Monoprice 44394 40-inch Crystal Pro 144 Hz gaming monitor review: Jumbo size at a surprisingly low price

40-inch ultrawide QHD IPS flat panel with 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR 400 and wide gamut color

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Monoprice 44394
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Ultrawide monitors can serve many functions and a large number of size, shape and curve options means there is likely to be a screen out there for everyone. Do you need a workday tool with a little gaming? Or are you playing for hours a day? And what is the budget? Many 21:9 screens command a hefty premium.

Monoprice has always been about bang for the buck. It offers a large selection of 21:9 monitors, mostly curved examples. The 44394 40-inch Crystal Pro is unique in its largeness and its flatness, and the $500 price tag further sets it apart.

(Image credit: Monoprice)

Running at 144 Hz with Adaptive-Sync, it is certainly a gaming monitor. I found very low input lag, which largely made up for its weak overdrive. It has a bit more motion blur than other 144 screens. And many of its competitors run at 165 Hz, at a higher cost, of course. The 44394 delivers very good gaming performance for $500.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Image quality is above its price class as well. I measured and observed better contrast than most IPS panels of any cost can boast. HDR delivered over 6,300:1, which is also a standout result. But the picture was a bit dark, thanks to low luminance tracking. The 44394’s HDR is best enjoyed in a dark room. In the SDR tests, I was impressed by its out-of-box color accuracy. No calibration was needed and when I performed one, the result was near reference-level. Only gamma left room for improvement. You need to choose between darker or lighter than reference. I found a very good picture in the lighter option. Either way, there is plenty of color to enjoy.

The Monoprice 44394 40-inch Crystal Pro is a unique monitor that delivers many benefits for work and play at a very attractive price. If you’re debating a jumbo screen or two monitors, it’s definitely worth considering.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.