LG 34UC80-B Monitor Review
Michael C. Smith
$346.99
$388.03
Amazon.com
The 34-inch LG 34UC80-B professional monitor is a cool, sprawling panel for both work and play. It’s designed for video editors, graphics designers, and photographer, and it features impressive color accuracy, but it also features a number of gamer-centric features. Its curved, ultra-wide panel boasts a 21:9 aspect ratio, which is the exact one you commonly see in gaming monitors – so is the 75Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync adaptive sync technology.
It’s unusual for an hybrid panel to be this inexpensive, but the 34UC80-B is a superb panel for concurring the gaming and creative worlds.
LG 34UC80-B Design
Measuring 22.4 by 32.2 by 9.4 inches (HWD), the 34UC80-B requires a good chunk of desktop space to accommodate its imposing profile, but not as expansive as its 38-inch sibling, the LG 38UC99-W. The 34-inch IPS panel is housed in an attractive matte-black cabinet that features a zero-bezel design and silver trim. The cabinet weighs 18.3 pounds and is supported by a curved stand with a telescoping mounting arm that offers some ergonomic adjustments (-5°/20° tilt, a max of 120mm height adjustment) and VESA mount support.
The Ultra-Wide Quad Definition ‘UWHD’ (3440 x 1440) panel has a 1,800R curvature (meaning if you arrange several of these monitors edge to edge to create a complete circle, the circle will have a radius of 1,800mm). That’s more pronounced than the Acer Predator X34’s 3,800R, but the same radius as the 49-inch Samsung CRG9 with a with a 32:9 aspect ratio and 5120 x 1440 resolution display.
Picture Quality
It has a peak brightness of 300 cd/m2, a maximum refresh rate of 75Hz, a 21:9 aspect ratio, over 99 percent sRGB color coverage and a 5M:1 contrast ratio. Its native 5-millisecond pixel response rate isn’t the best but it comes with AMD FreeSync adaptive sync support that helps eliminate screen-tearing artifacts and improves gaming performance.
The LG 34UC80-B has a joystick button positioned in the middle of the bottom edge that’s used to power the monitor on and off, navigate the on-screen menus, which has a host of settings. Here, you’ll find quick settings including Brightness, Contrast, Volume and Screen Off options. The Input settings menu allows you select the video source, change the display aspect ratio, and configure the Picture-By-Picture (PbP) settings that lets you separate the screen in half to display output from two source devices.
In the picture menu, you can select one of the available presets, including 3 gamer modes: 2 First-Person-Shooter modes and RTS pre-set mode so you can choose the best mode for you. At the rear of the cabinet, facing outward, are two HDMI inputs, a DisplayPort input, and two downstream ports (one which is a quick charge port) and a headphone port. The 34UC80-B lacks built-in speakers, and a USB-C upstream port would be welcome here.
Performance
The 34UC80-B is a stellar all-round performer, that produces colors that are well matched to respective color coordinates on chromaticity chart below as determined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). The panel’s red, green, and blue color output are all closely aligned with their ideal coordinates, which means that it produces accurate colors right out of the box. It also does a very good job when displaying light and dark shades of gray, resulting in excellent shadow and highlight detail in test photos.
Gaming performance is impressive, with non-existent motion blur on Crysis 3 (for PC) and Grand Theft Auto V (for Sony PS4), although with negligible screen tearing in some segments of Crysis 3. By enabling AMD FreeSync, the tearing issues is remedied and you once again enjoy a smoother game look and feel.
The LG 34UC80-B refresh rate is at par with most competitors and its 11.3-millisecond input lag (time a monitor takes to respond to a controller command) is low enough that you won’t worry of getting blown away during intense gaming. Still, it is still a bit higher that the category leader, the BenQ XL2430T that maxes at 9.5 milliseconds. It consumes 48 watts, which is great considering the 34UC80-B’s massive size, which matches that of the Acer X34 and Acer SB220Q Bi – both with smaller screens.
Our Take
The LG 34UC80-B is a 34-inch curved monitor primarily geared to professional video editors, photographers, and designers, but thanks to its 75Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync adaptive sync technology, it also has a shot in the gaming world. When not using the LG 34UC80-B to create high-res photos for the web, edit videos or design the latest project, you can get playing some of your favorite AAA monitors.
Is there a better alternative?
Simply put? No, there isn’t a much better alternative. The 34UC80-B rests comfortably in the Goldilocks zone when it comes to reasonable price, performance, and image quality.
Then there is the Acer Predator Z35P, if you need a gamer aesthetic, blistering fast refresh rate of 100Hz (tops at 144Hz), built-in speakers and Nvidia’s G-Sync adaptive sync and that sweet curve, but you’ll lose out on that minimalist professional look and sweet price.
Similarly, you could pick up the LG 34UC89G-B which delivers an immersive experience with a massive panel, but much better 144Hz refresh rate and a host of gaming features, only that it costly slightly more.
Should you buy it?
Yes, you should. It’s expensive than your typical monitor, but for what you get, it’s a good deal. The LG 34UC89G-B will outlast your current gaming rig, and if you’re buying for professional use, it will last even longer – as a main workspace 21:9 cutting edge monitor.
