The AOC CU34P2C is a 34-inch curved monitor with a UWQHD definition of 3440 x 1400 px, supporting a refresh rate of 100 Hz and ergonomic, notably thanks to a 65 W USB-C port, all at an instead contained price.
Pros
Picture quality
Contrast
65W USB-C port
Two USB 3.0 ports on the edge
Power consumption
Cons
- Moderate responsiveness
Overview
The AOC 34″ CU34P2C features a 34″ VA curved panel in widescreen format with an Ultra Wide Quad HD (UWQHD) resolution of 3440 x 1440 px. It is curved over a radius of 1.5 metres (1500R). It has a native refresh rate of 100Hz, which is quite impressive for a more office-oriented monitor but opens the door to more versatile use, including video gaming. This monitor is also FreeSync compatible. The manufacturer claims a response time of 4 ms, a maximum brightness of 300 cd/m², a contrast of 3000:1, viewing angles of 178° and a coverage of 120% of the sRGB colour space and 89% of the Adobe RGB. The panel orientation focuses on the essentials (height, rotation and tilt), while connectivity includes a USB-C port delivering 65W, perfect power for combined use with a laptop.
Ergonomics
The AOC CU34P2C monitor is entirely black. The finish is perfect, and the matt black plastic seems made to last. The stand is quite large (27.5 x 27.5 cm).
The AOC CU34P2C has a height adjustment of 15 cm and a tilt adjustment of -5 to +23°. The stand can also be rotated ±180° via a pad located under the entire base. However, there is no portrait orientation – a rare and almost useless feature on a widescreen monitor.
Like the front, the back is as plain as can be. All the connections are downward, except the two USB ports on the edge. At the base of the stand, there is a basic cable management system that allows the cables to be grouped in one place.
The connectivity consists of an HDMI 2.0 input, a DisplayPort 1.2, a USB-C port delivering 65 W, two USB 3.0 ports and a headphone output. There are also two USB 3.0 ports on edge, which is handy for connecting a storage device such as a USB stick or hard drive. It also has two 3W speakers, whose quality could be better but sufficient for watching short videos.
The USB-C port allows you to charge the laptop, use the two USB 2.0 ports on the back to connect a keyboard and mouse, and the two USB 3.0 ports on edge to send the video signal to the display. In short, a single cable is needed to turn the monitor into a docking station. The screen can then be used to clone the computer’s screen or to expand its display. The 65 W USB-C port can charge almost any laptop on the market. Only the most powerful computers, such as the MacBook Pro 14, 15 and 16 inches, whose original power supply delivers more than 85 watts, may be bothered. It works perfectly, and the built-in battery takes over during heavy loads.
To change settings, AOC opts for five buttons, a system far less practical than the clickable joystick found on many competitors… and even on some AOC monitors (such as the AOC Agon Pro AG274QXM, to name but one). The dated menus don’t help, and the interface is worthy of the 90s. In short, it could be more pleasant to change the settings on this monitor.
The AOC CU34P2C is quite comfortable on our 120 x 80 cm desk. The 27.5 cm depth of the stand is not disturbing on an 80 cm deep desk, but it will still take up a lot of space on a shallower desk. The Ultra Wide Quad HD definition of 3440 x 1440 px is still a pleasure to use, whether for office tasks with a comfortable workspace or in games where this definition remains in the excellent average for modern graphics cards. The resolution is still average at 110 pixels per inch but sufficient for a 60 cm distance. However, a powerful card is required to exploit this definition at a frequency of 100 Hz properly.
CONCLUSION
The AOC CU34P2C is a versatile monitor. With it, the owner of a USB-C laptop can work comfortably on a 34-inch UWQHD panel and enjoy gaming, thanks to the native frequency of 100 Hz and FreeSync compatibility. This monitor is also appreciated for its outstanding quality/performance/functionality/price ratio. It’s the excellent surprise of the 2022 season.
