Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the most affordable 49″ 5120×1440 high refresh rate super-ultrawide monitor for gaming and/or productivity work, the Innocn 49C1R is definitely worth considering.
The Innocn 49C1R is a 49″ 5120×1440 120Hz super-ultrawide curved gaming monitor based on a VA panel with a high contrast ratio, wide color gamut, VRR and HDR support. Let’s see how it compares to similarly priced alternatives.
Image Quality
The Innocn 49C1R uses a 49″ 5120×1440 curved ultrawide panel with a 32:9 aspect ratio. This is basically equivalent to two 27″ 2560×1440 displays side by side, just without the bezels in between.
As a result, you get a very immersive gaming experience with a wider field of view in compatible games, as well as plenty of screen real estate for productivity work.
Apart from video games though, you won’t find other 32:9 compatible content. So, make sure your favorite games support this format. Luckily, most titles work without issues (either natively or via mods), except for some competitive games, such as StarCraft, Overwatch and Valorant.
Next, the monitor uses a VA panel with a high 3,000:1 static contrast ratio, resulting in deep blacks for an immersive viewing experience, especially in dark rooms as there’s no IPS glow associated with IPS panels.
VA panels, on the other hand, don’t have quite as wide viewing angles as IPS displays since there are some minor gamma/saturation shifts at certain angles.
The Innocn 49C1R offers a peak brightness of 320-nits in the SDR mode, which is plenty for a comfortable viewing experience under normal lighting conditions.
Further, it has a wide 95% DCI-P3 color gamut (~125% sRGB volume), which provides extra color vibrancy and although there is over-saturation when viewing sRGB content, most users will prefer the added colors. You’ll also find dedicated sRGB, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color presets if you wish to clamp the gamut.
Performance
The 5120×1440 resolution nicely suits the 49″ sized screen as you get a high pixel density of 108.54 PPI (pixels per inch), meaning that you’ll get sharp details and text.
However, keep in mind that the resolution is almost as demanding as 4K UHD, so you’ll need a powerful GPU to maintain high frame rates.
The Innocn 49C1R uses a VA panel with a slow pixel response time speed, meaning that there will be noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects, especially in dark scenes.
For a lot of users, the amount of ghosting will be tolerable, but if you’re sensitive to VA smearing, you should invest in a faster model.
Input lag, on the other hand, is excellent with below 8ms, which means that there’s no noticeable delay between your actions and the result on the screen.
Additionally, a variable refresh rate is supported with a 48-120Hz range for tear-free gameplay up to 120FPS. Below 48FPS, LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) is triggered to prevent tearing by multiplying the refresh rate (47FPS -> 94Hz).
Features
There are five buttons on the chin beneath the bottom bezel of the screen for navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.
Besides the standard settings (brightness, contrast, color temperature, picture modes, etc.), the Innocn 49C1R also supports Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture, allowing you to display two sources on the screen simultaneously.
Lastly, the Innocn 49C1R supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) with VESA’s entry-level DisplayHDR 400 certification. While you’re getting a small boost in peak brightness to 400-nits, there’s no proper HDR support due to the lack of full-array local dimming (or an OLED panel).
You can get a true HDR monitor in this price range, but it won’t be in the 49″ super-ultrawide form factor, which will cost you at least $1,300 – the Samsung Neo G9.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is quite sturdy and offers a good range of ergonomics, including up to 100mm height adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, -5°/15° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
The screen has a moderate 1800R curvature for added immersion and a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.
Connectivity options are abundant and include DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1*, a USB-C port with DP Alt Mode and 65W Power Delivery, a dual-USB 3.0 hub, a headphone jack, RJ45 and two 3W built-in speakers.
While the HDMI port is advertised as 2.1, it’s limited to 60Hz. This is due to the confusing HDMI 2.1 specification, which made all HDMI 2.0 devices HDMI 2.1 compliant.
So, even though the Innocn 49C1R technically has HDMI 2.1, it’s limited to 5120×1440 60Hz, which was/is the limit of HDMI 2.0. Note that some manufacturers still opt to label these as HDMI 2.0.
The USB-C port is also limited to 60Hz, so you’ll need to use DP 1.4 for the full 5120×1440 120Hz experience, while other ports can still be useful for the PiP/PbP feature.
Price & Similar Monitors
The Innocn 49C1R can be found for as low as $800, which makes it the most affordable 49″ 5120×1440 120Hz+ display.
They also offer the Innocn 49C1G variant, which is one of the cheapest 49″ 3840×1080 144Hz displays available, along with the Acer EI491CRS.
For $50 more, you can sometimes find the ASUS XG49WCR on sale with a higher 165Hz refresh rate and built-in KVM switch.
For gamers after a 49″ super-ultrawide gaming monitor, however, we recommend investing ~$1,000 in the Samsung Odyssey G9 with a faster response time and higher 240Hz refresh rate. It can even be found on sale for $800!
For more options, including HDR and IPS models, check out our dedicated best 32:9 ultrawide monitors buyer’s guide.
Conclusion
All in all, if you’re looking for a 49″ 5120×1440 high refresh rate ultrawide monitor, the Innocn 49C1R is the most affordable model available.
It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as some of the more expensive variants, but it still offers plenty of useful features, immersive image quality and decent performance.
Specifications
| Screen Size | 49-inch |
| Screen Curvature | 1800R |
| Resolution | 5120×1440 (Dual QHD) |
| Panel Type | VA |
| Aspect Ratio | 32:9 (Super-UltraWide) |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Response Time (GtG) | Not specified |
| Speakers | 2x3W |
| Adaptive-Sync | FreeSync (48-120Hz) |
| Ports | DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1*, USB-C* (DP Alt Mode, 65W PD) |
| Other Ports | Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0, RJ45 |
| Brightness | 320 cd/m² |
| Brightness (HDR) | 400 cd/m² |
| Contrast Ratio | 3000:1 (static) |
| Colors | 1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 95% DCI-P3 |
| HDR | VESA DisplayHDR 400 |
| VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- High contrast ratio and pixel density
- Wide color gamut
- Plenty of features including VRR up tp 120Hz
- Ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options, including USB-C with 65W PD
The Cons:
- Minor ghosting in darker scenes in fast-paced games
