Viotek SUW49DA 49-inch Monitor Review: An Ultrawide and Colorful View

Take a walk on the mega-wide side.

Reviews
By published

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.

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover Brightness and Contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The SUW49DA is the second 5120 x 1440 resolution monitor we’ve reviewed, so the AOC Agon AG493UCX is included here for comparison, along with an array of 34-inch and one 35-inch ultrawides. They are the Cooler Master GM34-CW, Viotek GNV34DBE, AOC CU34G2X and ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C.

Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Ultrawide monitors don’t have to be quite as bright as their 16:9 counterparts to provide enough output. That said, the Viotek AG493UCX is an extreme overachiever. It could light up a small town when the backlight is maxed. The SUW49DA doesn’t quite hit its 400-nit spec, but at 360 nits, there is more than enough output for satisfying gameplay or any other task.

Black levels are about average for a VA panel, which results in a respectable 2,599.6:1 static contrast score. The AOC manages to eke a little more dynamic range, but any of these monitors will deliver better blacks and a deeper image than an IPS or TN display.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Calibration (see our recommended settings) gave us a nice gain in dynamic range (2,839:1 versus 2,600:1), thanks to changes we made to gamma and the contrast slider. We also saw an improvement in color saturation.

Our sample monitor had solid screen uniformity and a properly fitted grid polarizer, so intra-image contrast is nearly the same as the static value. That’s excellent performance, especially given the Viotek’s price, which is lower than other 32:9 screens.

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
  • TrackSmart
    First, thanks for the detailed review!

    A suggestion: It would be useful to reiterate in the conclusions that this monitor does not have an SRGB mode. You say in the article that this is not a big deal (and mention potential workarounds), but to some users this is indeed a deal-breaker on a wide gamut display that would be used for more than just gaming.
    Reply