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AORUS FV43U Review 144Hz HDMI 2.1 Gaming Monitor

We recently reviewed the big, beautiful (and expensive) Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX and declared it the perfect monitor. Now, Gigabyte’s Aorus gaming brand has said, ‘Hold my beer’ and delivered a colossal, 43-inch gaming monitor. But is it too big?

AORUS FV43U Review

Sitting up close to this monster initially feels like you’re a naughty two-year-old staring at the TV from way-too-close. For office work, especially, you’ll need to be turning your head side to side and up and down to see from one end to the other. The 3,840 x 2,160 resolution is just sharp enough for clear office work, but only just.

The lower-than-normal pixel density means you can see pixilation in lettering where you shouldn’t, if you don’t get your Windows zoom settings right. To be frank, this wasn’t ideal for extended working as the regular head movement (which goes against OH&S advice) gets wearying. Nonetheless, there were times where spreading several, fully-open documents across a screen at once became a productivity boost.

Ports

Another gripe is port placement. The HDMI 2.1 Port and power lead plugs into the left while the computer cables plug into the right. They don’t look very neat. Furthermore, unless you have long, high-quality computer cables that stretch all the way to the right-hand side of the screen, you won’t be able to have your computer on the left.

All that aside, this being a gaming monitor means it lives and dies with its gaming performance. Quantum Dot-generated colors are bright and vibrant. A 144Hz refresh rate (with 1ms MPRT) keeps motion smooth in fast-and-frantic shooters and this is enhanced by VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to stop graphical tearing.

Latency Rate

There’s also ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which tells the screen that a console is connected and requires a low-latency connection. Meanwhile banks of rear-lit LEDs can generate 1,000 nits of brightness (and some heat!) which makes HDR enabled games look phenomenal – literally blinding if you’re sitting too close when everything fully lights up. 10-bit color helps ensure that color gradients are smooth although we did notice some banding appear in monochrome gradients.

It’s a decent technical performer too: covering 97 per cent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and each unit is factory-calibrated. Ultimately, gaming and multimedia content looks stunning… so long as you sit back from the screen.

The Sound / Built in Speakers

The built-in speakers are very impressive: they get very loud and provide good, all-round fidelity with punchy bass. Gaming features include black equalizer to reveal enemies hiding in shadows; on-screen crosshairs; Picture-in- Picture and intricate color controls. There’s even a KVM function that lets you connect a single keyboard and mouse to the monitor and have it act as an input hub for other devices (via USB-C).

The FV43U’s existential question is, ‘What makes this a monitor and not a TV?’ It’s a grey area. It’s not particularly comfortable to use as a day-to-day, office-work monitor but it’s better than a reflective TV. If your primary use-case it to sit (well) back and use it for high-quality gaming and multimedia with some office work then, at $1,699, it’s a good buy.

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  • Paul Alcorn

    As a teenager, Paul scraped up enough money to buy a 486-powered PC with a turbo button (yes, a turbo button). Back when floppies were still popular he was already chasing after the fastest spinners for his personal computer, which led him down the long and winding storage road, covering enterprise storage. His current focus is on consumer processors, though he still keeps a close eye on the latest storage news. In his spare time, you’ll find Paul hanging out with his kids or indulging his love of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

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