Connectivity

In terms of video inputs, the Gigabyte M34WQ is equipped with a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB Type-C port. The M32U uses HDMI 2.1 ports, which are absent in this case, most likely to less-than-stellar gaming console support for ultrawide monitors and screen resolutions. If you're after a gaming monitor you'd combine with both your PC and console, you're still best off aiming for a traditional Full HD or 4K widescreen (16:9) unit.


The USB Type-C port is more than just an ordinary video input. It is also used to transfer data between your PC and devices plugged into the three USB 3.0 Type-A ports next to it, as well as power delivery for USB-C-equipped laptops. Unfortunately, its power delivery is limited to a mere 15 watts, which isn't enough to cover the power draw of a higher-end laptop, at least not while it's doing anything more demanding. Even so, the M34WQ can in a way still act as a laptop docking station. Combining it with a laptop boils down to connecting a single USB-C cable, which will extend your desktop, enable the use of any peripherals and external drives connected to the monitor, and charge or maintain the capacity of the laptop's battery.


Should your computer not have a USB-C port, you can still use the monitor's integrated 2-port USB 3.0 hub by utilizing its USB 3.0 Type-B upstream port and connecting it to a regular USB Type-A port on your PC. These two upstream ports (USB Type-C and USB Type-B) also let you connect the monitor to two computers at once and seamlessly switch between them with a single set of peripherals. Let's say your work machine is a USB-C laptop and you're also using a standard desktop PC for entertainment. You'll connect your laptop to the Gigabyte M34WQ with a USB Type-C cable and your home PC with a regular USB Type-B to USB Type-A cable, and a DisplayPort or HDMI video cable. Finally, you'll connect your keyboard and mouse to the USB 3.0 ports on the monitor. After doing so, just press the KVM button on the back of the monitor to switch the video input and connected peripherals between the two connected computers. I find it strange that the M34WQ has one USB 3.0 port less than the physically smaller M32U, but it is what it is.


The last in line is a 3.5-millimeter audio output you can use to route the sound to your headphones.

Power Consumption

The power supply unit is integrated, so there's no external power brick we need to deal with. A simple IEC power cable will be enough to power the Gigabyte M34WQ.

I used the Brennenstuhl PM 231 E power meter to determine the power consumption of the monitor at various brightness levels, as well as in Power Saving mode, which it enters as soon as the PC goes to sleep. My power consumption measurements are summed up in the chart below. They've been made after resetting the monitor to factory defaults.



Power consumption of the Gigabyte M34WQ is in line with what we'd expect from a 34-inch ultrawide monitor. The graph also shows us the minimum and maximum achievable SDR brightness (59 and 369 cd/m²), and that the brightness adjustment scale is anything but linear. Brightness rises slowly at first, but gains over 130 cd/m² actual brightness from 75 to 100 in the OSD. In other words, when adjusting it past the 75 mark, small steps will noticeably increase screen brightness.