Monoprice 35-inch Zero-G Ultrawide Review: Solid Gaming Performance For a Low Price

Curved VA panel with 120 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR, and wide-gamut color.

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Monoprice 38035
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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120 Hz gaming monitors are something of a rarity, so the comparison group has screens ranging from 144 to 200 Hz, all 34-inch 21:9 ultra-wides. We have ViewSonic’s XG341C-2K, ASRock’s PG34WQ, Philips 34M2C7600, BenQ’s EX3410R, and AOC’s CU34G3S.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

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Monoprice 38035
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Refresh rates and panel response typically go hand in hand. The 38035-2 is at a disadvantage here but 9ms isn’t slow by any means. Using the overdrive on its strong setting visibly increases motion resolution to where it’s almost as smooth as the faster monitors. With very low input lag, the 38035-2 makes up a lot of ground with an excellent 30ms score.

Test Takeaway: The 38035-2 isn’t quite as smooth as a 165 Hz panel but it comes close with a good but not great overdrive. Input lag is low enough that it will offer a similar control feel to faster monitors. It was right in the mix with the 144 and 165 Hz screens and only gave away 4ms to the premium 200 Hz ViewSonic. This is very good performance for the money.

Viewing Angles

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Inexpensive VA panels aren’t the best choice if sharing is important to you. The 38035-2 loses nearly 50% of its light output when viewed at 45 degrees to the side or top. Color shifts to red and detail becomes murky. It’s best to hog this monitor for yourself by sitting close and on center.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Achieving good screen uniformity is a bit harder in the 21:9 format but the 38035-2 does an admirable job with its 10.01% score. There were no visible anomalies in my sample, and no bleed or glow when displaying a full field black pattern. In white patterns, I saw a few slight shifts to red at the sides of the screen, but this issue could not be seen in actual content. At this price point, I’m satisfied with Monoprice’s quality control.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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MORE: How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

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.

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • MarioAndLuigiPlumbing
    Tom Sunday said:
    Actual buyers at Amazon did not give Monoprice a good review. Looks like the company is still in its infancy and is short in expected customer service and the quality of the product is seen to be generally poor. So in this respect they have a ways to go! As such pricing here does not play a big role!

    Monoprice has been around since 2002 - so, no, they are not in their infancy. Why is someone buying Monoprice from Amazon when they have their own retail site? I've ordered from m/p plenty of times. Only once did I have a problem and they replace the item quickly because it was under warranty.
    Reply