Group test: Ultra-wide displays
We test, rate and review four ultra-wide desktop monitors to help you decide which is the best fit for your work environment
No visual FX wizard can ever have enough desktop space. Not only do most modern workflows involve multiple applications for modelling, lighting, graphics editing and video rendering, team projects require communication, via the likes of email and Slack, plus the ubiquitous browser window that may be a source of crucial reference material.
Having enough desktop space to ensure every part of a project is visible at once helps immensely when making edits and decisions. It’s a big reason why both dual monitors and ultra-wide displays have already become a popular choice among creative professionals of all disciplines.
Ultra-wide displays replace dual monitors though, exchanging multiple standard 27-inch or 32-inch PC displays with a single, wide desktop, eliminating the bezel and empty space that physically separates left from right, meaning all that space is always there, all the time. Adapting to an ultra-wide environment offers a real productivity boost.
It can be tricky to wade through the word spaghetti of specifications and jargon in display technology. You need to keep tabs on screen size, refresh rate, resolution, colour accuracy, panel type, curvature, contrast, brightness and of course pricing, all of which vary immensely between models, and it’s not always obvious which is the right choice for your environment and workflow.
We’ve picked out four different products for comparison this month, to help you determine which display is the best fit for your work.