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.

Reviews
By published
Monoprice 38035
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

There’s no question that gaming on 21:9 monitors is fun. It’s a format that lends itself perfectly to first-person shooters or any game where you are moving in a virtual environment. Though they were expensive in the beginning, like every other bit of bleeding-edge hardware, prices have come down significantly. A 35-inch WQHD gaming monitor selling for $400 is well worth considering.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The Monoprice Zero-G 35-inch 38035, in its updated form, is a nice improvement over its predecessor. It now runs at 120 Hz and has HDR10 support. There’s no more contrast available, but a VA panel delivers almost 3,000:1 for SDR and HDR so that’s a good thing. The picture is impactful with excellent black levels and highlights bright enough to make the image pop.

Because of its 89% coverage of DCI-P3 and superb HDR color accuracy, you will immediately notice the 38035-2’s vivid hues. There’s no sRGB mode for SDR but most users won’t complain about that extra color. The picture is vibrant and lifelike. You’ll want to be sure and dial in some adjustment though. I found it a bit dark out of the box. If you have the means to calibrate, you should. Or simply plug in the settings found earlier in this review.

(Image credit: Monoprice)

Gaming feel was better than I expected for a 120 Hz monitor. The 38035-2 has very low input lag which mostly makes up for its lower frame rates. Control feel was smooth and motion resolution was high enough for good accuracy in my favorite shooters.

If you’re considering your first 21:9 monitor, Monoprice’s Zero-G 35-inch 38035 is worthy of any shopper’s short list. For $400 it delivers the goods for gaming or work. Definitely check it out.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

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