Iiyama  - Iiyama ProLite XUB3490WQSU

Iiyama

Iiyama ProLite XUB3490WQSU: a versatile screen

Aprox. 493€

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Iiyama gives in to the panoramic format sirens and markets its first 34: 21: 9 monitor. Make way for the - hang on - ProLite XUB3490WQSU test.

Positive points

Comfortable definition for office automation.

Excellent ergonomics.

Connectivity.

Finish.

Display delay.

Responsiveness for an IPS panel.

Viewing angles.

Bad points

Limited contrast.

Rendered by default.

Our review

Presentation

The Iiyama ProLite XUB3490WQSU has a 34 inch IPS panel with a comfortable definition of 3440 x 1440 px, but no G-Sync module from Nvidia or FreeSync from AMD. In addition, the refresh rate is conventionally limited to 60 Hz. Iiyama does not target "big" players and offers a monitor that wants to be versatile and that focuses on its ergonomics and connections.

This monitor is sold for around € 700 and competes with the Philips BDM3470UP and the AOC U3477PQU as well as the Dell UltraSharp U3415W and the LG 34UC98, even if the latter two are curved. In the panoramic monitor segment, we also find the Acer Predator X34 and the excellent Asus ROG Swift PG348Q, which are aimed at players thanks to G-Sync compatibility and a refresh rate of 100 Hz.


Presentation

Ergonomics

The Iiyama XUB3490WQSU incorporates the typical design of the brand recognizable by its characteristic base and a slightly grainy, matt black plastic of good quality which generally ages well. There are still small changes: the edge of the screen is covered with a glossy black plastic and the coating of the screen is semi-gloss. Fortunately, from the front, the rendering is very close to a mat screen and it is only from 45 ° that the reflections really become visible.

The foot is adjustable in height by 13 cm and in inclination between -4 ° and + 20 °. The slab also switches to portrait mode (pivot) and the stand is rotatable ± 45 °. The kinematics of the screen are fluid and changes to the ergonomic settings are done without noise. However, it is not possible to put the monitor flat in portrait mode. The stand does not rise high enough and the monitor is tilted 20 ° upwards.

The back of the monitor is very classic. There is a connector oriented downwards and a foot with a passage that allows better positioning of the different cables.

The connection consists of three HDMI inputs, one of which is HDMI 2.0 compatible and one MHL compatible, a DisplayPort input, a headphone output and an analog audio input. The screen also has two 3-watt speakers, the quality of which is, as often, very average. They are just enough to restore voices and will only be used for troubleshooting or for system sounds, but they are not suitable for listening to music, watching a movie or even playing.

The monitor also has a USB hub located on the edge. It consists of four USB ports including two USB 3.0 (one of them offers fast charging).

The five buttons on the bottom edge allow you to turn on the monitor and access the various shortcuts. The settings are quite numerous (brightness, contrast, temperature, gamma, overdrive, source, position of the OSD, etc.). Navigation is not necessarily practical and it is not uncommon to have the wrong button or accidentally turn off the screen.

By lowering the brightness to 60 to obtain a white at 150 cd / m², the Iiyama XUB3490WQSU consumes 40 watts, a relative consumption which reaches 96 W / m², slightly lower than the average of the monitors tested (100 W / m²).


Ergonomics

Colors and contrast

Default: average gray temperature: 5,550 K

Default: gamma curve at 1.8

Default: Delta E average at 5.8

With its factory settings, the Iiyama ProLite XUB3490WQSU monitor does not do prowess. The gamma and temperature curves are fairly stable, but the default rendering is far from that expected. The average gamma (measured at 1.8) is very far from the expected 2.2 and the whole spectrum is logically overexposed. The temperature (5,550 K) results in a rendering that is too hot, far from 6,500 K. The colors are not flattering with a delta E - difference between the colors requested and the colors displayed - measured at 5.8; as a reminder, the eye no longer makes the difference below a delta E of 3.

Manual adjustment: average gray temperature: 6.340 K

Manual adjustment: gamma curve at 2.1

Manual setting: Delta E medium at 3.1

Fortunately, a quick twist in the settings allows you to quickly correct the shot. We first lowered the brightness to 60 to obtain a white close to 150 cd / m². We then set the temperature to cold to approach the reference value (6,500 K) and then the gamma to 3 to tend towards 2.2. These manual adjustments are very conclusive and the temperature rises to 6,340 K and the average gamma to 2.1. The curves are not perfectly stable, but the differences are contained. The color fidelity is greatly improved (Delta E at 3.1), but the reds, greens and yellows still drift a little too much.

Calibrated: average gray temperature: 6,950 K

Calibrated: gamma curve at 2.2

Calibrated: Average Delta E at 2.1

The calibration of the monitor allows - as often - to stabilize the temperature and gamma curves. The average gamma is perfect (2.2) while the temperature rises to 6950 K. The colorimetric rendering still improves a little, but even with an average Delta E at 2.1, the colors green, red and yellow are a bit far from the reference values. This color profile is available on Focus Numérique.

The 34-inch AH-IPS panel chosen by Iiyama offers very low contrast (800: 1) for this type of technology. The best IPS displays can achieve a contrast of 1300: 1. The other 34-inch desktop-oriented screens offer a similar contrast that does not exceed 1000: 1 for the best of them (AOC U34770QU). In all cases, this remains very far from the contrast offered by VA panels, whose best representatives (Eizo Fortis FG2421 and BenQ BL2410PT) exceed 3000: 1. This lack of contrast is not a problem for office tasks, but it can be disabling when watching films, especially in the dark where the bands appear gray.

The average difference in lighting uniformity is only 8% across the entire panel, which is excellent for a 34-inch screen. We found slight light leaks in the corners, but no clouding on our test model. There is however no problem of viewing angles with IPS technology and only reflections can be annoying when the screen is viewed from the side.


Colors and contrast

Reactivity

The Iiyama XUB3490WQSU does not use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to adjust the brightness. It therefore does not flicker and does not cause headaches for those who are sensitive to it. This feature is called Flicker Free. Iiyama also offers a blue light filter.

The good surprise comes from the reactivity of this screen. We measured the afterglow time to only 9.5 ms with the overdrive set to -1. This value makes it possible to limit ghosting even if we still note the appearance of a slight phenomenon of reverse ghosting (a negative trail appears behind a moving object). This monitor does as well as models dedicated to games like the Asus PG348 and the Acer Predator X34, but the Iiyama monitor is limited to a frequency of 60 Hz. Finally, we measured the delay in the display (input lag) at 10.3 ms. There is thus no offset between the source and the display on the monitor.


Reactivity

Conclusion

The Iiyama XUB3490WQSU is a versatile monitor, as good in office as in games, thanks to good responsiveness and an imperceptible delay in display. Certainly it is not compatible with FreeSync or G-Sync, but it is a good alternative to classic game monitors by offering better immersion for a low price. It is clearly a choice to consider.


Conclusion

Specifications