AOC CU34G2XPD curved gaming monitor review: Exceptional value for ultra-wide gaming with a 180 Hz refresh rate on a 34-inch display
Good value for money?
The AOC CU34G2XPD is a highly affordable gaming monitor with a 34-inch display. The curved panel boasts a resolution of 3,440 × 1,440 pixels and supports a smooth 180 Hz refresh rate. It also comes factory-calibrated, ensuring great performance without breaking the bank. In this review, we’ll explore whether the AOC CU34G2XPD really lives up to its reputation as a top value option for gamers.Sebastian Bade, 👁 Sebastian Bade, ✓ Louise Burke (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict - A 34" display doesn't have to be expensive
The AOC CU34G2XPD is an impressive ultra-wide gaming monitor that offers a fantastic viewing experience with its 34-inch VA panel and UWQHD resolution (3,440 × 1,440 pixels). The standout feature is the high 180 Hz refresh rate, which ensures smooth visuals and makes it ideal for fast-paced games. Thanks to Adaptive-Sync technology, stuttering and tearing are minimised, further enhancing the gaming experience.
With robust colour performance and full coverage of both the sRGB and DCI-P3 colour spaces, this monitor is an excellent pick for content creators. The VA panel also boasts a high contrast ratio, making blacks appear particularly deep. The 1500R curved display enhances the immersive feel, which is especially noticeable in games and movies.
In its default settings, however, the monitor isn't without its flaws.
The maximum brightness could be higher, especially in very bright rooms, and the grayscale is noticeably off. Fortunately, brightness can be adjusted via the menu, and the gaming mode boosts the image significantly – though it does increase power consumption. The grayscale issue, however, can only be fine-tuned through calibration.
On the upside, the monitor offers excellent ergonomic adjustments, with height and tilt options to ensure a comfortable viewing experience. Its broad range of connectivity, including multiple HDMI and DisplayPort ports, provides superb versatility, allowing multiple sources to be displayed simultaneously.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The AOC CU34G2XPD is currently for sale on Amazon Germany for €299 (~$314). It can also be purchased from Notebooksbilliger for €319 (~$335) and Alternate for €353 (~$371).
Table of Contents
- Verdict - A 34" display doesn't have to be expensive
- Features and specifications - 21:9 with HDR 400 and 180 Hz
- Assembly - no tools, no hassle
- Case & design
- Ports – 2x HDMI and 2x DisplayPort
- User interface/OSD - a wide range of options
- Display - curved VA panel with 180 Hz refresh rate
- Power consumption – gaming mode demands more resources
- Notebookcheck overall rating
34-inch gaming monitors with UWQHD resolution are rapidly gaining popularity. They not only expand your field of view in games but also provide ample space for multitasking. The downside? These models often come with a hefty price tag. Enter AOC and the CU34G2XPD: a curved ultra-wide monitor packed with impressive gaming specs, yet priced surprisingly affordably at under £300 (~$380). But does it truly deliver when put to the test?
AOC (Admiral Overseas Corporation) has earned its place as a globally recognised brand in the monitor and display market. Founded in 1967 in Taiwan, the company has become a leading force, offering everything from gaming monitors to office and professional displays.
Features and specifications - 21:9 with HDR 400 and 180 Hz
The AOC CU34G2XPD features a 34-inch VA panel with a 21:9 aspect ratio and boasts a 1500R curved display, which means the curvature of the display has a radius of 1.5 metres. The smaller the R value in a curved display, the more pronounced the curvature.
| Size | 34 inches |
|---|---|
| Panel | VA curved (1500R/1.5m) |
| Backlighting | LED |
| Resolution | 3,440 × 1,440 @180Hz |
| Brightness | 430 Nits |
| Contrast ratio | 4,000:1 |
| Colour depth | 10-bit, 1.07 billion colours |
| Colour space | 91.4% Adobe RGB (CIE1976), 95.1% DCI-P3 (CIE1976), 126.5% sRGB (CIE1931) |
| Response time | 1ms (GtG), 1ms (MPRT) |
| Adaptive Sync | Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium |
| Ports | 2x HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 100Hz @ 3,440 x 1,440) |
| HDR | HDR 400 |
| KVM switch | No |
| VESA mounting | 100 x 100 mm (occupied by stand) |
| Power supply | Internal |
| Power consumption | 59W typical, Standby: ≤ 0.5W |
| Weight | 7.5kg (with stand), 6.51kg (without stand) |
| Included accessories | 1 x HDMI cable |
| Price | £299 (~$380) |
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Assembly - no tools, no hassle
Setting up the AOC CU34G2XPD is simple and requires no tools. The stand consists of two parts that can be easily connected with a screw, which can be conveniently turned by hand thanks to a small bracket. The stand is then hooked onto the back of the monitor and automatically locked in place. This design makes it possible to remove the monitor directly from the packaging and set it up securely.
What's in the box?
The contents are fairly basic, with only the essentials included. Alongside the monitor and its two-piece stand, you’ll find an HDMI cable, a DisplayPort cable and a power cord. However, if you want to take advantage of the built-in USB hub, you’ll need to source an extra cable yourself – a small detail AOC could have easily included for added convenience.
Case & design
The AOC CU34G2XPD showcases a modern, functional design with subtle gaming elements. The matte black casing is complemented by discrete red accents on the stand and the back, giving it a sporty look. Despite its gaming focus, AOC has avoided an overly aggressive design, allowing the monitor to blend seamlessly into a more neutral setup.
The slim bezel design offers a near-borderless appearance, particularly on the sides and top. The casing is made of simple plastic with a matte finish, which reduces reflections and provides a pleasant tactile feel. The build quality is solid, with well-fitting parts and a stable stand. The stand itself is a mix of plastic and metal, offering a robust base that keeps the monitor securely in place. Not only does it look good, but it's also highly functional. It offers height adjustment of up to 130mm, a tilt range from -5° to +23° and a swivel capability of 30° in both directions.
Ports – 2x HDMI and 2x DisplayPort
The monitor features two HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 connections and a 3.5mm headphone jack for external speakers or headphones. Additionally, there is a USB hub that offers extra connectivity options for USB devices directly on the monitor. To fully utilise the 180 Hz refresh rate, users must connect via the DisplayPort inputs, as HDMI only supports 100 Hz at the native resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 pixels.
The AOC CU34G2XPD also supports multitasking, allowing users to display multiple sources simultaneously, either as a smaller picture-in-picture or as separate full-screen displays, as demonstrated in our sample images.
User interface/OSD - a wide range of options
The AOC CU34G2XPD menu is accessed through buttons located on the lower right of the screen. There’s no directional pad, but navigating through the menu and its submenus remains intuitive. The interface is sleek and offers a variety of customisation options. For an enhanced gaming experience, there’s a special G-Menu that allows you to fine-tune the screen settings to your liking. Pre-configured profiles for genres such as shooter, MMORPG, action, RTS and racing are readily available. If you opt for the gaming mode, be aware of increased power consumption – a prompt will appear for confirmation. We’ll delve deeper into what this means below.
Display - curved VA panel with 180 Hz refresh rate
The AOC CU34G2XPD is a 34-inch curved gaming monitor with a stunning UWQHD resolution (3,440 x 1,440 pixels) and a 21:9 aspect ratio, designed to immerse you in the action and boost productivity. Thanks to its 1500R curved display, your field of view is widened, bringing depth and a more immersive experience to every game and task. With a 180 Hz refresh rate, the display delivers smooth, fluid visuals, and coupled with FreeSync Premium, it virtually eliminates screen tearing for an uninterrupted experience.
In its default settings, we measured a brightness of 177 cd/m² at 70% brightness. However, with a few tweaks, this can be boosted to an impressive 360 cd/m². Thanks to its low black levels, our test sample achieved an excellent contrast ratio of 3,880:1. A standout feature is the absence of PWM across all brightness levels, ensuring a truly flicker-free experience.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Contrast: 3880:1 (Black: 0.05 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.46 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.83, calibrated: 3.67
ΔE Greyscale 8.02 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
80.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
82.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.4
| AOC CU34G2XPD VA , WLED, 3440x1440, 34" | Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 QD OLED, 3440x1440, 34" | KTC KTC G42P5 OLED 3840x2160, 42" | Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 VA, 3840x2160, 32" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 12% | 9% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 82.6 | 98.4 19% | 95.5 16% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.6 | 99.9 0% | 100 0% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 80.7 | 93.9 16% | 88.8 10% | |
| Response Times | 84% | 91% | ||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 11.6 ? | 1.4 ? 88% | 0.6 ? 95% | |
| Response Time Black / White * | 7 ? | 1.4 ? 80% | 1 ? 86% | |
| PWM Frequency | 175 | 60 | ||
| Screen | 2% | 1645% | 18% | |
| Brightness middle | 194 | 231 19% | 448 131% | 338.36 74% |
| Brightness | 177 | 210 19% | 336 90% | |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 85 -1% | 89 3% | |
| Black Level * | 0.05 | 0.1 -100% | 0.001 98% | |
| Contrast | 3880 | 2310 -40% | 448000 11446% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.46 | 2.02 18% | 4.08 -66% | 3.8 -54% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.36 | 5.12 -17% | 10.09 -131% | 8.1 -86% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 3.67 | 2.02 45% | 3.3 10% | 1.5 59% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 8.02 | 2.11 74% | 5.63 30% | 4.7 41% |
| Gamma | 2.4 92% | 2.49 88% | 2.38 92% | 2.43 91% |
| CCT | 6394 102% | 6229 104% | 7094 92% | 6583 99% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 33% /
16% | 582% /
977% | 18% /
18% |
* ... smaller is better
In its factory settings, we observed slight Delta-E-2000 colour deviations compared to the sRGB colour space. The grayscale performance, however, is significantly worse in its default state, as demonstrated in the images. Only through manual calibration were we able to make noticeable improvements, though this does come at the expense of some colour accuracy.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 19 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 11.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 23 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.1 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8350 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Colour gamut
The AOC CU34G2XPD offers full sRGB coverage, while it covers around 83% of the Display P3 colour space and approximately 81% of AdobeRGB. This makes it a viable option for semi-professional photo and video editing, provided a calibration is performed first.
Power consumption – gaming mode demands more resources
In its default settings, the monitor consumes just 35 watts, showcasing impressive efficiency for a 34-inch display. However, when gaming mode is enabled, the warning that appears is well justified, as power usage spikes considerably. At full brightness, the display’s power consumption climbs to 62 watts.
Notebookcheck overall rating
The AOC CU34G2XPD stands out with its 34-inch UWQHD VA panel, which offers vibrant colours and deep contrast for stunning visuals. The 180 Hz refresh rate and Adaptive Sync deliver a smooth, uninterrupted gaming experience. The 1500R curved display enhances immersion, while the ergonomic adjustments and extensive connectivity provide comfort and flexibility.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was freely purchased by the author at his/her own expense. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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