[Kogan First] Kogan Infinity 38" WQHD+ 144Hz Curved IPS FreeSync Gaming Monitor $499 Delivered @ Kogan

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scalebearer on 27/01/2025 - 11:58 kogan.com (1456 clicks)
Last edited 27/01/2025 - 13:34 by 2 other users

For people who may have Kogan First for free from their Kogan Black credit card or similar arrangement. Don't bother if you don't. It's a bad deal at $1200.

IPS panel, so good viewing angles at the cost of average contrast (standard 1000:1, may have some IPS glow).

2300R curve, which is on the subtler side. Some who sit close and want a stronger curve may find it too weak.

USB C supports display and charging at the same time (has to be a proper Thunderbolt USB C cable, not any USB charging cable that came with a phone) at 65 watts. Should be enough to slowly charge most laptops, as long as they are not at 100% load all the time.

Resolution is 3840 x 1600 and aspect ratio is 24:10. If you want to play games, this is effectively between 1440p and 4k at 16:9 (~74% of 4k at 16:9). So it may lock you into buying expensive top end GPUs, partially nullifying the $500 price point.

PPI is the same as a 1440p 34/35 inch ultrawide (around 110), but physical size is wider and taller by a few cm.

If you have a 27 inch 16:9 monitor, this is around 1.5 times the width (minus the bezel between the real monitor and imaginary half monitor) and a few extra cm in height.

If you're planning to game on this, make sure to check how your favourite games handle ultrawide resolutions. Some competitive games are even actively hostile to ultrawide and will insist on a 16:9 viewport as standard.

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_of_games_that_support…

If you decide to try using this with a Mac, it may be worth trying BetterDisplay to unlock more options for UI scaling.

https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay

Free version should be more than adequate for most people.

If you're wondering why this is so cheap, it is likely these are B panels from LG's 38 inch ultrawides (the specs are suspiciously similar).

https://www.lg.com/au/monitors/ultrawide/38wn95c-w/

If you don't know what B panels are, these are essentially panels that are functional, but don't pass high enough standards for LG to sell under their own name, so they get sold unbranded for others to stamp their logo on, like Kogan. Maybe the factory colours are a bit off, maximum brightness slightly lower, etc. Should be fully functional, not an excuse for them to not work. Better than throwing them into landfill.

Last of all, if you are feeling FOMO, this monitor has gone on sale for $500 every few months for Kogan First members, so there's no shame in waiting for next time.

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  ChaseTheSun on 27/01/2025 - 12:57

  +12

  love the op's details!

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  tellhimhesdreaming on 27/01/2025 - 13:21

  This seems like a whole lot of monitor - appreciate the write up. My 27" QHD panel has recently started randomly popping up the OSD via ghost touches so I think it's on its last legs. Just need to see one of these monitors in person to see how it looks rather than taking the plunge without.

  • 

    scalebearer on 27/01/2025 - 13:31

    +1

    As I've already said, this is a few cm taller than your existing monitor and ~1.5 the width, minus the bezel between the imaginary half monitor and real monitor.

    Physical size, how close you are sitting to the monitor and how much you have to turn your head are far more important than everything else, IMO. There's no point in having the best technical specs if it doesn't fit on your desk or if you find the head turning too arduous.

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  SpeedAU on 27/01/2025 - 13:56

  great explanation

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  spirrowhack on 27/01/2025 - 14:17

  I took a gamble on a similar one from TaoBao which uses the same panel (I think).

  Cost me $430 shipped, including GST. Just have to wait for ages for the sea shipping.

  Here's the link if anyone is interested:

  https://e.tb.cn/h.TNnULOV5krHLbUv?tk=QUQme4pIvgu

  It was a bit difficult to navigate, so didn't post it here. I had to use screen translate and bumble my way through the menus to choose the 38 inch 144hz one.

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  Sage222 on 27/01/2025 - 15:30

  Must be an lg panel. They are mint. I have the lg one. Maybe these kogans have a slight issue due to the rebranding. Though still should be a great monitor.

  Should be much better than the 3440x1440 ones.

  • 

    ashumz on 27/01/2025 - 17:13

    +1

    I have he LG 38 GL950G and its phenomenal.

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  Silent-BoB on 27/01/2025 - 18:22

  Just snapped up the Nebula 4070ti Super deal and need to upgrade my old 1080p LG 34-inch ultrawide.

  I'm unsure if I should just gamble on this monitor at this price.

  • 

    scalebearer on 27/01/2025 - 18:59

    +1

    Like @Sage222 has already mentioned, it is likely these are LG B panels, so I'd say you have little to worry about.

    I would have to account for at least a few centimetres to height and width compared with your existing 34 inch ultrawide.

    https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=34+vs+38+ultrawide+sid…

    Take a look at some of those photos to gauge for yourself.

    • 

      Silent-BoB on 27/01/2025 - 19:30

      Thanks, space isn't so much an issue, I have a very large desk and my LG is currently on a monitor arm that apparently has a 9kg limit so that shouldn't be a problem for the Kogan either.

      I just keep going back and forth between a 4k monitor for work (I'll also be plugging my work laptop into the monitor) and a 1440p monitor for gaming, but I am a very casual gamer at the moment mostly just using my PS5. The new system may change that, however. At $500 though for a 38-inch IPS ultrawide almost feels too good to pass up 🤣

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  Japius on 27/01/2025 - 18:43

  Waiting for decent 49” price drop but if my two 32” weren’t still going strong I’d grab this deal

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  Saaaaaad on 27/01/2025 - 22:21

  Is the 34" price bad? I was personally after a 34" as I don't intend to go over 1440p for gaming. I also have a 27" monitor that I intend to keep using as a second monitor (or in the off chance a game doesn't support ultrawide) and figure it'll line up in height.

  • 

    scalebearer on 27/01/2025 - 22:36

    If you clicked on the 34 inch from the 38 inch page, that one is a VA panel and has a more aggressive curve. It is positioned similarly to the 38 inch, but is different.

    Having a look over Kogan's monitor range, most of their 34 inch ultrawides seem to be VA panels.

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  jaysea97 on 28/01/2025 - 22:23

  Are B panels more likely to have dead pixels?

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  Sarquiss on 29/01/2025 - 00:03

  Great post OP - lots of great details. I’ve been looking for a 38” Ultrawide for a reasonable price, however unsure about Kogan

  Has anyone actually used this screen? Would love to hear first hand thoughts on this monitor

  • 

    scalebearer on 30/01/2025 - 14:24

    https://www.reddit.com/r/bapcsalesaustralia/comments/1hmxexq…

    TL;DR

    Core monitor itself is okay, but all the add-ons like the included speakers are terrible (How else to hit this price point?)

    Only real defect is a buzzing sound when they initially turn it on from a cold start. Resolving this with Kogan support seems to be arduous because support either doesn't respond or they don't know what they're talking about.

    • 

      Sarquiss on 30/01/2025 - 18:17

      Appreciate the reply - I wouldn’t use the speakers but keen to see how Kogan resolve the buzzing sound. Don’t want to jump through hoops to get support :(

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  Silent-BoB on 30/01/2025 - 23:23

  Decided I'd give it a crack and ordered one. Be interesting to see the quality at this price point, but expecting it to be a decent upgrade on my current LG monitor regardless.

  • 

    thrillho556 on 02/02/2025 - 13:23

    +1

    Please let us know what you think when you get it! On the fence about ordering one. The brightness and lack of HDR mentioned is really the only thing holding me back.

    • 

      Silent-BoB on 03/02/2025 - 13:46

      Will do. HDR wasn't a real issue for me given that its an IPS panel without any kind of local dimming. HDR will have limited impact for the added cost.

    • 

      Silent-BoB on 13/02/2025 - 16:50

      +1

      It only arrived on Monday and I've been flat out with work but have it all set up. For the price, I am really impressed. No stuck/dead pixels that I've seen so far. Only quickly fired up Shadow of the Tombraider and looks fine for gaming too.

      Working from home today though and have to say it's great for productivity after installing fancy zones. Need to play with it a bit more to get it set up properly but more than happy with the purchase.

      • 

        Daffan on 21/02/2025 - 14:03

        does g-sync work on it or only free sync

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  Spun on 02/02/2025 - 07:26

  Thanks OP. I've ordered one of the TechFast 5080 builds, and previously only had a 4K 60Hz monitor which wasn't going to cut it.

  I didn't want to spend huge dollars on a new monitor, so until I saw your post I was considering a 32" 1440p panel (and was close to grabbing the KTC 32" 180Hz VA model at ~$300).

  My only problem with this is I now have to rearrange the mancave to make the desk real-estate work. I'm not fitting this and the existing 4K monitor side-by-side :-(

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  jiancoek on 04/02/2025 - 22:07

  Is it worth to get extended warranty for this ?

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  D1Vad on 07/02/2025 - 15:31

  Anyone able to do 3840x1600 @120hz on USB-C?

  I am using a USB-C 3.2 gen 2x2 cable and it only shows 75hz

  • 

    scalebearer on 07/02/2025 - 16:16

    +2

    From a quick Google, USB C 3.2 gen 2x2 only has 20 Gbps, 10 in each direction.

    Another quick Google says that 4k at 60Hz is 16 Gbps. We already know that 3840 x 1600 is ~74% of 4k.

    So for 3840 x 1600 at 120Hz, would require ~24 Gbps and 144Hz would require 10% more than that.

    Your cable doesn't have anywhere near the sufficient bandwidth for this monitor.

    You would be better served if you bought a Thunderbolt 4 or 5 cable from AliExpress.
    Thunderbolt 5 in particular has 80 Gbps of bandwidth.
    The cables are more expensive and shorter than lower tier cables for obvious reasons.

    • 

      D1Vad on 08/02/2025 - 12:17

      Makes sense thanks.

      Manual says nothing about thunderbolt, so doubt it would help. I reckon 75Hz is gonna be max on USB-C as it ssys this for other ports

      HDMI: 3840 x 1600@60Hz-85Hz
      DP: 3840 x 1600@60Hz-144Hz

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  Satirical on 08/02/2025 - 23:48

  Has this shipped and picked up for anyone?

  • 

    Silent-BoB on 09/02/2025 - 16:41

    Mine shipped last Friday but AusPost taking an age to deliver it to WA. I should get it in the next day or two

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  berko_max on 20/02/2025 - 11:11

  Seeing if anyone got one, and thoughts? Was looking at LG 34" wide, but thinking this instead.

  Wondering colour quality. Had a kogan tv before, and colours weren't the best. Hoping monitors are better?

  • 

    scalebearer on 20/02/2025 - 11:37

    +1

    Try messaging @Silent-BoB. He's been using it for around a week now.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/16260442/redir

    Also worth noting that the price has gone up and you should wait for the next big sale on Kogan.com.

    If you're going to buy a monitor using B panel stock, you should at least get it for as cheap as possible.

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  Spun on 24/02/2025 - 06:34

  Update to mine, which I've been using for a little under 2 weeks now. It has just developed a green stuck pixel in a central part of the screen. Definitely wasn't present when I first got the screen, so it means it has appeared literally overnight.

  I've submitted a to Kogan support, so hopefully they come up with a good resolution. I know people bash Kogan for their support, but I've always had good experiences, so I'm hopeful that this isn't the case that changes my mind.

  For what it is worth, up until now I was very happy with the screen. For what you're getting for $500 it is a bargain (if it doesn't start shedding pixels ;-)).