The Iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 is a 34-inch UWQHD (3440 x 1440 px) widescreen monitor that’s a bit special because it’s designed for both video games with its 120Hz VA panel and office tasks with its 65W USB-C port and keyboard-mouse switch, which is perfect for juggling between two machines. It remains to be seen whether the quality could be better.
Pros
- Image quality
- High native contrast
- Good resolution
- 120 Hz frequency
- Low power consumption
- 65 W USB-C port
Cons
- No black image insertion system (ULMB, ELMB, etc.).
Overview
The Iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 is a 34-inch widescreen monitor with a 3440 x 1440 px resolution. The matte VA panel, curved over a radius of 1.5 metres (1500R), supports a native frequency of 120 Hz and has a maximum advertised brightness of 300 cd/m², a contrast ratio of 3000:1, viewing angles of 178° and a response time of 1 ms. It stands out from the competition thanks to its USB-C port delivering 65W and the integration of a keyboard/mouse switch (KVM), which allows you to quickly switch from one machine to another without changing the keyboard/mouse. The ergonomics are also well thought out, as are the connections.
The Iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 is priced at around €500 and competes directly with the 34-inch Huawei MateView GT with its 165Hz VA panel, but a USB-C port limited to 15W and the absence of a keyboard/mouse switch and USB hub.
Ergonomics
The design of the Iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 is very classic. It is dressed in black with the familiar grainy black plastic.
The stand is relatively compact to support a 34″ monitor. It measures only 24 x 29.5 cm and allows the monitor to be rotated 45° to the left or right.
This monitor offers a height adjustment of 15 cm and a tilt adjustment of -5° to +23°. Finally, while the XCB3494WQSN-B1 swivels to portrait orientation, it only transports the monitor. The stand is not high enough to allow the widescreen panel to rotate without bumping into the desk.
The rear of the chassis is made entirely of good quality, matt black plastic. The connections are oriented downwards. Once the stand is removed, the monitor is compatible with VESA 100 x 100 mm mounts. A reasonably basic cable channel is at the base of the arm to group all the wires.
The connectivity consists of an HDMI input, a DisplayPort, a USB-C port capable of delivering 65W, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a hub with 3 USB 3.0 ports and a headphone output. The display also has two 2W speakers, which are far from exceptional, but still help with system sounds and short videos. The USB-C to USB-C cable supplied with the monitor allows you to charge a laptop, use the USB 3.0 ports to connect a keyboard and mouse, for example, and send the video signal to the display. In short, a single cable is needed to turn the monitor into a docking station. The USB-C port can supply 65 W and can be used to charge almost any laptop on the market. Only people using powerful computers like the 14/16-inch MacBook Pro, whose original power supply delivers 96 watts or more, will be bothered. This works perfectly, and the power supply is only used to its full capacity during heavy loads. In the case of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, for example, the battery takes over if the power demand is too high.
The clickable joystick is still the most pleasant way to navigate the settings. Pressing the button displays the menu. Then move the cursor to the right to validate the choices and to the left to go back. Changing modes (presets) and access settings (brightness, contrast, sharpness, overdrive, temperature, etc.) is possible. The menus are easy to read, and navigation is fast. The other four buttons provide quick access to source changes, volume control and power up the monitor.
Colour and contrast
Right out of the box, the iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 monitor displays a near-perfect picture. The gamma and temperature curves are perfectly stable across the spectrum with averages very close to the reference values, respectively 2.1 for gamma with a target value of 2.2 and 6650 K for colour temperature with a desired value of 6500 K. With an average Delta E of 1.8, the colours can be considered perfectly faithful to those sent by the computer. Only three colours exceed a Delta E of 3, red, blue and yellow.
The image quality remains identical by lowering the brightness to 13 to obtain a white close to 150 cd/m². The colour fidelity is slightly worse (Delta E at 1.9), but the temperature is more accurate (6610 K). The monitor’s calibration with a colour probe does not improve the rendering.
The VA panel provides an excellent native contrast of 3810:1. The black, measured at 0.04 cd/m², is very deep and allows full enjoyment of all content, even in a darkened room. This monitor is still slightly behind the best VA monitors with a contrast ratio of over 4000:1, such as the Huawei MateView GT 34 and the AOC Q27G2E, with a contrast ratio of over 4000:1.
Responsiveness
The Iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 doesn’t use PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to adjust brightness, so it’s flicker-free and won’t cause headaches for those sensitive to flicker. Iiyama also offers a blue light reduction mode in software via the OSD.
This monitor supports FreeSync (and, by extension G-Sync) between 48 and 120 Hz and works best when the graphics card sends between 48 and 120 frames per second. To get the most out of this monitor, you need a powerful graphics card, especially one that can display 120 frames per second at the native resolution of 3440 x 1400 px. A graphics card such as the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or the GeForce RTX 3070 seems to be a minimum. You can even opt for something more powerful for the most demanding games. In any case, the image is smooth and does not suffer from tearing or micro-stuttering.
Conclusion
The Iiyama Prolite XCB3494WQSN-B1 is an excellent all-around monitor. Thanks to its perfect calibration right out of the box, it is ideal for all everyday tasks, especially for workers needing accurate colours. On the other hand, the 120Hz panel is responsive enough to make it a good gaming companion, not necessarily for competition, but it should satisfy many gamers. Finally, the presence of a USB-C port delivering 65W and a keyboard/mouse switch (KVM) makes it easy to switch from a laptop to a desktop PC while keeping the same keyboard/mouse combo, making it easy to juggle work and play.
iiyama XUB3494WQSN-B1 34" Curved 1500R VA LCD, 120Hz, USB-C Dock Display, 65W Charging, 1ms, 21:9 Ultra Wide 3440 x 1440, 350 cd/m² Brightness, RJ45, 1x HDMI,1 x DisplayPort, 1 x USB-C
Price History
Statistics
| Current Price | - | |
| Highest Price | £819.00 | December 22, 2023 |
| Lowest Price | £49.99 | February 7, 2024 |
Last price changes
| £380.20 | March 9, 2024 |
| £49.99 | February 7, 2024 |
| £349.99 | January 31, 2024 |
| £790.00 | December 25, 2023 |
| £819.00 | December 22, 2023 |
