Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Deals
Two minute review
When a gaming monitor reaches 43 inches, you might be wondering why you wouldn't buy a TV instead - the larger models are much cheaper than that after all. It's a question we've been slow to answer, but the Gigabyte Aorus FV43U certainly offers things that most monitors can't and standard TVs struggle with.
Sitting next to this monster initially feels like a mischievous two-year-old watching TV too closely. For office applications in particular, you will need to turn your head from side to side and up and down to see from one end to the other. The 3840 x 2160 resolution is sharp enough for normal office work, but perfect.
The lower than normal pixel density means you may see pixelation in the letters where you shouldn't if you don't get the Windows scaling settings correct. To be honest, this wasn't ideal for long work, as constant head movement puts a strain on the neck, shoulders and eyes. However, there have been times when simultaneously streaming multiple fully open documents to one screen has become a productivity boost.
Other than that, the fact that it's a gaming monitor means that it lives and dies by its gaming performance. The colors generated by the quantum dots are vivid and vibrant. A 144Hz refresh rate (with 1ms MPRT) keeps movement smooth in fast and frantic shooters and this is enhanced with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to stop graphic tearing. There is also ALLM (automatic low latency mode) which indicates on the screen that a console is connected and requires a low latency connection.
Banks of backlit LEDs, meanwhile, can put out 1,000 nits of brightness (and the heat that follows!), making HDR-enabled games look phenomenal - maybe even a little too bright if you're sitting, too close. when everything lights up completely. 10-bit color helps ensure that color gradients are smooth, although we did notice banding appearing in monochrome gradients.
It also has decent technical performance: it covers 97% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and each unit comes factory calibrated. Ultimately, gaming and media is mind blowing... whenever you sit away from the screen.
The built-in speakers are very impressive - they're very loud and offer good overall fidelity with punchy bass. Game features include a black equalizer to reveal enemies hidden in the shadows; crosshair on the screen; Picture-in-Picture and complex color controls.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
- Gigabyte Aorus FV43U (black) at Amazon for € 1,049.99
Price and release date
Gigabyte announced the Aorus FV43U gaming monitor in April 2021, and it is now available in most markets for € 1,100 / € 1,000 / AU € 1,699.
Integrated
In terms of appearance, the Aorus FV43U is more like a TV, and rather clunky at that. The thick black plastic bezel may have subtle hints of a brushed design, but if you're expecting the flashing lights and design flourishes seen on many high-end gaming monitors, you're out of luck. On the contrary, it seems that the background is where the attention of the designers has been focused, although it is likely that not many people will see them. The two forked legs don't allow for any adjustment, but to be fair, you're not going to tilt multiple monitors or swivel, swivel, and swivel such a large monitor for fear of hurting someone. Unlike many modern TVs, it's also quite thick. However, this is to house the banks of mini-LED matrixes that enable precise backlighting in the form of very high contrast and proper high dynamic range imaging. Just keep in mind that when everyone is shooting, the screen gets hot (mostly at the top), which is a common problem with this technology. An IR receiver bolted to the base of the display allows the included IR remote to operate. There's also a nub-shaped joystick button that will enable OSD navigation when you've misplaced the little black remote. While the OSD driven by these inputs is nicely presented, it's not the most intuitive to use, nor does it offer the most refined graphics and labels with everything looking loud, pixelated, and crude. This makes you feel like you're half-baked rather than an rendition of an '80s graphic throwback. However, we can't fault the accuracy of the features when on. The location of the ports is a major issue. The power cord connects to the left of the display, while the computer cables connect to the right. If you run all the cables at once, they won't look very neat unless you find a way to tie them together behind the screen; there's no cable management system like you'd find on any decent TV or monitor. Also, unless you have long, high-quality computer cables running all the way to the right side of the screen, you probably won't be able to place your computer (or console) on the left, especially if your computer is on the floor and monitor it's on a desk.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
Features
The Aorus FV43U packs plenty of gaming features, many of which are just starting to appear on high-end TVs. Black EQ is a feature that negates image quality and contrast to help reveal enemies lurking in the shadows. Aim Stabilizer Sync is an interesting piece of technology that, according to Gigabyte, “is capable of both motion blur reduction and V-Sync technology at the same time… dramatically improving your target FPS! The word "greatly" is a bit of an exaggeration. There are a variety of on-screen reticles to choose from, these are especially useful in Call of Duty Hardcore mode when you only have one Iron Site available. There is a picture-in-picture mode which is useful if you want to play a game while simultaneously watching an introductory video. There are complex color controls (six axes) that let you adjust red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow, as well as a number of presets. There's even a handy KVM feature that lets you connect a single keyboard and mouse to the monitor and have it act as an input hub for other devices using the USB-C port. Finally, there are plenty of display options, including countdowns, timers, hardware information, and technical display details.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
Connectivity
All computer (and console) connectivity appears on the right side of the screen. There is a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB-A 3.0, USB-B, USC-C, two 3,5mm audio jacks, and an infrared remote control. HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-B cables are included.
The Aorus FV43U's screen is technically matte, so it's not as glossy as a regular TV, but it's not as good at reflecting glare and eliminating glare as some monitors. Still, this is only really a problem when a screen gets really dark and you end up staring at yourself. In this sense alone, it will appeal to some buyers: lackluster big screen displays are hard to come by and this may be a key reason to choose a large gaming monitor over a TV. We found that office work was better if we chose a quadrant and followed it. With the right magnification, text and spreadsheets were usable and it was nice to be able to have secondary apps at a glance elsewhere on the screen. However, looking around us regularly strains our necks and overtires our eyes. But, once we got to the heart of the matter, it was fine. We also found that it was best to work with the energy efficient “Green” picture preset, as everything else got really bright very quickly. Having a VA panel with Quantum Dot technology suggests colors will be vibrant and viewing angles better than average and we can't disagree. While the color inversion does show up when looking sideways (more so than decent TVs), it's not the screen size that many people are likely to lump together. The 144Hz refresh rate keeps motion smooth for fast and frenetic gaming, while ghosting and motion blur are prevented with a 1ms Motion Picture Response Time (MPRT) rating.
(Image credit: TechRadar) While TVs are continually improving to meet the needs of gamers, they typically don't go above 120Hz and cost a fortune. This is another reason to choose a gaming monitor over a TV, especially for PC users. Other console-friendly performance enhancements come in the form of ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) which indicates on screen that a console is connected and requires a low latency connection, as well as VRR (Auto Low Latency Mode). variable refresh rate) to stop graphic tearing. These tend to be TV-oriented features for consoles and aren't always found on gaming monitors. It should be noted that neither FreeSync nor G-Sync is supported on the Aorus FV43U, so it's a bit strange for a gaming monitor. We've been disappointed in the watered down versions of HDR that manufacturers claim their products support lately. However, the (unspecified number) of banks of backlit LEDs can output a maximum brightness of 1000 nits, leaving you (and your corneas) under any illusions that the Aorus FV10U's HDR43 functionality is real and that HDR-compatible games they look terrific. Far Cry 5 looked especially beautiful on a walk in the woods or in a candlelit church. However, when the drugged sister appeared and the screen flashed to her full brightness, she reminded us that sitting nearby when we play is not a good idea. Elsewhere, 10-bit color helps ensure that color gradients are smooth, although we did notice banding appearing in monochrome gradients. It's also decent technical performance: it covers 97% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and each unit is factory calibrated and comes with a printed report.
(Image credit: TechRadar) The contrast is also impressive with some slight bleed from "halo effects"...