% across the massive screen. All sectors stayed within DeltaE 2.5 of the D65 standard, so differences from the natural version of images will not be noticeable. Dark-themed games like the Witcher 3 are a joy to play in this device since you will not see any clouding or dim-lit areas on the wide display.
Motion handling isn’t an issue with the ViewSonic XG350R-C since it has one of the faster VA modules we’ve tested. There are a few times in fast-paced games like Battlefield V where we caught some trailing, but the occurrence isn’t too common to worsen your visual experience. This model feels and looks comparable to some IPS models, but experiences may vary since we all have unique visual capabilities.
The ViewSonic XG350R-C is a FreeSync gaming monitor, but its also compatible with Nvidia’s G-Sync technology. Although take note that you will need the upper echelon cards with this model since 3440 x 1440 is a lot to handle for a GPU. Input lag was tested at 10ms, so there are no delays or “de-synced” instances while gaming.
Thoughts on the ViewSonic XG350R-C
The ViewSonic XG350R-C is a prime example of value and performance in a category which sells at an average that is a hundred or two higher than this model’s retail cost. The VA panel shows excellent imaging qualities which will enable owners to dabble in color-critical work, while gaming performance did not fall short of our expectations. We love the overall design of the product, including its RGB implementation which is one of the few that’s friendly with ecosystems from other brands.
One of the shortcomings for the ViewSonic XG350R-C is its 100Hz refresh rate which has been surpassed for quite a while. But to be fair, the extra 20Hz in models like the Alienware AW3418DW is brought about by G-Sync which costs a premium and isn’t included in this offering. The ViewSonic XG350R-C is an excellent buy if you want immersive gaming capabilities, but gamers would love it more if it had a higher refresh rate.
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 his junior high years. 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 which accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.