As someone who is primarily a laptop user, monitors are something I don’t often need or even find on my shopping list – I generally prefer a more minimalist approach to my PC work. So when I had the opportunity to try a higher-end curved widescreen monitor from HP, I was initially unsure how well it would fit into my setup. But after a few weeks of using it and experiencing all that it has to offer, I can safely say that my opinion has changed.
The HP Omen 34c gaming monitor is an ultra-wide display with a very large 21:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 3440 x 1440. Right out of the box, I was almost overwhelmed by how big it really was, especially since I was used to a 14″ laptop screen. It took me only a few minutes to assemble and set up the monitor on my desk. While my desk is certainly not small, the HP Omen took up a very large chunk of space, even to the point of dwarfing my gaming laptop next to it.
The HP Omen 34c’s connectivity was my first surprise when I looked around the display itself. With 2 available HDMI 2.1 ports as well as a DisplayPort and even a headphone port, connecting your system to the HP Omen 34c should be no problem at all as long as you’re using a fairly modern computer or system. The HP Omen 34c also has a pair of 3W speakers built in to free up desk space and enhance your gaming experience, but more on that later.
“Using the HP Omen 34c has been nothing short of amazing for me.”
Using the HP Omen 34c has been nothing short of amazing for me. When doing regular tasks that I do on a daily basis, the addition of an external monitor, especially one as large as the HP Omen 34c, has allowed me to significantly improve my workflow and multitask much more easily as I can have two primary tasks running on the monitor itself while my videos or less critical tasks are running on my laptop next to it. While I have used other monitors with my laptop in the past, I have never been able to run so many different windows side-by-side while still being able to fully see what I am looking at.
Gaming with the HP Omen 34c was also an incredibly immersive experience. Taking full advantage of the large screen and the higher 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, I was able to quickly get lost and fully immersed in my gaming sessions. In fast-paced FPS games like Fortnite, I was able to get a wide view of the maps or environments I was roaming through.
When it came time to attack opponents or enemies, the 1ms response time was able to noticeably improve my experience. I never noticed any ghosting or stuttering in any of my games. In driving games like Forza or simulation-based games like Flight Simulator, having a wider view of cabs or cockpits added a whole new dimension to the game, giving me the feeling that I was sitting in the vehicles I was operating, further enhancing the experience and helping me to become more immersed in the games I was playing.
The built-in speakers sounded decent in both my gaming time and while playing different music on the various platforms I use. While not the best speakers I have used, they had what I would say were respectable tones in all aspects. However, being rear-facing, they occasionally tended to sound a bit muffled. But as they say, something is better than nothing. Considering how much space the HP Omen 34c takes up on my desk, I am glad that I still have the option of having built-in speakers rather than cluttering up my available space with an external set of speakers.
Overall, the HP Omen 34c is a fantastic monitor, and my time with it has been nothing short of incredible. The amount of work and productivity I had while using it was certainly beneficial and was able to help me get a lot more done than I normally would have, in part because I was able to have so much open so I could fully focus on the task at hand. When playing, I was completely immersed and could easily burn through a day and lose track of time due to the visuals in front of me. While I don’t generally use a monitor in my day-to-day life, the HP Omen 34c has certainly changed my perspective and I’m now seriously considering rethinking my entire setup.
