I Bought a UWQHD (3440x1440) Monitor & Seeing Off a Hero, the MITSUBISHI

Things Don’t Get Too Small#

This is the biggest problem. Going by what I saw when I scouted the electronics stores, text on a 27-inch 4K monitor is just way too small.

Sure, you can fix that by scaling up… but then you lose the very workspace you bought it for, which defeats the whole point.

If I got a 4K monitor, I’d need at least 34 inches, and ideally something like 40 inches, to avoid this problem, but I don’t have room for a monitor that big. And even if I did, the edges of the screen would be pretty hard to see.

A 34-inch UWQHD, on the other hand, doesn’t have this problem nearly as badly. Things just end up slightly smaller in scale than before.

Longing for Immersion#

Maybe 4K would do the job here too, but from what I saw in the stores, a wider screen really does feel more immersive for games and videos. I had assumed that at the same width, 4K would be better since you’d get extra information above and below. Apparently it’s not that simple.

4K is the same old familiar 16:9, so upgrading just gives you four times the resolution per unit area. UWQHD, though, should give me a completely new experience. I don’t know whether I’ll get used to it, but I decided to put the spirit of adventure first.

Easier to Work With#

For things like DTM (desktop music production) and video editing, where you need to display a timeline, I figured a wider screen would make things easier.

And for work where I don’t need the width and would actually rather have more height (web surfing, coding), I can split the screen horizontally, and on a UWQHD that gives me 10.5:9, a slightly wide-ish square. That was appealing too.

Splitting a 16:9 screen in half gives you 8:9, a slightly tall-ish square. But I always felt that was way too narrow most of the time, so I rarely used it. Especially when I want to code with a browser open, the file list and tab list in the sidebars eat up the display area and things get pretty cramped.

Skyrim#

First, I fired up Skyrim for the first time in a while.

Games where you can see the horizon really are something else. But my PC wasn’t up to the task, the framerate turned into a slideshow, and I couldn’t play comfortably.

Civ6#

Next, I tried Civ6, which shouldn’t be too hard on the graphics card.

The amount of information is crazy.

Luckily, I had also taken a screenshot of almost the same game state on my old monitor. Compared side by side, the difference in visible area is staggering.

DEFCON#

Apparently this wide format works really well for simulation games. So I tried DEFCON.

I feel exactly like a commander. It’s a different flavor of immersion from just seeing a vast world or looking out at the horizon, and it’s amazing.

Genshin Impact#

I really, really want to play Genshin Impact, but if my math is right, the “return trip gift” (the comeback reward) unlocks in one week, so I’m holding out.

Work#

Needless to say, the convenience for multi-monitor-style work is overwhelming.

As expected, apps with a two-pane layout plus a sidebar go together really, really well.

UFO Test#

I don’t really know the details, but apparently the way to test a display is this thing called the UFO test.

Blur Busters TestUFO Motion Tests. Benchmark for monitors & displays.

Blur Busters UFO Motion Tests with ghosting test, 30fps vs 60fps vs 120hz vs 144hz vs 240hz, PWM test, motion blur test, judder test, benchmarks, and more.

testufo.com

The photo above was taken at a shutter speed of 1/320 s. From the top: 180 fps, 90 fps, 45 fps.

Apparently a bad monitor or incorrect settings will cause motion blur, but judging from this photo, there’s almost no ghosting at 180 fps (I have no idea why 45 fps has more ghosting).

A photo can’t really convey it, but 180 fps is buttery smooth, as expected. I’d never used a monitor with a refresh rate above 60 fps until now, so this was another moving experience.