This Year’s Cooler Master GM34-CWQ2 Display Might Not Be Better Than Last Year’s
You Take The Good, You Take The Bad
Cooler Master refreshed their 34″ quantum dot display this year, with the new GM34-CWQ2 display. The display is still a 3440×1440 VA quantum dot display, with the refresh rate increased from 144Hz to 180Hz and more overdrive modes, including a manual one, which you can use to get the most out of the display. CM removed the ARGB lighting system in the base, which TechPowerUp weren’t particularly fond of to begin with. The KVM functionality also remains, and while it does support 65 W charging as well as display over UCB-C, there isn’t a USB-C cable included though you do get DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-B for the KVM and three power cords to ensure you can power it in a number of different countries.
The performance is a bit mixed however, on the plus side Cooler Master halved the input lag of the GM34-CWQ2 compared to last year’s model however the colour profiles it ships with are not as accurate. When they calibrated the display that improved significantly, except for the static contrast ratio which remained inferior to the previous model. They also were not in love with the glossy bottom frame, but that is certainly a matter of personal taste and not necessarily a bad change.
The Cooler Master GM34-CWQ2 is the successor to an excellent 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor. It brings a boost in panel refresh rate and comes equipped with an integrated KVM switch, but it's not as straightforward of an upgrade as it initially appears.
