Xiaomi Curved 34 inch gaming monitor for $572.98 from USA

With a size of 34 inches and a frame rate of 144Hz, Xiaomi has a real gaming monitor in its range here. This is probably too expensive compared to local brands. But as the subject has interested some people, we’ll take a look at it anyway.

• Xiaomi Gaming Monitor
  • at Banggood for $572.98 (US Warehouse) or $638.99 (CN Warehouse)
  • at Amazon.de for 447,90€ | Amazon.au for $592.99
    

Technical Data

While Xiaomi’s 23.8 inch monitor was intended for office use, the purpose of this monitor is clearly gaming. A 34-inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio should satisfy even the most demanding gamers (ok, they might need two of them side by side). The resolution is 2K or WQHD with 3440 x 1440 pixels and the frame rate a whopping 144Hz.

Design and processing – A real eye-catcher

But one thing at a time. Before we talk about the technical data in detail and the image display, let’s take a look at the monitor itself. Even when you take it out of its packaging, it’s really something to look at.

The sides and top of the screen have only very narrow edges. Only the “chin”, the edge under the screen, is a bit wider. Otherwise we find only a small LED on the front, the keys are all on the back and can be reached by reaching around the lower right edge. Even with monitors from $200 you can find small joysticks with which the adjustment of the settings is much easier. On a device, where the price is much higher, the simple buttons are actually not appropriate.

Unlike the 23.8 inch monitor, the gaming monitor is height adjustable and can also be swivelled to the side. We honestly expect the same from a $400 product. Both goes smoothly and without much resistance, yet the screen remains stable enough in position and doesn’t move without external intervention. You can also tilt the display slightly forward (5°) and a little more backward (15°).

Very nicely solved is the cable management and the positioning of the connections. On the back we find two HDMI ports and two display ports; in addition, there is a headphone port and of course the power connection. However, all slots are under a removable magnetic cover, so they are both protected and invisible. You can lead the cables out through a narrow hole, which is a bit frimpy with many cables, but once installed, everything is nicely stowed away.

Additionally, you can put the cables through the bracket of the monitor so that they disappear completely behind it. For this purpose the bracket is also equipped with a magnetic cover. If you lead all cables through and the monitor stands at the edge of the desk, then all cables disappear behind it unseen – very nice.

If you prefer to use your own mount, you can use any 100 x 100 VESA mount that can carry the weight of the monitor.

Technical data

To stay with outward appearances for a moment: The monitor has a strong curvature of 1500R (other curved monitors often have 1800R). “Curved” means that the edges of the screen are no further away from the eyes than the center of the image, which is inevitably the case with flat screens. Due to the enormous width of the screen, immersion is also easier, because you have a little more of the feeling of being “in” the game.

But to the really technical data. The screen has a resolution of 3440 x 1440p, also called WQHD or 2K. Here we are once again a good level above FullHD and therefore need more graphics performance. So make sure that your graphics card can use the monitor to its full potential. With 300 nits brightness and a contrast ratio of 3000:1 it is very similar to its competitors in the same price range and therefore not HDR capable.

It has an aspect ratio of 21:9, which corresponds to the format of movies. Many new and graphically demanding games support the format, but especially older games do not. Skyrim for example, which we tried in the test, works only with a small adjustment, but some games will have to be played with two black bars left and right. Even videos that are still recorded in 16:9 can’t do without the thick borders. A good starting point to find out if your favorite games support the 21:9 format is the Wide Screen Gaming Forum. There is a huge database where you can check if a game supports 21:9 and if not, there is often a solution to fix it.

Of course the monitor also supports 144Hz. For this it is necessary to connect it via Displayport cable, because HDMI only allows a maximum of 120Hz. A Displayport cable is also included in delivery and with modern graphics cards the Displayport connection is already standard. In my case Windows did not recognize the connection correctly at first and even limited it to 60Hz per Displayport until I changed the cable again, then it worked with the 144Hz. You can check if the monitor is recognized correctly and the 144 Hz are active in the advanced display settings in Windows 10.

Xiaomi advertises with a color space of 85% NTSC and with AMD FreeSync, which reduces judder and image distortion in video games. Even if the monitor is not officially certified by NVIDIA, G-Sync can also be enabled on NVIDIA graphics cards. There is no need to follow complicated instructions or edit configuration files, because you can easily enable it in the graphics card settings.

Gaming on the monitor

The real reason for getting the monitor is gaming. In the end, all we want is to make Red Dead Redemption 2 and Flight Simulator 2020 look as cool as possible. And – this much we can say – the games look really good. Especially those who have never played on such a wide screen before will be thrilled. Because of the curved picture you simply perceive the game world more intensely and you get more involved in the game.

Besides the size of the display, the 144Hz are probably the reason for most gamers to buy such a monitor. A higher frame rate means smoother movements, which makes a noticeable difference especially in fast games like shooters. Even racing games are a completely different experience when you race through cities on the monitor or set the next lap record on the world’s race tracks. Not all games benefit from this, but the difference to 60Hz is clearly visible and even the mouse pointer feels much more fluid.

Of course, you can also use the monitor off the game and split the monitor, for example, to get two 17 inch displays. However, the features and the name of the monitor show the actual intention of the device. So if you don’t intend to start a game on the monitor, you’re probably better off with another device.

Evaluation – Buy Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor?

Whether the monitor is worth buying depends solely on the price. It’s a very good product in itself: The workmanship is right, the tilt and height are adjustable and the design features small highlights like the removable magnetic covers of the connectors. The quality of the 2K/144Hz display is also convincing and offers a consistently good gaming experience.

For $600 you can easily get other models with the same or better specs. So Xiaomi has to undercut this to be seriously considered as an alternative. So if you are looking for a gaming monitor like this and the price is right, we think the Xiaomi variant is a worthwhile investment.