Review on HP X32C Curved 165Hz FHD Gaming Monitor - 31.5" Certified Display with 1920X1080P Resolution and 1 Audio Jack (Out), VA Panel Type by Jeffrey Mosqueda

Want an ultrawide screen with fast response times, good viewing angles, variable refresh rate and 165Hz refresh rate, but nothing with RGB lighting that looks like it was ripped from a teenager's desk? Well then the HP X34 might be something for you as it looks like it has been pulled out of the office with its black, slightly textured plastic and very conservative exterior. The monitor can usually be found for $400 and even under $400, and at that price the only thing that comes close to this monitor in terms of performance and cost is the Acer Nitro XV340CK, but it's a bit more expensive and only has 144Hz. FreeSync Premium works great and the monitor is G-SYNC compatible. A few years ago, a monitor with these specs easily cost over $1,200. So I have a few doubts that the monitor has a fairly aggressive anti-glare coating. It doesn't bother me personally, but some might. Second, the monitor is pretty basic when it comes to connections as it only has 1 HDMI 2.0 and 1 DP and no USB hub, RGB, USB Type-C, KVM switch and things like HD10. However, you might not need any of these extra features, especially at this price point. The device comes with a sturdy all-in-one stand that is very conservative but doesn't require an ultra-deep table. The monitor can be mounted according to the VESA standard. My panel doesn't seem to have any dead or stuck pixels, and the backlight is barely lit. The device doesn't use a joystick but some pretty bulky buttons for OSC. Fortunately, the device does not require any special settings, if any, out of the box. Contrast is okay, but that's probably because my main screen is OLED. Response times are very good when it comes to gaming, and when paired with the Radeon 6800 XT with FreeSync Premium enabled, games look fantastic. In a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, I hit about 60 fps on a 4K monitor, but on this 3440 x 1440 I'm averaging over 85 fps. 3440 x 1440 is more like 3.5K, so while it's a bit harder to handle than a regular 1440P, it doesn't require an RTX 3090 or 6900 XT to get decent frames in more intense games. All in all a really good monitor. It's not the highest quality or flashiest gamer out there, but at this price point, any flaws or reservations you have will fly out the window. There are very few IPS monitors that are $400 or less, 34-inch, 3440 x 1440, 1ms response time, 165Hz, VESA mount, variable refresh.