The Bottom Line
Pros
- Aesthetically pleasing design
- Many USB ports and charging capabilities
- Incredible colors
- Awesome in-game performance
- Three-year burn-in warranty
Cons
- Glossy finish attracts fingerprints
- Chunky design and monitor wobbles
- Price
- Requires a lot of desktop real estate
- Lack of OLED burn-in prevention software
Should you buy it?
AvoidConsiderShortlistBuyIntroduction & Specification Details and Close-up
It's clear that OLED gaming monitors are the direction the industry is going, as they provide everything a gamer wants out a gaming monitor, incredible colors, fast response times, and super quick refresh rates.
I have been lucky enough to test various OLED gaming monitors since they began emerging in the market, with some of the most impressive in their respective sizes being the MSI 321URX, a 32-inch 4K OLED 240Hz gaming monitor, and ASUS's XG27AQDMG, a 27-inch QHD OLED 240Hz gaming monitor. Now, OLED has made it to 34-inch ultrawide, and the first that will be put through its paces is Corsair's Xeneon 34WQHD240-C, a 34-inch QD-OLED ultrawide capable of a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms (GtG) response time.
Despite the Corsair Xeneon 34WQHD240-C being one the newest OLED gaming monitors on the market, it actually uses the sub-pixel structure of previous generations of QD-OLED panels, which typically caused text fringing problems. This was initially concerning as ultrawide monitors are incredible for word processing activities, and given the price of $1,199, I would bet that someone considering spending that much on a monitor will also want it for activities other than gaming.
Specifications
Item | Details |
---|---|
Model | 34WQHD240-C |
Size | 34-inch |
Resolution | 3440 x 1440 |
Panel Type | OLED |
Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
Aspect Ratio | 21:09 |
Brightness | 450 nits, peak 1000 |
Contrast Ratio | 1,500,000:1 |
Response Time | 0.03ms |
HDR | HDR True Black 400 |
Video Ports | 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Type-C DP Alt-Mode |
USB Ports | 1x USB-C input 65W, 4x USB 3.1 5Gbps ports, 1x USB-C upstream port |
Audio Ports | 1x 3.5mm headphone jack |
VESA Mounting | Yes |
Weight | 23.6 pounds |
Height Adjustment | 89mm |
Warranty | 3 years |
Close-up
Today | 7 days ago | 30 days ago | ||
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$1199.99 USD | $999.99 USD | |||
$1199.99 USD | $999.99 USD | |||
$1649.99 CAD | $1649.99 CAD | |||
$1399.99 CAD | $1399.99 CAD | |||
$1199.99 USD | $999.99 USD | |||
$1199.99 USD | $999.99 USD | |||
* Prices last scanned on 1/16/2025 at 9:15 pm CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.
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Design
Corsair has really pulled out all of the stops when it comes to the physical design of the 34WQHD240-C, as the experience from opening the box to hearing the monitor click into the quick-release mechanism on the stand was top-tier. The setup was extremely easy and straightforward, and the building and repackaging process took no longer than 10 minutes. As for the monitor, Corsair has leaned on the chunkier side of things when it comes to the physical design of the 34WQHD240-C; while I do appreciate the white coloring, the choice of plastic here has made the 34WQHD240-C feel somewhat boxy and chunky.
Despite the design being chunky, the 34WQHD240-C's build quality, for the most part, does feel premium. Unfortunately, after setting up the display, I noticed a considerable amount of creaking when it was touched, along with a screen wobble that lasted longer than I would have liked. Corsair has opted for a wide stand on the 34WQHD240-C, and because the ports for this monitor are located on the back of the display instead of underneath, the neck of the stand is longer than other monitors. The reason for this is to provide enough room for cables to be plugged into the back of the display if the stand was pressed up against the wall.
This design choice has raised major concerns with me because the neck of the stand being longer to compensate for the port location means the screen is closer to the viewer, and more desktop real estate is being taken up by a monitor. I believe this could be a particular problem for those gamers who already have limited desktop space, and for this reason, I recommend pairing the 34WQHD240-C with some kind of monitor arm. This pairing will remove the need for the bulky stand and its feet, which frees up a tonne of desktop space as the display can be pushed back as close to a wall as possible.
As for the stand itself, it does provide a decent amount of ergonomics with height adjustability and swivel. But as previously stated, I abandoned the stand as fast as possible as my testing bench is only a small desk that I believe is approximately representative of the size of an average office desk - 1.2 meters long by 70 cm deep.
Keeping to the back of the monitor, the 34WQHD240-C offers a selection of ports for a buyer, providing 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1 48 Gbps ports, each capable of hitting the maximum 240Hz refresh rate, 1x USB-C input with DP-Alt mode and 65W power delivery charging, 4x USB 3.1 5Gbps ports, and 1x USB-C upstream port.
Panel Breakdown
Looking to the panel providing the incredible specifications listed on the box of the 34WQHD240-C, we get everything we would expect out of an OLED panel, but there is one concession. Unfortunately, for some reason, despite the 34WQHD240-C panel being newer than first-generation QD-OLED panels from Samsung, the sub-pixel structure is the same, meaning the panel within the 34WQHD240-C uses the older tringle-shaped structure. This means text on the 34WQHD240-C does have a little more fringing than some of the newer generation OLED panels, but I can say after testing that it's not as bad as some of the first-generation panels I have tested.
The text fringing is noticeable when looking for it and does make the panel within the 34WQHD240-C fall short of LCD panels when compared along this same text clarity dimension. However, I do believe it's more than passable for light text-based workloads. For example, if the time spent on this monitor was 70% in games and 30% in text-based applications or workflows, I would say the user wouldn't have too much of a problem with text fringing issues. Personally, I spent more than 100 hours in text-based workflows on the 34WQHD240-C, and I didn't find the fringing problem that intrusive, but I do believe it's worth mentioning for any potential buyers planning on flexing between gaming and heavy text-based activities.
Keeping to the panel, the 34WQHD240-C provides all of the incredible color bells and whistles we would expect out of an OLED panel. OLED knocks it out of the park when it comes to color, especially in gaming that can take advantage of the effectively infinite contrast ratio, deep blacks, and richness. Just like other QD-OLED panels, there is a setback with the glossy coating across the screen and the ambient light reflectivity.
The 34WQHD240-C is no exception for reflecting ambient light off the display, which causes the colors beneath the affected area to appear lighter than they are. For example, what would be blacks are turned to greys in areas where light is reflected. This problem can be overcome by making sure ambient light sources are placed behind the display and, if possible, natural light sources as well. Ultimately, OLED displays are best utilized in darkness with zero ambient light.
The OSD can be navigated via the multi-direction joystick found on the base of the monitor, which is beside the power button and an input selection button. The multi-directional joystick, unfortunately, feels quite cheap to use and is quite sensitive to the touch. Additionally, moving your hand underneath the OSD joystick will awaken the OSD options. A nice touch that allows you to quickly locate the OSD joystick, input button, or power button.
As for the OSD, Corsair doesn't provide many dedicated OLED care features designed to mitigate burn-in. There are definitely more OLED care features built into other gaming monitor brands, such as MSI, ASUS, and even AOG. Corsair definitely needs to step up its game in this department if it wants to be on par with its competitors. What is in line with its competitors is the warranty offered on any OLED burn-in, as Corsairs offers up to 3 3-year warranty for any burn-in issues.
Performance
As with all of my gaming monitor reviews, I run the monitor I have under the spotlight through a suite of games with the intention of determining the type of game best enjoyed on the monitor. The goal is to match the type of gamer to the display. I tested the 34WQHD240-C in the following games: Empire of the Ants, League of Legends, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Counter-Strike 2, DOOM Eternal, Black Myth: Wukong, Age of Empires IV, and Age of Mythology: Retold.
With specifications such as the ones inside the 34WQHD240-C, it's no surprise that Corsair's OLED ultrawide absolutely knocked it out of the park when it comes to gaming performance. Every single game I threw at the monitor provided a very impressive gaming experience, and it was particularly enjoyable in games that can take advantage of that full 240Hz refresh rate. Titles that particularly stood out amongst the others were DOOM Eternal, League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and Age of Empires IV.
With my RTX 4090, I was able to hit the 240Hz refresh rate in Overwatch, League of Legends, and DOOM Eternal, with each of these titles providing the demonstration of the ultimate gameplay smoothness the 34WQHD240-C can provide. The quick response time made competitive titles feel much more immersive as I felt I was able to lock into my movements and inputs. Titles such as Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077 still looked and played incredibly well but didn't make as much of an impression compared to the aforementioned games.
Final Thoughts
So, should you buy the Corsair Xeneon 34WQHD240-C? I would consider spending the $1,199 for the 34WQHD240-C if you are adamant on the aesthetics of the monitor, require extensive port options, and aren't bothered by any potential text fringing issues.
The 34WQHD240-C is an expensive monitor, and Corsair's asking price isn't cheap compared to some of the competition on the market. However, I haven't reviewed the competition, so I can't comment. What I can do is identify the perfect buyer for the 34WQHD240-C. The perfect buyer for the 34WQHD240-C will be playing games that can take advantage of the full 240Hz refresh rate and the 0.03ms response time, which will likely mean competitive games such as Overwatch 2, League of Legends, Fortnite, etc.
Additionally, a perfect buyer for the 34WQHD240-C will also be using the monitor sparingly for text-based workflows - no more than 30% of the total use time of the monitor. Ultimately, Corsair hasn't created a bad monitor here, but the $1,199 price tag is quite high for what you get when the Alienware AW3225QF is available for the same price, and that is a beastly 32-inch 4K, 240Hz, 0.03ms response time gaming monitor that comes with more OLED care features, no text fringing issues, and higher image clarity.
Overall, I believe Corsair has created a great monitor that almost any gamer will be completely satisfied with its in-game performance, but I do believe it needs a price recorrection. Given the offerings from the competition, it feels too much to charge $1199 for the 34WQHD240-C. I think the 34WQHD240-C should be priced at $999 or even more competitively at $899.