INTRODUCTION

   Up until late 2012 the gaming market had but one question in regards to monitors, TN, VA or IPS panel? Now all three panels have gone through several "tweaks" over time (S-IPS/H-IPS/e-IPS/P-IPS/PLS IPS technologies and P-MVA/S-MVA/AMVA VA technologies) and that question is actually still a thing (only however between VA and IPS panels now, at least until the first OLED ones make their official debut) but there's another one which is probably as important to gamers (if not more), wide or ultrawide? Now of course wide monitors featuring the 16:9 aspect ratio (and some the 16:10) are still the "dominant" ones in the market and have been since at least 2008 (especially since TV's also follow that aspect ratio) but ultra-wide (21:9) models can improve the overall experience, not only in games (although primarily here) but in some cases even casual use due to the extended desktop area (screen real estate as some like to call it). The Viotek GNV29CB has earned the title of one of the most popular budget-friendly gaming monitors in the US market and today that's what I’ll be testing.

   Viotek is a different kind of tech company. Built on an unwavering will to innovate, Viotek is dedicated to making the best products at the best price for technology enthusiasts worldwide. With an imaginative research and development team and the resources to bring ideas to life, Viotek is committed to never follow but always lead.

   The Viotek GNV29CB is a 29 inch curved (1200R curvature) ultra-wide (21:9) gaming monitor based on an VA WLED panel (anti-glare) by Samsung which sports a maximum resolution of 2560x1080p (Full HD) with a refresh rate of 120Hz making it both FreeSync and G-Sync compatible (you will need to manually enable G-Sync however from the NVIDIA control panel). According to Viotek the GNV29CB also delivers an sRGB color gamut of 107%, 3000:1 contrast ratio, 280cd/m2 brightness, 5ms response time (G2G), pixel density of 96ppi, dual-input picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture and onscreen crosshairs thanks to their Gameplus feature. In terms of available connections, the GNV29CB comes ready with two HDMI ports (v1.4/2.0), single DisplayPort (v1.2) and a 3.5mm audio output (can be used with speakers and headsets). Secondary features include a metal stand with tilt (5/-15 degrees) functionality, VESA mount compatibility (75x75mm), eco mode for reduced footprint and a subtle red LED at the rear of the screen. Finally, Viotek covers the GNV29CB with a 3-year limited warranty and a pixel perfect policy upon delivery (no questions asked replacement). So, let's see if the Viotek GNV29CB is really worth getting.