It's not every day you see an OLED ultrawide monitor on sale for nearly half the original price, but that's the case thanks to a clearance listing at Walmart.
Acer's Predator X45 is a monitor designed for PC gaming purists who want the best color and contrast possible, all while enjoying a much wider aspect ratio.
I've been using an ultrawide monitor for PC gaming for years, and I won't ever go back to a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. The difference is that big.
With $694.90 slashed off the regular price, you can pick up the curved 45-inch Predator X45 for just $905.09 at Walmart.
Because it's a clearance listing, I have no idea how long it will be live. If you've been waiting for a screen upgrade, I urge you to give this one a look.
Why I recommend upgrading to an OLED gaming monitor
I mentioned that I've been gaming on an ultrawide monitor for years, and I noted that I won't be going back to a standard 16:9 aspect ratio anytime soon.
The combination of a gentle curve and the extra-wide picture is the best possible way to immerse yourself in a game (barring the use of a VR headset), and anything else eventually starts to look silly in comparison.
While I'm not moving away from an ultrawide anytime soon, I do intend to make the upgrade to an OLED panel.
The ultrawide monitor I'm using now has an IPS panel, and while it provides a decent picture, OLED tech is miles ahead.
Now that I've tested and used a few OLED panels for work, it's getting harder to not have one for after-hours PC gaming.
A big deterrent to an OLED display is the raised cost. The "Organic Light Emitting Diode" tech has been around since the late '80s, but it's only really come into its own in recent years.
Instead of relying on a backlight — which can cause light bleed along the edges and washed dark tones — OLED allows each individual LED to light up when it receives current.
It's a more complicated technology, thus the elevated price, but it pays off with exceptionally vibrant color, deep blacks, and crisp detail.
Once you go OLED, it's hard to look at anything else without noticing the difference in picture quality.
What makes the Predator X45 so good?
Acer's Predator X45 is a monster ultrawide laptop with a 44.5-inch curved panel stacked with impressive specs. It's great to use as a gaming monitor or as your main TV.
The stretched 3440x1440 resolution means you're getting a wider version of QHD, which is the sweet spot for many a gamer. Its 240Hz refresh rate has plenty of ceiling to accommodate the most powerful GPUs on the market.
It's capable of hitting up to 1,000 nits brightness and has HDR10 support, plus AMD FreeSync Premium smooths out frames. Yes, it'll work with both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.
Ports are plentiful, though it lacks HDMI 2.0. In most cases, the DisplayPort 1.4 hookup will be the right choice anyway. It also has dual 5W speakers should you want to skip a gaming headset.
A USB-C port with 90W of power delivery allows you to charge laptops or power other peripherals. A KVM switch makes it easy to swap between inputs.
This is a massive display, but you don't have to rely on the built-in stand, which takes up space on your desk. VESA 200 x 100 compatibility means you can mount it to the wall or to a desk-attached stand.
I wouldn't normally recommend this gaming monitor to the average PC gamer due to its price, but the clearance discount at Walmart is too good to ignore.
If you're interested, you can — while the sale lasts — pick it up for $905.09, which is $694.90 off the regular price.
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