ASUS ROG Strix XG349C 34″ 180Hz Ultrawide Curved IPS Gaming Monitor

If you’re buying this for one computer or rarely plan on using the KVM functionality, this is a great monitor. The color, brightness, and quality of the picture is great. The high refresh is cool, and gaming performance is awesome.

The HDR is a tad oversaturated at times, but far and away the biggest let down is the firmware on this screen – the UX for this monitor is absolute garbage. Like it’s a real dumpster fire…

To use the KVM, you need *13* button inputs to change your active device. Switching between devices is a complete pain. If you shut down one computer without first switching to the other computer on the kvm, the screen will cancel out your active menu interaction to put itself into sleep mode. If you let it put itself into sleep mode, you cannot switch the kvm input unless the other computer is displaying something. That doesn’t sound too bad unless you have a blank screensaver – which you can deactivate unless you have inputs… through the kvm – so you can see a vicious cycle start to develop here. My ability to change the kvm should not be determined by the current output status of either of the devices.

It’s also very annoying that you can’t bind inputs and kvm settings so that automatically when you switch to one input, the correlated kvm setting is applied.

They do have a half-baked option to help with the above complaints with their “favorites” config – however, these are hidden deep in another menu, and require remapping the hot toggles manually to actually switch to – which is also deep in yet another unrelated menu. The best part (read: worst part) is that the quick setting changes with the favorites option doesnt actually work to change the kvm. So, I’m stuck switching the kvm setting first with the thirteen button inputs, then powering down my second machine with the power button since I can’t click the shutdown button, and then hoping that everything has cut over properly with the kvm so that the monitor doesnt go to sleep and lock me out of changing the kvm settings again.

From a hardware design point of view, my only complaint is that the usb hub has only two ports – and one of them is on the ffaaaaaar left bottom of the monitor – which is pretty useless to me, since I don’t want a giant wire running under my monitor. I solved this by strapping another usb hub to the back of the screen and calling it a day.

Overall – it’s fine. Using it is a dream as long as your not interacting with the menus or doing anything with the firmware. It’s a great monitor that is let down by the sluggish and cumbersome firmware. I bought this in large part for the kvm (along with its other features) so I could switch between my work laptop and my gaming rig and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t let down for the price this thing runs you.

Was looking to get into the gaming monitor action with a high refresh monitor. I was having a hard time choosing between the various models at a sub $800 price point. I wanted a G-Sync Ultra but price eliminated those, so G-Sync Compatible was next choice. What sealed the deal for me was the color rating, the refresh rate (180Hz with 100Hz for HDMI), and the final push was the KVM. I installed this at my wife’s desk to replace a Dell U3417w so that she could use it for work and I’d game on the weekends. The KVM helped to reduce wires as she connects her work laptop via USB-C for key/mouse/video/USB.

It all works great and does what I need it to do with a few limitations or things that I notice:
1. The HDR settings look overly saturated — reds and oranges for sure. I’ve played with the Windows 10 slider and have it set far to the left to reduce HDR brightness. At the middle or right settings make it look really strong. The oranges remind me of the 2021 World Series when TBS broadcast an Astros game in HDR over their app and the orange of the astros looked insanely bright and saturated.
2. The KVM works — but you have to manually switch the USB control between USB-B and Type C each time. I guess it’s not that much worse than a manual KVM that you’d press a button or keystroke, but I have a dell with KVM built in and it auto switches with video signal. Again, not the end of the world, but something that wasn’t clear in the manual before hand. Would have been nice to know I had to do this manually.
3. Only two USB ports total. Again, I knew this going in, but feels like a limitation. At the $799 price point, would have been nice to have four. Again, my dell with KVM has at least four USB ports that work with the KVM.

The screen is high quality and the picture is nice. I have been gaming at 180Hz and enjoying it. Wasn’t as drastic a change as my friends hyped for me, but that could just be me.

If you are thinking about this monitor for its KVM and don’t need it for the high refresh, definitely look at a Dell monitor.

Also, one other issue, which is not the monitor’s fault — but my wife’s HP Z book over USB C has a really annoying issue. The screen goes black for a second or two when opening emails from Outlook (Pro Office) if the emails are launched and display on that monitor. So Strange. Happens in excel sometimes, but always when opening emails from outlook. Put outlook on the laptop screen and open them there and no black flashing screen. Again I attribute this to the laptop and it’s USB C port. Doesn’t happen when connected to the monitor over HDMI — but I bought this to be a KVM and the laptop is likely the weak point here.

Good luck.

Great monitor while it lasted. Was amazing for about two months, worked fine in the morning, was gone all day and return to the depicted crap.
Customer service was difficult, but much more atrocious this time, having to pull teeth just to get an RMA Number. Then they insist that this is user caused damage, clearly not showing any crack on the screen.
Repair is almost the same price as I bought it for. Yes, they gave me a discount, but the fact that they insist that some “mysterious entity” damaged it and ruined my warranty in the process seems a little far-fetched.
Well, maybe something needed two months to show, some damage that happened during transit or storage, but at the end of the day, I just got forked twice the monitor that is pretty decent, not really mind-blowing.
It’s just rather a shame for me, as I used to be a very loyal ASUS customer, recommending and purchasing their products for the past 15+ years throughout the entire clan. As they say, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice….there’s not going to be a second time.

PROS:
-The Monitor Specs are leading the market for ultrawide gaming monitors. This monitor is fast!
-Zero dead pixels and little to no backlight bleeding with brightness at 100%.
-IPS display and G-SYNC compatible are a must for me.
– 400 NITS is plenty bright for gaming with out HDR.
-Connectivity with DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI (v2.0), USB-C, USB 3.0 Hub
-The monitor stand itself is pretty nice. There are options to VESA mount 100×100 with included VESA mount spacers included.
-The ROG logo projected onto the desk was able to Sync with CORSAIR’s ICUE software using ASUS ARMOUR CRATE software.

CONS:
-The monitor enclosure feels like cheap and thin plastic.
-The monitor stand has a bezel made of the same cheap plastic in the shape of a ring made of two pieces that are difficult to install and may easily break while installing them (This feels like an engineering after thought.)

*UNDECIDED:
*DisplayHDR 400 (400NITS) certification is not bright enough for HDR gaming. (Is HDR gaming even a thing? If so, what gaming titles HDR?)

CONCLUSION:
I’m very satisfied with my XG349C monitor, my XG349C was not a lemon and is in great working condition. Understand your mileage may vary.

THOUGHTS:

I wall mounted my ASUS ROG Strix 34” Ultra-wide Gaming Monitor (XG349C) eliminated the use of the monitor stands bezel and was able to position the monitor future back from the seated position making the large 34″ ultrawide monitor more comfortable to use. I did try using the stand and found the monitor was too close for comfort on my desk (24″ Depth).

I am using this on both a work M1 Pro Macbook Pro and a gaming desktop. For gaming, it is a solid performer and has a robust feature set. There are problems with using it on a Mac (it keeps automatically turning on adaptive sync, and causing black screens and flickering when it does so. Plus It maxes out at 60Hz on USB-C on the Mac.

The cable area is a nightmare, especially once the monitor is on a desk. The connections are vertical in a relatively tight recessed area and high-quality DisplayPort cables aren’t very flexible right next to their connectors, so it takes a lot of fumbling to get it together. Once together, hope you don’t have to change anything.

The big oversight is with the KVM functionality. To switch between a USB-C laptop and a DisplayPort+USB-A desktop, there are FIVE steps.

1: Bring up the Input menu
2: Select “DisplayPort” as the source
3: Bring up the standard menu
4: Select KVM Options
5: Choose USB-A as KVM

This should be ONE button. Other competitors (Gigabyte, for example) allow users to switch display AND keyboard/mouse functionality with a single dedicated button. This should have firmware that allows a user to pair DisplayPort (or HDMI) + USB-A to a single source and USB-C as a second, then one-click switch between them. The menu says it switches KVM (Keyboard/VIDEO/mouse) but it only switches USB input.

Finally – USB type C power delivery is weak at 18 watts. That’ll charge phones (why would you hook this to a phone?) or very basic tablets, but even the recent iPad Air is bundled with a 20W charger (though runs faster at 30W) and any laptop will require more. A basic USB type C monitor should start at 65W, and a high-end model should offer up to 96W.

If all you want is a single-input DisplayPort curved ultrawide monitor, this is a solid choice. However, they market this with some bells and whistles and poorly deliver on those.

** UPDATE ** Dropping to two stars: the firmware is drastically scaled back from other models. I tried to use this to play Switch over HDMI while I am at my desk, and there is literally no way to force 16:9 aspect ratio input to 1:1 display on this monitor. It will always be stretched. If your input device doesn’t support ultrawide, this will not work for you.

Pros: So far everything has been to expectations.
Very bright if used without ELMB.
I had no dead pixels and was a relief to get a fully working product.
Menu is simple enough and typical to monitors I’ve used.
Has enough features that I feel is great for my future projects I could use with the monitor.
The IPS Panel feels and looks great so far and 180hz OC is a great option.
RGB stuff if that is your thing
Feels high quality, metal stand and no tools needed screws, Also comes with every cable you should need if you are wondering.

Cons: ELMB does lower the brightness so it is up to your discretion.
I wish the stand could go higher by 1 or 2 inches.
This seem to be part of the newer models of ASUS monitors so not many reviews are out there for the consumer, it is a buy at your own risk.
I feel KVM should be easier to use, but it is there.
USB ports is lacking, 1 is not enough I wish it was at least 2.

Overall Review: IPS monitor 21:9 144hz(180hz OC) 1440p are not cheap in general and as my first ultrawide I feel satisfied so far. These specs are the ones I wanted and this was it, everything else was to low or to high, both on specs and price. Good buy if everything works and these specs are what you looking for.

This monitor is absolutely amazing!!! I looked thoroughly through reviews of many ultrawides and pulled the trigger. Got it used for like 100$ cheaper and in great condition. Colors are vibrant as hell and image clarity is perfect. Makes the graphics in game look crispier than my previous monitor odyssey g7 32 in. Although that was VA and this is IPS I will say contrast is lacking but to be expected and tbh I was regretting getting IPS and almost changed for a VA ultrawide but take some time and let your eyes get used to it and you will appreciate it for what it is trust me! This monitor is exceptional I’d say!

Pros: Great looking screen, at a nice (just sub) 4K resolution of 3440 x 1440
Gentle curve, does what a curve it supposed to do, without being distracting
Just the perfect size: More width than a 32″ 16:9 (sub 4K) and not ridiculous in size like a 43″ 16:9
Again, the perfect compromise: Not 4K, so I can everything at the highest options on my RTX 3080

Cons: Would have liked, for the perfect *business* desktop (gamers probably don’t care):
* 90W USB-C PowerDelivery or even Thunderbolt (I think this only has 18W)
* RJ-45 with ethernet passthru
* More ports (only two USB ports?)

Overall Review: A great all around monitor, both gaming and business. 3440 x 1440 IPS, 1ms and 144Hz & Gsync? What’s not to love?!?!

After 3 months of ownership, the screen began having incredibly bad image retention issues. If my desktop would remain static for just 10 to 15 minutes, my desktop and its icons would be visible when I opened other applications. I also was experiencing the display resetting or changing the color profile when it would boot up. This would lead to the colors and contrast drastically changing each time the monitor turned on.

During the 3 months that it was working, the display looked exceptional and on par with most LG IPS panels. Nice vivid colors, good contrast and blacks with little light bleed. I was impressed by the stand and overall design aesthetic and was very disappointed when it started to exhibit these major issues so early into ownership.

This display does have a 3 year warranty, and I knew that buying this as the current landscape of ultrawide monitors seems to be ridden with lemons and only 1 year warranties. Right now the monitor is with ASUS repair and I hope they can return a product that lives up the expectations of their brand.

At this moment, I cannot recommend buying this product. Even if I do receive my monitor back in working order, I do not have the confidence it will work for years to come.

I am moving from a 27″ Asus non gaming monitor at 60 Hz. This monitor readily connected at 144 Hz at 3440 x 1440 resolution. Playing Apex Legends maxed out on a 3090 is really smooth. I love this monitor. If you invested a good amount in a higher end video card, you need this monitor.

G-Sync worked out of the box.

Regarding the 180 Hz you can enable it in the monitor menu by setting the ‘overclock’. I like the 144 Hz setting better as the brightness seems to be better and I did not notice any difference in the smoothness. Some things like banners were missing in Apex Legends which others had complained about as well.

I did not try the KVM option yet.