When it comes to a wide-screen business monitor, there’s often a laundry list of features that you may want. The Sceptre C345W-2560UN seems to tick most of the boxes, thanks to a nicely curved screen, Adaptive Sync support, a fistful of optimized gaming modes and solid color performance that make your games look great. Of course, you’ll on some premium features like HDR support and the 1ms refresh rate of the Alienware AW3420DW, but with a price that’s under $500, the C345W-2560UN is one of the best curved monitors you can buy.
Design
This is where Sceptre has taken advantage of the latest tech. Apart from the 1500R curve, it features similar specs to the standard gaming monitors, ( including VA panel, 6 ms G2G response time, and adaptive sync), but it also bumps up that panel refresh rate all the way to 100Hz, making it somewhat of an industry first in providing a frame rate that’s higher than we’ve previously seen in its 27-inch predecessor, and smoothing out your gaming and everyday activities.
On looks, the Sceptre C345W has an understated aesthetic, which is expected for a business monitor. While it can be used for gaming, it lacks the bold and aggressive, angular stylings seen on competitors like the LG 34GL750-B. Instead, the monitor’s chassis is made of a dark-gray plastic supported by a circular base.
The only real nod to the gamer aesthetic is an illuminated ‘Sceptre’ logo on the circular game and a red ring in the back, which breaks the black monotony where the stand attaches to the monitor. The stand only offers tilt adjustment (15° backward and 5° forward), but you lack height and swivel adjustments you’d ordinarily find at this price range.
The Sceptre C345W’s 34-inch panel measures 31.83 x 17.88 x 8.88 inches and weighs 16.6 pounds, and has a pair of 3-watt speakers. Other features include a 2560 x 1080 resolution, 92 percent sRGB color gamut, 6ms response time, 320 cd/m2 peak brightness and 3,000:1 contrast ratio.
Ports & Interface
On the back of the chassis, you’ll find two HDMI ports and a single DisplayPort. The monitor would do with at least single USB port that would boast the extra power of charging smartphones and other gadgets. A single 3.3mm audio input means you can plug headphones or a gaming headset right into the monitor instead of snaking a cable around to your PC, and the monitor has a pair of its own speakers.
Performance
The C345W-2560UN performs well as a general-use monitor, ideal for the office and easily shines as a gaming monitor. It uses a 2560 x 1080 resolution panel to deliver crisp pictures and vivid colors underlain by a 80Hz (max 100Hz) refresh rate, 320 cd/m2 contrast ratio and 6 millisecond response time. This is a solid spec sheet for a widescreen monitor at this price, and the inclusion of Adaptive Sync support makes things even better for enthusiast gamers.
The monitors’ 1500R makes for a thrilling experience and is quite standard among wide-screen monitors that are gaining popularity lately.
The Vertically Aligned (VA) technology used for the screen allows for wide viewing angles and enhanced colors. For gamers, adaptive sync technology that seeks to reduce screen tearing and artifacts during gameplay, and if you’ll be using it for office tasks or general productivity, you’ll appreciate the 21:9 aspect ratio and the gentle curve that makes it comfortable to use.
If you’re a casual gamer and don’t need the very best of frame rates per second, it looks like something you can consider as well. And for the gamers who need to play the latest triple-A titles at very high settings, they’ll have to look elsewhere. If that describes you, there are solid alternatives around. For instance, the 32-inch MSI Optix MAG321CQR offers decent gaming chops, thanks to a 2560 by 1440 (QHD) panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response rate, and AMD FreeSync support.
Bottom Line
The Sceptre C345W is easily one of the most impressive wide-screen curved monitors on the market. It boasts excellent color performance, support adaptive sync technology for tear-free gaming and a sleek design, though without the gaming LED lights. It’s also one of the more affordable ones, given its feature set.
However, it’s not perfect. The stand lacks ergonomic adjustments and the curved display actually introduces some problems into an otherwise stellar monitor, such as slight color issues and warping at the curved ends of the panel.
The 34-inch Alienware AW3420DW remains our Editors’ Choice for super-wide monitors, offering a 1440p resolution and touts Nvidia G-Sync, which is certainly the better version of adaptive frame-rate technology and a great option for anyone using Nvidia graphics cards.
All that said, the Sceptre C345W-2560UN is still an excellent choice for any business user or gamer and is substantially more affordable than the Alienware AW3420DW. And this Sceptre monitor easily surpasses the Alienware in one key area: looks. If especially you want a beautiful screen on your desk, this is the perfect monitor for you.
