Why you can trust 3DTested 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.
Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.
HDR is where the PG34WQ truly shines. It has effective dynamic contrast and accurate color that hits most targets in the DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 gamuts. Switching between SDR and HDR signals is automatic. You won’t find any adjustments for HDR content but as I discovered, they aren’t necessary.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
ASRock’s website claims 550 nits peak, but the PG34WQ is rated for VESA DisplayHDR 400, and it comfortably exceeds that metric. At just under 500 nits, it’s plenty bright. With a best-in-group black level, it goes well beyond the HDR contrast capabilities of most budget screens with nearly 17,000:1. Only the MSI shows better. The Monoprice, BenQ and AOC monitors have no dynamic option, and it shows. ASRock has put its efforts into HDR here and it clearly pays off.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
The PG34WQ’s excellent HDR performance extends to color too. Grayscale tracking is without visual error. That’s a good thing since there are no adjustments available. The field dimming feature is a little too aggressive at the dark end of the scale, as you can see in the EOTF chart. Though shadow detail is still visible, it’s hard to see in the heat of battle. Users should tweak their in-game settings to compensate for this. In most areas of the picture, detail is solid and pops well. The tone-map transition point is spot-on at 65%.
In the color tests, the PG34WQ is reasonably close to the targets for DCI-P3 and Rec.2020. Saturation is very good and better than SDR, with no visible hue errors. This is an HDR monitor for sure and looks its best when showing that material.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
