For Black Friday, I finally found and bought one of the best non-OLED PC gaming monitors

For almost 10 years, I have had an MSI 32 inch QHD VA screen. I was satisfied with this screen, but I must admit that 2 years ago and the purchase of a Samsung Mini-LED QN90B TV, the difference in image quality between this screen and my TV has become obvious. It's quite simple: playing Diablo 4 or any other game on this TV does not at all give the same result as on the screen. On the TV, the colors are vibrant and the HDR really pops thanks to peaks of 2000 nits of brightness.

So several months ago, I went looking for a new screen. After watching a lot of reviews on YouTube, after ingesting dozens of tests on sites like Rtings, and after examining all the screens sent by manufacturers to the editorial team for testing, one conclusion is obvious: OLED monitors have the best image quality. Yes but here it is, I don't want an OLED monitor.

See the 34″ 170 Hz QD-MiniLED PC screen at -30% at Darty

No, I don't want an OLED monitor

I remain cautious about burn-in on PC screens, especially those which are not only dedicated to video games but which also have to carry out office tasks. Burn-in, or “marking,” is a problem that can affect OLED displays. It occurs when static images remain displayed for long periods of time, resulting in uneven pixel degradation. This degradation leaves permanent marks or “ghost images” visible on the screen, even when it displays different content. This phenomenon is particularly problematic for users who often leave elements fixed on the screen, such as the Windows taskbar.

Certainly, OLED panel manufacturers now include mechanisms to protect screens from this problem. So my fear may be unwarranted, but I want to be able to sleep peacefully and not worry about leaving Windows windows up for hours. Today, I could easily buy an OLED TV if it was intended for games and films, but on a PC screen also intended for office automation, I don't want to take that risk.

My quest for the ideal “non-OLED” gaming screen

My quest was long, to say the least. It must be said that I have very specific requirements. Already, I wanted a 34-inch screen in 21:9 format in 3440×1440. Why this? To enjoy games in ultra-wide format, a format particularly suitable for example for Star Citizen. There are a few non-OLED displays in this format, but most are “just” good entry-level or mid-range displays. I wanted a slightly higher quality and preferably Mini-LED since I am quite convinced by this technology since I have been using it on my TV for 2 years.

Certainly, compared to OLED, Mini-LED has the disadvantage of sometimes having a “blooming” effect. It manifests itself as a slight halo around very bright objects displayed on a dark background. This phenomenon is due to the dispersion of light from the miniature LEDs which backlight the screen. Although mini-LEDs allow more precise and localized control of lighting compared to traditional LEDs, there may still be some light spillage to adjacent dark areas.

On my TV this happens when there is white text on a black background like on certain film credits or certain subtitles. But for me, it's not very bothersome on a daily basis. Manufacturers strive to minimize this phenomenon by increasing the number of local dimming zones, so when buying a TV or Mini-LED screen you must ensure that you have as many zones as possible. This information is often quite difficult to find because manufacturers do not necessarily highlight this information.

The screen I chose: the new TCL 34R83Q

After much research, my choice fell on the TCL 34R83Q, released in 2024. This HDR monitor, intended for gamers, has a technical sheet which, for my office-gaming use (and more particularly space simulation, hack'n slash , MMO), seems ideal:

• Screen technology: QD-Mini LED 1152 local dimming zones
• Screen size: 34 inches
• Resolution: WQHD (3440 x 1440)
• Refresh rate: 170Hz
• Response time: 1ms
• Curved 1500R
• VRR, FreeSync Premium, G-Sync Compatible
• VESA Display HDR 1400 and Pantone Validated certified image
• Connection USB Type C, HDMI 2.1, Display Port 1.4 with 3 cables included

Only problem: its recommended price of €999 is as high as its technical sheet and positions it against OLED competitors such as the 34-inch Alienware or the 34-inch Samsung Odyssey G8 from Samsung. At that price, I wasn't really interested in it. For me, Mini-LED to be competitive must be at a lower price than OLED.

Luckily the offer I saw on Darty today allowed me to take the plunge: for €699, the proposition is much more reasonable and will therefore allow me to say goodbye to my good old MSI screen that is almost 10 years old.