With 21:9 monitors available for the past 8 years or so, many gaming enthusiasts either have one or want one. Unfortunately, the ultrawide category has not dropped in price as quickly as others, like 27-inch 1440p monitors, for example. But as always, there are exceptions. Viotek offers several value-oriented displays, and the GNV30CBXA is its latest assault on the high performance to low price ratio.
With a max refresh rate of 200 Hz, the GNV30CBXA is the fastest 21:9 screen we’ve tested thus far, with the exception of Acer’s Predator X35, which is hard to find these days and will set you back around $2,000 (opens in new tab). The GNV30CBXA is just $320 (opens in new tab) at this writing and delivers a solid gaming experience. It had no trouble delivering tear-free gaming, and framerates stayed at or near the 200-fps mark, thanks to 2560 x 1080 resolution. At 30 inches, pixel density is 94 ppi, ensuring a sharp picture at normal viewing distances.
We did find a few flaws. Image quality is very good but could be better if Viotek included extra gamma presets. The default luminance curve is a little light and doesn’t use the GNV30CBXA’s full contrast potential (over 2,700:1).
Overdrive isn’t aggressive enough either. When gaming some motion blur was still visible despite the monitor’s class-leading 5ms screen draw time. Control response was superb though. The GNV30CBXA will easily keep up with gamers with lightning-like reflexes.
Ultimately, the GNV30CBXA performs well for the price. There are other ultrawides that will deliver smoother gameplay and more contrast, but they also cost at least twice as much. As a budget screen, the GNV30CBXA has almost no competition except its own stablemate, Viotek’s GNV34DBE, which is $80 more (opens in new tab). If you’re counting every dollar, the GNV30CBXAis a good choice. But if you have a little budget headroom, go for the 34-inch model.
