Best Ultrawide Monitors

Review & Comparison, Last Update December 17, 2023
Would you like to combine a cinematic experience with the convenience of a regular display? Then an ultrawide monitor is the type ...Read more
PROS

The On-Screen Control and Screen Split features will allow you to have a full control over the most essential monitor settings through a convenient solution that ensures quick and easy access. Whether you're looking to change the volume, increase or decrease the level of brightness, switch between different picture mode presets, or utilize an array of other options, this little piece of software will allow you to do that.

CONS

The default settings are far from optimal. 

OUR VERDICT

LG 34UC80 is one of the most versatile ultrawide monitors out there. Whether you're looking for a model to improve the efficiency of your work, to enjoy a good movie, or to amplify your gaming experience, the product in question will not disappoint you, to say the least.

detailed parameters
Type

Curved

Display Size

34"

Resolution

3440 x 1440

Aspect Ratio

21:9

Type of Matrix

IPS

Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Response Time

5 ms

Viewing Angle

178°(H) / 178°(V)

Connectivity Options

HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB Up-Stream (ver 3.0), DisplayPort (ver1.2), USB Down-Stream (ver 3.0) x 2, MaxxAudio 7W Output x 2

Ergonomics

Height/Tilt Adjustable Stand

Warranty

1 year parts & labor

PROS

The Picture-by-Picture (PBP) function displays input from two sources side-by-side at their native resolution. It allows you to resize the second source to up to 25% of the screen. After that, you can position that source anywhere you want, the screen is your oyster. Low Input Lag Mode is able to minimize the delay between mouse, keyboard, or joystick input and onscreen response. 

CONS

The HDMI protocol is a little outdated. 

OUR VERDICT

Samsung SJ55W is perfect for work. With this ultrawide monitor, software developers, business analytics, and so many people that work so many different professions will be able to increase their productivity and streamline workflow. That being said, this is by no means a bad model from an entertainment perspective either.

detailed parameters
Type

Flat

Display Size

34"

Resolution

3440 x 1440

Aspect Ratio

21:9

Type of Matrix

VA

Refresh Rate

75 Hz

Response Time

4 ms

Viewing Angle

178°(H) / 178°(V)

Connectivity Options

HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort, 3.5mm output

Ergonomics

Tilt Adjustable Stand

Warranty

1 year

PROS

This is a FreeSync monitor, meaning that the AMD crowd will be able to experience seamless, fluid movement throughout high-res, fast-paced games. The Black Stabilizer feature reveals superior detail in darker scenes. The Dynamic Action Sync feature does an excellent job assuring smooth and fluid gaming action.

CONS

The stand is relatively slim. 

OUR VERDICT

LG 29WK600-W is an ultrawide monitor with a budget price tag and mid-range features/performance. It will enable you to enjoy excellent, true-to-life colors. The model's ultra-thin bezel makes for a sleek, streamlined profile. Plus, the built-in 5W speakers are surprisingly good.

detailed parameters
Type

Flat

Display Size

29"

Resolution

2560 x 1080

Aspect Ratio

21:9 

Type of Matrix

IPS 

Refresh Rate

75 Hz

Response Time

5 ms

Viewing Angle

178°(H) / 178°(V)

Connectivity Options

HDMI 2.0 x 2, DisplayPort, 3.5mm output

Ergonomics

Tilt Adjustable Stand

Warranty

1 year

PROS

With back-weighted springs and heavy-duty build, the screen won't move unless you want it to move. The anti-glare panel does a bang-up job reducing light reflection on the display without washing out the colors. The 144Hz refresh rate lets you experience various gameplay scenarios without pixel distortion, motion jitter, or image artifact.

CONS

The monitor is a tad large and takes up quite a bit of space on the desk. 

OUR VERDICT

Viotek GN35DR is a beast with excellent specs and great value. It will allow you to downright dominate your opponents online and/or enjoy your favorite games in a new, much better light. The model delivers the most intense visual experience and lets you immerse yourself in the gameplay without any distractions.

detailed parameters
Type

Curved 

Display Size

35"

Resolution

2560 x 1080

Aspect Ratio

21:9

Type of Matrix

VA

Refresh Rate

144 Hz

Response Time

8 ms

Viewing Angle

178°(H) / 178°(V)

Connectivity Options

DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort, 3.5mm output

Ergonomics

Height/Tilt Adjustable Stand

Warranty

1 year

PROS

Considering the model's 5ms response time, there won't be much of a delay between your GPU rendering images and your screen displaying them back to you. This is an IPS panel, meaning that the contrast will be high, the blacks will be great, the overall color reproduction will unlikely disappoint, and the viewing angles will be nothing to complain about.

CONS

Doesn't come equipped with a DisplayPort interface. 

OUR VERDICT

LG 25UM58-P presents you with an opportunity to enjoy an ultrawide visual experience on a strict budget. Though its specs are nothing to write home about, the model's performance stacks up very well against its competition within the same price range and it is about as good for work as it is for general entertainment purposes.

detailed parameters
Type

Flat

Display Size

25"

Resolution

2560 x 1080

Aspect Ratio

21:9

Type of Matrix

IPS 

Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Response Time

5 ms

Viewing Angle

178°(H) / 178°(V)

Connectivity Options

HDMI 1.4 x 2, 3.5mm output

Ergonomics

Tilt Adjustable Stand

Warranty

1 year

Don't Settle for Mediocrity

Before going into some of the more technical details and explaining why that's actually the case, we'd like to begin this review by saying that the LG 34UC80 Curved UltraWide QHD IPS Monitor is a powerhouse of a display and one of the most versatile models on the market.

Of course, since this is a monitor, one of the biggest secrets to its versatility lies in the kind of color reproduction it offers. With over 99% coverage of the sRGB spectrum, this product will easily prove to be a perfect fit for people that work in the graphic design industry, professional photographers, and just about anyone whose job, hobbies, or preferences require or include the need for highly accurate colors.

Now, if you're looking to purchase an ultrawide curved monitor for work but you're not actually a creative type, the model still has you covered with the On-Screen Control and Screen Split. In a nutshell, the former will allow you to have a full control over the most essential and fundamental monitor settings through an incredibly convenient solution that ensures quick and easy access. Whether you're looking to change the volume, increase or decrease the level of brightness, switch between different picture mode presets, or utilize an array of other options, this little piece of software will allow you to do that with just a few clicks of the mouse.

And, speaking of the Screen Split, the program will prove to be simply indispensable when it comes to customizing the layout of the monitor for multitasking purposes. With it, you will be able to resize and display multiple windows at once, using one of the 14 options, and that's not to mention the four different picture-in-picture (PIP) choices. Suffice it to say, anyone from software engineers to all kinds of computer programmers will be able to appreciate the sort of opportunities these options will open up for them.

Ergonomics to Boot

Having said all of that, no computer monitor would deserve the title of a truly versatile model without catering to the gaming demographic. And while we wouldn't be able to say in good faith that this extra wide monitor is one of the best gaming monitors out there, mostly due to the fact that this LG ultrawide monitor features a relatively slow response time of 5 ms and a 60 Hz refresh rate, something that won't bother the fans of single-player games but might alienate the multiplayer crowd, this is still a fairly great gaming option for a couple of reasons.

First of all, the model features a variety of gaming modes, from a couple designed for First-Person Shooters to a bunch of RTS and MOBA pre-sets. Furthermore, the monitor supports the AMD FreeSync, and that means anyone with a Radeon graphics card will be able to experience a truly clean and crisp gameplay with no tearing and stuttering.

In terms of ergonomics, this ultrawide FreeSync monitor has a couple of aces up its sleeve as well, like a USB 3.0 Quick Charge behind the display that will allow you to charge your smartphone or any other mobile device four times faster compared to your average USB 3.0. Plus, the model is fairly easy to put together, with a simple press-and-click display-to-base attachment.

In short, the LG 34UC80 is one of the most versatile ultrawide monitors out there. Whether you're looking for a model to improve the efficiency of your work, to enjoy a good movie, or to amplify your gaming experience, the product in question with its wide format will not disappoint you, to say the least.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price $1,535.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B074JKT894

What customers say about this product

Display(4.8)

Color so far is decent. It's not the best IPS monitor I've ever viewed, although things are fairly crisp.

Connectivity(4.5)

The picture is crystal clear and the curve is perfect. I have connected to laptop and PC at the same time with no issue.

Features(4.6)

Material quality is exceptional. The stand is easy to put together and the monitor clicks in seamlessly. The height and tilt adjustment is smooth.

Key Specs(4.5)

It has great resolution and can fit up to four pages on the screen plus your laptop so I don't need to open and close pages.

A Huge Panel

Samsung SJ55W puts the "wide" into the "ultrawide monitor". With a 34-inch panel that boasts a 3440 x 1440 native resolution, this is a beast of a monitor that has very little limitations in terms of what it allows you to do.

First off, with so much screen real estate, you'll be able to take your multitasking game to the next level. The monitor will allow you to effortlessly and conveniently run and display multiple applications at the same time. Provided you have a knack for multitasking, the model will enable you to increase your productivity and streamline your interactions with different programs at the same time. You'll be able to spend less time scrolling and zooming out and more time viewing web pages, documents, and different apps.

Of course, that is all about the size of the panel and has very little to do with the model's native resolution. The resolution is a different story. With it, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy razor-sharp images, with a level of detail and clarity that only ultra HD 4K panels would be able to top. The monitor's precise image expression and subtle imagery will allow you to see your favorite movies and games in a whole new light.

Two Sources Side-by-Side

A huge panel like that is a huge plus in and of itself. But it wouldn't be worth much without the performance to match. The good news is that the model delivers on the performance front about as much as it does on the resolution and display size ones.

A good place to start would be the Picture-by-Picture (PBP) function that displays input from two sources side-by-side at their native resolution. With it, multitasking becomes an even easier task. It allows you to resize the second source to up to 25% of the screen. After that, you can position that source anywhere you want, the screen is your oyster.

We can't say that this is necessarily an excellent gaming monitor but we wouldn't make the opposite claim either. Sure, the model's 4ms response time and 75 Hz refresh rate aren't really something to write home about.

But, considering its AMD FreeSync support, the device will prove a great display for people with AMD graphics cards. Synchronizing the refresh rate of your GPU and monitor, the aforementioned technology works wonders reducing image tear and stutter.

On top of that, the model comes with a Low Input Lag Mode that is able to minimize the delay between mouse, keyboard, or joystick input and onscreen response. With it, you can enjoy a seamlessly smooth gaming experience.

Bottom line, Samsung SJ55W is perfect for work. With this ultrawide monitor, software developers, business analytics, and so many people that work different professions will be able to increase their productivity. That being said, this is by no means a bad model from an entertainment perspective either.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $359.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B07FBS36W2

Vibrant and Authentic Colors

More often than not, we like LG monitors and there is a lot to like about LG 29WK600-W. The people familiar with their monitors won't find too much out of the ordinary here but, considering the modest price tag that the model comes with, half of its features are a pleasant surprise.

For example, a budget monitor that supports the HDR10 high dynamic range is hard to come by. Supporting specific levels of color and brightness, the screen is able to display a much more vivid and rich image. With this technology, the colors look vibrant and authentic and that, in turn, enables a higher level of immersion. Add to that the model's >99% coverage of the sRGB spectrum and what we have here is an excellent device for professional photographers, graphic designers, or anyone whose job requires highly accurate colors.

Furthermore, what we're dealing with here is an IPS panel, which is again impressive considering how rare it is to find an ultrawide 29-inch IPS screen within this price range. With a panel like that, you receive the usual IPS advantages, including but not limited to better color reproduction, viewing angles, and higher contrast ratio with superior blacks. A monitor like that is equally suitable for work and entertainment.

Fluid Gaming Action

Now, let's talk gaming. On paper, the model's specs do not seem particularly impressive from a gaming standpoint. However, its features tell a different story.

To start off, this is a FreeSync monitor, meaning that the AMD crowd will be able to experience seamless, fluid movement throughout high-res, fast-paced games. The technology practically eliminates screen tearing and stuttering, allowing you to enjoy a much smoother picture and giving you a solid competitive advantage over your online opponents.

Apart from that, there's the company's trademark Black Stabilizer feature. With it, you'll be able to reveal superior detail in darker scenes, another technology that lets you better enjoy different gameplays across the board and better compete in shooters. On top of that, let's not forget about the Dynamic Action Sync feature that always does an excellent job assuring smooth and fluid gaming action.

With LG monitors, the On-Screen Control panel is a given too. It allows you to adjust volume, brightness, picture mode presets, the company's Screen Split 2.0 and Dual Controller features with but a few clicks, a much more preferred option to the usual hard buttons on the monitor.

To sum it all up, LG 29WK600-W is an ultrawide monitor with a budget price tag and mid-range features/performance. It will enable you to enjoy excellent, true-to-life colors. The model's ultra-thin bezel makes for a sleek, streamlined profile. Plus, the built-in 5W speakers are surprisingly good.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price $367.70
Stock In stock
ASIN B078GL93KG

What customers say about this product

Key Specs(4.8)

For productivity it's a great monitor - the extra width is very useful for fitting more programs on-screen at once.

Display(4.6)

It has a crisp image with vibrant colors, and with PPI of 96 it is slightly better than an 24 inch FHD monitor with 91 PPI.

Features(4.5)

The inclusion of FreeSync (40-75hz range over HDMI) was useful as I have an AMD card.

Connectivity(4.8)

Has a useful 3.5mm port for my speakers, so I don't mesh them to system unit.

Refreshingly Smooth Action

A quality ultrawide monitor and competitive, high-level gaming go about as well together as a horse and a carriage. A subpar screen can make your chances of success disappear about as much as a quality display can make them skyrocket. Fortunately, we're here to discuss the latter and not the former.

What makes Viotek GN35DR such an excellent gaming monitor first and foremost is its 144Hz refresh rate. With a refresh like that, you'll be getting more than twice as many images per second compared to your average 60-75Hz monitor. It will give you a ridiculous competitive advantage in FPS games and a solid upper-hand in MOBAs, other shooters, real-time strategies, and so many other genres.

Provided you have a graphics card able to deliver around 144 frames per second in your favorite game, you'll be able to enjoy the smoothest, most fluid gaming action. Last but not least, this is a FreeSync monitor, meaning that it will enable AMD users to play without pixel distortion, motion jitter, or image artifact. No more will you have to deal with dropped frames or choppy visuals.

But being able to deliver buttery smooth action scenes isn't the only thing that this PC monitor has going for it. First and foremost, what we're talking about here is a 35-inch, 2560 x 1080p curved panel. Thanks to the size of the panel and its curved nature, the device will not fail to provide you with a particularly intense visual experience.

Built Like a Tank

No matter how much you love your favorite games, they can drive you insane from time to time too. It is good to vent and let that rage out but people often take it out on their monitor and/or peripherals.

Well, with this particular monitor, that won't be an issue. It is built like a tank, with one of the most rugged and stable built-in monitor stands you'll ever find. With back-weighted springs and heavy-duty build, the screen won't move unless you want it to move. You can shake the desk, bang on the table, do your absolute worst and the monitor won't care in the slightest.

Nevertheless, it is angle- and height-adjustable, just that you won't be able to accidentally adjust it.

Other than that, this ultrawide gaming monitor doesn't necessarily present anything we haven't seen before. The GamePlus crosshairs might allow you to improve your aim. The anti-glare panel does a bang-up job reducing light reflection on the display without washing out the colors. Last but not least, the Low Blue Light mode will let you keep eye fatigue at bay, filtering out the harmful blue lights.

All things considered, Viotek GN35DR is a beast with excellent specs and great value. With it, you will be able to downright dominate your opponents online and/or enjoy your favorite games in a new, much better light. The model delivers the most intense visual experience on the widest screen and lets you immerse yourself in the gameplay without any distractions.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B07L9GL6WH

Wide Monitor on a Narrow Budget

LG 25UM58-P is the most basic monitor on this list. Of course, the price tag reflects that as well. Since it costs considerably less than every other monitor here, you can't really expect the model to have high-end specs. That being said, this is still an LG monitor and even their most basic ultrawide displays are nothing to scoff at.

But let's start with the specs first. On paper, they aren't that great. An ultrawide 2560 x 1080 native resolution is generally a good thing but, packed into a 25-inch panel, we can't say that we necessarily agree with the decision. On a relatively small screen like that, you simply won't be able to tell the entire difference between this resolution and its usual full HD counterpart. Sure, the details are still there, as sharp and crisp as ever but they're harder to notice on a smaller panel.

On the bright side, the model's 5ms response time is pretty good for a budget monitor. There won't be much of a delay between your GPU rendering images and your screen displaying them back to you. Another little detail that the monitor has going for it is that it is an IPS panel. That means that the contrast will be high, the blacks will be great, the overall color reproduction will unlikely disappoint, and the viewing angles will be nothing to complain about.

Choose Your Mode

With that out of the way, let's pivot a little and examine the model's most prominent features a little closer. Given that this is an LG monitor, let's start with the Split Screen 2.0. Using this tool, you will be able to resize and display multiple windows at a time with 14 different options including four just as different picture-in-picture (PIP) choices.

After that, we could mention the monitor's 3 gaming modes, including 2 designed for first-person shooters and a nice little preset for real-time strategies.

It's nothing we haven't seen before in LG monitors but the Dynamic Action Sync and Black Stabilizer features are there as well, which is a good thing. Using the latter, you will be able to spot enemies in darker locations, while the former will allow you to enjoy smooth, fluid action.

Again, this is a barebones monitor, so there aren't any speakers on board and it doesn't have a DisplayPort interface, a shame but understandable considering the price tag.

Taking it all into account, LG 25UM58-P presents you with an opportunity to enjoy an ultrawide visual experience on a strict budget. Though its specs are nothing to write home about, the model's performance stacks up very well against its competition within the same price range and it is about as good for work as it is for general entertainment purposes.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $149.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B01BV1XB2K

What customers say about this product

Features(4.7)

This monitor is nice and light, which is great for wall mounting.

Key Specs(4.7)

It's absolutely wonderful! Not all content is rendered in the 21:9 aspect ratio.

Connectivity(3.9)

The wide screen allows me to open several applications at once, and when connected to my laptop I have a complete setup. It's very well lit, and the colors are good as well. Connection is simple.

Display(4.8)

Nice resolution! I use for music recording in a small space where 2 monitors would be too much! This one is attending my needs.

What Is an Ultrawide Monitor?

With so many different types of monitors out there, nobody would be able to blame an average user if he got confused with what is it exactly that he ought to be looking for. Having said that, if we're talking about ultrawide monitors, the choice isn't quite as hard as you might think. As the name suggests, an ultrawide monitor is simply a monitor that is wider than your average display, featuring a 21:9 aspect ratio that was specifically designed in order to simulate the traditional movie theater experience. 

So, if you're the sort of movie aficionado that doesn't like to go out every time you'd like to experience a great flick on a big screen, there's no downside to having a widescreen monitor. Plus, if you're looking to improve your working experience, the additional screen space you will get on each side of the display will be able to do just that. 

And if you're more of a gamer, all of that horizontal working space will certainly require some time to get used to, but will ultimately provide you with a much better gaming experience as well. It may not necessarily improve your performance in every single game out there but the quality of the picture alone may very well be worth the price.

Naturally, if you feel like using one of these models for gaming purposes, you're going to need a proper gaming PC or a gaming laptop capable of supporting the 21:9 aspect ratio.

What Features to Compare

Display Size

As you would imagine, a widescreen monitor isn't all that conceptually different from your regular monitor, so the first thing you ought to keep in mind when looking for one is the size of the display. As it is with most monitors out there, there's little to no downside in going for the biggest possible display you can find, except for the fact that they tend to cost more than their smaller counterparts. Aside from that, it might take you some time to get used to a bigger screen in your favorite video game, given that now you'd be dealing with so much more horizontal working space. Though, once you get used to it, you'll be able to exploit the advantage of having a wider field-of-view compared to your 16:9 opponents.

Resolution

The resolution of your monitor is essentially determined by the number of distinct pixels it features in a single dimension. A higher resolution means that you're going to enjoy a cleaner and much crisper image. Nevertheless, as it is with any other monitor out there, going for the highest possible resolution available isn't always the best strategy. What you should do is take into consideration the size of your display. If the widescreen monitor you're looking for features over 30 inches in size, you might want to make sure that it supports the 3440 x 1440 resolution. And if you feel that a model like that would be inconvenient for your gaming purposes but you would still prefer a widescreen monitor, you can always opt for a smaller display that has a resolution of 2560 x 1080 pixels.

Refresh Rate

With refresh rate, it's all about what you're looking to do with your monitor. If you're not a huge gamer, there's really no reason not to go for your orthodox 60 Hz. If you prefer single-player games over the multiplayer ones, you'd certainly be able to benefit from the model that refreshes over 100 times a second but very few gaming rigs out there are capable of delivering that kind of frame rate on a 21:9 aspect ratio in the triple-A titles. But if you spend hours every single day playing competitive online games like League of Legends, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, or Overwatch, you should definitely consider the 100 Hz and 144 Hz monitors since they'll be able to provide you with a really significant advantage over your 60 Hz opponents.

Type of Matrix

Not dissimilar to the refresh rate, the optimal type of matrix depends on your preferred choice of application. If you're more of a movie guy, then the In-Plane Switching is what you should be looking for since this type of panel ensures higher contrast ratio and high color accuracy. However, the majority of IPS panels out there tend to trail behind other types of matrices in terms of refresh rate and response time, which is why you might want to look for a different panel if you prefer an intense gaming session to a relaxing movie night.

Did you know?

One of the most interesting things about the ultrawide monitors that we haven't mentioned earlier is that the majority of them utilize a curved display. Now, there's a lot of debate going on in the information technology industry as to the benefits and the disadvantages of a curved monitor and whether they're actually worth it at all. Which is why we decided to bring you up to speed and explain both sides of the argument in order to help you make the right choice.

The World Isn't Flat

Aside from the somehow ever-growing community of people that happen to think that the Earth is flat, we believe it would be fair to say that the majority of things around us aren't flat. And since the initial idea of a screen was always to duplicate the nature of reality, one of the biggest selling points of a curved monitor is the enhanced level of immersion it is capable of offering. Simply put, a curved model does that by slightly bending the edges of the display and that, in turn, replicates a more realistic visual experience not dissimilar to the one you get when you look out of the window. Furthermore, having the screen wrapped around you provides you with the opportunity to observe more content by filling the surroundings with additional visual information.

Reduced Eye Strain

Thanks to the fact that curved monitors provide a much more natural viewing experience by basically following the curve of your eyes, there's definitely an argument to be made here (and plenty of users have confirmed this hypothesis) that these types of models will be able to reduce eye strain and provide you with the opportunity to enjoy a good television series or play your favorite video game for a much longer period of time. And aside from the obvious health benefits, let's be honest here for a moment and admit that we would all like to spend those additional few hours in front of our monitor on a lazy Saturday evening.

An Awesome Look

While a decent percentage of both advantages and disadvantages of curved monitors are subjective and up to interpretation, very few would be able to argue the point that these types of display look incredibly cool. Where a regular old flat screen TV wouldn't be able to impress just about anybody out there, nothing says cutting-edge luxury quite as much as a curved display.

Price

Now, the price of the curved monitors is something that has been changing a lot over the past few years, so your average curved display is less of a luxury than it used to be back in 2015. Nevertheless, your typical curved model will still cost you more than a regular flat-panel display, so you should definitely take your budget into consideration when you inevitably decide to switch to a curved monitor.

Reflections

This is definitely one of those aspects that is up for debate but we would still like to bring up the fact that the reflections appear differently on a curved display compared to a flat one. The biggest difference between them is that the former stretches these reflections across the screen and distorts them. However, the reflections appear less opaque and harsh, so whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage is really up to interpretation, largely depending on your preferences.

FAQ:

Q: I've recently purchased the U3415W model and, after some tinkering with the settings, it seems that I've managed to lock the display. How do I unlock it?
A: Don't worry, despite the fact that it may seem like a complicated issue, we can break it down and explain to you how to unlock a Dell monitor in no time at all. The most likely reason you've been able to accidentally block the display is that you held down one of the buttons on the monitor for a certain period of time, and, with Dell models, that usually leads to activating a security system that restricts access to the monitor's settings. All you have to do to fix this issue is simply reverse the process, i.e. hold down one of the buttons (usually the Menu, Settings, or Bottom button) for about 15 seconds and the screen should get unlocked. Just don't choose the Power button since it will obviously turn your monitor off.

Q: My monitor seems like it has seen better days despite the fact that it hasn't even been a year since I bought it. Is there some kind of particular secret to its proper maintenance?
A: Well, calling it a secret would be somewhat of an exaggeration, nevertheless, "How to clean monitor?" is one of the most searched questions on Google in regards to desktop monitors. Now, before we tell you how to actually do it, we would first like to emphasize the things you should avoid doing and the substances you never ought to even consider when cleaning your display. For instance, you should never use any kind of window cleaner or cleanser that involves solvents like alcohol, benzene, ammonia, or paint thinner. Quite frankly, you ought to try to avoid using any kind of liquid at all. You should also steer clear of hard clothes such as abrasive pads and paper towels. And, finally, it should probably go without saying, but don't even think about using fingernails or any sort of sharp object to remove a stain, no matter how stubborn and annoying it may be.

With that out of the way, the list of things you ought to use is far shorter and considerably simpler, essentially boiling down to nothing but a dry, soft, lint-free cloth, the type that often comes with your TV or a monitor. And if "seen better days" would be a huge understatement in regards to your monitor's condition, you might want to add a solution of mild soap and warm water. As you can imagine, the first thing you ought to do is try to remove all the smudges and stains on your screen with a dry piece of cloth. And if that proves to be insufficient, dip the latter into the aforementioned solution, firmly wring it out, and gently wipe your monitor. That ought to be able to do the trick.

Q: It seems that my game doesn't support the 21:9 aspect ratio, so how do I force the black side bars?
A: Regardless of the exact ultrawide monitor you're currently using, your model should come with a "ratio" setting. Just set that to "original" and you should be good to go.

Q: What kind of GPU will I need to run games on an ultrawide resolution?
A: Obviously, it depends on the game and the resolution. However, if you'd like to play the most visually demanding triple-A titles out there on a 2560x1080 resolution, we wouldn't recommend anything less than an R9 290 (RX 470/480) or a GTX 970. And if you want to play the same games on a 3440x1440 resolution, the said GPUs are a minimum requirement, and we'd honestly suggest getting the fastest graphics card you can afford unless you want to play on medium graphics settings.

Sources:

1. UltraWide Monitors, LG.

2. Alan Henry Ultrawide vs Dual Monitors: Which Are Better for Productivity? LifeHacker. June 4, 2015.

3. Greg Shultz The benefits of using Windows 10 on a 34-inch ultrawide monitor, TechRepublic. January 13, 2017.

4. Chris Stobing All About Ultrawide Monitors, the Latest Trend in Gaming and Productivity, HowToGeek. March 23, 2016.

5. Vlad Savov The biggest upgrade you can make to your gaming PC is a curved monitor, TheVerge. January 31, 2017.

6. Adam Simmons The 21:9 (2560 x 1080) Experience, PCMonitors. April 14, 2016.

7. Steve Burke Do UltraWides Give an Advantage in Games? Are They Compatible? GamersNexus. March 10, 2016.

8. Widescreen, Wikipedia.

Other reviews