Top 10 best designed gaming monitors to deck out your desktop in 2023

Say whatever you want about the GPU market or the general atmosphere of the games industry at the moment, but gaming (particularly, PC gaming) probably isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Besides, even if the gaming industry collapsed, there’ll probably always be a niche community of PC builders who just want to make cool-looking builds.

It’s just unfortunate that some of the best-looking and best-feeling screens that’ve ever existed are finally coming down in price at a time when so many people are unable to get their hands on high-end video game hardware and gaming PC components.

That’s why I compiled a list of the top 10 best designed gaming monitors on the market in 2023, spanning everything from 1080p to 4k and ultrawide – making room for gamers on a budget while showcasing some of the best gaming displays you can find. Note that it’s a little bit different than the list I already created that specifically targets ultrawide monitors that use OLED displays.

1. Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (Best all around)

Alienware’s AW3423DWF is the best all-around PC gaming monitor, featuring a curved 34-inch 3440x1440p 21:9 ultrawide display with 1800R curvature, HDR 400 support, VRR, 0.1 ms response times, and support for both DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0.

Why is it noteworthy?

The AW3423DWF hits that incredibly hard-to-reach sweeet spot in PC gaming monitors, blending the richness of QD-OLED with the wide field of view provided by ultrawide monitors. It somehow manages to juggle all the best parts of high-end gaming displays while remaining, miraculously, under the $1000 MSRP ballpark.

What we like

  • Low price for the volume of modern features
  • Ultrawide
  • QD-OLED display with 1000 nits peak brightness
  • Extremely low 0.1 ms response time

What we dislike

  • Relatively low maximum (165 Hz DisplayPort 1.4 / 100 Hz HDMI 2.o) refresh rates
  • You have to choose between FreeSync Premium Pro support and Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate support

2. ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM (Best 1440p)

ASUS’s ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM is a feature-packed 27-inch 2k OLED gaming display that pushes impressive refresh rates and over 1000 nits peak brightness in HDR mode.

Why is it noteworthy?

OLED is still an expensive luxury in modern gaming monitors, and the ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM packs a lot of high-end goodies like a 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.03 ms response times, and intelligent voltage optimization (to combat burn-in) to name just a few – all for $999.

What we like

  • Fantastic price performance
  • OLED display with 1000 nits peak brightness
  • Blazing fast

What we dislike

  • No FreeSync support out of the box

3. LG UltraGear 32GN650-B (Best budget 1440p)

LG UltraGear monitors are generally great across the board, but if you want to play games in 2k for a low price, the 32-inch LG UltraGear 32GN650-B is a fantastic option at between $250-400, depending on whether you find a good deal.

Why is it noteworthy?

It balances strong performance with a relatively low asking price, featuring a relatively high maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz, HDR 10 support, and 1 ms Motion Blur Reduction.

What we like

  • It’s a 32-inch 2k monitor with decent specs for less than $400
  • 165 Hz refresh rate and 5 ms GtG response times are great for this price range

What we dislike

  • Underwhelming contrast ratio
  • Low peak brightness

4. LG UltraGear OLED 45GR95QE (Best 21:9 ultrawide)

The LG UltraGear OLED 45GR95QE is a bit more feature-packed than the Alienware we mentioned earlier, only narrowly taking the trophy for best 21:9 ultrawide. It’s a fantastic 45-inch ultrawide 2k monitor, both blazing fast and featuring incredible HDR support thanks to its OLED display.

Why is it noteworthy?

The UltraGear OLED 45GR95QE is a massive, 45-inch OLED 3440x1440p gaming display with support for 240 Hz refresh rates, all types of VRR out of the box, HDR 400 with a 1500000:1 contrast ratio, and a 0.03 ms response time.

What we like

  • It’s probably the best 45-inch ultrawide gaming display you can buy right now without delving into 32:9 or 4k territory

What we dislike

  • Only 800R curvature, meaning the far edges of the screen will seem farther apart

5. Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (Best 32:9 ultrawide)

The Samsung OLED G9 is an absurdly impressive super ultrawide (5440x1440p) gaming display, spanning a 32:9 aspect ratio with a visual style that makes it look like a piece of futuristic art, thanks to its chrome look and LED back array.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s the world’s first OLED super ultrawide display. That alone is a huge deal, but yes, it even has all the bells and whistles you could want: 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.03 response time, TrueBlack HDR 400, and a contrast ratio so high it probably doesn’t need to be mentioned.

What we like

  • 32:9 aspect ratio looks incredible with QD-OLED
  • Samsung Gaming Hub means you don’t even need a PC to play games on it

What we dislike

  • It costs $1799 – even though the price is coming down slowly

6. ASRock PHANTOM GAMING PG34WQ15R2B (Best budget ultrawide)

The ASRock PHANTOM GAMING PG34WQ15R2B is a powerful 34-inch 3440x1440p ultrawide gaming monitor that gets rid of a few bells and whistles to maintain wildly good cost performance.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s hard to call this a bad purchase when it’s literally a 2k ultrawide gaming monitor for $379. It doesn’t include an OLED display or G-Sync Ultimate support, and its VESA DisplayHDR 400 is probably questionable without the former – but that’s a ridiculously low price for something this feature-packed. Its 165 Hz refresh rate, FreeSync support, and 1 ms response times make it a steal at that price.

What we like

  • Mind-boggling cost performance at $379
  • 21:9 ultrawide with 1500R for immersive 2k gaming
  • Relatively high refresh rate/response time for cost

What we dislike

  • It’s not an OLED, and the HDR probably suffers for it

7. Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 UHD (Best 4k)

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 UHD is a high-performance 32-inch 4k curved gaming display – which even won a CES Best of Innovation award in 2022.

Why is it noteworthy?

It was the world’s first 4k gaming display with a 240 Hz refresh rate. More importantly, it’s also an ultrawide display with HDR 2000 support – meaning its peak brightness goes up to 2000 nits.

What we like

  • High performance 4k ultrawide
  • Deeply impressive HDR 2000 support thanks to Quantum Dot technology
  • 240 Hz refresh rate

What we dislike

  • A bit small for an ultrawide with 4k resolution
  • Like all 4k monitors, it’s quite expensive at around $1499

8. GIGABYTE M27U Gaming Monitor (Best budget 4k)

The Gigabyte M27U is a well-balanced 27-inch 4k gaming display that does some genuinely interesting stuff for its low price of $549.99.

Why is it noteworthy?

It pushes 2160p resolutions at 160 Hz, while maintaining a tight 1 ms response time. At a price below $600, this makes it one of the stronger performers, and is a great alternative to a similarly-priced 2k monitor if you have the horsepower to drive games in 4k.

What we like

  • Strong cost performance
  • Multiple HDMI connections – making it a good console gaming monitor

What we dislike

  • It’s a bit small for a 4k display at 27 inches

9. ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM (Best 1080p)

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM is an impressive 27-inch 1o80p gaming display that checks every single box you could possibly want, minus OLED.

Why is it noteworthy?

If you value extremely high frame rates over fidelity, you can’t get a much better display than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM. Not only does its 1080p max resolution make it a lot friendlier with older gaming hardware, but it can also run at up to 280 Hz refresh rates, has excellent support for motion blur reduction, and it even does HDR 400.

What we like

  • One of the fastest monitors on the market thanks to 280 Hz max refresh
  • Gorgeous IPS display

What we dislike

  • At $299, it’s a bit pricy for a 1080p display

10. Samsung Odyssey Ark (Most excessive)

The Samsung Odyssey Ark is an oddity; this 55-inch Quantum Mini LED monitor shifts between being a 1000R 4k ultrawide display… or turning vertically into something totally different.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s an absurdly large 4k ultrawide monitor with a 1000R “sound dome” and the ability to turn vertically, enabling cockpit mode – which lets you stack three screens vertically instead of having a single wide-spanning ultrawide view. This allows it a level of versatility unseen in any other monitor that – mixed with its Quantum Mini-LED display – combines to produce an experience that can only really be described as excessive for most gamers in 2023.

What we like

  • Its Quantum Mini-LED display makes its colors pop and produces incredibly rich blacks
  • It’s huge at 55 inches
  • You can switch between ultrawide and cockpit mode

What we dislike

  • It probably won’t fit on most desks
  • Its 165 Hz refresh and 1 ms response times underwhelm for the price and size
  • It’s expensive at $2699

The post Top 10 best designed gaming monitors to deck out your desktop in 2023 first appeared on Yanko Design.

How the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 monitor helps level up your gaming and productivity

We live in an age where using a computer is as normal as using pen and paper. That’s true not only for work and school but also for gaming and entertainment. Most computers come with only a single monitor, but there’s a school of thought that espouses having multiple monitors to have more room for the things you need to be effective. Still, the complexity of maintaining even just two monitors, plus the considerations of desk space, makes such a setup less appealing to most people. And that’s not even considering how it’s often less aesthetic to have two or more screens with frames creating boxes in your view. That’s where the new breed of ultra-wide monitors comes in, and Samsung’s latest monitor steps up the game with a curved monitor that not only flings the entertainment doors wide open but also sets up a beautiful piece of tech on your desk.

Designer: Samsung

Curved screens started invading living rooms as expansive TVs that promise a more cinematic viewing experience that matches more closely how our eyes naturally view the world. Of course, movies aren’t the only kind of digital visual content you’d want to feast your eyes on, so it was really only a matter of time before those gentle curves to the computers sitting on our desks. The new Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, however, is more than just a curved monitor but is also an eye-catching gateway to entertainment and productivity.

The 49-inch monitor has a resolution of 5120×1440 and an aspect ratio of 32:9, giving you a very wide field of view that conforms to the way your eyes work thanks to its 1800R curvature. In a nutshell, this means that you’ll be able to enjoy a more immersive visual experience, whether you’re playing a game or watching videos. It’s practically the equivalent of two QHD or 2K monitors side-by-side, but without the distracting borders that break up what should be a seamless scene.

That extra-wide screen also means there’s plenty of room for all the application windows you need to get your work done, whether it’s reference data for writing a report or reference images for creating graphics. Samsung’s Multi View feature even lets you put two screens from two different sources playing at the same time, including content from your phone.

Beyond its tempting functionality, the Odyssey OLED G9 also bears the futuristic aesthetic of Samsung’s flagship gaming monitor line, with crisp lines that make up the seams on its back and dazzling RGB lights that help set up the mood. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a prolific content creator, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 promises to expand not only your view but also your productivity, all while looking handsome despite its imposing stature.

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Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 curved monitor has an unbelievably wide span

When curved TVs landed in the market, many pegged it as just a passing fad. Years later, that unusual shape has also made its way to computer monitors. A curved screen might make less sense on a desktop monitor since the curvature is often advertised as a boon for a more cinematic experience. That said, computers these days are used for more than just serious business or studying, with games and media taking up a large portion of the overall use cases for these devices. Samsung definitely sees it that way, so at CES 2023, it unveiled what is probably the widest curved monitor in the market, taking that commitment to a cinematic experience to almost ridiculous proportions.

Designer: Samsung

We don’t really see the world as a flat plane in front of us. Given how the world and our curved eyes work, it’s actually more natural for us to see things in a radius. That’s the principle used by modern cinemas that project videos on a curved screen compared to the very flat surfaces of older cinemas. It’s also the principle used to justify curved TVs and monitors, but the new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 definitely takes the cake compared to even the largest curved TV.

The most obvious thing you’ll notice about the Odyssey Neo G9 is, of course, its ultra-wide size, which puts ultra-wide monitors to shame. The 57-inch gaming monitor has a resolution of 7680×2160 and an aspect ratio of 32:9, which means it is the equivalent of two 3840×2160 16:9 curved monitors. It’s no surprise, then, that Samsung calls this a dual UHD curved display. The screen uses quantum mini LED technology and has a refresh rate of 240Hz, the ingredients for a perfect gaming monitor. Of course, such a wide screen will also have enough space for all the windows you possibly need for work and then some, making it also ideal for activities like creating videos or simply multitasking.

The new Odyssey OLED G9 is like a smaller sibling of the Neo G9 at only 49 inches. It is also less curved at 1800R (the Neo G9 curves at 1000R), and is only the equivalent of dual QHD screens for a combined 32:9 aspect ratio. While still mostly designed for gaming, the monitor can also access apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube directly, even without a computer, as long as there’s a direct Internet connection.

Curved monitors might not be everyone’s cup of tea, so Samsung also has regular monitors covered. The ViewFinity S9 brings a whopping 5K resolution to a 27-inch screen for the first time and comes with a built-in Color Calibration Engine that designers will appreciate when they need precise and accurate color settings. The 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 joins its older and larger 32-inch sibling and can pivot 90 degrees in a portrait orientation that makes it easier to read long documents with less scrolling. The Smart Monitor M8 also acts as a smart home, specifically a SmartThings Hub, making it an all-in-one solution for almost anything you need a screen for.

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realme 10 Pro+ brings a touch of elegance to an affordable market segment

There are plenty of beautiful smartphones these days, but one thing that most of them have in common is the premium price tags they carry. While beauty and luxury have always traditionally gone together, it doesn’t always have to be the case, especially with breakthroughs in design and technology. Bringing exciting products to people from all walks of life has always been a pipe dream of many designers and companies, but it often requires the right timing to bring the right ingredients together. realme is one such company investing heavily in making delightful smartphones for its target audience, and it is bringing that vision to fruition in the new realme 10 Pro series that’s now launching globally.

Designer: realme

As a company born to target a younger crowd of smartphone users, realme has always endeavored to deliver products with trend-setting designs to the market. That market, however, has traditionally been filled with devices that lean more towards affordable prices at the expense of performance and aesthetics, but thankfully, the tech industry has been changing to include more market tiers in its goal of achieving excellence. Technologies and designs that were once thought to be exclusive to expensive devices have now become more accessible thanks to the efforts of brands like realme.

The realme 10 Pro+ is a glittering example of that new trend. It brings to the midrange smartphone segment a curved screen that has been the hallmark of premium phones not just because of their looks but also because of the high cost of production. Paired with a COP Ultra Packaging process that narrows the bottom bezel even further, the realme 10 Pro+ looks like it’s all screen and all business. This “segment-first” 120Hz curved display isn’t just a pretty face, though, and it boasts a 2160Hz PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology that reduces screen flickering to deliver a more comfortable viewing experience, enough to earn two TÜV Rheinland certificates on eye protection.

The back of the phone is just as striking with a new Hyperspace Design. The refraction of the light that changes at every angle makes it appear as if it’s traveling at warp speed, similar to the effects you’d see in some sci-fi shows located in space. These beams of light all converge towards the twin-lens reflex cameras, making it unambiguous how photography is still one of the key elements of the mobile experience, pun intended.

The realme 10 Pro+ isn’t all just looks, and it bears hardware that’s aimed to satisfy a wide range of people of any age. The “Plus” model runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G processor with up to 12GB of RAM and comes with a whopping 108MP Prolight camera. It is also the first of its kind to run realme’s new UI 4.0, which promises a more fluid experience without bogging the phone down or devouring battery life.

Beyond the tech specs and features, realme is making a heavy investment in making sure that breakthrough design is made available to every market segment, not just the ones with four-digit prices. It is committed to bringing exciting designs to each new model, pouring resources on new materials, finishes, colors, and human-machine interaction, not just for a privileged few but for everyone, especially the younger generation of smartphone users. The realme 10 Pro+ starts at $379 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the standard realme 10 Pro starts at $319 with the same memory configuration.

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LG unveils world first bendable OLED TV with 20 curved level settings for personalize viewing experience

Curved screen displays have been in trend for the last couple of years, and now we are looking up the horizon for the next big move. LG has just announced a cool OLED TV that is capable of bending on demand to morph into a curved display. This announcement comes on the back of Corsair showing off its 45-inch bendable gaming monitor at Gamescom just a few days ago.

Dubbed the LG OLED Flex – a.k.a LX3 model – it is touted to be the first bendable OLED TV on the market. The 42-inch display is targeted at gamers and professionals who demand the next level of immersion, and also want the flexibility to have a normal flat screen TV. The transition between the two modes happens seamlessly with remote control.

Designer: LG

Even better the display can be set anywhere between the twenty levels of curvature. That means, the bendable feature is fully customizable to a maximum of 900R curve. I can think of scenarios where the screen bend can be toggled for strategy, FPS or racing games for maximum gaming prowess.

The 4K display comes with a 0.1 millisecond response time, 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, HDMI 2.1, ALLM (auto low latency mode) and support for VRR (variable refresh rate). This display is also G-SYNC compatible and AMD FreeSync Premium certified for a smooth viewing experience. Thus, making it ideal for pairing with the latest gaming consoles like Xbox Series X or PS5.

Another feature that’s very useful is the anti-reflective coating for minimum distraction in a bright environment. The stand on the display is height adjustable – 10 degrees towards or 5 degrees away from the gamer, and tilt adjustable – up and down by 140 millimeters. It also gets dual front-firing speakers for ultra-premium immersive sound output. Therefore, it can be used for other purposes like video editing or binge watching too.

There’s no word on the pricing or availability of this amazing display yet, but it should be positioned competitively to capture the chunk of geeky buyers. As per LG, the Flex bendable display is going to be on display at the IFA 2022 in Germany this week, so better keep an eye!

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Samsung’s first Odyssey gaming monitors include a 240Hz ultra-wide

Samsung is now applying its Odyssey gaming badge to monitors, and it's marking the occasion with two displays that are clearly geared to enthusiasts. The 49-inch CTG9 (above) is billed as the first 5,120 x 1,440 ultra-wide display with a 240Hz refre...

Cadillac’s 2021 Escalade will boast a 38-inch curved OLED screen

In a teaser video published today, Cadillac offers a glimpse of the 38-inch, curved OLED screen that will arrive in its 2021 Escalade. Cadillac says the display will have "twice the pixel density of a 4K television." It didn't share much beyond that...

Samsung get ready to unveil their newest Galaxy

Cultura Geek Samsung Galaxy 1

Samsung seem to be operating under the “new year, new galaxy” philosophy, and now that we know that a new device is coming Samsung have a new event coming to introduce it.

Samsung has started sending out invitations to their latest Unpacked event, where the company will unveil the latest model to join the Galaxy family. This event is planned for March 1st at 12:30PM ET, the same day in which HTC will show their latest model. Despite this, the biggest bit of news seems to be that future models will take a page from the Galaxy Note Edge and feature a curved screen in their main line smartphones.

A Twitter user took Samsung’s teaser images and completed them with what he thinks the new devices will look like:

In the last event of this type Samsung had unveiled the Galaxy S5 along with their latest smartwacthes and fitness bands, yet none of these ended up being the revolution they expected. This inspired the company to take a long look at their latest entries and go back to the drawing board, where they worked on fixing all the small annoyances users had been pointing out for a couple generations. Could Samsung be getting ready to get back on the top of the world? We’ll let you know by March.

Via: The Verge

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LG G Flex Frame: bent phones are not an accident this time

lg-g-flex

Where the iPhone 6 had issues with getting bent and cracked. the LG G Flex Frame might actually turn that into its strength. This time, the phones are supposed to be curved.

Whether or not a product will come out of this remains to be seen, but the fact is that LG has filed patents for three new model names: LG G Flex Frame, the G Frame, and F Frame. Considering LG already has a curved display smartphone on the market, the LG G Flex, media is buzzing, calling this a successor or a product in the same vein. Maybe a new family of smartphones will come out of this? They already seem to be sharing the “frame” denomination.

We had heard before that we would see an LG G Flex 2, a phone with a smaller screen which could actually be one of these, likely the G Flex Frame. The other two, though, the G Frame and F Frame have us asking questions without any certainties.

Via Ubergizmo

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Larger iPhone 6 to Have 5.5-Inch WQHD Display, Curved Design

iPhone 6 5.5 Display JDI

Japan Display Inc. (JDI) may have just spilled the beans, as it showed off what might be the larger iPhone 6′s 5.5-inch display, while other recent concepts attest to the phone’s curved design.

Days after the world learned that Apple’s iPhone 6 might come in two sizes (5.5 and 4.7-inch respectively), JDI announced that its new 5.5″ WQHD display with a 1,440 x 2,560p resolution will be used in “leading-edge smartphones.” Since JDI has acted like Apple’s supplier of displays, chances are that the newly announced one will be among iPhone 6′s major selling points.

Paul Semenza, a senior VP at NPD DisplaySearch, stated the following, after learning about JDI’s announcement: “Typically apple wants ‘first dibs’ on the new part, so it’s a little surprising that JDI is announcing this now… We don’t expect to see the iPhone 6 until second half 2014.”

Semenza also talked about the rumored smaller iPhone 6: “There is also a possibility of another spec – a 4.7-inch 1,600 x 900 [display]. As always, Apple runs parallel development programs, to test out which is the best approach or just to try to confuse the rest of the world.”

The world is definitely confused about the directions Apple is going with iPhone 6, especially since the diagram that popped on a Chinese website (pictured below) suggests that the smartphone will come with a 5.9-inch display. With such a size, Apple almost dives into phablet territory, something quite hard to believe, given that the iPhone 5S has a 4-inch display with a sub-HD resolution.

Regardless of the size of the new iPhone 6, I’m curious whether Apple will really adopt a resolution that makes sense, such as the WQHD. Mac displays have had this resolution for a few years now, so maybe it’s time for the iPhone to make the jump, as well.

I wonder if Apple is planning to sell differently sized iPhones as two versions of the same expensive product or if the smaller one will come in a plasticky case, much like the iPhone 5C did. Given how much the 5C ended up costing in some European countries (about as much as a Samsung Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8), I think Apple should definitely stick making what they call “premium smartphones,” with a metal case and all that.

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