Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ OLED gaming monitor review: Tremendous color and contrast

49-inch 32:9 OLED display with an 1800R curve, 5120x1440 DQHD resolution, 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR400 and wide gamut color.

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Aorus CO49DQ
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The CO49DQ supports HDR10 content with four additional picture modes. There is enough brightness variation in play to increase peak output to around double that of SDR mode.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

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Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The CO49DQ’s default HDR mode is called appropriately “HDR”, and it is the best and most accurate choice. It dials up the peak brightness to over 463 nits. I measured a 25% window to achieve this, meaning variable brightness is in play. Of course, black levels and contrast can’t be measured. The Asus PG34WCDM and LG 45GR75DC have higher peak levels if that is important to you. For ultimate picture quality, this won’t make a difference. The LG has an aggressive dynamic feature for HDR content, which takes its ratio to nearly 20,000:1. The Lenovo also enhances contrast in HDR mode with a respectable 8,011.9:1 score.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

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Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

The CO49DQ HDR picture mode hits all the marks for grayscale and EOTF tracking. There are no visible errors and the EOTF stays close to the reference. Its tone-map transition is a bit soft, but this does not negatively impact the image. It is stunning in every respect. Color gamut tracking is superb for both DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 content where every point is on or close to target. In the Rec.2020 chart, it stays on point until running out of color at around 85%, which is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The CO49DQ is one of the most color-accurate HDR monitors I’ve tested. It hits all the marks without need for adjustment and delivers a stunning image. While not as bright as a Mini LED screen, its deep blacks and tremendous contrast more than make up for a lack of peak output. HDR doesn’t get better than this.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

MORE: How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • parkerthon
    Really interesting, and finally a price that has me seriously considering try an oled monitor ultra wide. But being that my desktop is used for my job 95% of the time, which often requires Teams screen sharing of presentations, I’m trying to wrap my head around how that would work. Is there a way to virtually split my desktop for powerpoint presentation mode that throws slides on one screen and a presenters view on another? I use this a lot. I do see some third party utilities that might do this, but curious if anyone out there has experience with this.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    This is wider than the last-reviewed ASUS PG34WCDM, less expensive, and much less curved.
    It seems to have a lot going on.
    I would need to see the curve in person, because it is such a hard thing to convey through pictures.
    I wish best buy had better variety to their in-store displays.
    Reply
  • PEnns
    Seems like a really good monitor. But I have to ask: Does it really have to be curved? The size is (allegedly) the same, so why the curve? Curved might be more tolerable at 32", but 49" is a bit too much (IMHO).

    Or maybe the main consideration for some: More immersive? Well, maybe, but many will get the same experience from the same 49" monitor and most likely it will be less expensive!
    Reply
  • AkroZ
    PEnns said:
    Seems like a really good monitor. But I have to ask: Does it really have to be curved? The size is (allegedly) the same, so why the curve? Curved might be more tolerable at 32", but 49" is a bit too much (IMHO).

    Or maybe the main consideration for some: More immersive? Well, maybe, but many will get the same experience from the same 49" monitor and most likely it will be less expensive!
    There is many advantages to the curve.
    Firstly for this screen of 49 inch it reduce the width to 47 inch with better readability, your eyes need less distance to find the corners.
    On a flat screen the center is good but due to the angles of view the pixels becomes more and more deformed on the edges and smaller (from the viewer perspective), this also reduce the perceived lights making the corners darker.
    Those makes corners more difficult to read. Here it's a curved 1800R screen, if you place your eyes at 1,8 meter from screen then all pixels will remain squares everywhere horizontally (because it is not curved vertically) making the lighting consistent.
    But for that you need to be centered, so it's only for one person, for a presentation monitor or a TV it's better to be flat.

    About the cost of curving, OLED is a flexible surface by nature, it's mainly a choice of form for the rigid support and adapt the assembling chain. This will not really cost more materials. Customers are generally paying a premium fee but you can find some curved monitors at the same price than non-curved monitors.
    Reply
  • Notton
    can confirm. With 2x 27" side by side, I have to put them in a V shape to read stuff at the outer edges.
    Reply
  • TheHerald
    A 49" Super ultra wide monitor is not very practical, trust me, had one for 2 years.
    Reply
  • subspruce
    I can't imagine how I would even use all of that display, or even fit this on my desk, but your desk may be huge and you may need the equivalent of 2 25" monitors side-by-side for whatever you may be doing
    Reply