HP Omen 34c G2 34-inch WQHD 180 Hz gaming monitor review: Delivering style, speed and value

Not long ago, curved monitors were an exotic and rare purchase. Initially, they seemed to answer an unasked question, but gamers quickly became attracted to their extra-wide shape that brought more of the virtual environment into the play experience.

Their popularity has spawned many new sizes and shapes among the best gaming monitors, but the bread-and-butter ultra-wide curved panel is the 34-inch 21:9 format. They come in multiple radii, but many users agree that the most versatile curved display is one that isn’t too curved. 1500mm is just about right, says the Goldilocks principle, because you get a little wraparound effect without distorting the image, which is better for productivity.

HP has long made displays for all uses, including gaming, and here I have its latest 34-inch 21:9 model, the Omen 34c G2. It’s the successor to theOmen 34c from two years ago, and it improves on that model in every way. It’s still 3440x1440 pixels (WQHD), but the refresh rate is up to 180 Hz, there’s a wider color gamut, and HDR contrast has tripled. And it delivers decent value for around $400 at this writing. Let’s take a look.

HP Omen 34c G2 Specs

The Omen 34c G2 utilizes a VA panel, so contrast is excellent right out of the gate. My sample delivered around 3,300:1, which is about average for the VA category. While that’s well short of an OLED, it’s more than triple the IPS average of 1,000:1. HDR contrast is even more impressive thanks to an eight-zone dimming edge backlight. I measured over 21,000:1 there, which is well above the VA average. Coupled with over 90% DCI-P3 coverage, the G2 significantly improves HDR picture quality.

Speed is also up from before. The top refresh rate is 180 Hz, achieved without overclock, and you get Adaptive-Sync and MPRT backlight strobing. Along with a precise overdrive, the Omen 34c G2 delivers premium video processing for a smooth experience and very low input lag.

The feature list is relatively long with eight adjustable picture modes, aiming points, frame counter, timers, and alignment marks. There are no USB ports, but you do get a pair of internal speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Video inputs include HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4. I also found the build quality to be top-notch with simple and effective styling.

At $400, the Omen 34c G2 is neither the least nor the most expensive 34-inch ultra-wide. But with solid specs and performance, it looks like a good value display that delivers most of what you get from more expensive monitors.

Assembly and Accessories

HP has joined the ranks of the recyclable with packaging that’s free of crumbly foam. The panel, upright and base are secured in folded cardboard forms. Assembly is toolless with a captive bolt for the base and a snap-on fitting for the panel. And don’t forget to include the mount cover trim. It comes as a separate part. It serves to cover the 100mm VESA mount, which is available for aftermarket arms and brackets. In addition to an IEC cord for the internal power supply, you get a DisplayPort cable.

Product 360

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The Omen 34c G2 has a simple and clean aesthetic, like all the HP displays I’ve reviewed. In front, there is a single label that says “Omen” and a tiny power LED at the right. The bezel is narrow and flush, barely visible when the power is on. The base looks small in the photo, but it’s quite substantial with a deep footprint and plenty of heft. The upright includes a 4.1-inch height adjustment along with 5/20 degrees tilt and a 90-degree portrait mode. There is no mechanical swivel, but the base has felt feet that reduce friction between the monitor and the desk surface. I could turn the Omen 34c G2 easily on my test bench.

Around the back right is a small OSD nav pad and a power toggle. The buttons are precise with just the right amount of feedback. The Omen diamond theme continues here with a snap-on plate to cover the 100mm VESA mount and a small grill for heat dissipation.

Underneath is the input pack with two HDMI 2.0 and one DisplayPort 1.4. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack to complement the internal three-watt speakers. There are no USB ports.

OSD Features

The Omen 34c G2’s OSD appears in high-contrast black-and-white with no graphics, save the Omen diamond at the top of each screen. There are eight sub-menus packed with features and adjustments.

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Gaming is up first with all the video processing options. A five-level overdrive works along with Adaptive-Sync, which operates on both FreeSync and G-Sync platforms. If you’d rather engage a backlight strobe, turn off AS and turn on MPRT. It has an adjustable pulse width with five options, which reduces blur at the expense of light output. It looked solid on its least aggressive setting, and though there was a phasing artifact, it was barely visible. MPRT is a great alternative for systems that can’t maintain 180fps at 3440x1440 resolution. This menu also includes aiming points, a frame rate counter, timers, and alignment marks.

The Image menu includes basic picture controls along with aspect ratio and signal thresholds. A Dynamic Contrast option works for SDR content. It also works for HDR, along with an eight-zone dimming edge backlight that significantly increases contrast. More on that later.

There are eight picture modes, all of which allow for RGB calibration. There is no gamma control, but I discovered the way to select color gamuts is to go Native for SDR. Standard is the default, and it correctly but unusually uses sRGB color for SDR. Native employs the Omen 34c G2’s full gamut, which covers around 90% of DCI-P3.

The Input menu includes the DisplayPort version settings along with auto-switching and hot plug detection. The Audio options are here as well. There are power-saving options (Auto Sleep) as well as the ability to turn off the power LED. The Menu section has the usual OSD controls along with Assign Buttons, which lets the user program the four nav pad directionals to different quick access functions. Finally, the management menu has a toggle for Display Stream Compression (DSC) and DDC/CI support for the DisplayPort input. Here too is the factory reset.

HP Omen 34c G2 Calibration Settings

The Omen 34c G2 is unusual in that it comes set to a color mode that uses sRGB for SDR content. Nearly all wide gamut monitors default to their full color space. To get to the Omen 34c G2’s full gamut, choose Native from the list. Whatever picture mode you pick, it can be calibrated with a set of RGB sliders to a high standard. And I do recommend an adjustment as the grayscale runs a bit too warm. The settings I used are below. HDR10 signals trigger an automatic switch where all picture controls are grayed out.

Gaming and Hands-on

With so many exotically shaped and sized monitors coming through my studio, I’m not always sure I’ll be impressed by something like a 34-inch ultra-wide. But the Omen 34c G2 managed to keep me playing for many hours. There’s nothing intangible here; it delivers super smooth video processing and lightning-quick response, along with some of the best HDR picture quality I’ve seen from an LCD. It shows that a fancy jumbo screen is not always the monitor you’ll most want to play on.

The HDR image is a huge upgrade from the Omen 34c. With over 21,000:1 contrast from the eight-zone edge-dimming backlight, black levels are low, which makes highlights pop with texture and tactility. Color is vivid and bright as well, with deeply saturated reds and blues. Green is a tad less covered than some more premium screens but when compared to others in the price bracket, the Omen 34c G2 delivers at a high level.

I was able to keep the frame rate at 180fps (thank you, GeForce RTX 4090), so I didn’t need MPRT to keep motion resolution high. Setting the overdrive to level 4 of 5 meant no visible motion blur in games or video. I could see a hint in BlurBusters test patterns but that was all. I tried MPRT for due diligence and saw it removed all blur and just barely showed the phasing artifact common to this feature. It is entirely usable as an Adaptive-Sync alternative at lower frame rates, say less than 130fps.

For daily use, the Omen 34c G2 is well-suited with its gentle 1500R curve and solid pixel density of 109ppi. This is equal to a 27-inch 16:9 flat panel, so the Omen 34c G2 simply becomes an extension of that format. You can do most of what you’d do with two monitors on a single 21:9 panel, thus eliminating the dividing line. And at $400 for an Omen 34c G2, you’ll save a few bucks too.

I noted above-average audio quality when playing games and watching video. Though the internal speakers aren’t terribly loud, they are free of distortion and have palpable bass extension. They are definitely superior to nearly all the monitor speakers I’ve experienced. I also noted the easy OSD navigation, logically laid out feature set and premium build quality. I did miss the USB ports though.

Takeaway: The Omen 34c G2 is a superb monitor that outperforms its competition in HDR picture quality and has video processing on par with the best LCD gaming screens I’ve reviewed. Input lag is very low and the overdrive and MPRT are precise and smooth. It gets through workday tasks comfortably and efficiently and is addictive to play on.

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