Extra large budget-friendly monitor adds dimension to workspace.
We’ve been trying for many years to create the perfect workspace for my fiancé, Nick. It’s taken many hours and tireless moves to make it what it is today and even though I’m sure we will always be making adjustments here and there, it’s a nice space for productivity as well as relaxation. The one element that has continued to be a point of contention is the monitor on his desk. He’s had curved ones, ultra-wide ones, and he’s even just worked off of his laptop. A couple of months ago, we acquired the 43-inch CrystalPro Curved Ultra-Wide Monitor from Monoprice and it changed the landscape of his desk.
DETAILS
The Monoprice 43-inch CrystalPro Curved Ultra-Wide Monitor is considered the “ultimate wide format general purpose productivity monitor.” The monitor is ideal for spreadsheet power users, photo or video editors, musicians, or anyone who wants maximum visibility and control over their workflow. The monitor has an 1800R curvature and features a 3840 x 1200p (DFHD) resolution with 120Hz refresh rate. The monitor supports AMD FreeSync technology and comes equipped with a single DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, and two HDMI 1.4 video inputs. The panel is a Samsung LSM430YP01 VA featuring Quantum Dot Color technology. This brings brilliant colors, wide viewing angles, and fast response times. The DFHD resolution is the equivalent of two 24” HD monitors. The monitor is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified so that users experience a wider, richer range of colors, bright whites, and deeper blacks with High Dynamic Range support. While the monitor comes with a wide base support, it is also VESA compatible and feature a 75 x 75 VESA mount pattern.
FULL SPECS
Model | 40769 |
Display Size | 43″ |
Maximum Resolution | 3840x1200p |
Aspect Ratio | 32:10 |
Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
Video Inputs | 1x DisplayPort® 1.2, 1x HDMI® 2.0, 2x HDMI® 1.4 |
Panel Type | VA |
Panel Model | Samsung® LSM430YP01 |
Curvature | 1800R |
Active Display Area (H/V) | 1052.3 x 328.8 mm |
Maximum Brightness | 400 cd/m2 |
Default Color Temperature | 6500K |
Contrast Ratio | 3000:1 |
Number of Colors | More than 16.7 million |
Color Depth | 8-bit |
Color Gamut | sRGB 99%, NTSC 100%, DCI-P3 95%, Adobe® RGB 94% |
Viewing Angles (H/V) | 178°/178° |
Response Time | 4ms |
VESA® Mounting Pattern | 75×75 |
Input Power | 100 ~ 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 2.0A |
Maximum Power Consumption | 90 watts |
Typical Power Consumption | 68 watts |
Standby Power Consumption | ≤ 0.5 watts |
Stand Tilt Range | -5°~ +17° |
Stand Height Adjustment | None |
Stand Swivel Range | None |
Dimensions (with stand) | 41.8″ x 18.4″ x 9.8″ (1061 x 466 x248 mm) |
Dimensions (without stand) | 41.8″ x 14.6″ x 6.0″ (1061 x 372 x 152 mm) |
Weight | 28.4 lbs. (12.9 kg) |
USER EXPERIENCE
The monitor arrived in a typical product box. It was well packaged with styrofoam surrounding it and the parts were stored in such a way that it wouldn’t damage the screen. The monitor arrives separated from its stand and has to be assembled. The stand is two pieces — the base and the pole support. The monitor connects to the pole and then the pole connects to the base. It really only takes about 5 minutes to put together. While the stand is quite minimalist and very thin, it does still take up desktop space.
My fiancé prefers to keep his desktop as clean as possible so we acquired the Workstream Tilting monitor mount. While it’s description says it’s rated for screens up to 42 inches, we confirmed with Monoprice that this would work with the 43-inch monitor before installing it. The Workstream is a simple, stationary monitor arm that gets the monitor off of the desktop and allows for tilting, but other than that, there is not articulation with the arm. While the monitor features a 75 x 75 VESA mounting pattern, it’s sort of a faux mount that’s built in. In order to use a mount other than the stand that comes with it, you have to use mount adapters since the back panel of the monitor is not flush. The adapters do work, but I’d prefer to have a more solid mounting option rather than pieces that screw into the back of the monitor.
The size of the monitor is nothing to laugh at. It’s 43 inches of display so you really have to have the desktop space to support it. A lot of modern computer desks/tables are longer by design, but some do fall short. So, you’ll want to make sure you have the space to accommodate this beast before investing in it. That said, if you are already rocking a pair of 24-inch monitors, this will save you a little bit of space as it eliminates the frame from two separate monitors. The extra space really comes in handy when you are editing video or trying to monitor newsfeeds while working on something productivity-driven.
One of the things I wasn’t a big fan of was the menu button structure. The power button and directional buttons for menu selection are underneath the monitor. When you have to cycle through the monitor’s menus it gets really cumbersome because you have to remember which button does what. There is no label on the front of the monitor to give you a hint about which button is which. I had a lot of missed entries when trying to calibrate the monitor and I feel like if the buttons were laid out better or more intuitively, it would have saved me some time. As far as the input ports, I was pretty impressed with their layout. The ports are located on the back of the monitor, which is concealed by a magnetic panel. When you need to access the buttons, you simply pop the panel off and route the cables as needed. I do wish a USB port had been included simply because I have a USB light that I usually power from my monitor. That’s not a dealbreaker in my opinion, but it would have been a nice add-on.
To test the monitor’s performance, we paired it with my fiancé’s 15-inch MacBook Pro (2018). Because Monoprice calls this the “ultimate wide format general purpose productivity monitor,” I tested it out with those perimeters in mind.
Video Editing: As I mentioned, I feel that this large format monitor is great for video editing projects. You can not only stretch your project timeline out as long as you would like it, but you can also have all your tool bars open at the same time. As far as efficiency goes, the Monoprice monitor gets an ‘A’ rating for video editing. It only gets a ‘C’ rating for resolution though since it’s only the equivalent to standard HD resolution and not 4K. Efficiency: A, Resolution: C, Overall Rating: B
Photo Editing: This is the main activity my fiancé use his computer for so he really wanted the monitor to excel at it. He ran into the same type of issue we had with video editing. The resolution while good isn’t exactly where he want it to be for photo editing. He ran into problems while photo editing where the monitor just wasn’t as clear as he wanted it to be. Efficiency: A, Resolution: C, Overall Rating: B
Productivity: When my fiancé isn’t editing photos, he is usually monitoring emails, watching news feeds, or skimming through social media. Because the landscape of the CrystalPro is so vast, he had no problems with setting up a workspace using the monitor that worked really well for his needs. With the enhanced desktop space, he was able to layout all the different windows he normally uses and he still had space to spare. For standard productivity work, the monitor’s HD resolution was just fine. Efficiency: A, Resolution: A, Overall Rating: A
CONCLUSION
While the 43-inch CrystalPro can do a lot for a workspace and help make someone who does general computing activities more productive. That said, this monitor has a lot going for it and is a tremendous value for its cost based on what it does offer.
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2 Comments
4.5
Hey Robyn,
Great review! Do you mind sharing what mount adapters you purchased?