If you’re looking for an affordable monitor that delivers good gaming performance and crisp image quality while remaining useful for workday tasks, the Sceptre C305B-200UN1 is one of the best gaming monitors. With a sleek design, a 30-inch curved VA panel, and accurate colors, this monitor is great for gamers on a budget and suffices for watching movies during leisure time.
As ever, ultra-wide screens deliver the best gaming cred, but work is easier to achieve on a 16:9, meaning our review unit with 21:9 may not suffer from pixel shifts, especially when viewed from extreme angles. Still, 30 inches is an ideal size for just about anything one does with a computer – work, gaming, or movies; all will look excellent.
Sceptre has responded to this need with the C305B-200UN1, a 30-inch VA panel with a 1800R curve, Ultrawide FHD resolution, DisplayHDR 400 support, AMD FreeSync, and a 200Hz refresh rate.
It looks like a capable display, both on paper and in use, but it sets you back almost half as much as a similarly specced monitor from the likes of LG or Dell. Though the price is low, Sceptre hasn’t cut many corners, and this screen makes our Best Budget Gaming Monitors list.
Sceptre C305B-200UN1 Specs
- Monitor Class: Personal, Gaming, Business
- Panel Type VA (Vertical Alignment)
- Curvature 1800R
- Native Resolution 2560 x 1080 Wide Full HD
- Refresh Rate Up to 200Hz Refresh Rate
- Aspect Ratio 21:9
- Response Time 1ms MPRT
- Color Gamut 99% sRGB
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio 1,000,000:1
- Color Depth 16.7 Million
Design and Features
Styling is unmistakably Sceptre, and the C305B-200UN1’s gaming intentions are apparent at first glance. The 1800R curve drops a hint, but otherwise, there isn’t much setting it apart from general use or business monitors. The V-shaped stand snaps into place without a hint of play.
Ergonomics include tilt (5-degrees forward, 10-degrees backward) only, but the movements are smooth and sure, and the panel stays locked in place. Everything is finished in black and gray, with no reflective surfaces.
The back is entirely smooth with an iridescent Sceptre logo on the upright and two LED lights for the ultimate gamer look. The side view may appear a little chunky, just like any curved monitor, but the actual panel weight is only 12.2 pounds.
There are no side USB ports, but there are two downstream HDMI 1.4 ports, 1 HDMI 2.0 port, a DisplayPort, and an audio-out jack. Also, there’s a pair of built-in speakers in addition to the analog output for headphones (meaning you can connect to a gaming headset easily). Volume is c0ntrolled via the on-screen display (OSD).
Gaming and Hands-On
The C305B-200UN1 is an ideal size, shape, and resolution for every use. The Windows desktop looks generous, and the curve makes it look taller than a flat 32-inch screen. Working on this panel is a pleasure, with so much height available. Scrolling down on a document or spreadsheet is almost unnecessary since you can fir an entire word page on the screen while keeping type at a readable size.
The bonus color on this monitor gives you a wide viewing area of all content, though it isn’t very accurate when viewed from a few feet away.
Well, gaming is a pleasure as well. It delivers the typical wraparound effect of a large 21:9 screen, and it amply fills your peripheral vision. Games with organic shapes and textures would benefit from AMD’s FreeSync technology, the DisplayPort’s 200Hz native refresh rate, and the 1ms response time.
Playing Tomb Raider and Call of Duty II with FreeSync on the Omen 25L (GT12-0050), rocking an AMD Radeon RX 5700 GPU and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, the games yield between 72 and 85 frames per second (fps). In Call of Duty, the night scenes are realistically dark with rich shadow detail. You may never reach for the black stabilizer control since the finest elements are rendered. VA is the way to play games with dark content. And color remains bold and vivid throughout.
Bottom Line
Sceptre has answered the all-time need for a versatile jumbo display with the C305B-200UN1. Adding a 1800R curvature to a 21:9 30-inch panel draws the user into the gaming environment without sacrificing the Windows desktop or the ability to view documents and photos easily.
A 200Hz refresh rate along with AMD FreeSync means gamers can have a smooth and responsive gaming experience while enjoying the enhanced dynamic range and excellent color quality on the ultrawide screen.
It isn’t practical to buy a FALD backlight display at this price, but Sceptre’s high-contrast VA panel is the next best thing. Coupled with superb gaming performance and great value, the Sceptre C305B-200UN1 is a top choice for users looking for a large desktop monitor that can do it all.
Sceptre 30-inch Curved Gaming Monitor 21:9 2560x1080 Ultra Wide Ultra Slim HDMI DisplayPort up to 200Hz Build-in Speakers, Metal Black (C305B-200UN1)
1 used from $275.00
