Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – specification
Panoramic monitors are nothing new, we’ve all probably gotten used to 16:9 aspect ratio displays, which we have in both monitors and TVs. However, there are monitors on the market with even more horizontally stretched sizes, which even exceed cinema proportions (21:9). I had the opportunity to test such a monitor – Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN has a display with a diagonal of 45 inches in 32:9 proportions, which means that its working surface is equivalent to two traditional 27-inch monitors with a resolution of 1440p. This model is also curved and offers a refresh rate of 165 Hz, which will probably appeal to those who would like to use it for games. Unfortunately, with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels, you have to take care of a sufficiently powerful graphics card. The specification looks quite impressive, so let’s see how it works in practice.
| Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN | |
| Diagonal | 45 inches |
| Resolution | 5120 x 1440 pixels (DQHD) |
| Matrix type | VA, LED, matte |
| Screen type | Curved |
| Contrast | 3000:1 |
| Image format | 32:9 |
| Refreshing | 165Hz |
| Response time | 0.8ms |
| Brightness | 450 cd/m2 |
| Additional | FreeSync Premium |
| FlickerFree | |
| Low Blue Light | |
| USB-C dock (PD 90W, LAN) | |
| Built-in speakers 2x 3W | |
| Ports | 2xHDMI |
| 1x DisplayPort | |
| 3x USB 3.2, 1x USB-C | |
| Dimensions | 1090 x 539 x 275mm |
| Price | 3199 PLN (May 2024) |
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – photos
Iiyama does not hide the fact that it has created the monitor primarily with gamers in mind, which is what it says about its Red Eagle series. However, it is by no means flashy, it does not emanate RGB lights, does not have a backlit manufacturer’s logo and looks quite normal, apart from its enormous size. The stand that holds it horizontally and provides tilt and height adjustment is also quite large. Its base is of a good size, which unfortunately protrudes slightly in front of the monitor itself and may be a bit of a nuisance when placed on a narrow desk.
There are no major surprises at the back either, the G-Master by iiyama logo dominates everything, which means it belongs to the gamer series, and under it there is a large ventilation hole ensuring proper cooling of the components. All the input/output ports and power are located at the bottom, and their list is quite large because we even have a built-in KVM here, allowing you to connect, for example, two computers at the same time and conveniently switch between them.
The manufacturer does not provide any information about the radius of curvature in its materials (or I could not find this information), but it is quite large, which should not be surprising given such a diagonal. It is difficult to take in the whole thing at once from a distance of one meter, which is typical for my desk, but this curvature actually helps a bit. The workspace offered by this monitor is equivalent to two 27-inch monitors with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, so it offers quite a lot, but working with one monitor requires some getting used to, at least in terms of convenient arrangement of application windows.
In addition to the monitor, we also got the aforementioned base, which is stable, but also takes up a lot of space. The included cabling is also a plus. The package includes a Display Port and HDMI cable, USB-C for connecting a laptop, for example, and USB Type-A to USB Type-B for connecting a USB hub with 3.2 ports. There is also, of course, a power cable. Installing the base is incredibly simple, we screw it to the arm, which then just needs to be placed in the right place on the back of the monitor and pressed. The lock clicks into place and we can now conveniently pull the monitor out of the box and place it on the desk. Disassembly is just as simple, just press the lock release button.
As you have probably already seen in the table, the monitor is equipped with 2 HDMI ports and 1x DisplayPort, and a USB-C port, which acts as a hub. Through it, we can not only send the image to the monitor (e.g. from a laptop) but also power our computer (Power Deliver 90W) and connect it to the LAN (built-in port next to it). The monitor is also equipped with a typical USB hub, but it is more suitable only for connecting e.g. dongles for a wireless keyboard/mouse/headphones than for everyday use, because the location of the ports is highly debatable. There is also a headphone output at the end, and the monitor itself also has built-in speakers, which are better not to use ;-).
Iiyama boasts that the G-Master GCB4580DQSN has almost invisible bezels, but unfortunately this is just an illusion. After the first start-up, it is clearly visible that the bezels are not that thin. Yes, the external plastic casing is very narrow, but the panel itself has a border of about a centimeter. This is not a big problem, but since it was supposed to be frameless, it feels a bit cheated.
However, this does not change the fact that the monitor itself makes a great impression on the desk, especially if we manage to find the right video material to display. In terms of functionality, it is also difficult to fault it, the built-in KVM, Power Delivery 90 W via USB-C and support for LAN ports make it basically everything we need on the desk, apart from, for example, a portable computer.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – OSD
The OSD (On Screen Display) menu is rather standard and convenient to use, and importantly, it is available in Polish. With its help, we can quickly adjust the brightness, contrast, color temperature and a number of other parameters that are useful when you want to adjust the displayed image to suit you. We have 4 inputs to choose from and a PbP mode, which allows you to display images from two different computers at the same time. In general, you can’t complain about the number of available options.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – Screen Measurements
The matrix parameter measurement (using X-Rite i1Display Pro) was performed after calibration, and you can assess the effects in the image below. What is worth appreciating is the fact that the contrast is high, the manufacturer states 3000:1 and although in practice only 2871:1 was achieved, it is still a pretty good result. What’s more, the monitor is pretty well calibrated at the factory, the standard color temperature setting of 6500K was very close to these values. After calibration, it is even better, so a big plus for that.
As the measurements show, the monitor covers 100% of the sRGB gamut, 81.5% of the AdobeRGB gamut, and 90.9% of the DCI P3 space. These are more than good results.
I was only slightly disappointed by the maximum brightness; the manufacturer declares 450 nits, but my measurements show that it is closer to 400. On the plus side, it is worth noting the uniformity of this backlight, which, despite the large surface area, does not fluctuate by more than 5%. This is a very good result, which is also confirmed by my optical observation.
Finally, two more photos with a white and black image displayed on the monitor. This also shows that the backlight uniformity is quite good, only on the very edges on the sides you can see that it is noticeably darker.
With black color, 4 spots with blooming effect are striking, the diodes illuminating the screen shine through the matrix and on dark scenes it can be a bit irritating. Viewing angles are quite good, I have no major reservations about them, and in the case of curved screens it is often different.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – user experience
Switching from a 16:9 monitor to a 32:9 monitor is a huge shock, but to be honest, you can get used to this change. It’s all a matter of changing your approach and learning to work with two windows on one monitor, treating it de facto as two separate monitors. This is very convenient, although window management in Windows 10 could be better adapted to such monitors. The curvature doesn’t really bother you, until you start editing photos, for example, which become concave. It’s a bit irritating and throughout the entire testing period I felt discomfort, which was a bit irritating at times. It’s also worth noting that despite the same resolution, the 27-inch, 16:9 monitor offers a slightly larger physical image height, which may be important for people with visual impairments.
The Iiyama-GCB4580DQSN is primarily designed for consuming multimedia, especially in the cinema format, which often turns out to be insufficient. Watching movies is very pleasant, although I personally scaled the image by stretching it vertically and leaving black bars on the sides. In the case of series or YouTube, you have to do the same, which means that a lot of space is wasted. Consuming content on the Internet is convenient, although as I mentioned, rather in two parallel windows than in one, because currently websites are adapted to vertical reading thanks to smartphones.
There are a few 32:9 movies online, and that’s when this monitor really shines, and watching a panoramic image is a real pleasure. Unfortunately, there’s not much of that kind of material, and I think the 21:9 format is a bit more functional in this case.
In the OSD we will find the option of a low blue light emission image, which in practice makes the display “warmer”. This gives a similar effect to the night mode in Windows 10/11 or in smartphones. I did not notice or feel a big difference, so I prefer to use the software solution.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – gaming behavior
The Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN has a refresh rate of 165 Hz in theory, but thanks to the support of FreeSync Premium technology, it can actually work in the range from 48 Hz to 165 Hz. Thanks to this, the refresh rate in games adapts to the number of frames displayed, which reduces the effect of tearing (stuttering) and increases the fluidity of the game. The game in 32:9 aspect ratio makes a great impression, but not all games support such resolutions. Where it is possible, however, it is worth using it because the sensations are difficult to describe. In such applications, this monitor really shines.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – power consumption
Power consumption is probably a parameter that no one pays attention to, but I didn’t hesitate to check how it looks in practice with this size of matrix. The maximum I managed to record was about 58 W with the backlight set to 100 in the OSD, which gives a brightness of 400 cd/m2. With the brightness slider set to 50%, the consumption drops to 37 W, and at 160 cd/m2 (30/100), which I consider the ideal value, we have slightly below 30 W. Thanks to the use of LED diodes, these are not high values, which is probably important, since we will have more electricity price increases from July.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN – summary
The Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN is undoubtedly a very good monitor, not only for gamers, but also for work. In the latter case, however, it requires a change of habits and better management of windows in the system, which probably will not come naturally to everyone. The VA matrix has its advantages, especially high contrast and great black, as well as good color coverage. It only becomes problematic at certain angles, but in this model it was not so bothersome. A big plus is the 165 Hz refresh rate and support for FreeSync Premium technology with adaptive refresh, as well as the number of available ports. The Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN is a monitor that can be recommended with a clear conscience, for just over PLN 3,000 it is a very good proposition that should satisfy both gamers and people looking for one monitor for work.
Iiyama G-Master GCB4580DQSN
Approximate price: ~3199 PLN
