Why I chose a 34 inch curved monitor

I recently bought a new monitor for my desk at home. This time, I chose the LG 34-inch Curved Ultrawide (LG 34WQ75C-B) monitor. It has been six months since I started using it, and I am quite happy with my choice.

For more than ten years, I have always preferred having two monitors for work. For a long stretch, my setup was two LG 27-inch (LG 27UD68P) 4K monitors. In my experience, dual monitors are one of the simplest ways to boost productivity.

A few years back, I got myself a BenQ 32-inch (EW3270U) 4K monitor to use at home. But recently, my son needed a monitor for his new MiniPC, so I passed on the BenQ to him. This meant I was in the market again for a replacement. The obvious idea was to buy two 27-inch 4K monitors. But at home, my desk doesn’t have the space for two large screens side by side. Another issue with big 4K monitors is that, as the size increases, the text becomes smaller and harder to read, especially if, like me, you are not in your youth anymore. So I decided to try something new.

Instead of two monitors, I went for a single, bigger 34-inch curved display. Curved monitors help a lot at this size, since even the corners stay within easy view. I stuck with LG, mainly because I have always liked the way their whites look and the general display quality. For some reason, I never found the whites on the BenQ pleasing to my eyes.

A key difference this time was the resolution. Instead of going for another 4K monitor (3840 x 2160 pixels), I picked a QHD resolution—this model is 3440 x 1440. At first, it felt like I was downgrading. But after a lot of reading online, I realised that QHD might be better for my regular use—work, coding, YouTube, and the occasional movie. As resolution increases, you get more detail, but text gets smaller. With Windows, you have to increase the scaling to 125% or 150% just to read comfortably, but then you lose the extra space you paid for. In 4K, the sharp visuals are nice for photos and videos, but for text-heavy work, it becomes a hassle. In the table below, you can see how pixel density affects text size across my new QHD monitor and the older 4K monitors.

The LG 34WQ75C-B uses an IPS panel and offers a 60Hz refresh rate, which is more than enough for my needs. Going for OLED or a higher refresh rate would have pushed the price up, and I don’t game on my PC. The monitor also supports HDR-10 for richer colours. There’s something called “curvature”—for this monitor, it is 3800R. Simply put, this means the curve is quite mild and not very noticeable. I went for a gentle curve as I was unsure if I would like a curved screen. Now that I am used to it, I might try a deeper curve next time.

This model has a built-in KVM switch, which comes in handy if you connect two machines. There are enough ports—Ethernet LAN, two HDMI, one DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 (two below and two conveniently on the sides), and an audio jack. It even has USB-C Power Delivery up to 90W, so you can power a laptop directly. The monitor comes with built-in stereo speakers (7W each), though I have never used them, since I rely on dedicated external speakers for audio. The stand supports height adjustment and tilting, which I found useful.

I ordered the monitor directly from LG India’s website. The price I paid was INR 41,400, after getting a discount of INR 3,600. I avoided Amazon India, even though they had a slightly lower price, because the user reviews there were not very encouraging, especially about shipping. For an important purchase like this, I did not want to take chances. The delivery took about five working days.

The first thing that strikes you about this monitor is its sheer width and size. At 11 kilograms, it is heavy, so be careful when setting it up. After a few days, the size feels natural, and now I find it just right for my daily work.

I am also happy with the QHD resolution. For my use, it works well. I can keep the text scaling in Windows at 100% most of the time, going to 125% only occasionally. Earlier, with 4K monitors, I had to keep it at 150% almost always.

Now, the big question: how does one ultrawide monitor compare to having two separate monitors? For me, it turned out to be a good compromise. The extra width lets me place two windows side by side, like Microsoft Edge and Word, or Microsoft Excel and a bank website, and see everything comfortably. Sometimes, I can even work with three windows open side by side. This makes multitasking easier, as I do not have to keep switching apps or rely on memory.

If your workflow is like mine—multiple apps open together, working side by side—QHD ultrawide monitors are definitely worth considering. But if you use only one app in full screen all the time, an ultrawide might be unnecessary.

Disclosure: I write reviews about products that I have bought for my usage and paid in full. There were no sponsorship or advertisement, or commission of any sort involved in this post.