iiyama G-Master 45″ Ultra-Wide 165Hz Curved VA Monitor Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The iiyama G-Master 45″ Ultra-Wide Quad HD 165Hz Adaptive Sync Curved VA Monitor (GCB4580DQSN-B1), available at Scan UK for just £799.99, making it one of the most affordable monitors in its respective class. It offers an incredible 45-inch super-ultra-wide display with Quad HD resolution (5120×1440), a 165Hz refresh rate with Adaptive-Sync technology, a curved VA panel for enhanced immersion, and HDR support, meaning you get a lot of features for your investment.

Overview

The iiyama G-Master 45″ Ultra-Wide Quad HD 165Hz Adaptive Sync Curved VA Monitor is a surprisingly fantastic monitor, and it has two things going for it more than anything else. Firstly, it’s absolutely freaking massive, and when it comes to simply wanting more screen and more pixels, there aren’t many panels out there that top 45″ Super-Ultra-Wide with a 5K2K resolution. Secondly, the price, while there are arguably better monitors out there, be that with higher colour reproduction, OLED panel tech, faster refresh rates or simply even bigger panels, at this price range, there’s not a lot of competition. Even the similar model from LG is £200 more, and while that has a 200Hz refresh rate, I’d be damned if I could tell the difference between 165Hz and 200Hz while I was actually playing some games.

VA panels can sometimes suffer from black smear, but with a sub 1ms response time and a range of overdrive features, I’ve simply not found that problem to be present on this panel. It’s fast, it doesn’t suffer from ghosting, and the 165Hz refresh rate with adaptive sync means you can play with V-Sync off, enjoy low-latency response times and a silky smooth image, making it well suited to fast-paced games such as online shooters, racing games, and anything else that support ultra-high-refresh-rates.

There are pros and cons to such a big panel though, with the obvious one being that it’s huge, so you do need a big desk. However, if you’re already running a pair of 16:9 1440p monitors in portrait mode, this is basically the same size, but without that pesky bezel in the middle. £800 is a lot of money too, this may be one of the cheapest monitors of this size and spec, but I’m no fool to think that’s anything close to “cheap”, and you can get three iiyama G-Master 27″ 165Hz (G2770QSU-B1) monitors for under £600, but of course, the experience of one single unbroken screen is many times a better experience than a bunch of smaller screens dotted around your desktop.

Should I Buy One?

For immersion and productivity, you simply cant beat the benefits of having a bigger panel, a higher resolution, and a high refresh rate, it’s sure to put a smile on your face. From being able to see significantly more of my base while playing Factorio (or more of my farm playing Stardew Valley), having greater peripheral vision in Apex, Fortnite, Battlefield, or any other shooter, or getting immersed in the stunning vistas of games like Horizon Forbidden West, it really makes gaming feel like a next-generation experience. Of course, when it comes to work, having more visibility of your video editing time line, multiple windows open side by side, and not having to tab out to other projects is a huge benefit.