34" 21:9 UltraWide Displays (3440x1440) - LG UM95/UM65 & Dell U3415W

Sooo... After 176 pages.. which one should I buy? I COULD afford the curved 34UC97/34UC87 (~1100€), but the non-curved 34UM95 costs "only" ~735€.

Are all problems with the non-curved solved by now?
And is the curve worth 365€ (444$) extra? (or if the non-curved has still problems, but the curved has none)
I can't compare the two versions, because they are only in stock online. I saw a curved TV once, but you can't really compare that.

You can grab a curved Dell 3415W for 'only' 716€':
http://www.mix-computer.de/html/product/detail.html?artNo=V7LD01&

Should be on stock in about 3 weeks.
 
My understanding is that it is still use-case dependent. Curved has an appeal, but apparently at this point comes with additional lag (for some reason) and flat is a bit faster.

I'm still waiting just a bit longer to see if any of these models get/have Freesync as an option so testing of that tech can get underway and show us if it is worth it...
 
if someone's been researching g-sync/free sync technology, can you answer my question? i already have the 34um94, when/if LG comes out w/those free sync monitors, will there be an adaptor we can purchase to make our recently purchased monitors into free sync?or is free sync monitors has to be already built into the monitor to be capable?...i got 16days left to return my monitor, so i might as well wait an additional month or 3 just to get free sync [if the reports from that link holds true]
 
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I read an article earlier that said that FreeSync can be enabled on monitors with a firmware update. I have absolutely no clue how many manufacturers will provide such an update, though...if I had to guess, I'd say that many will choose not to do this since they'd prefer that you just purchase a new "FreeSync enabled" monitor rather than upgrading older models to support it. Who knows, though.

I want to know if and how much FreeSync will be supported by nVidia. I don't have any plans to go to AMD cards any time soon, but obviously nVidia is going to want to push their own G-Sync tech. They claim that G-Sync is the superior technology but it would be nice to see FreeSync emerge as the widely-supported standard so that we didn't have to choose (the fact that it's hardware-agnostic and cheaper to implement are two big pluses).
 
I read an article earlier that said that FreeSync can be enabled on monitors with a firmware update. I have absolutely no clue how many manufacturers will provide such an update, though...if I had to guess, I'd say that many will choose not to do this since they'd prefer that you just purchase a new "FreeSync enabled" monitor rather than upgrading older models to support it. Who knows, though.

I want to know if and how much FreeSync will be supported by nVidia. I don't have any plans to go to AMD cards any time soon, but obviously nVidia is going to want to push their own G-Sync tech. They claim that G-Sync is the superior technology but it would be nice to see FreeSync emerge as the widely-supported standard so that we didn't have to choose (the fact that it's hardware-agnostic and cheaper to implement are two big pluses).

at least that gives me some hope than..at least there's a possibility of manufacturers able to do pre freesync updates! and since LG's the company thats coming out w/the freesync, hopefully they wont screw their customers by not giving the option for firmware updates to their own brand monitors!!
 
at least that gives me some hope than..at least there's a possibility of manufacturers able to do pre freesync updates! and since LG's the company thats coming out w/the freesync, hopefully they wont screw their customers by not giving the option for firmware updates to their own brand monitors!!

With no reviews of Freesync available, you're in a pickle. It might be great and come without a large premium on price... but it's far enough away with lots of unknowns.

I'd say if you have a good monitor right now, keep it and love it. Fretting about what might be a good product that could be months out is just not worth it.

But I also would never expect LG to help out folks. It's just not something to bank on.
 
If anyone can find a review for the Dell U3415W please post up, i've yet to find one. Really hope that there is some kind of workaround to support freesync in the future.
 
After 3 months of ownership, I have to say that the LG UM95 is by far the best monitor I've ever owned in terms of picture quality and technical functionality.

No other monitor even compares.
 
After 3 months of ownership, I have to say that the LG UM95 is by far the best monitor I've ever owned in terms of picture quality and technical functionality.

No other monitor even compares.

I agree! No regrets here. One of the best purchases I've made.
 
I have the flatscreen 34" LG and would love to see a G-Sync version. IMO, Nvidia generally makes the better gaming cards (Im using 2 x 980's in SLI w/ the 34um95-P) and there is nothing foreseeable that would make me buy an AMD card(s) next.

What are the odds nvidia will have to give in and support free sync monitors?
 
Is there a release date on the Dell U3415W in the US? I was originally under the impression that it was going to be released in December. Is there a shortage or something (given that they've released them in other countries already)?
 
Is there a release date on the Dell U3415W in the US? I was originally under the impression that it was going to be released in December. Is there a shortage or something (given that they've released them in other countries already)?

When it was released in Japan, most ship dates were 12/29. I am going to assume US release date will be at CES with a ship date towards late January as well.
 
34" 21:9 we are waiting for :) ( tests and availabilities )

- Philips BDM3470UP
- Samsung S34E970C

34" 21:9 we can already buy :

- LG 34UM95
- AOC U3477PQU
- Dell UP3415W
 
at least that gives me some hope than..at least there's a possibility of manufacturers able to do pre freesync updates! and since LG's the company thats coming out w/the freesync, hopefully they wont screw their customers by not giving the option for firmware updates to their own brand monitors!!

the problem is that most of these displays will have to be physically opened up to reprogram the display controller, which is why you see Iiyama offering to do free recall's on 4k monitors they're selling now. most people just don't have the ability to do this themselves. it's not like flashing a firmware update on your bios.
 
I have the 34" LG 3440 x 1440 monitor. It's the flat one (non curved). I have had it for a few months now and love it. So far the only problems I have had is game support (Marvel Online, Civilization, StarCraft, Heroes of the Storm, etc) all do not support the extreme widescreen or have random issues (ie, Neverwinter online won't get past the initial loading screen at that resolution, but supports it if I set the resolution afterwards).

So hardware wise the LG is great, software wise it's hit or miss. I have contacted various software companies about the issue and was told 'we do not have plans for that aspect ratio'.

Maybe as they become more common there will be more support?
 
I have the 34" LG 3440 x 1440 monitor. It's the flat one (non curved). I have had it for a few months now and love it. So far the only problems I have had is game support (Marvel Online, Civilization, StarCraft, Heroes of the Storm, etc) all do not support the extreme widescreen or have random issues (ie, Neverwinter online won't get past the initial loading screen at that resolution, but supports it if I set the resolution afterwards).

So hardware wise the LG is great, software wise it's hit or miss. I have contacted various software companies about the issue and was told 'we do not have plans for that aspect ratio'.

Maybe as they become more common there will be more support?

most modern games support Hor+ which is the ideal solution to wide screen/ultra wide screen resolutions. you can go here http://www.wsgf.org/mgl?title_op=starts&game_name=0 for a compilation of games that support different wide screen resolutions.
 
Just a heads-up.. the curved Samsung S34E790C is now available at Newegg (3rd-party import from Korea) for $1445, and for pre-order at Amazon (3rd-party import from Korea) for $1425.

Iirc, the one at Amazon was the same merchant selling the first 34UC97 imports for near $2,000. Haven't seen any US listings from authorized dealers yet.
 
Just a heads-up.. the curved Samsung S34E790C is now available at Newegg (3rd-party import from Korea) for $1445, and for pre-order at Amazon (3rd-party import from Korea) for $1425.

Iirc, the one at Amazon was the same merchant selling the first 34UC97 imports for near $2,000. Haven't seen any US listings from authorized dealers yet.

WTH AFD....I thought you ordered a 34UM95? So what happened? Never updated!
 
WTH AFD....I thought you ordered a 34UM95? So what happened? Never updated!

I did, and have been using it for the past week.. was just trying to get used to it for a bit, before slamming or praising it :)

In general, it's quite nice.. but almost anytime there is black on the display, I just absolutely hate it. I fixed some of the backlight bleed at the top and right side, but the bottom corner IPS glow is incredibly difficult to ignore (even at low brightness). I have multiple Sony and Panasonic IPS televisions in the $1,000 to $2,000 price range, and none of them have issues with blacks anywhere near as bad (the blacks are downright inky, though I'm sure the local dimming helps achieve that).

If this was a $400 monitor, I probably wouldn't mind so much.. but I really don't believe this panel is worth the $800+ imo. I really do want to like it, but haven't decided whether or not I'm going to keep it. Honestly don't think I'd get a better one if exchanged, and the new Dell doesn't look much better. Dunno.. maybe I'll just get used to it after another week or two?

As a positive.. as long as I'm showing colors on the screen, the picture does look fantastic. It's just the black/dark sections of a scene or image that bother me (and the black side borders on 16:9 content).
 
I had this monitor for 4 weeks and tried it off/on with both the 32" 1440p and 32" 4k displays. When it works it sure is great, but...

It's just the black/dark sections of a scene or image that bother me (and the black side borders on 16:9 content).

This combination is what caused me to move on from the aspect ratio entirely...

It's not necessarily that you're stuck with 27" 16:9, as many will be okay with that size, but that anytime that happens there's visible light bleed. Even if the panel was VA, there'd be visible gamma shift on the black bars. Remember that this display has almost the same width as a 37" 16:9, and you have to sit a decent distance to eliminate glow and gamma shift.

I was playing Heroes of the Storm, Starcraft 2, Magicite and Gauntlet with some friends the past few weeks, and none support 21:9. I installed Far Cry 4 that came with my GPU to give it a try, and it doesn't support 21:9 either, it just stretches. All of these games do any 16:9 resolution fine. Older games that do support it, like Killing Floor, stretch the UI badly. Even with Flawless Widescreen, Far Cry 3 still has a massive mini-map.

The games I ended up playing that had really good 21:9 support were WoW, FF14, Smite, and L4D2. I prefer 4k 16:9 for MMOs, though.

Unless 21:9 becomes the new standard in general, I doubt I'll revisit this aspect ratio again.

Having the monitor that works best when I'm playing with friends is more important than something that seems cool on paper or works in a handful of games.
 
I had this monitor for 4 weeks and tried it off/on with both the 32" 1440p and 32" 4k displays. When it works it sure is great, but...



This combination is what caused me to move on from the aspect ratio entirely...

It's not necessarily that you're stuck with 27" 16:9, as many will be okay with that size, but that anytime that happens there's visible light bleed. Even if the panel was VA, there'd be visible gamma shift on the black bars. Remember that this display has almost the same width as a 37" 16:9, and you have to sit a decent distance to eliminate glow and gamma shift.

I was playing Heroes of the Storm, Starcraft 2, Magicite and Gauntlet with some friends the past few weeks, and none support 21:9. I installed Far Cry 4 that came with my GPU to give it a try, and it doesn't support 21:9 either, it just stretches. All of these games do any 16:9 resolution fine. Older games that do support it, like Killing Floor, stretch the UI badly. Even with Flawless Widescreen, Far Cry 3 still has a massive mini-map.

The games I ended up playing that had really good 21:9 support were WoW, FF14, Smite, and L4D2. I prefer 4k 16:9 for MMOs, though.

Unless 21:9 becomes the new standard in general, I doubt I'll revisit this aspect ratio again.

Having the monitor that works best when I'm playing with friends is more important than something that seems cool on paper or works in a handful of games.

So how are you equiped then to play and get good immersive experience ?

I am ok with 32" 1440P as we can add other monitor next to it ( like 24" 1080P : same pitch/dpi ) but with the 32" 4K there are no other monitors able to get same pitch/dpi except the same one am I wrong ?

But I agree with you... Ultra wide needs more game support to allow all games to be playable on it full screen.
 
So how are you equiped then to play and get good immersive experience ?

I am ok with 32" 1440P as we can add other monitor next to it ( like 24" 1080P : same pitch/dpi ) but with the 32" 4K there are no other monitors able to get same pitch/dpi except the same one am I wrong ?

But I agree with you... Ultra wide needs more game support to allow all games to be playable on it full screen.

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking, but I think you mean am I satisfied playing on just a 16:9 32"? I am. I came from the 37" Westy. I just sit closer to the 32" and I'm done. I had to sit almost the same distance from the 34" ultrawide that I did from the 37" to eliminate glow and at that distance I missed the height. Then you could still see bleed in dark scenes or if there were black bars.

As far as same density as a 32" 4k (~137) if you're running it at 100%, the closest thing will be the upcoming 24-25" 2560x1440 panels (~127).
 
I'm not entirely sure what you're asking, but I think you mean am I satisfied playing on just a 16:9 32"? I am. I came from the 37" Westy. I just sit closer to the 32" and I'm done. I had to sit almost the same distance from the 34" ultrawide that I did from the 37" to eliminate glow and at that distance I missed the height. Then you could still see bleed in dark scenes or if there were black bars.

As far as same density as a 32" 4k (~137) if you're running it at 100%, the closest thing will be the upcoming 24-25" 2560x1440 panels (~127).

Ok. So you are equiped now with a 32" 4k only right ? and you intend not using the 34" 21:9 anymore right ?
 
Ok. So you are equiped now with a 32" 4k only right ? and you intend not using the 34" 21:9 anymore right ?

Yeah, I don't use multiple monitors on one system. I have my laptop and server here if I need another box or to look something up.
 
So MrMike I have a question for you as I intend in buying monitors for myself.

Actually, I have 3X 24" 16:9 1080P TN

Here is how I use my screens : 1 ( center one ) to play. The two others ( left and right ) for additional informations ( video - music - internet - pictures - ... ). Using 60% gaming, 40% for the rest.

I wanted to buy a 34" 21:9 1440P ( waiting tests on the samsung S34E970C ) and next to it, a 27" 1440P IPS ( 2 monitors = +or- 1500/1600 euros )

Other solution would be 1X 32" 1440P ( as the BenQ BL3200PT ) with 2 of my existing 24" 1080P next to it ( portrait mode )... But I am reading so many problems with that screen ( flickering - banding... don't know if I want to take the chance to get a bad one...

Then there is the choice which seem oki ( no problems with the monitor so far from what I read on forums ) a 32" 4k as the BenQ BL3201PT. And in that case... I am stuck ( for the moment ) with one monitor...

aaaaaaaaaaa I don't know ... ;-)
 
That's odd...Gauntlet seemed to work fine for me at 3440x1440. Maybe I just never went back to it enough after streaming at 2560x1440 for Extra Life the one weekend but I didn't notice any weird aspect scaling issues initially.
 
I have the 34UM95 and play FC4 and it looks great to me. I havent had as much problems with mine as others have reported. I do confess I'm not as particular as some people however. I do agree that the original $999 price was and is too much. Even the current $850 sale prices now being seen is too much IMO. I think personally think a $500 price would be more in line. Its good to see 21:9 becoming more mainstream. Its a good alternative to 4k.
 
The games I ended up playing that had really good 21:9 support were WoW, FF14, Smite, and L4D2. I prefer 4k 16:9 for MMOs, though.

Unless 21:9 becomes the new standard in general, I doubt I'll revisit this aspect ratio again.

Having the monitor that works best when I'm playing with friends is more important than something that seems cool on paper or works in a handful of games.

Just buy a 40" 4k and create custom resolution for 21:9 when you'd like to play something in ultra wide...plus the Philips is a VA with no BLB issues and awesome blacks in general. Turning the 40" into a 21:9 is the equivalent of a 37.9" ultrawide with a higher PPI, so even better than these 34" offerings. It's really a no brainer, IMO. The only reason to get a standard 21:9 is if you really want a curved display...and want to pay a lot more for less.
 
So MrMike I have a question for you as I intend in buying monitors for myself.

Actually, I have 3X 24" 16:9 1080P TN

Here is how I use my screens : 1 ( center one ) to play. The two others ( left and right ) for additional informations ( video - music - internet - pictures - ... ). Using 60% gaming, 40% for the rest.

I wanted to buy a 34" 21:9 1440P ( waiting tests on the samsung S34E970C ) and next to it, a 27" 1440P IPS ( 2 monitors = +or- 1500/1600 euros )

Other solution would be 1X 32" 1440P ( as the BenQ BL3200PT ) with 2 of my existing 24" 1080P next to it ( portrait mode )... But I am reading so many problems with that screen ( flickering - banding... don't know if I want to take the chance to get a bad one...

Then there is the choice which seem oki ( no problems with the monitor so far from what I read on forums ) a 32" 4k as the BenQ BL3201PT. And in that case... I am stuck ( for the moment ) with one monitor...

aaaaaaaaaaa I don't know ... ;-)

I bought them all and returned the losers. It's by far the easiest choice. Do you have that option where you are? I'm in the US and used Amazon.

That's odd...Gauntlet seemed to work fine for me at 3440x1440. Maybe I just never went back to it enough after streaming at 2560x1440 for Extra Life the one weekend but I didn't notice any weird aspect scaling issues initially.

You have NVCP or AMD Catalyst set to allow games to scale. Gauntlet stretches 16:9 to 21:9. If you force 3440x1440 in the ini file, it does VER- which is unplayable.

Here is the WSGF thread.

I have the 34UM95 and play FC4 and it looks great to me. I havent had as much problems with mine as others have reported. I do confess I'm not as particular as some people however. I do agree that the original $999 price was and is too much. Even the current $850 sale prices now being seen is too much IMO. I think personally think a $500 price would be more in line. Its good to see 21:9 becoming more mainstream. Its a good alternative to 4k.

Far Cry 4 does not support 21:9. It stretches 16:9 across the screen. It actually supports no aspect ratio properly but 16:9. If you do 16:10 eyefinity, it has black bars. It also disables FOV adjustment.

Here is the WSGF thread.

Just buy a 40" 4k and create custom resolution for 21:9 when you'd like to play something in ultra wide...plus the Philips is a VA with no BLB issues and awesome blacks in general. Turning the 40" into a 21:9 is the equivalent of a 37.9" ultrawide with a higher PPI, so even better than these 34" offerings. It's really a no brainer, IMO. The only reason to get a standard 21:9 is if you really want a curved display...and want to pay a lot more for less.

It's a good alternative, and definitely a better choice than a 34" 21:9. I think I'm pretty settled on the 32" 4k at this point, but I don't disagree with your logic at all.



At the risk of being a jerk, I'm kind of shocked that people couldn't tell their games were being stretched....
 
^^^ page 11 of FC4 thread, 21:9 support has been added :-D

The FOV slider is still disabled -- it is still regression/broken from Far Cry 3. You can have a nice big FOV on a 16:9 display but you can't change it on 21:9.

Try both and you'll see what I mean.

FC4 will need Flawless Widescreen just like FC3 did.
 
Does anyone know if you reformat/reinstall windows, do you need to recalibrate? The monitor has hardware calibration but I believe true color finder still makes window color profiles and whatnot. I reformatted and maybe it's in my head but I think it might look different, I'd have to drive an hour to get the calibrator again.
 
Does anyone know if you reformat/reinstall windows, do you need to recalibrate? The monitor has hardware calibration but I believe true color finder still makes window color profiles and whatnot. I reformatted and maybe it's in my head but I think it might look different, I'd have to drive an hour to get the calibrator again.

Any setting do inside of the monitors OSD interface to "calibrate" it will stay in affect.

So this means tweaks to get the white point aligned and the light output set will still be vaild, but the the issue will be that the ICC color profile that will be used by color aware programs would be removed during a reformat.

How much it affects you monitor's color depends on how close your monitor was in hardware and if you are using ICC in a workflow with say a scanner /camera and printer.
 
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