LG 34UC79G
Do fewer pixels mean more gaming fun?
CHOOSE BETWEEN PIXELS and performance. That’s the new LG 34UC79G’s core proposition. More specifically, at 34 inches and with a 21:9 aspect ratio, you might expect LG’s gaming panel to pack 3440x1440 pixels. Instead, it rocks a mere 2560x1080, a resolution we’re more used to seeing on 29-inch superwide monitors.
The performance implications of that lower resolution are twofold. For starters, it allows the 34UC79G to crank out a 144Hz refresh rate over a standard DisplayPort 1.2 connection—3440x1440 at 144Hz requires too much bandwidth. Then there’s the minor matter of GPU performance. The more pixels you have to pump, the more load you put on the GPU. In simple terms, 3440x1440 is getting on for double the number of pixels of 2560x1080. Fewer pixels mean less load and more frames.
There are, of course, downsides. That’s obvious the moment you fire up the LG. Immediately, the coarseness of the pixel pitch is apparent. As a corollary, you don’t get a lot of desktop real estate, either, despite the generous 34-inch proportions. The 1,080 vertical pixels feel especially stingy, and result in a lot of scrolling around web pages and other documents. Put simply, at this price, there are far better options for pure productivity.
It’s not the most stellar monitor when it comes to image quality, either. Yes, it’s an IPS panel. But it won’t blow you away with its punch and vibrancy. The backlight lacks zing, and the standard calibration crushes some details in darker tones. A little ditherrelated pixel fizz is also visible in gradients.
As for pixel response, it’s good enough for the gaming remit and to cash in on that 144Hz refresh rate, but it’s not going to scare the best TN panels. The gentle curve is also a little perplexing. If you buy into the idea of a curved monitor, you’ll be disappointed. If you don’t, well, you won’t want any curve at all. That said, the IPS tech does deliver fantastic vertical viewing angles and a nice color balance overall.
If all that sounds like we’re down on the 34UC79G, there’s no doubting it delivers in game. If you have a powerful GPU, the 34-inch widescreen panel zipping along at 100-plus frames per second is a sight to behold. In terms of response and fluidity, there is no beating a high-refresh panel. On a related note, if you have an AMD graphics card, LG includes support for the FreeSync adaptive refresh technology. There’s equally no doubting that adding pixels would somewhat undermine that sense of slick, lag-free performance.
Elsewhere, you get a pretty good looking display in terms of the design of the stand and chassis. The 34UC79G sports LG’s latest design language, with very thin bezels on three sides, plus a small chin along the bottom. As this is a gaming panel, it eschews the white-and-silver aesthetic of a number of new LG monitors for black and red. Whatever the look of the thing, it’s very nicely put together and assembles neatly, thanks to a stand that clips efficiently into the rear of the screen enclosure.
The 34UC79G’s on-screen control menu will likewise be familiar to LG fans. There are lots of options, though accessing them through the single joystick-style button on the base of the lower bezel can be tricky.
All of which makes LG’s latest a niche proposition. As a productivity tool, it’s limited by the relatively modest 2560x1080 native resolution. That has an impact on the crispness of the image quality, too. However, for gaming, the 34UC79G has to be worth a look. It’s well priced for such a large IPS screen, and the 144Hz refresh and FreeSync support make for a fantastic gaming experience.
LG 34UC79G
NEED FOR SPEED 144Hz makes for slick, responsive performance; IPS has nice colors and viewing angles.
WALLEYE Relatively low res; limited desktop space; not terribly crisp visuals.
$682, www.lg.com