Pixio PX347c 34-inch Gaming Review

The Pixio PX347c is a 34-inch ultra-wide gaming monitor featuring a curved Patterned Vertical Alignment (PVA) panel and a couple of gamer-friendly features including AMD’s  FreeSync anti-tearing  technology and a fast 100Hz refresh rate, and six display preset modes. It handles gaming performance tests well, provides aplomb blacks with wide viewing angles, though it shows color shifts at off-angles as compared to IPS panels like our Editors’ Choice LG 34UC89G-B gaming monitor.

Overall, if you’re looking for a monitor that offers fluid gaming performance, better than a traditional flat-screen monitor, the PX347c is worth having in your list.

Design and Features

The PX347c’s bezel-free cabinet, black finish and sleek V-shaped stand offer a pleasing aesthetic. The PVA panel’s 1,800R curvature isn’t as pronounced as the 1,500R curvature you’d find on most 34-inch monitors, but definitely curvier than the Acer Predator X34’s 3,800R curvature.

It has a 3,440-by-1,440 resolution, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 50000: 1 dynamic contrast ratio, a21:9 aspect ratio, and a 4-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response. FreeSync anti-tearing technology works well in eliminating screen tearing, giving you smooth fast-action gaming.

Features

It has six color picture adjustments and three screen modes (PIP, PIPPOS, PBP) that allow you to connect and run two devices at the same time on a split screen. That means, you can be watching TV and gaming on the same screen simultaneously.

There’s Pixio AVP (Advanced Visual Presets) that comes with six display preset modes, with two dedicated for gaming: FPS Game Mode and RTS Game Mode that boost color saturation and contrast sharpness, often required for better visuals. For connectivity, there is a single HDMI port, a dual link DVI port and another DisplayPort connection.

Performance

The Pixio PX347c performs impressively on gaming tests. Tested on Crysis 3 for PC, and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for PS4; motion artifacts were non-existent and there isn’t any visible screen tearing, thanks to AMD’s FreeSync technology. It delivers smooth gameplay, commonly a preserve of more expensive gaming monitors, without ghosting, and the curved screen brings you closer to the action with immersive visuals.

The panel has a fairly short input lag of 10.6 milliseconds, plus, you don’t notice any lag during gameplay. So far, our fastest monitor is the Benq SW2700PT with an input lag of 9.5 milliseconds.

As expected of a PVA panel, the screen has better blacks than what you’d find on TN panels. That said, IPS panels offer better viewing angles and better color accuracy and doesn’t suffer from color shift. If you always strain with screen brightness, this panel automatically adjusts blue light making it palatable for the plain eye.

Viewing angles are decent, but not as good as you’d find from a good In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel like the LG 34UC89G-B, as it loses color fidelity when viewed from extreme angles. The monitor consumes 47 watts of power when operating in standard mode, which is in the same ballpark with most 34-inch monitors.

Our Verdict

If you’ve always wanted to enjoy gaming on an extra-large gaming monitor with smooth motion handling, the 34-inch Pixio PX347c is a good choice to have. It offers enhanced gameplay than a traditional flat-screen monitor, and the VA panel delivers better blacks impressively. The fact that it gets six color preset modes and an assortment of gamer-friendly features; it is definitely a shoo-in for seasoned gamers who need to dive right into the action.

While its black saturation is spot-on, color accuracy from extreme angles is a bit off, but not prohibitively so. If your budget allows, consider the Acer XR382CQK with an excessive 38-inch screen, with accurate colors and equipped with forward-looking ports including a USB-C port, multiple HDMI and DisplayPort inputs. Plus, it’s loaded with FreeSync and enhanced color adjustments.