LC-Power LC-M34-UWQHD-144-C-V2: Affordable 21:9 monitor with 144 Hz in review

It is not a new insight that the monitor is of central importance in terms of the overall experience, display quality and possibly the result produced when watching movies, playing games or editing photos and videos. What is constantly being renewed, however, are the technical possibilities of the available devices: What was considered the gold standard just a few years ago is now long outdated. So it is not surprising that LC-Power also attaches importance to constantly revising its successful devices. The LC-M34-UWQHD-100-C, which convinced with its price-performance ratio, was also the subject of such a revision: for less than 400 Euros, interested buyers received an excellent 21:9 monitor. The successor LC-M34-UWQHD-144-C-V2 is supposed to offer even more. Can it do that and is it worth buying even at a price that is about 100 Euros higher? We have subjected the monitor to a detailed test!

Technical data

Scope of delivery and assembly

The monitor is delivered in a relatively large cardboard box, on the front of which the monitor itself is depicted in addition to the manufacturer’s logo. The carton is quite heavy: it weighs almost 12 kilograms in total. Besides the monitor, it contains the flexible stand, spacers for attaching it to a VESA mount, a power cable, a DisplayPort cable, a screwdriver, and screws for attaching the stand. All the items needed to mount the monitor are thus included, which is a first plus.

Meanwhile, the device is quickly set up. First, the three-piece monitor mount, which attaches the screen to the stand, needs to be assembled. The included screws are needed for this. The screw for connecting the monitor base and stand is already screwed into the base and can simply be tightened by hand. The situation is different for the connection plate to the monitor, which first has to be put on the monitor stand and then fixed with two screws. You also need the included screwdriver for this. Finally, the monitor can simply be pushed onto the stand and clicked into place. The connection is firm and does not wobble, but can be easily released by pressing a button.

Design and finish

Once set up, the monitor presents itself quite impressively. The 21:9 format is still a rarity, although it does bring some advantages, especially in gaming. However, not only the length of the screen, but also its slight curvature contribute to the fact that it makes a good first impression.

This, meanwhile, holds up even when taking a closer look at the individual elements. The stand and the bracket, which we’ve already had to deal with, are very well made. LC-Power has opted for hard, black plastic here. In addition, there is a red LED illumination on the back as an accent.

The device is also convincing in terms of the connections offered: The monitor has two HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort 1.2 ports and a headphone output. Overall, the monitor is not only attractively designed, but also has a high-quality build. We did not notice any flaws, the device stands securely, looks robust and modern.

Practical test

This brings us to the practice. Here, one key point should be noted first: The 144 Hz refresh rate is only available when the display is connected to the PC via a DisplayPort port. If the HDMI port is used instead, only 60 Hz is available, which is not optimal. The difference – which incidentally is also the main difference to the predecessor – was clearly noticed by us in the test. The high refresh rate is not only noticeable in gaming, but also in normal PC work: Everything seems smoother, and there are no unpleasant interruptions.

Less outstanding, but still within an acceptable range, is the monitor’s response time, which is 8.4 milliseconds in the center of the screen. Thus, it clearly lags behind top models, but is at least in the midfield of products currently available on the market. The difference to the top models is not always noticeable in practice, but those who play professionally will probably be disappointed. On the other hand, all others who are interested should note that the LC-M34-UWQHD-144-C-V2 is much cheaper than models from Alienware and Co. and belongs to the absolute top class in its price range. So, if you are an ambitious gamer, but not a professional eSport player, you shouldn’t be put off by the slightly longer response time.

We noticed the slight curvature of the screen positively. Especially in hectic gaming situations, it helps to keep an eye on the edges of the screen as well. In combination with the enormous width, this circumstance creates a noticeable competitive advantage. The resolution, however, is impeccable. We also noticed the color reproduction and the given contrast positively. There is no information about the color space coverage, but we assume that the LC-M34-UWQHD-144-C-V2 would score relatively well here, since all colors were displayed true to detail and rich. The contrast offered also seemed above average to us.

The only notable weakness that we noticed in the practical test is the screen’s brightness: The 350 cd/m² are bright enough for most applications and already too bright for me personally anyway, but that does not allow HDR. That’s simply not possible at this price.

Conclusion

Overall, the LC-M34-UWQHD-144-C-V2 left a positive impression, which cannot be tarnished by the few weaknesses that were revealed in the practical test. It is one of the cheapest 21:9 models on the market, has a high-quality build, and can convince with its 144 Hz refresh rate and UWQHD resolution in practice. Its average refresh rate and slight weaknesses in illumination are not very relevant in practice outside of professional eSports and are compensated by the low price in any case. Overall, this is a monitor that we can clearly recommend to gamers who are not necessarily in the absolute professional field.