NOT INTO GAMING? Then it’s easy to get
the feeling PC monitor makers aren’t
interested in having you as a customer.
After all, so much recent innovation
centers around improving gaming
performance. We’re talking high refresh,
adaptive synching, even HDR up to a point.
Of course, what makes for a great
gaming panel can be beneficial in other
areas. HDR is a case in point. But when it
comes to productivity, stuff like adaptive
sync and high refresh? Not so much.
Instead, if you have a solid budget to play
with, what you primarily want is a nice,
big, high-quality panel with lots of pixels.
What you want, on paper at least, is the
Asus Designo Curve MX38VC. With a 38-
inch IPS panel and 3,840x1,600 pixels, it
checks all the really important boxes.
It also adds a few frills that may help
seal the deal, not that you’re likely to feel
you’re getting a bargain at over $1,000.
It’s not quite the first such monitor
we’ve seen. The LG 38UC99 sports the
same panel spec, including the 21:9
superwide aspect ratio, 2300R curvature,
and thin bezels on three sides. Indeed, it’s
almost certainly the same LG-produced
panel in both monitors. Both also support
USB Type-C, which is great for reducing
cable clutter, and even better if you
drive your screen with a laptop, given it
supports simultaneous charging.
Speaking of charging, one of the
MX38VC’s party tricks is wireless
charging for Qi-compatible devices.
There’s a charging pad built into the base
of the stand, which can charge devices
even when the display is asleep.
Another surprising feature is the
integrated Harman Kardon sound
system, with support for Bluetooth audio
streaming. We don’t want to overstate the
quality of audio it produces—even a fairly
cheap 2.1 speaker setup would match
and probably exceed it—but there’s
reasonable dynamic range and definition
on offer, and overall it’s an absolutely
livable if not truly enjoyable audio
solution. Factor in the USB-C, charging
dock, and built-in speakers—oh, and a
triple-port USB 3.0 hub—and you haveA premium productivity
panel, but at a price
Asus Designo
Curve MX38VC
8
VERDICT Asus Designo Curve MX38VCTHUNDERBOLT High-quality
panel with lots of pixels; strong
peripheral features.
PARALLEL PORT Ver y expensive; no HDR
or high refresh.
$1,099, http://www.asus.comSPECIFICATIONSPanel Size 37.5-inch
Native Resolution 3,840x1,600
Pixel Density 110 ppi
Panel Type IPS
Maximum Refresh 70Hz
Response 5ms
Contrast 1,000:1
Display Inputs 2x HDMI, DisplayPort,
USB-C
Connectivity 3x USB 3.0
VESA Mount No
Warranty Three yearsa monitor that promises to reduce cable
clutter to an absolute minimum.
But what of the image quality? It’s
pretty much what you’d expect, given
the specs. This isn’t an HDR panel, so the
visuals are quite subdued, but the factory
calibration is sound, with no obvious
flaws in any of our test images. It’s an IPS
panel, so the colors are very convincing,
the contrast is good rather than excellent,
and the viewing angles are outstanding.
As for how that 3,840x1,600 resolution
maps to the 38-inch panel, the result is
an unspectacular 110 ppi. This is not a
high-density display. That said, the sheer
pixel count ensures plenty of desktop
real estate, especially compared to
many other superwide monitors, which
tend to offer limited vertical resolution.
If you want to run multiple documents,
webpages, and applications side by side,
the MX38VC is very sweet, that’s for sure.
What’s more, while it’s not a gaming
monitor, it’s still pretty breathtaking if
you fire up something good-looking like
Witcher III. The size of the panel and the
wide aspect ratio make for an immersive
experience. Adaptive sync helps, too,
although the fun is capped to 70Hz.
All in, this is a very nice monitor for
general computing. Our only reservation
is the lack of HDR support. In 2019, the
absence of HDR on a premium panel
priced north of $1,000 is conspicuous.
It’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but
it does compromise the MX38VC’s value
proposition. –JEREMY LAIRDmaximumpc.com JUN 2019 MAXIMUMPC 85