Alogic Edge 34″ and 40″ Ultrawide QHD Monitor review: one monitor to match two

Adding more screen space by connecting two or more external monitors to your MacBook, Mac mini or Mac Studio can enhance your productivity by having multiple applications, documents or websites open side by side and therefore more accessible.

With more screen space it’s easier to switch between tasks without cluttering your screen or desk-based workspace. But two monitors swallow up physical desk space and require multiple video ports—often meaning you need to use a MacBook docking station.

Instead of having two monitors, why not choose one large display—to recreate the breadth of two monitors side by side, a widescreen display makes the most sense.

One wide rather than two monitors is also a more ergonomic design, with the broader field of view potentially reducing neck pain by providing a productive workspace in a tighter space. We look at more differences between a two-monitor setup vs one ultrawide screen further down this review.

Alogic is the maker of one of our favorite ranges of 4K displays, the Clarity, which has 27-inch and 32-inch models. At home I have two of these 27-inch Clarity displays—one a touchscreen model—hooked up to my M2 Pro Mac mini.

I was therefore intrigued by the possibilities of Alogic’s latest displays: 34-inch and 40-inch ultrawide (UWD) 4K screens. Could one of these do the same job as the two existing monitors while saving me precious desk space and offering further single-screen benefits?

I tested the larger of the two new displays, the Edge 40” Ultrawide QHD Monitor, but include details of the smaller but still ultrawide 34-inch Edge.

See how these Ultrawide QHD Monitor compare to other displays we have reviewed in our Best Mac monitors round up.

Features

Both 34-inch and 40-inch models support up to a 3440×1440-pixel resolution. This is known as UltraWide Quad HD or an unpronounceable UWQHD.

The screen uses In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology that can deliver great color accuracy when being viewed from different angles with minimal diminishment of image quality.

Here are the all-important technical screen specifications.

Screen specs

• Maximum Resolution: 3,440×1,440 pixels
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz or 100Hz
• Response Time: 14ms (34”); 8ms (40”)
• Pixel Density: 110ppi (34”); 93ppi (40”)
• Aspect Ratio: 21:9
• Viewing Angle: 178°(H) / 178°(V)
• Brightness: 370 nits (34”); 400 nits (40”)
• Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (34”); 1200:1 (40”)
• Color Saturation (NTSC): 91% (34”); 89% (40”)
• Color Saturation (DCI-P3): 90% (34”); 97% (40”)
• Color Saturation (SRGB): 95% (34”); 99% (40”)
• Color Saturation (Adobe RGB): 92% (34”); 94% (40”)

Most ultrawide monitors, often aimed at gamers, are curved. A flat 40-inch ultrawide display is more appropriate to productivity jockeys. The ultrawide aspect ratio makes it ideal for multitasking and working comfortably with multiple windows open in one view.

Standard monitors, like Alogic’s own 27-inch Clarity displays, have an aspect ratio of 16:9. The ultrawide Edge has an aspect ratio of 21:9, so is much longer horizontally. That extra width is perfect for keeping lots of things onscreen in the same view and not layered under each other. Normally, you’d need a couple of monitors side by side to achieve this. We have also tested the Mobile Pixels Geminos Dual Vertical FHD Monitor, which unusually stacks two screens vertically.

Ultrawide monitors have slightly lower resolutions than more standard monitors, which is worth bearing in mind if you are a professional digital creative. My graphic-designer wife was impressed with the Edge’s color gamut (the range of colors it can generate), but less so with the crispness of the text.

As a result of the 40-inch screen size combined with the 3,440×1,440 resolution, pixel density is lower than you’ll find on smaller displays. The 40-inch Edge supports 93 pixels per inch (ppi), compared to the shaper 110ppi for the 34-inch Edge. In comparison, the 27-inch Clarity screen is the crispest of all the Alogic displays at 163ppi. The Edge pixel density is greater than an HD screen (82ppi) but nowhere near as cystal as a 5K display such as the 218ppi Apple Studio Display.

A close rival to the 40-inch Edge is the Monoprice 44394 40-inch Crystal Pro that offers the same resolution and pixel density. We much prefer the Edge’s more flexible and better-looking stand, but gamers will fancy the Monoprice’s screen’s superior 144Hz refresh rate. While many ultrawide monitors are used by gamers, the refresh rates on offer with the Edge monitors (6-Hz or 100Hz) are too low for that crowd. With up to an 100Hz option, the refresh rates are higher than the 60Hz supported by most 4K displays and is all you need for web browsing and other productivity tasks.

For general productivity tasks I didn’t find this lower pixel density a problem for my eyes at least. Even a spreadsheet full of large numbers in tiny cells was clearly legible. This lack of crispness is, however, noticeable on very small text.

And, boy, does an ultrawide screen favor the longest Excel sheets—you can keep so much data in view without endless scrolling back and forth. The 40-inch width allowed me to fit almost four A4-wide Word docs side by side.

Hub and connections

That ultrawide resolution matches the working comfort that I get from my two 27-inch displays, but I need only one connection from my Mac mini to the single monitor’s hub.

The hub port configuration is updated compared to the Clarity monitor hub, dropping one HDMI port plus two USB-A ports for more USB-C and Gigabit Ethernet.

Hub specs

• 1x USB-C to Host Connection with 90W Charging and Data
• 1x HDMI 2.0 port
• 1x DisplayPort 1.4 port
• 2x USB-C ports (USB 2.0, 5W Charging)
• 1x 3.5mm Audio Output
• 1x Gigabit Ethernet port

The two USB-C ports are primarily for charging purposes as the data-transfer speed is USB 2.0’s measly 480Mbps rather than the USB-C to host connection’s 5Gbps speed. They will be fine for connecting a wired keyboard and mouse or giving power to low-input devices. The 5Gbps USB-C connection to host is underpowered compared to the Mac’s own 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 so if you need multiple fast ports you should invest in a premium dock or more affordable hub. See Macworld’s recommended best Mac docking stations and best Mac USB-C hubs.

Importantly, the Edge’s hub is powerful enough for the most important video connection, and you can choose between USB-C, HDMI or DisplayPort.

Edge doesn’t require the extra bandwidth DisplayPort can offer over HDMI, so users can connect with either cable knowing they’re getting the full visual experience. Both options are included to make connection simple regardless of what input devices users have.

Using USB-C means you can power your laptop by up to 90W, which is enough for most MacBooks, and take advantage of the ports in the hub at the back of the Edge display, such as the wired Gigabit Ethernet connection.

The Edge includes built-in 3W speakers that are fine for video/voice calls but not what you’d enjoy using to listen to music or a movie. There’s a 3.5mm audio port that can be used to attach wired headphones or speakers, but not an audio-in microphone.

Design

The 40-inch Edge that we tested measures between an adjustable 57.5cm (22.6in) to 69cm (27.2in) tall, 94.1cm (37in) wide and 24.5cm (9.6in) deep. It weighs 11.6kg (25.6lbs) with stand.

The smaller 34-inch Edge measures up to 64.1cm (25.2in) tall, 81.4cm (32in) wide and 24.5cm (9.6in) deep. It weighs 10.1kg (22.3lbs) with stand.

Like its Clarity monitor siblings the Alogic Edge displays look fantastic, and in keeping with an Apple aesthetic—although at a far more affordable price than Apple’s Studio Displays. It is available in either Silver or Space Gray to match your Mac. The Edge’s frame is fine at just 8mm thick, or should that be 8mm thin?

The back of the screen’s tempered glass looks great, too, if it’s not facing a wall.

Setup is simple. The machined aluminum stand design is a two-piece that you can quickly put together with a single thumb screw connecting the stem and base, which then clicks into the rear of the display. The stand is heavy and offers sturdy support for the display, with less wobble than you’ll find with lighter monitor stands.

As you might expect, width is something you should consider before purchasing an ultrawide display. The 40-inch screen is almost a meter wide (94.1cm), so check it will fit your work space. If you are replacing two 27-inch monitors, even the larger screen will free up desk space while still allowing multiple docs open in the same view.

The stand is just under a foot deep as well, so you’ll need some space for sure. The base is about as wide as a full-size Apple keyboard. It’s one of the best stands we’ve tested, offering both tilt and height adjustment: 10 degrees Up/Down, and 45 degrees Left/Right.

One ultrawide monitor vs two monitors

If you want to boost your screen productivity both ultrawide and dual-monitor setups are viable options, each with their own advantages.

Two side-by-side monitors provide a natural separation if you are managing multiple applications. The pixel density on each of the separate displays is also likely to be better than with one ultrawide screen.

However, with one ultrawide screen there is less of an issue with matching specs, meaning you avoid potential color, brightness, and display quality discrepancies if the two monitors have different specifications. This simplifies the management of display settings compared to a dual monitor setup.

There’s also no bezel gap between the two monitors, and less cable clutter with just one connection between the computer and screen.

Ultrawide monitors also offer the advantage of viewing movies in full size without letterboxing.

Lights, webcam, action

The Edge monitors don’t ship with a built-in webcam—instead Alogic encourages interested customers to pair the monitor with its $149.99 / £119.99 Illuminate USB-C Light Bar that includes a 12-megapixel 4K autofocus webcam.

This lightbar sits on top of the display and is powered via USB-C—most conveniently to one of the spare USB-C slots in the monitor’s hub if you are connected to the computer by USB-C.

The Illuminate Light Bar’s adjustable LEDs and the clever touch-sensitive wireless remote-control dial let you control of your workspace with warm or neutral lighting, including brightness and color temperature. On the lightbar itself you can dim or turn the lights on and off, and adjust color temperature. Alternatively you can use the well-designed remote dial, which looks like as smart home thermostat.

A lightbar on top of your computer allows the light beam to be focused and narrow enough that no light spills glaringly onto the display, but still throws enough light downward to illuminate the desk surface. It can even out the brightness between the screen and your desk, and it does this without taking up precious desk space.

The flexible mount allows you to tilt the angle for the best light and frame your face in the webcam’s view. Because the Edge monitor doesn’t drop on its stand as low as the company’s Clarity monitor does, this leaves a lot of space above your head in the webcam’s frame of view. Alogic explained to me that the stand can’t go as low as Clarity’s due to the internal mechanics. I would therefore prefer a more flexible separate webcam—see our roundup of the best webcams for Mac.

The Illuminate’s webcam includes a neat snap-on magnetic cover to maintain your privacy.

Price

The 34-inch Edge is priced at $799.99 / £699.99, and the 40-inch Edge at $999.99 / £799.99. Compared to buying two displays, this is an affordable price for the screen real estate on offer.

At $549.99, the alternative Monoprice 40-inch Crystal is certainly cheaper, but doesn’t look as great and comes with a more basic, cheap-looking stand.

Alogic would also like to tempt you into buying its $149.99 Illuminate Light Bar, and offers a Bundle that includes the 40-inch Edge, Illuminate USB-C Light Bar, Echelon Keyboard, Apex Mouse, and felt desk mat for $1,099.99 / £969.95 (34″) and $1,299.99 / £1,069.95 (40″).

Should you buy the Alogic Edge Ultrawide QHD Monitor?

With its ultrawide display, the Alogic Edge offers a remarkable amount of convenient and ergonomic working screen space for a single monitor to maximize viewable multitasking apps and documents without the bezel gap and setting complications you get with a dual-monitor setup. Picky creatives may prefer a higher pixel density but for general productivity users the 34- to 40-inch screen is even more spacious than having two monitors side by side.