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Conclusion

We’ve reviewed a number of HDR monitors since they first started showing up on our test bench about a year ago, and not all are made equal. It’s tough to let go of a display like the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ or Acer Predator X27. They produce amazing HDR thanks to FALD backlighting. But they’re also expensive.

If you scale back your expectations a bit, you can still put a decent gaming monitor on your desktop for under $1,000. Though its HDR won’t be life-changing, it will process the signals and provide sufficient versatility to connect with just about any source device or content. It sells for less than some less-featured ultra-wides, like the LG 34GK950F, and certainly undercuts anything with a zone-dimming backlight.

Gaming is a pleasure with this display, as its accurate color and fast response delivers a high-end experience. For this display, adaptive sync is more useful than HDR. Gaming is always enhanced by adaptive sync, and when it comes to the XG350R-C’s HDR, the monitor doesn’t add any extra contrast. We’d rather have the enhanced video processing.

Though this monitor might be considered premium-priced, it's cheaper than many other 35-inch ultra-wides. That, coupled with FreeSync and the ability to run G-Sync (although not certified by Nvidia), it's accurate, saturated color and excellent contrast, make the XG350R-C a compelling choice. If you’re shopping for an ultra-wide display, give this ViewSonic monitor a long look.

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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.

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