If you're on a budget and mainly interested in casual gaming or productivity, the Gigabyte M34WQ with its larger screen and ultrawide format could serve you well, making multitasking easier and offering an immersive experience. However, if you're willing to invest more for superior image clarity and color accuracy, and you're into media consumption or HDR gaming, the Sony M9, despite its smaller screen, offers better brightness and color quality which can enhance your experience. Keep in mind the Sony M9 also has a higher resolution which is better for sharpness and detail but demands more from your hardware for gaming. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS)
The Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) has no clear advantages over the Sony M9 (IPS FALD).
Advantages of the Sony M9 (IPS FALD)
Good for casual gaming
Best in class for productivity
Good for media consumption
Very good text clarity
Very good image clarity
Good contrast
Good brightness
Good color volume
Key differences
Casual Gaming
5.9/10
7.3/10
3440 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
1074:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1000:1
379 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
432 nits
372 nits
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
695 nits
87.7 %
DCI-P3 COLOR GAMUT
67.7 %
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is good for casual gaming, while the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) is poor.
Competitive Gaming
4.5/10
5.7/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
8.5 ms
TOTAL RESPONSE TIME
8.0 ms
20 - 144 Hz
VARIABLE REFRESH RATE
24 - 144 Hz
Yes
STROBING / BFI
No
379 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
432 nits
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) and Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) are both poor for competitive gaming, though the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is somewhat better.
Productivity
6.3/10
9.6/10
3440 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
110 PPI
PIXELS PER INCH
163 PPI
Yes
ADJUSTABLE STAND
Yes
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is best in class for productivity, while the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) is only fair.
Media Consumption
6.0/10
7.5/10
3440 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
1074:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1000:1
379 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
432 nits
372 nits
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
695 nits
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is good for media consumption, while the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) is only fair.
Cost
$330
$800
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) has a price of $330 and the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) costs $800.
HDR Gaming and Media Consumption
No
Yes
The Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) is not suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption while the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption.
Key similarities
Digital Photo Editing
Yes
Yes
Both the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) and Sony M9 (IPS FALD) are suitable for digital photo editing.
HDR Video Editing and Color Grading
No
No
Both the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) and Sony M9 (IPS FALD) are not suitable for HDR video editing and color grading.
Print Photo Editing
No
No
Both the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) and Sony M9 (IPS FALD) are not suitable for print photo editing.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte M34WQ (IPS) and the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) compare to other monitors
"If you want a 34″ 3440×1440 ultrawide gaming monitor with a fast response time speed, smooth VRR performance, vibrant colors and crisp details, the Gigabyte M34WQ is one of the best options below $450. Additionally, it has an ergonomic stand, rich connectivity options and plenty of extra features, such as a built-in KVM switch. Some users might not be pleased by its flat screen, but at a certain viewing distance, it feels completely natural."
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec monitors team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest monitor information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the monitor team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Monitors Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.