If you’re in the market for a new monitor, you may be wondering if a curved model is right for you. Curved monitors have been on the market for a few years now, and there are a number of different models to choose from. In this article, we will take a look at the top five best-curved monitors for gaming, movies, and productivity. We will also discuss the potential benefits and disadvantages of curved monitors, what types of curved monitors are available, and for what purpose they are best used.
Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 (G95NA)
PROS
- One of the best-looking monitors out there both in display quality and body design
- Has Quantum mini-LED as backlights with 2048 local dimming zones
- PIP and PBP
- Perfect for most use cases
CONS
- It’s a hefty investment, to say the least
- At this price and size, I wish it had USB-C support
Specs:
- Size & Resolution: 49″ – 5120×1440 (32:9)
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Input Lag: 2ms
- Curvature: 1000R
- Video Inputs: 2 HDMI 2.1/1 DisplayPort
The best monitor for most people is a monitor that’ll excel in most use cases. The Odyssey Neo G95NA is a monster of a monitor as it comes in at an impressive 49″ with a resolution of 5120×1440, and it’s basically 4K, I know the numbers don’t say 4K but this is essentially 2 27″ 1440p monitors fused together.
The curvature on this thing is aggressive at 1000R so you might get some color shifting and warping when editing photos, but you’ll get the most immersion while working especially on video editing.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 offers unique functionalities that’ll take advantage of its huge panel. One of those features is Picture-In-Picture and Picture-By-Picture. I like PIP since it’ll make this monitor function as two monitors; you can have a gaming console plugged into one side and your PC plugged into the other, it can be extremely useful if you’re streaming or if you just want to get work done across two computers without dealing with two separate monitors.
If you want the monitor that’ll do it all and have the best looks compared to a lot of monitors you’ve seen. The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 might be the best for you!
Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 (G95NA)
Samsung Odyssey G7
PROS
- Great for competitive gaming with low 1ms latency and 240Hz refresh rate
- 2K Resolution
- Great contrast and brightness
- Has a 106% sRGB coverage
CONS
- Has narrow viewing angles
Specs:
- Size & Resolution: 27”- 2560×1440 (16:9)
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Input Lag: 1ms
- Curvature: 1000R
- Video Inputs: 2 DisplayPort 1.4/1 HDMI 2.0
Next up we have the Odyssey G7, it’s the younger brother of the Odyssey Neo G9. Here’s the thing, this thing might be a bit tamer than the Neo G9 but it’s actually a bit better for gaming! Since this doesn’t have the 32:9 ultrawide display to control, it only has a 1ms latency while the Neo G9 has 2ms. It’s a small difference, but tiny improvements can turn into huge wins in competitive gaming.
This monitor has a 1000R curvature, it is pretty aggressive and immersive, but then again, it has narrow viewing angles. You’ll notice significant color shifting despite having great color accuracy out of the box. It should still be great for video editing but photo editing can be a bit of a gamble. Still, for 1ms latency combined with a 240hz refresh rate and a pin-sharp resolution, I think it’s worth the trade-off.
Despite all that color accuracy gibberish, media consumption on this monitor is actually great. It has great contrast and high peak brightness to go with the 2K resolution.
Samsung Odyssey G7
LG 34WN80C-B
PROS
- Great for photo and video editing
- The IPS panel provides consistent picture quality
- It’s affordable for what it can offer
- Has USB-C support with 60W-PD
CONS
- Not great for gaming; low refresh rate and high input lag
- Doesn’t have FreeSync
Specs:
- Size & Resolution: 34” – 3440×1440 (21:9)
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Input Lag: 5ms
- Curvature: 1800R
- Video Inputs: 2 HDMI 2.0/ 1 DisplayPort 1.4/ 1 USB-C
You’ve read the title, this one’s best for productivity and graphic editing. Now I know, that I haven’t specifically recommended a monitor for graphic editing up until now, I mean the Neo G9 is still the best for graphic editing here, but photo editing is just not the best with a curvature as aggressive as the Neo G9’s.
The LG 34WN80C-B is a panel that might defeat the Neo G9 in some cases and at a low price too! It has an IPS panel with a 1800R curvature thus it has extremely wide viewing angles, unlike the Neo G9 which has a VA panel resulting in a disappointing viewing angle. As for color accuracy, the LG 34WN80C-B achieves a 99% sRGB coverage
The LG 34WN80C-B also has a variety of ports, but the one that caught my attention is its USB-C support with 60W-PD, this meant your MacBook or other USB-C-equipped laptops can connect to the monitor while also receiving a charge at the same time. This saves time when connecting your laptop and keeps your workplace tidy, add the ultrawide feature and that’s three points for productivity!
Finally, for its great productivity features, it has to trade off some features that would’ve been great for gaming; it can only do a 60Hz refresh rate with a 5ms input lag and it doesn’t have FreeSync which every other monitor on this list has.
LG 34WN80C-B
Dell S3422DWG
PROS
- Great for gaming and productivity
- Good HDR for media and gaming
- It’s relatively affordable as a gaming ultrawide monitor
CONS
- Has narrow viewing angles caused by the VA panel
- Low color space coverage
- Doesn’t have local dimming zones to further support HDR
Specs:
- Size & Resolution: 34” – 3440×1440 (21:9)
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
- Input Lag: 1ms
- Curvature: 1800R
- Video Inputs: 2 HDMI 2.0/1 DisplayPort 1.4
If you want the best ultrawide gaming monitor but don’t have the budget for the Neo G9, the Dell S3422DWG (terrible naming btw) might be the best one for you! Although, don’t expect it to be as good as the Neo G9. For its price, it has to compromise with the features.
This monitor has a 1800R curvature which is a bit tamer compared to the 1000R monitors we covered so far. While a 1800R curve is less immersive, it’s more versatile, especially with productivity and photo and video editing.
The monitor has a panel with a 1440p resolution, 144hz, and an input lag as low as 1ms. Those features already make this a great gaming monitor, but the ultrawide aspect ratio takes it to a whole different level!
The Dell S3422DWG has a VA panel, and like most monitors with a VA panel, this has terrible viewing angles. Don’t get me wrong, it still looks stunning, but you wouldn’t really enjoy using this while co-op gaming with a friend, and it wouldn’t be color accurate enough for graphic work.
Finally, while this monitor has HDR, it doesn’t have local dimming zones to support that feature.
Obviously, this monitor isn’t going to be the best, but considering its price, it’s packed full of features albeit not great, and it does its job best as a gaming monitor.
Dell S3422DWG
Asus TUF Gaming VG32VQ1B
PROS
- QHD display delivers pin-sharp quality
- 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms latency, and low motion blur make this a great gaming monitor
- Extremely affordable
- 1500R curvature is both comfortable and versatile
CONS
- Doesn’t have a good backlighting and local dimming zones to support HDR
- Low coverage of most color spaces
- FreeSync doesn’t work well with low framerates
Specs:
- Size & Resolution: 32” – 2560×1440 (16:9)
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
- Input Lag: 1ms
- Curvature: 1500R
- Video Inputs: 2 HDMI 2.0/ 1 DisplayPort 1.2
For the last one in our list, we have the Asus TUF Gaming VG32VQ, it is the cheapest out of all the monitors we covered in this list, but it is certainly not the least! This is a VA monitor so it has great contrast, but then again we have the image degradation when viewed out of angle. It’s 32” with the good ol’ 16:9 aspect ratio, and the panel has a refresh rate of up to 165Hz, a latency as low as 1ms, and low motion blur which makes this affordable monitor great for gaming.
Don’t expect much when it comes to color accuracy, aside from having a VA panel, it only covers around 92% of the sRGB color space. It also has a 1500R curvature which is probably the perfect balance between versatility and comfort.
For a panel this affordable it also has terrible backlight bleed, no local dimming zones, and poor HDR, but you know what, for its price, I really couldn’t complain. If you want something that’s straightforward while also delivering great performance without ripping your pockets, look no further than this monitor.
Asus TUF Gaming VG32VQ1B
Why a Curved Monitor Is Worth It?
A lot of people think that curved monitors are just a thing of novelty, they think it’s a piece that people only show off to their friends, but that’s not the case. There are actually a handful of great benefits that a curved monitor can provide better than a flat monitor. Here are some of those reasons:
First, curved monitors are way easier on your eyes, and yes there is a lot of eye protection that comes with a lot of normal monitors as well, but curved monitors will reduce eye fatigue since you won’t have to move your eyes as much since the screen is curved. You’ll notice this difference best if you’re using a large or ultrawide monitor. And for the same reason, your neck will probably thank your curved monitor as well.
Second, curved monitors have a more consistent picture quality. Again, all monitors can have consistent picture quality. But in our eyes, flat monitors can have color and contrast shifting depending on which angle we’re looking at it. So curved displays are generally better with their picture consistency, although it has a catch: You have to sit directly at the monitor, and monitors that are too curvy will most likely have a narrow viewing angle. It’s also important to point out that most curved monitors aren’t IPS panels, most are VA panels.
Lastly, a curve monitor is more immersive while you’re playing games, and even more so with a curved ultrawide monitor. The same thing can be said if you’ll use a curved monitor for productivity. You’ll be much more comfortable opening more tabs at once even if your monitor isn’t ultrawide.
What Is Monitor Curvature?
The most common curvatures are between 1500R and 1800R, but you can also find some that go as low as 1000R or as high as 4000R. To make things easy to understand, if you have a 1000R monitor, it can complete a circle with a 1000mm radius or a 2000mm diameter. But the best way to think about it is that the lower the number, the more curved the monitor is, so a 1000R monitor will be more curved than a 1500R monitor.
So, what should you get? If you want a color-accurate picture quality get a 1500R-1800R, don’t go too curved since that may affect cause color shifting. If you want the most immersion, go with a 1000R monitor since it’s the closest to matching our natural field of vision.
And while I want to talk about every little detail that a curved monitor can have, I think we’ve gone over most of the basics, so let’s take a look at the top five best-curved monitors for gaming, movies, and productivity!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are curved monitors actually better?
Curved monitors let your eyes take in the view in a more comfortable manner since everything is focused into a more concentrated field of view. -
Is a curved monitor OK for work?
Yes, it's excellent since it gives you a better amount of depth perception which means more room for filling your screen with tabs.