Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 Review (QD-OLED Ultrawide)

Today marks the first time we have gone hands-on with a Philips Evnia monitor, and the 34M2C8600 is a compelling option for those looking to splash out on an OLED monitor.

Using the same 3440×1440 QD-OLED as the Alienware AW3423DW, manufactured by Samsung, it's no surprise that overall image quality and brightness is very similar between the two – and that is a very good thing indeed. Likewise, response times are absolutely rapid, barely registering above 1ms on average.

HDR performance is fantastic, too. If you haven't tried a proper HDR display I can't recommend it enough, the difference between this and something with an edge-lit backlight really is night and day. Full screen SDR brightness tops out at 250 nits, which is fine, though modern LCDs are able to far surpass this, so if you work or game in a particularly bright environment, this could be something to consider.

Evnia has clearly put a lot of effort into the design of the monitor. It's certainly eye-catching, with a white and silver aesthetic that looks swish and modern. I'm not sure if it will have universal appeal though, I know I'd personally prefer an all-black design, and while Evnia does offer some of its monitors in a black colourway, if you want the 34M2C8600 it's white or nothing.

There are some other quirks of the QD-OLED technology that merit further discussion. The first is the sub-pixel structure, which Evnia describes as an ‘RGB Q-stripe'. What exactly that means I'm not sure, but it quickly became obvious it's the same triangular layout as the Alienware AW3423DW, with a green pixel at the top, above the red and blue pixels. This does cause some fringing around text, but as I said in my AW3423DW review, I really don't think it's that noticeable – certainly in my view, LG's WOLED layout is much worse for text legibility.

Just like the AW3423DW as well, Evnia is using a ‘semi-glossy' coating on the 34M2C8600 – in fact, it may well be the same exact coating as the end result is very similar. This has come in for criticism as the coating can reduce black levels – depending on your levels of ambient lighting, in brighter environments the blacks can get washed out and take on more of a grey appearance. I personally think this is a good compromise though, as it does a decent job of muting reflections and you still get better contrast and black-levels than you would from an LCD anyway.

I am perplexed by the lack of HDMI 2.1 however, particularly so as the 34M2C8600 does not have a hardware G-Sync module. This means only the DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C inputs are able to operate at 3440×1440 and the maximum 175Hz refresh rate, whereas the two HDMI 2.0 ports are limited to 100Hz – a definite loss of utility if you were planning on connecting the monitor to a PC and console.

That's a tough pill to swallow considering the Alienware AW3423DF does support HDMI 2.1 and is currently on sale for just £789 here in the UK. That makes it over £350 cheaper than the 34M2C8600, despite both using the same Samsung panel. The Evnia does have its advantages, as some may want to pay a small premium for the design, Ambiglow lighting and KVM functionality.

Even then however, the price difference is more than enough to make anyone looking for a new QD-OLED think twice. The Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 is still a very impressive display and if you do pick one up, you will not be disappointed. When well-established rivals are offering near-identical monitors for hundreds of pounds less however, you can't help but feel the 34M2C8600 could do with a price cut to keep it competitive.

You can buy the Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 from Overclockers UK for £1149.95 HERE.

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Pros

• Very fast ~1ms response times.
• Effectively infinite contrast ratio.
• Top-tier HDR performance, with a choice of modes.
• Very colour accurate.
• Incredible brightness and colour temperature uniformity.
• Perfect gamma tracking.
• Eye-catching design.
• Integrated KVM.
• Ambiglow lighting.

Cons

• Design won't appeal to everyone.
• No HDMI 2.1, despite there also being no hardware G-Sync module.
• Ambient lighting can reduce appearance of black levels due to the semi-glossy coating.
• Colour fringing around text may be noticeable for some.
• Similar competitor models are currently available with hefty discounts.

KitGuru says: It's a cracking monitor and really excels while gaming. Considering the lack of HDMI 2.1 however, and the price of some of its rivals, the 34M2C8600 could stand to come in a couple hundred pounds cheaper.

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