Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The closest monitor in spec to the R45w-30 is LG’s 45GR75DC which I reviewed recently. The other screens are 21:9 panels and include Monoprice’s 44394, AOC’s CU34G3S, HP’s Omen 34c and ASRock’s PG34WQ.
Pixel Response and Input Lag
Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.
I ran the R45w-30’s tests at 170 and 165 Hz and found no measurable difference in panel response. 6ms was the number for both refresh rates. 170 Hz will buy you 1ms less input lag, which was not a difference I could perceive during gameplay. Since the overclock reverts every 30 minutes, it wasn’t worth fiddling with. 29ms of total lag is respectable for the class, which covers a tight range of 27-32ms in this group. For all but the most skilled players, there is little difference between these six monitors except that the LG will be visually smoother at 200 Hz.
Test Takeaway: The R45w-30 offers typical gaming response and feel for the ultra-wide/mega-wide category of monitors running at 165 Hz. It has an effective overdrive that reduces motion blur enough to improve gameplay. The backlight strobe is one of the better examples I’ve seen with only slight phasing artifacts, though I wasn’t keen on its 40% light reduction and lack of pulse-width adjustment. The R45w-30 games well using Adaptive-Sync with overdrive on level 4 at 165 Hz.
Viewing Angles
You want a VA panel for its high contrast, which the R45w-30 delivers, but not for its viewing angles, which are inferior to IPS. My sample looked like the VA monitors of old, with its distinct loss of gamma and shift to red when viewed from the sides. For a single user to see the best picture, they should sit close enough to make the sides of the screen equidistant from the center eyepoint. You’ll have to turn your head to see everything but that is typical of a 32:9 monitor. This is average performance among VA monitors.
Screen Uniformity
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.
My R45w-30 sample had a slightly visible hotspot in the bottom center that spoiled an otherwise excellent test result. The other eight zones are visually identical. It didn’t affect gameplay and I couldn’t see the problem unless the scenery was very dark throughout. For such a large monitor, this is average performance.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor
Alarming amount of Texas Instrument chips found in Russian-based weapons in Ukraine — Russian military using third parties to purchase U.S-made chips
Aoostar AG02 eGPU dock with OCuLink support and 500W PSU announced for $219
China levels anti-trust charges against Nvidia – country accuses chipmaker of violating anti-monopoly regulations, examining the $7 billion Mellanox acquisition
