Acer Technical Support Singapore

Let’s begin by talking about the Predator X34’s specifications. It has a curved 34-inch IPS panel display that outputs a resolution of 3440 x 1440 pixels, giving it an aspect ratio of 21:9. Other key specifications that you want to know is that it supports G-Sync, has a maximum refresh rate of 100Hz (via overclocking in the OSD), and a response time of 4ms. The stand adjusts for both height and tilt, but not orientation, for obvious reasons. As for inputs, the Predator X34 accepts both DisplayPort and HDMI. You need to use DisplayPort for G-Sync, but the inclusion of an HDMI port means you can pair the monitor up with other devices such as Blu-ray players or gaming consoles. It also has four built-in USB 3.0 ports, so it doubles up as USB hub, which is definitely a good thing.

IPS monitors have reached a very high standard these days, and the Predator X34 works very well out of the box. Colors are vivid and vibrant, and brightness uniformity (an issue on larger displays) is not really a problem here, though the edges do seem less bright - but only if you really stop to notice. But more importantly it performs well as a gaming display, thanks to its high refresh rate and G-Sync, and it's great for doing work too.

The Curved Experience

Curved TVs have been around for a while, but curved monitors are relatively new and I suspect that for many Predator X34 owners, this would be their first experience with a curved monitors.

Curved displays are often advertised as being able to offer a more immersive experience and wider field of vision, and it’s true, but the effect only seems most pronounced for the first couple of hours. After some time, your eyes will adapt and you begin to get used to the curviness of the display and the novelty of the curved display will wear off.

Still, I love playing and working on the Predator X34 and though the novelty of the curved display has somewhat diminished, I still find it more pleasant and enjoyable on the eyes as compared to the regular flat-panel 27-inch monitor that I normally work on. But those just take my words for it, check out our hardcore experience with curved displays in Korea.

Do I really need a wide display?

One of the attractive features of the Predator X34 is its ultra-wide display. There’s 3440 horizontal pixels, which gives it a 21:9 aspect ratio, and is almost akin to having two Full-HD displays side by side. As you would expect, it’s awesome for playing games. The wider display really makes gaming more immersive, and you do get to see more of what’s around you.

However, the problem with this is that our nature field of vision is limited. And unlike TVs where we normally sit at a greater distance, monitors are typically positioned closer to us. This means is that the edges of the display are often at the very peripheral of our field of vision. Consequently, the added stuff that is being displayed often goes unnoticed, especially in the heat of the moment.

I also find that unless you are sitting at quite a fair distance away, it does get tiring after awhile, to constant look or turn your head left and right to check the extreme edges. Obviously, your mileage will vary, maybe you prefer sitting further back or your eyes are more adept than mine, but for me and at my preferred viewing distance, I find that the extra stuff that the extreme edges of the display often goes unnoticed.

That said, where I really appreciate the extra pixels most is during normal use. I like browsing the web with two windows side by side, and the Predator X34 lets me do this comfortably without any cropped webpages. Furthermore, I could easily have two browsing windows opened plus work on stories at the same time. Just look at the screenshot I’ve captured at this start of this section. The Predator X34 is also super for users who spend lots of time dealing with spreadsheets.

The Predator X34 is great for watching movies too thanks to its 21:9 aspect ratio, which means movies, which usually comes in a 2.35:1 or 2.40:1 aspect ratio, fills up the display more fully. But since Blu-ray movies are typically in 1080p resolution, there’ll be some upscaling involved and there’ll be a noticeable fuzziness.

YouTube addicts, take note, the aspect ratio advantage doesn’t apply for you because YouTube videos are displayed in a 16:9 format. See the screenshot right above to see what a 4K YouTube video looks like when played in full screen on the Predator X34.

I have a 1080p/1440p display, is it worth the switch?