Xiaomi G34WQi 34-inch 180 Hz gaming monitor review: Good color and contrast for a low price

34-inch curved VA WQHD gaming monitor with 180 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and wide gamut color.

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Xiaomi G34WQi
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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I encourage everyone with the means to buy an OLED monitor. They are awesome in every respect and if more people buy them, they’ll get cheaper. But I must be realistic; they’re just too expensive now to fit into every budget. Thankfully, VA technology delivers some of that extra color and contrast for much less money. Not only does it cost less than OLED, but it also significantly undercuts Mini LED.

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

The Xiaomi G34WQi is one of the best budget screens I’ve reviewed. It isn’t perfect; no monitor is. The overdrive could be better; I found it annoying to keep changing the brightness level when switching between SDR and HDR modes. But neither of these things impacted the excellent color and contrast I enjoyed. As a VA panel, it has about triple the dynamic range of an IPS monitor. It has one of the largest color gamuts in its class, with almost 92% measured coverage of DCI-P3. HDR could benefit from dynamic contrast which is not in evidence. But seriously, it’s less than $300, so I can’t cry too loudly.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

If you want to put an ultra-wide monitor on your desk but can’t afford OLED or Mini LED, the Xiaomi G34WQi is a great choice. With a gorgeous image, accurate color and solid build quality, it’s one of the best displays you can buy for less than $300.

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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.