Best ultrawide monitors 2020: the top ultrawide monitors we've tested

The best ultrawide monitors have secured their place in the computing world as indispensable tools. They might not be for everyone – a typical PC user might find it a bit of an overkill. However, those that do find a lot of use for that extra screen real estate goodness know these monitors’ worth. For content creators, gamers and designers, the advantages they bring are almost too many to count.

Beyond giving their users an enormous screen to spread out, the best ultrawide monitors make the best PC games much more immersive – especially the curved monitors. Just imagine having the game you're playing take up nearly your entire field of view, much like it would when you have the best VR headset on. They can also boost productivity in creative workloads, as they offer a dual monitor setup in a single seamless screen.

If the best monitors with standard widescreen aspect ratios just aren't giving you enough screen space to work with, then take a look at the best ultrawide monitors on our list. Whether you want one of the best gaming monitors or prefer something ideal for your productivity workflow, you’ll find something here to suit your needs.

Best ultrawide monitors at a glance

  1. LG UltraGear 38GN950
  2. BenQ EX3501R
  3. AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition
  4. Alienware AW3418DW
  5. Asus Designo Curve MX38VC
  6. MSI Prestige PS341WU
  7. AOC CU34G2X 
  8. LG 34UC79G-B

LG UltraGear 38GN950

(Image credit: LG)

1. LG UltraGear 38GN950

A killer ultra-wide gaming monitor

Screen size: 38-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3840 x 1600 | Brightness: 450cd/m² | Response time: 1ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Color support: DCI-P3 98% | Weight: 20.3 lbs

160Hz refresh rate
Super-responsive
Expensive
HDR can’t compete with high-end TVs

It’s hard not to be impressed by the LG UltraGear 38GN950. If you’re looking for the ultimate gaming monitor, this is certainly the one to beat, with a 144Hz refresh rate that can be easily overclocked to 160Hz, 1ms response time, spectacular image quality, and many other gaming features like G-Sync, an ultra-wide aspect ratio and DisplayHDR 600. If you’re serious about gaming, then this is the best ultra-wide monitor to get for gaming – if you can afford it, that is.

Read the full review: LG UltraGear 38GN950

BenQ EX3501R

(Image credit: Future; EA)

2. BenQ EX3501R

Finally, an ultrawide HDR monitor

Screen size: 35-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440 | Brightness: : 300 cd/m2 | Refresh rate: 100Hz | Response time: 4ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 2,500:1 | Color support: sRGB 100% | Weight: 23 pounds

Huge display
HDR
Needs a bit of tweaking

Ultrawide resolutions are already pushing our computing experiences to the edge, so when we came across the BenQ EX3501R, a 3,440 x 1,440 monitor with HDR, we sat up and took notice. This is an absolutely incredible gaming monitor – though BenQ advertises it as a 'video enjoyment monitor' – and considering it’s equipped with a USB-C input and an astonishing 2,500:1 contrast ratio, you'll be hard pressed to find anything not to love about one of the best ultrawide monitors out there. Well, at least until you look at the price tag.

Read the full review: BenQ EX3501R

AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition

The AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is an excellent ultrawide monitor (Image credit: Future)

3. AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition

A premium high-refresh ultrawide monitor

Screen size: 35-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Response time: 4ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 2,500:1: | Color support: sRGB 100% | Weight: 26 pounds

Amazing color
Up to 120Hz refresh rate
Thick bezels

Ultrawide resolution? Check. Fast 120Hz refresh rate? Also check. The AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is certainly more than its clumsy name lets on. This 3,440 x 1,440 ultrawide monitor isn't just stunning with its perfect VA panel, but coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate and a low 4ms response time, it should make the top of any gamer's list of the best ultrawide monitors. Just bear in mind, that if you want to take full advantage of the AOC Agon, you're going to need a little help from something like the RTX 2080 Ti.

Read the full review:  AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition

Alienware AW3418DW

The Alienware AW3418DW has been around a while, but it's still great. (Image credit: Future)

4. Alienware AW3418DW

An oldie but a goodie

Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Response time: 4ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 | Color support: sRGB 100% | Weight: 26 pounds

Excellent display
G-Sync
Expensive

The Alienware AW3418DW has been one of the best ultrawide monitors for years now. With an incredibly reliable, color accurate display and a high refresh rate, this Alienware gaming monitor has definitely earned its gaming classic label. It's still a bit expensive, as you may expect from an Alienware product, but you really are getting what you're paying for. And, just like any other product from the alien-themed manufacturer it looks amazing sitting on your desk. 

Read the full review: Alienware AW3418DW

Asus Designo Curve MX38VC

The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC is a great ultrawide for creatives. (Image credit: Future)

5. Asus Designo Curve MX38VC

An ultrawide for the creatives

Screen size: 37.5-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3,840 x 1,600 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 5ms G2G (grey-to-grey) | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 | Color support: 1.07 million colors | Weight: 9.9kg

4K and Ultrawide
Built-in Qi wireless charging
No HDR

The best ultrawide monitors aren't just great for experiencing the best PC games, they're also amazing for creatives and professionals. And, the Asus Designo Curve MX38VC is an exceptional example, providing excellent color accuracy, and a high resolution that'll be a boost to photo and video editors. Considering its price tag, it would have been nice to have HDR included, but this gets the creative job done so well that we can easily overlook that little exclusion.

Read the full review: Asus Designo Curve MX38VC

MSI Prestige PS341WU

The MSI Prestige PS341WU is a cut above the 4K norm. (Image credit: MSI)

6. MSI Prestige PS341WU

When 4K just doesn't cut it...

USB-C: Yes | Screen size: 34 inches | Resolution: 5,120 x 2,160 | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | HDMI inputs: HDMI 2.0 x 2 | Display ports: DisplayPort v1.4 x 1

Glorious 5K2K resolution
Superb Nano IPS panel
Great feature set
Patchy build quality
Mediocre HDR performance

If you’re looking for a monitor that’s a cut above the 4K norm, then you’ve got the MSI Prestige PS341WU. Showing up any impeccable 4K monitor is by no means an easy feat, but this monitor does so with the huge 5K2K native resolution (and 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio) of its luscious 34-inch IPS screen. It doesn’t come cheap, but it does have a great feature set to make up for that, including a Nano IPS panel with DCI-P3 color gamut, HDR support and comprehensive connectivity. All that packed in a beautiful white aesthetic, and you’ve got yourself one of the best ultrawide monitors of 2020.

Read the full review: MSI Prestige PS341WU 

AOC CU34G2X

(Image credit: AOC)

7. AOC CU34G2X

AOC has another winner

Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Response time: 1ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 80M:1 | Color support: 16.7 Million | Weight: 20.9 lbs

Superb performance
Immersive
Menu is hard to navigate
No G-Sync

There's no arguing with this monitor's exceptional performance. This 'frameless' monitor works hard to provide best-in-class performance, rather than advertising its gamer-centric nature via sharp angles and aggressive RGB lighting. Though if you are looking for gaming features, it boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and 1440p resolution for immersing gaming that looks incredible as well. And, with a $450/£450 price tag, you’re certainly getting a lot of value for your money.

Read the full review: AOC CU34G2X

LG 34UC79G-B

The LG 34UC79G-B is an affordable ultrawide monitor. (Image credit: Future)

8. LG 34UC79G-B

An ultrawide without the ultra-price

Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,080 | Brightness: 250 cd/m2 | Response time: 10.3ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Color support: sRGB 92.1% | Weight: 8.6kg

Affordable
AMD FreeSync
Lower resolution than other options

One of the main drawbacks of the best ultrawide monitors is that they happen to be on the expensive side. Sure, having an extremely wide screen is fantastic, but if you can't spend a grand on a new monitor, you're out of luck. Luckily, the LG 34UC79G-B is here to save the day on a budget. Now, this display doesn't have as high a resolution as some of the other selections on this list, coming in at 2,560 x 1,080, but with the amount of money you're saving, it almost doesn't even matter. Plus, you're getting FreeSync, too.

Read the full review: LG 34UC79G-B



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