Viotek GNV30CBXA Review: Ultra-Fast Ultra-Wide (2023)

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Speed ​​and value don't always fit in the same sentence when talking about gaming monitors. Attractive pricing is even rarer among ultrawide monitors. But there are exceptions. If you want a slightly smaller screen and a slightly lower pixel density, Viotek may have thebest gaming monitorfor you.

The Viotek GNV30CBXA is a 30-inch curved modelVirginiapanel running at a refresh rate of 200 Hz. The 2560 x 1080 resolution might seem low, but a pixel density of 94 pixels per inch (ppi) isn't bad for a screen this size. With good contrast,DCI-P3color and Adaptive-Sync, it's a decent package for a$ 320(opens in new tab)MSRP. This makes the GNV30CBXA one of the cheapest and fastest 21:9 monitors available today.

Specifications Viotek GNV30CBXA

Viotek is relatively new to the world of gaming monitors, but it has already proven that it can deliver good performance for the money. monitors likeViotek GNV34DBEyViotek SUW49DAit performed well in our benchmark tests and provided solid gaming experiences and even better value.

The GNV30CBXA sets a new low price for 21:9 ultrawide monitors. At 30 inches, it's also one of the smallest on the market. The category usually starts at 34 inches and goes up from there. We haven't seen a wide panel this size since it first appeared in 2013. The curve radius looks tight on paper at 1800mm, but at this width it's subtle. From some angles, you can barely see it. But in practice, it's clearly better than a flat panel for gaming.

The big story here is, of course, the 200Hz refresh rate. We found only one other ultrawide monitor in our database to perform this fast, thesteel predator x35, it will make you come back$ 2.000(opens in new tab)if you can find one. The GNV30CBXA also has AMDFreeSyncwith Low Frame Rate Compensation (LFC). Operates from 40 to 200 Hz. This onemonitor is not G-Sync certified, but we have NvidiaG-Syncto work in the same refresh rate range. (For more information, see our article onHow to Run G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor.)

The only thing missing here isHDR, and that's not surprising or negative given the price.

Assembly and Accessories

The GNV30CBXA mounts without tools. All that is needed is to secure the solid metal base to the stud with a stud. The panel is already attached to the bracket. But if you remove it, a 100mm VESA mount is exposed.

Cables included are DisplayPort and an IEC power cable for the internal power supply.

Product 360

The GNV30CBXA has a simple style with a small red border to indicate your gaming intent. You'll see it around the stud hole and on the back where there are two chevrons to mark the sides. The red ring around the bracket is illuminated by LEDs that glow red when turned on. You can turn off the light, but there are no color or effect options, sorry RGB fans. The back of the panel is contoured with a combination of curved and flat surfaces. A small group of molded lines adds a futuristic look.

On the back, the control buttons are on the side. They click firmly, but are a little too close together for easy menu navigation. We were spoiled for choice with the joysticks that most high-end monitors use these days. You may have noticed what look like speaker grilles on either side. While this is a perfect place to place speakers, the GNV30CBXA doesn't have any. Audio is routed through your PC's video inputs, but you'll need to connect yourbest gaming headsetor amplified speakers to hear it.

From a top view, you can see the subtle 1800R curvature. It's enough to create a little extra immersion, but there's no chance of image distortion. The screen's anti-reflective coating works well to control ambient light and doesn't create grain or other artifacts.

Support is very solid, a definite improvement over the other Viotek monitors we've reviewed. The movements are very firm and do not wobble. The pack is lighter than most, but not flimsy. Height adjustment is 120mm, with 45 degrees each side and -5/15 degrees tilt. Uniquely, there's a portrait mode, something you don't often see on 21:9 monitors.

The input panel is well equipped, with a DisplayPort 1.2 and three HDMI ports. One of them is 2.0, limited to 120 Hz, and the other two are 1.4., limited to 75 Hz. To get 200Hz along with Adaptive-Sync you will need to use DisplayPort. Also here is a 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones or speakers.

On-screen display features

Pressing the top control button opens the GNV30CBXA On Screen Display (OSD). The other buttons provide quick access to input selection, picture mode and game aids. When the menu is active, the buttons act as select, up, down and cancel.

The Image menu has basic luminance sliders along with Dynamic Contrast (DCR). DCR expands the contrast slightly, but locks the brightness and contrast sliders. It also severely cuts out detail in dark images. It's too dark to play when the stage is dark. We suggest leaving it turned off.

Here is also the Eco section, where there are 6 picture modes. Image modes are mostly game-specific, with Standard being the default and best. You'll want to make some color temperature adjustments to get the best image (see the Recommended Calibration Settings section).

All three preset color temperatures are too green or too blue. User is the default setting and is very green, but with a few tweaks you can get good performance and an accurate image. What this monitor can really use aregamapresets. The standard luma tracking of the GNV30CBXA is very light.

Pressing the fourth control key brings up a game assist menu that offers four aiming reticles and seven countdown timers. They are useful for FPS beginners and those who need an alarm to let them know when the game is over.

Viotek GNV30CBXA Calibration Settings

The GNV30CBXA needs some tweaking to get the best possible picture. In default standard picture mode with unadjusted user color temperature, theShades of grayit is clearly green. The gamma is also slightly off, but unfortunately there are no gamma presets to fix this. The RGB sliders work well, but you have to be careful not to stray too far from the factory settings. We've made several attempts to improve the gamma by testing different parts of the RGB range and have only managed to make things worse. A few clicks are enough to get good grayscale tracking.

Below are our recommended calibration settings for the Viotek GNV30CBXA.

Games and hands-on

The GNV30CBXA is a competent monitor for everyday tasks. It's bright enough for any room with moderate ambient light. As it clocks in at just over 300 nits, sunlit windows can overwhelm the image if they shine on the screen. The contrast is strong for Windows applications where black text renders clearly on white backgrounds. The color is natural and vivid without being too harsh. You can get a deeper touch using the DCR feature, but it's best to skip this feature because it blocks the brightness and contrast controls. More importantly, it makes dark images too dark and severely reduces shadow detail.

With a resolution of 2560 x 1080, one would think that pixelation would be an issue, but it's not. 94ppi produces a sharp image with no visible dot structure at a distance of 2 to 3 feet. The stand also allows you to position the screen at an ideal height without tilting it. We've found that a perfectly vertical orientation is the best way to use and enjoy curved monitors.

The GNV30CBXA offers decent contrast without help. However, it would benefit from a darker gamma option. night scenes inCall of Duty: World War IImade us think we were playing in aIPS, instead of VA. The VA's advantage is its low black levels, but Viotek has not made use of that here. The image has good depth, but not as much as it could with a little firmware tweak. However, the highlights are suitably bright. Sunlit scenes looked vibrant and saturated with solid detail and texture. The color was natural and well saturated.

Tomb Raiderit showed us the GNV30CBXA's textural prowess in brilliant outdoor scenes. Plants and rocks appeared three-dimensional. Viotek did a good job with the color palette of the GNV30CBXA. It's a little more vivid than the default.sRGBbut it doesn't go very far. The monitor uses the larger DCI-P3 color gamut, but does so with care.

We noticed a video rendering issue when playing games. Although the GNV30CBXA scored well in our bump test, objects smeared slightly when we moved ourbest gaming mousequickly. Overdrive made the difference, but it wasn't aggressive enough to completely eliminate this artifact. Blur Busters tests showed subtle black trails behind moving UFOs. Overdrive option is on or off; there are no levels to choose from. It's best to leave overdrive on, but it's not as effective as it could be.

Adaptive-Sync worked flawlessly. We never saw a screen break. We tried turning it off to see if the overdrive would improve, but it made no difference. Frame rates were kept high thanks to the GNV30CBXA's 2560 x 1080 resolution. You won't need an expensive PC to hit 200 frames per second (fps) and use this monitor's higher refresh rate to its full potential.

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