Monoprice 49-inch Dark Matter 43305 Gaming Monitor Review: Jumbo Width and Color

49-inch 32:9 monitors are still an unusual product category, but they offer something no other display can. Not only are they the next most immersive gaming experience after VR goggles, but they can also easily mimic two 27-inch QHD panels. If you’ve ever wanted multiple monitors but didn’t want the dividing line, it’s a great way to go.

Monoprice continues to up its game in the monitor biz with offerings that get better with each new introduction. The Dark Matter 49 43305 delivers solid gaming performance, a sharp bright picture, a huge color gamut and a super-useful four-window feature for multiple video sources. And its 1800R curve means you get the wraparound effect without much image distortion.

For workday tasks, the 43305 is best used like two 27-inch QHD screens. You can either manage app windows from a single PC, or connect a second PC or a video player. If I hooked up an Apple TV to this thing, I’d probably get a lot less work done!

However, gaming is the 43305’s best feature. Its huge gamut, 97% of DCI-P3, provided richly saturated reds and greens in my favorite first-person games. Though it didn’t offer any more contrast for HDR content, the VA panel still rocks at around 3,000:1, more than any IPS monitor can boast. The only flaw there is that calibration is required. At a minimum, one should set the gamma to 2.0 to brighten up the picture.

The 43305’s 120 Hz refresh rate is typical of the price category and provides smooth movement with decent control response. If you need a more competitive tool, the Samsung G9 is a better choice with its 240 Hz. But if you want maximum flexibility and maximum immersion with tons of color for $1,000, the Monoprice Dark Matter 49 43305 is a great choice. Definitely check it out.