Build Your Own PC: ViewSonic XG350R-C and XG240R Monitors
If you're looking for a new gaming PC monitor and get anything but a ViewSonic monitor, you're settling for less. Here are our thoughts on the XG350R-C and XG240R.
This is Part 11 of our PC Building series.
It’s sometimes easy to overlook monitors when you’re building a PC. When you’re picturing the PC you’ve always wanted, you’re probably thinking about a glowing tower powered by the best GPU and CPU on the market. So much time, effort, and, yes, money goes into the tower that it’s only natural that you might not even consider what kind of monitor you want until the rest of your gaming setup is done.
However, you’re never going to get the most out of your PC tower’s components if you don’t purchase the right monitor. Besides, buying new monitors is one of the most enjoyable parts of the PC building process.
The right monitor makes you feel like you did when you were a kid and saw your first big-screen TV. Playing on a 4K monitor for the first time is quite literally an eye-opening experience.
Of course, modern monitors are about so much more than size. Only the best monitors offer the kind of visual clarity that you purchased high-end PC components for in the first place. Only the best monitors allow you to truly appreciate why many believe that the next significant advancements in gaming technology have little to do with raw power and much more to do with visual clarity and the gameplay finesse that such clarity offers.
When it was time to find the best monitors for Den of Geek’s new gaming PC, we turned to ViewSonic. It certainly didn’t hurt that ViewSonic is one of the most trusted and reliable monitor manufacturers in the world, but let’s be honest here. Trusted and reliable are nice qualities, but when you’re setting out to build a new PC, what you really want is excitement.
That being the case, let’s take a look at the ViewSonic XG350R-C and XG240R in order to better understand why they’re not just great investments but why they should excite you as much as any other part of your PC.
ViewSonic XG350R-C
There are many monitors out there that help ensure that games look like they’re supposed to. However, only monitors like the ViewSonic XG350R-C ensure that games play like they’re supposed to.
With its stunning 100Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync technology, the XG350R-C removes nearly all instances of screen tearing and image stuttering that can ruin the most high-end gaming experiences. If you’ve ever had your immersion in a game broken because your monitor couldn’t process images as fast as you can, technology like this proves that this shouldn’t be an issue you have to deal with.
The XG350R-C also benefits from revolutionary ClearMotion technology that improves visual clarity regardless of how many frames per second you’re pushing for. With so many competitive games out there that demand your ability to master millisecond reaction times, you can’t afford to settle for a monitor that can’t keep up with your speed.
Of course, we also have to talk about this monitor’s 35″ curved display and glorious 3440 x 1440 resolution. Curved displays are designed to adjust the way that lights and other visual projections are perceived by your eyes. Not only are they more comfortable to look at, but they allow you to take in more of a sweeping open-world or landscape without having to move your eyes at all.
While some manufacturers use curved designs to make a monitor feel larger than it really is, the ViewSonic’s 35 inches of screen real estate means you not only get a monitor that allows you to take in more but a monitor that can show you more than you ever thought possible. Whether you’re streaming, gaming, or just trying to multitask, a monitor like this makes you rethink your expectations for visual quality one glorious viewing experience at a time.
To be honest, we’d recommend upgrading to this monitor even if you don’t choose to upgrade any other part of your PC. It’s just that kind of a game-changing accessory that will change the way you play.
ViewSonic XG240R
No matter how big your primary monitor is, it just makes sense to have a second monitor when it comes to the proper gaming setup. After all, in the age of live streaming, how else are you going to play a game while also managing OBS? A dual monitor setup makes that process so much easier.
Yet, it’s a testament to the power of the ViewSonic XG240R that it’s so much more than just another monitor in your setup. In fact, the XG240R features many of the qualities that we look for in a primary monitor.
The XG240R features a shocking 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time that immediately sets it apart from the competition. For gamers who simply want a monitor that will not only offer them enhanced visual clarity but a level of performance that ensures they never have to question whether they were killed by another player or if it was lag, those are the kinds of metrics that you’re looking for.
It’s true that the XG240R may not feature the XG350R-C’s curved design, resolution, or size, but it’s important to understand that the nature of the modern monitor market means those differences are not necessarily a strict downgrade.
Indeed, 1920 x 1080 monitors like this not only often offer better refresh rates, response times, and pixel density, but they demand fewer resources from your GPU. That means that the XG240R monitor uses fewer resources in order to offer the kind of silky smooth gameplay and immediate visual clarity you expect from your gaming rig.
A large, clear, and fast monitor like the XG350R-C will always be a thing of beauty, but monitors like the XG240R prove that we no longer live in the age of big-screen TVs where size alone is king. Monitors today are all about fidelity, clarity, response time, and features. The XG240R emphasizes all of those qualities like no other monitor in its class. You can even align it vertically for work or play.
Monitors like the ViewSonic XG350R-C and XG240R are more than the cherry on top of your new build. The visuals they offer are the reason you decided to build a new PC in the first place. We highly recommend checking them out on the ViewSonic store page in order to immediately upgrade your PC experience.
To read the complete PC Building series, click the links below:
Written by
Matthew Byrd is Games Editor at Den of Geek and an entertainment enthusiast living in Brooklyn. When he's not exploring the culture of video games, he's…