Should You Buy a 43-inch 4K Monitor? – Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Review



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Buy relevant products from Amazon, Newegg and others below:
Gigabyte Aorus FV43U – https://geni.us/XJXMQ
Gigabyte M28U – https://geni.us/08xf
LG 27GN950 – https://geni.us/9Up4kXX
Asus VG28UQL1A – https://geni.us/N4HJ
MSI MPG321UR-QD – https://geni.us/PjVBTo
Gigabyte Aorus FI32U – https://geni.us/ZUrmdqi
Gigabyte M32U – https://geni.us/dg92bo
Asus PG32UQX – https://geni.us/F0aEbt
LG C1 OLED – https://geni.us/ZpoF

How we test response times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zmxl-Btpgk

Testing performed using Portrait CalMAN Ultimate: http://www.portrait.com/

00:00 – Intro, Specs, Design
04:14 – Response Times and Overdrive Settings
07:16 – Response Time Performance Comparisons
10:39 – Backlight Strobing
11:32 – Color Performance
14:21 – Brightness, Contrast, Uniformity
16:03 – HDR Performance
19:09 – Final Thoughts

Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Review

Disclaimer: Any pricing information shown or mentioned in this video was accurate at the time of video production, and may have since changed

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This Post Has 41 Comments

  1. Thanez

    A review: Don't buy this. I got this as a monitor and let me tell you it's a piece of shit. I bought it because linus said I could use it as a desktop monitor (you can't), filling my peripheral vision when gaming (you can't) and multitasking with various windows up on the screen when working (sort of can).

    The biggest issue is the viewing angle at which the different spectres of light start to fall off. All LCDs have this effect, so I was expecting it. On a pricey LCD I would expect it to fall off equally across the rgb spectrum like on the MSI monitor i switched it out with, but on this IIRC the blues have a much bigger and "sooner" fall off then red and green, and at approx 20° angle. This means that at 60cm (~2ft) viewing length, there's a circle of as-good-as-LCD-HDR-gets and pretty good color spectrum in a circle that's ~20cm (8") in diameter. Outside that circle, HDR dies off due to the blacks becoming grey, everything appears orangey-green as the blues are missing. I first took notice of this when watching the newest GI JOE movie, and couldn't live with the fact that the race of the actors kept changing based on how close or far from the center of the screen they were.
    For this effect to dissipate I had to sit ~3m from the screen. At that range it fills my peripheral vision the same amount that my previous 32" MSI did at 60cm range. This will be repeated below.

    The next glaring issue is the accuracy of pixel response times. To not get any artifacts when running around or panning the screen by looking around, you need the most accurate response time of a pixel across the color spectrum. This monitor has settings that are great for 144hz, OR great for 120hz, OR great for 60hz. One setting doesn't cover them all. Games from yesteryear or competative games that run at or above 144fps look and feel great. No issue. More demanding titles that are optimized you need to cap at a certain fps and switch the overdrive mode every time you play. Poorly optimized games like Escape from tarkov, where the FPS is all over the place, you'll get ugly artifacts at all times due to both undershoot and overshoot, and makes the game look terrible. There is no setting on the monitor you can switch to to fix it.
    In contrast, the $300 32" monitor I was upgrading from had one setting that worked fine for me across the refresh rate spectrum.

    The next issue is something I haven't had an issue with on an LCD before. I've noticed it, but only if I really look for it. All LCDs have diffusion and light refraction sheets above the LCD panel. They create a sort of parallax looking effect on the pixels at the edge of the monitor, as if the pixels are on a flattened scroll, and the pixels on the edge roll backwards behind the others. On previous monitors I've had, I couldn't tell it's even there because the effect is very slight, and only affects 1-3 pixels at 60cm distance. On the FV43U, the effect is very harsh and affects the 15-20 outermost pixels, and bends them 90° away from the flat surface that's facing you. This means that at 60cm viewing distance, half of the scroll bar on your browser is gone. Same with the X in the corner of the window. Where the windows logo on your start menu' leftmost pixel is? That's the edge of your screen. This doesn't affect gaming as much as it does working or browsing, as in gaming there's usually not much important information on the edge of the screen, but I really need my scrollbar.
    This effect becomes a non-issue at ~3m viewing distance.

    I also had issues with some games to get gsync to run. i would get choppy or black frames, or HDR would flicker.

    Linus said I should really be viewing this from 1m (3ft) for optimal quality. That's not true. You really need to view this from 3m (9ft) away. At first I had the same response as him. I was wowed by the bigness of my new monitor and started dreaming about how awesome it would be in different circumstances. As I used it more and more and did more tests on it, the initial wow-factor wore off quickly. I lived with the FV43U for 13 days, 4-ish hours each day for testing purposes before rendering my verdict and returning it. I live in Norway, so i have a 14 day no-questions-asked-return-policy by law, hence the 13 days.
    What makes me say don't buy this is because this is marketed by Gigabyte as a huge desktop monitor, but you can't use it as a monitor. This is only useful at ~3m viewing distance. At that range it fills your peripheral vision as much as a 32" monitor would at 60cm (desktop monitor distance), so if you're in a desktop setup, a $300-$500 32" is a much better choice.
    That makes the FV43U a $1500 43" 144hz lcd TV with mediocre HDR. That is expensive! There are much better alternatives out there in that price range, though prices in your area may vary.
    For a gaming TV setup, and for size-queens, Samsung The Frame 65" (WALL MOUNTED ONLY) costs the same with better everything except being 120hz and no freesync/gsync, fills your peripheral at 3m as much as a 36" on a desktop and with much better HDR and colors due to being QLED.
    LG OLED48C1 at 120hz, with freesync/gsync, perfect pixel response times for 120hz, perfect blacks for HDR and much better color fall off angle is a much better choice than the FV43U at the same price.

    In my search for a huge desktop monitor I ended up with a LG OLED48C1 that cost the same.
    The LG is perfect for work, gaming and HDR at desktop distance. The only downside I can find with it is that the pixel response time is so incredibly fast and consistent that in movies, when they pan the camera at a certain speed where high-contrast details pan at about 2 pixels per frame, the movement of the object is choppy and jarring. Any LCD's inherent lag in pixel response times actually helps conceal this issue in movies, but with any current LG OLED panel there is no such flaw that hides the effect. There is no way that I know to combat this issue on the LG other than lowering the contrast on the TV, making the jarring movement less obvious. I've decided that I can live with that because it's so good for gaming and work, and at the same price.

  2. infi

    it's really a pity the 40"+ segment doesn't have any better products, they all seem to have the same downsides that just make them not very attractive, the problem is I definitely do not want an OLED, I want long lasting products. I don't need the best most accurate image quality, but some things like the BGR subpixels are just so off putting :/

  3. Alex Oddo

    I went with the 43"4k60fps roku r7 television from Costco for under $300.

  4. Mo Sal Naz

    The best inch for my desk is from 24/27 as the more the harsh on my desk to fit in or even eyes and neck can feel comfortable. I got the LG 27 GN650-B and love the HDR process when play game on it. Show details pretty good and enjoy it to the max. Thx for the review but will stick with 27 inches monitor display.

  5. Dave Bell

    I wonder how the Gigabyte compares to the Asus. I have the PG43UQ and it's my favorite monitor I've ever owned. For comparison, I also have a 55" Sony OLED and 65" Sony LCD (infamous 930E) in the same household.

  6. L.G. Quélhas

    There shold be a a monitor or TV to sit between 32 and 43/42 inches. A 4K 37 inches (16:9) screen would be amazing.

  7. Wayne O'Meara

    Don't know why Gigabyte says it's
    HDMI 2.1 when it's not true 2.1 but using DSC….. false marketing

  8. TheNyayko

    How Bad Is the Response Time Vs Contrast ratio ?
    I Would like to buy a 4k monitor with the best contrast ratio, ( deep black) but I see that they are slow. How bad is this for FPS?

  9. MlR

    I'm a FV43U owner.
    My graphics card is the AMD 6800XT, AMD CPU 5950x, 128gb RAM.
    As an artist that rely on Photoshop 98% of my daily life and uses an IPS cintiq pro 24" as a second monitor, I really like it's Adobe color space and total width/height real estate.
    Also my desk is deep, basically a 74" widex 42" deep island on an ergonofis stand-up legs (which can hold up to 300lbs).
    Both of my monitors are held by an ergotron-HX FV43U/LX for my cintiq, all in all I sit at around 50" from my screen, which is excellent.

    The problem with the FV43U is, lets be honest, the discrepancy in-between every unit.
    I've never seen that many roller-coaster reviews for a monitor, and I'm glad mine has:
    – No Dead Pixel
    – Nice Color Coverage
    – Great Gamma Uniformity (quite, not perfect but pretty damn good)
    – No Frame/Hardware issues.

    But MANY reviews are very negative and I feel lucky but also understand how much people would be against this screen.
    I did have issues with the display port when running the basic 1.0 firmware, but the 4.0 beta solved every issues I had.
    I played FarCry 6, Forza Horizon 5, New World, and many others.
    I'll be honest that yes, this screen has dark smearing, but its inconsistant through-out games.
    When you hit the 144fps refrash rate it's barely noticable, but if you dip lower in the 50-60-70 range it is visible.
    That would be the only major con, but is also the con of every VA panels.

    It's a sad story, this screen, I'm just glad I don't have a lemon.
    I don't plan on changing even if LG releases 42", I'd wait on Samsung and put my money on them in like 3-4 years to get their high-end 4k high refresh rate "cream of the crop".
    Great video as always HWUB!

    EDIT: Some typos

  10. Oussama Meftah

    Please review the new Philips 329M1RV/00 (32") 3840 x 2160 (UHD), IPS, True HDR1000, 1ms ,144hz, HDMI2.1, designed for Xbox series x

  11. fugehdehyou

    Need a big monitor setup for consoles in living rooms. That’s what people are after when watching this

  12. Danny Big D

    Hey Hardware Unboxed.. windows 11 and this monitor under Nvidia control panel I can pick lol 12 bit

  13. DaxNz

    Accordingly to some reviews this monitor doesn't support 24p video, causing issues when watching movies and other 24p video content. Can you share your experience with this?

  14. SpaceXdragOn

    Would this be a upgrade from my samsung q60t, don't really know much about specs

  15. SchwertKeks

    its really a shame that you can't really get anything good at that size. All good monitors basically end at 32" and good tvs start at 50", maybe 48 if you are lucky

  16. Sadly Im returning mine.. The colors looked washed out, also limited to 24gbps instead of full 48gb. Gonna get my self C1 instead, ill just get warranty for the burn in issues if any.

  17. RWC RWC

    Thank you for this – SUPER helpful.

  18. Matt Varone

    I feel like this review doesn't convey the real world experience of the monitor. I purchased this coming from an x34 which in 2017 cost me 1500. This monitor cost the same and it's amazing in comparison. What I love is the size, the brightness, the colours pop and the gaming experience. For reference I play Squad and use it for work everyday spreadsheets etc. I purchased a wall mount so it's about a meter from where I sit. After using this form factor I will never go back to an ultrawide.

  19. viperanaf

    anyone tested g-sync with this?
    any flickers in same refresh range?

  20. George E.

    I have it and I freakin love it, it's sitting in the same room with a 65" C9 oled tv and I swear to God I prefer gaming on the aorus. I see many people complaining about quality issues but I've been lucky enough not to have any. Only annoyance was messing with the monitor settings until the image was as expected. I love the size, HDR, brightness, colors and especially contrast. I can't recommend this behemoth enough

  21. kashgarinn

    I haaaaaaaate that the reviewer is always ALWAYS comparing 40+” monitors to tiny 27” monitors rather than other 40+” monitors. If you’re looking for that size as an all-rounder for office/gaming/TV you’re not going to be looking at smaller than this. Also OLED is a “hell no” because of the burn in and office work.
    – I like the review format, but the comparisons are worthless.

  22. Johnny Wick

    Worst monitor ever made on this planet regarding quality control.

  23. Hadgerz

    was hovering over the buy button as it's on special at PCCG right now, and this review informed me that while the HDR performance is pretty nuts (if a tad deceptive due to omission of local dimming) and the VA panel is reproducing contrast and colour well enough, as expected, it's the refresh rate going around writing cheques the response times just can't cash. . . and that's one of the most important features playing at high frame rates
    Sigh…the search continues.

  24. Prashant Soni

    Could you also review Acer Predator CG437k in comparison to this monitor please??

  25. Recomiendas un monitor 4k de 27” ? Wtf no se aprecia correctamente el 4k en una pantalla tan pequeña, el 4k es para monitores grandes.
    Este monitor es de lo mejor que hay para jugar a 4k a 144fps. las estadísticas qué muestras en el video a casi nadie le importan, son datos inapreciables. La gente quiere jugar en una pantalla grande sin tener que mover el cuello para poder mirar el mapa por ejemplo. 43 pulgadas son muchas, pero es lo suficientemente para que se aprecie el 4k de manera correcta. Es un monitor para jugar a consolas a una distancia prudente. No lo recomiendo para pc ya que te quedaras ciego 👨‍🦯, a no ser que tengas el monitor lejos de ti. El único punto malo es que se calienta mucho y que cuesta 900€ .
    Comprarlo para ps5 y xbox series x es lo mejor que puedes hacer. El video muestra detalles inapreciables. Tengo amigos que tienen monitores 4k a 144hz y se ven prácticamente igual, las diferencias son insignificantes.
    En el video muestra un listado de monitores que son 4k pero no tienen 144hz hdmi 2.1, está comparando monitores que no tienen las mismas características. La razón de este monitor es el 4k a 144hz .

  26. ijuvatar

    this review makes the monitor sound way worse than it ACTUALLY is. beware of this. its like complaining about an huracan being a bad car due to havin less horsepower than a aventador.

  27. Jojin Kang

    I wonder if the price tanked based on this review 😁

  28. Rozzbourn

    is this monitor worth it at $749? i have a wall mounted 43" 4k 60 tv that i use for a monitor for now.

  29. don Jaun

    I personally think this dudes opinion is way trash.

    Dude needs to touch some grass

  30. Kai Ichinose

    Good video but i think you are rather harsh in this review. I think the price around 800-900 usd isnt that bad for the 43 qled panel. Its actually very nice and doesnt have a problem with text or blur in gaming or content. And also i have my 3080 dekstop, ps5 and series x all hooked up and yes it does do 4k 120 for the titles that support it on the series x and ps5. The speakers arent the best but atleast it has them and one thing esp for pc users dont have to worry about burn in and having to do all these things to keep your monitor for getting burn in. And most people buying this monitor probably wont be viewing it off angle as with most va panels arent great for viewing off angle but dead on like me is absolutely stunning. And the lg 42 inch oled is gonna be around 1400 usd which could be alot for some.

  31. Eviluess Fansy

    Hello, I am using KTC G48P5 OLED monitor to play games.
    I tested several games like Resident Evil 3/2/8, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
    And I found the dark region is not so clear as the OLED should be.
    So I tried to set the "dark balance" of the monitor from 50 to 100, it got much better, BUT the bright things like sunlight is distorted.
    That means I can't get a natural visual from that OLED monitor by setting the "dark balance".
    So I want to buy a non-oled monitor like this one to see if it gets better.
    I noticed that this monitor has a similar function "dark balance" to improve the darkness clarity, but I'm not sure whether this feature also increases the overall brightness just as the KTC does.
    If it affects only the dark region, I think it's OK for me to buy it.
    Could you please take some tests on that function?
    Thank you in advance!

  32. I Am

    I think this guy is a CGI character superimposed on screen.

  33. Anon Ymous

    at the current point in time this monitor can be purchased for $850 aud with no real competition anywhere near the price point. the lg 42 inch oled costs at least 3 times the purchase price at this point in time. i'm considering getting one to use for console gaming but the slow response time is off-putting

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