The Best Curved Monitors
Once you start surfing the web and gaming on a curved monitor, you never go back. And we can attest to that. A curved monitor feels super immersive, and it's easy to forget that it's curved. The stunning visuals just pull you in. Plus, colors and contrast seem sharper, and everything feels more lifelike. If we've piqued your interest, keep reading and you'll discover our picks for the top curved monitors on the market.
What to Look For
In picking the best curved monitors, there are a few key components to keep in mind. Size, resolution, refresh rate, and response time are the most important. Gamers might prefer the monitor with the fastest response time. That’s when we recommend AOC’s 27-inch monitor, which sports a mind-blowing 0.5ms response time. Or, maybe you’re looking for an extra-wide screen, in which case you may be interested in Samsung’s super-wide monitor for gaming. And if you want a regular monitor that’s great for gaming and streaming without spending too much, Samsung also offers a fantastic 27-inch LED screen. Read on for more of our in-depth reviews.
Samsung C27F398, 27-Inch Curved LED Monitor
The monitor that does it all is here. Samsung’s curved LED monitor works well for anything from daily work, watching movies, and gaming. With the 4ms response time and FreeSync compatibility at the ready, you’ll enjoy lightning-quick gaming and never miss a shot due to screen lag. Best of all, this is one of the best prices you’ll find for such a work- and game-ready computer monitor.
Pros:
- This screen can be used with VESA mounts, making it perfect for a monitor arm or hanging on a wall.
- Monitors in this price range are usually lacking in the color department, but this option offers vivid visuals.
- With the included eye-saver mode, you’ll reduce eye strain and feel better after a long day of work, gaming, and browsing.
Cons:
- We found the stand to be a bit on the weak side.
Samsung Odyssey G9, 49-inch Gaming Monitor
Get in the game
For the ultimate gaming experience, look no further. If you want to feel like you’re in the thick of the action, the Odyssey G9 is your best bet. It’s like a gateway to pure immersion. A whopping 240Hz refresh rate leads to the smoothest, silkiest framerate you’ve ever seen. On top of that, its response time is a mere 1ms. If you’re looking to be the best gamer you can be, you’ll need gear to match. And with G-Sync and FreeSync compatibility, this pick helps make sure you don’t experience any screen-tearing effects and other artifacts from mismatched game framerates.
Pros:
- The monitor’s curvature is finely tuned so the colors appear even across the whole screen. Instead of appearing washed out at the edges, everything looks vivid from the center viewing position because of that precise curvature.
- It handles G-Sync and FreeSync very well. Even major fluctuations in the framerate have no visible effect.
Cons:
- This may require a fairly powerful computer to take full advantage of the ultrawide 1440p resolution.
Sceptre, 24-inch 75Hz 1080p LED Monitor
Unlimited viewing angles
If you need a great-looking monitor that doesn’t break the bank, you’ve come to the right place. This curved monitor lets you enjoy that immersion without sacrificing desk space. You can mount it to any standard VESA configuration. And the stand keeps it upright securely without taking up a lot of room on your desk. The contrast and colors work well for gaming, movies and TV shows, and standard Office programs like Word and Excel.
Pros:
- This monitor works well with older PCs or laptops since it doesn’t require a very high refresh rate or resolution. The 1080p resolution is more than enough for most uses, and this is one of the sharpest 1080p monitors in its price range.
- Its wide range of tilt lets you dial in the perfect view, even if mounted higher on a wall. It’s perfect for an office or home setup with multiple monitors.
Cons:
- Those that play competitive first-person shooters may require something with a higher refresh rate, as this maxes out at 75Hz.
AOC C27G2Z, 27-inch 1080p Gaming Monitor
Fast as lightning
Top-level gaming requires top-level performance. If you and your opponent’s skills are matched but your monitor’s response time is slower, you’ll lose out on critical 1-v-1 situations where every millisecond counts. That’s why we love this blisteringly fast monitor for gaming: its response time is only half a millisecond. Yes, you read that correctly. Combined with its 240Hz, this makes for the perfect monitor for the serious gamer. Of course, it also looks smooth as butter when watching movies or shows.
Pros:
- This monitor’s top-of-the-line performance can give you an edge while gaming.
- You can mount this to any VESA-compatible system.
- For those that enjoy competitive first-person shooters, this is the best mid-range monitor you can find.
Cons:
- Unfortunately, it does not come in a 32-inch version with a 0.5ms response time.
ASUS TUF, 34-inch 1440p HDR Monitor
Bigger is better
We love using a curved 1440p monitor. It hits the right balance between high resolution and high framerates, so our graphics cards can keep up. Plus, it looks brilliant on a 34-inch screen such as this one. Because this ASUS monitor comes HDR-ready, the colors pop vividly and appear more lifelike. And with thin bevels, you can focus on just the beautiful screen image. And did we mention it has a speedy 1ms response rate and 144Hz refresh rate? Because it does, making this the perfect gaming monitor in a mid-tier range. You won’t break the bank and still have smooth gameplay and gorgeous graphics to admire.
Pros:
- This monitor is HDR-certified, meaning you can trust that HDR applications will work properly with it. For single-player cinematic games, it’s a huge boost.
- With G-Sync and FreeSync compatibility, you won’t see any screen tearing or visual artifacts.
- The lighting is even and smooth. When displaying a fully black screen, there isn’t any light bleed around the edges from the backlight.
Cons:
- You may need a fairly powerful graphics card to take full advantage of the HDR and high resolution at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are FreeSync and G-Sync?
G-Sync and FreeSync are when your monitor syncs to the graphics card’s framerate, letting the GPU control the refresh rate. It makes for an incredibly smooth image, with no screen-tearing artifacts from mismatched framerates.
What is the response time?
Response time correlates to how fast a monitor’s pixels can change color. The faster the response rate, the less blurring between images as pixels shift and the more accurate your shots will be. Anything from 1ms to 5ms is considered a fast response time.
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With the constantly shifting landscape in the world of technology, GameRevolution seeks to provide gamers and tech-enthusiasts with the information they need to select the right products for their needs. Since 1996, our experts have used their knowledge on all the latest gadgets – everything from headphones to standing desks – to help millions of people navigate specs and answer common questions.