Philips is launching a 100 Hz, 34-inch HDR monitor at a surprisingly good price

It's a shame Philips does not pay more attention to the gaming monitor segment, because it would probably do well in that category. I say this because its new 34-inch curved 364P1CRH monitor offers some compelling features for the price.

The 364P1CRH is mostly geared towards the productivity crowd with amenities like a built-in USB-C docking station and a pop-up webcam with Windows Hello support. But gaming isn't being completely overlooked.

"Gaming shouldn't be a choice between choppy gameplay or broken frames. Get fluid, artifact-free performance at virtually any framerate with adaptive sync technology, smooth quick refresh, and ultra-fast response time," Philips says.

Panel type: VA
Panel size: 34 inches
Resolution: 3440x1440
Aspect ratio: 21:9
Refresh rate: 100Hz
Response time: 4ms GtG
Brightness: 500 nits
Contrast ratio: 3,000:1 (typical), 80,000,000:1 (dynamic)
Color gamut: 98 percent NTSC, 120 percent sRGB, 90 percent DCI-P3
HDR: DisplayHDR 400 certified

It's a well-balanced display, in terms of the overall features and specifications. For gaming, it's nice to see the refresh rate push past 60Hz. It's not quite on par with a 144Hz or 240Hz display, but 100Hz is enough to make this one interesting.

Also of note is the wide color gamut. This is an advantage of IPS and VA screens in general, compared to less expensive TN displays. While I'd have to see this in person to truly know how well it performs, the numbers suggest that color accuracy will likely be a high point (though color gamut and accuracy don't always go hand-in-hand).

Philips says the 346P1CRH will be available this month for £499 in the UK. There's no word on when it will land in the US or at what price. Looking at Newegg, the majority of 34-inch 1440p monitors sell for north of $600, with several models going for $700 and up.

There are some exceptions. Nixeus has a model with a 144Hz refresh rate that is on sale for $549.99 (down from $599.99). There are a few other cheaper models as well, though none that go higher than 60Hz.

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).