Gigabyte Aorus FV43U USB-C Gaming Monitor Review: King of the 43-Inch Class

Class-leading color and contrast

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors.We cover brightness and Contrast covered on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level 

We couldn’t quite fill our comparison group with 43-inch screens, but we do have the Acer Predator CG437K and Asus ROG Swift PG43UQ representing. At 55-inches is Philips Momentum 558M1RY. In the mega-wide, 32:9 category is the AOC Agon AG493UCX and Viotek SUW49DA. All are VA panels running at 120 or 144 Hz.

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Gigabyte Aorus FV43U
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Except for the Viotek, light output is prodigious among our comparison group. You won’t want to turn the FV43U’s brightness up much past 15% though because 892 nits is beyond searing.

The FV43U takes the black level crown by a nose over the Viotek mega-wide while running comfortably more darkly than the Asus and Acer 43-inchers. Since the Aorus’ gamma is very accurate, there is no reduction in shadow detail. Resulting contrast is an impressive 6,518.1:1. This is a native figure with no picture enhancements engaged. It doesn’t get much better than that. 

After Calibration to 200 nits 

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Gigabyte Aorus FV43U
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

After calibration to a more manageable 200 nits brightness (see our recommended calibration settings on page 1), the FV43U is still at the top of the pack with an excellent black level of 0.0328 nit and 6,095.6:1 contrast. If you want even greater dynamic range, turn on Local Dimming. This doubles the brightness to 408 nits, and you can’t change it, but it also reduces the black level and produces an astounding 31,497.5:1 contrast ratio with no detail clipping.

The FV43U completes its sweep of the luminance and contrast tests with a win in the ANSI benchmark. It’s safe to say that among jumbo computer monitors, the Aorus offers the greatest dynamic range, best black levels and most image depth for SDR content.

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.