If you're in the market for a monitor, then you'll need to choose between a curved or flat display. While this decision comes down to personal preference, curved monitors offer some crucial benefits over flat ones. 

A curved monitor wraps into your field of view, allowing you to see more at the same focal distance as a flat-screen. This reduces eye strain and provides a more immersive, distortion-free viewing experience. Curved monitors are also great for gaming, especially those with fast response times and high refresh rates.

Whether for gaming, browsing the web or being productive at work, these are the best curved monitors.

Credit: Acer

(Image credit: Acer)

Acer Predator X34

Specifications

Screen Size: 34 inches
Resolution: 3440 x 1440
Refresh Rate: 60Hz (overclocked to 100Hz)
Response Time: 43ms
Ports: DisplayPort, HDMI, four USB, headphone
Brightness: 251 nits
sRGB Gamut: 98.9 percent

Reasons to buy

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Best curved monitor overall

Packed with all the goodies a gamer could ever ask for, the Acer Predator X34 is currently the best curved monitor on the market. It all starts with a 34-inch, 3340 x 1440-resolution display, which provides an exceptionally immersive viewing experience, thanks to its high maximum brightness and vivid colors.

Gamers will love all the technology Acer brings to the table with the Predator. Not only does the curved monitor support Nvidia's G-Sync technology for eliminating screen tears, but it also has fast response times and overclocking to 100Hz refresh rate. The Predator wears its gaming aesthetic well, flaunting an aggressive stance and bottom-facing LED lights.

Credit: MSI

(Image credit: MSI)

MSI Optix MPG27CQ

Specifications

Screen Size: 27 inches
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
Response Time: 1ms
Ports: Two HDMI, DisplayPort, two USB 3.0, headphone
Brightness: 288.6 nits
sRGB Gamut: 140 percent

Reasons to buy

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Best budget

Curved monitors typically cost more than their flat counterparts, but that doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune on one. The MSI Optix MPG27CQ is a gaming monitor with a curved 27-inch, 2560 x 1440-resolution display and a 144Hz refresh rate for a great price

Covering 140 percent of the sRGB color gamut and peaking at 288.6 nits, this reasonably priced monitor produces a bright and vivid picture. And with fast refresh rates and a 1ms response time, your games will run smoothly, even when you're frantically building a towering structure at the end of a Fortnite round.

Samsung CHG70

Specifications

Screen Size: 32 inches
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
Response Time: 1ms
Ports: Two HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 3.0, headphone
Brightness: 364.8 nits
sRGB Gamut: 154.1 percent

Reasons to buy

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Best with HDR

Samsung has rightfully earned praise for the gorgeous displays on its smartphones and TVs. With the CHG70, the Korean giant used that expertise to create a compelling curved monitor for gaming and productivity.

The highlight of the CHG70 is support for HDR, a technique found on high-end TVs that's used to produce a wider range of colors. Combine HDR with Samsung's QLED technology, and it's no wonder the CHG70's 32-inch panel is so vivid (154.1 percent of the sRGB color gamut). And with a resolution of 2560 x 1440, the CHG70 presents content in exceptional detail.

Alienware AW3418DW

Specifications

Screen Size: 34 inches
Resolution: 3440 x 1440
Refresh Rate: 100Hz (overclocked to 120Hz)
Response Time: 4ms
Ports: HDMI, DisplayPort, four USB 3.0, USB 3.0 Type-B, headphone
Brightness: 270 nits
sRGB Gamut: 127.2 percent

Reasons to buy

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Best with G-Sync

The Alienware AW3418DW is the perfect companion to the company's excellent PCs. The monitor's mesmerizing 34-inch, 3400 x 1440-resolution display is sharp and vibrant, and comes with Nvidia G-Sync technology. But the panel isn't the only thing on this Alienware monitor that will catch your eye.

The AW3418DW has a striking design with sharp angles and gamer lighting to brighten your room. Speaking of gaming, the Alienware 34 has a 120Hz (overclocked) refresh rate and 4ms response time to ensure buttery-smooth gameplay, while special features like a Dark Stabilizer, frame-rate counter and timer will help you defeat the competition.

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. Previously, he was a Senior Writer at Tom's Guide and has also been a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.