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

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.

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 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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