We test a 4K gaming monitor from Temu to see how it fares, plus hands-on with the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 and Fitness Boxing 3.
It seems like Temu has exploded in popularity over the last 12 months, as shoppers buy anything from vacuums to slippers and everything in between. One of the more interesting categories however is gaming peripherals, so with an increasing amount of gear available at a far cheaper cost, I was interested to see how a Temu gaming monitor stacked up against the competition.
My testing was conducted with a Gawfolk-branded 4K 32” monitor and from the moment I started unpacking the device out of the box I was surprised with how premium it looked and felt. Bezels have been kept to a respectable minimum and the stand is relatively non-intrusive. I do wish that the stand’s connection to the monitor was a little firmer so it didn’t shake as much from typing on my keyboard, but I was never concerned that it couldn’t support the weight and it did allow for some flex to the left and right. Plus, there’s even some stylish red accents on the rear of the unit to embrace the gamer aesthetic. So far so good, but how would it fare with actual day-to-day use?
Turns out pretty darn well. I’ve been using it as my default monitor for both work and gaming, and both have performed admirably. The 384x IPS display had great clarity and worked well across the Microsoft Office suite and the 32” display made it a breeze for multitasking, like juggling browser windows and Word documents simultaneously.
It does feel like the monitor is more suited for gaming though, so hooking up my Xbox Series X was always going to be the real test, and there was no better trial than Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I’ll admit that at first blush I was initially concerned during my testing, with the sights and surrounds of the Vatican appearing dark and washed out on the monitor’s default settings. Once I realised I had yet to enable HDR though it was a different story entirely. Colours instantly popped and the 60Hz refresh rate was clearly noticeable.
Blacks obviously lack the rich intensity of an OLED panel, but for the price of admission you could do a lot worse. My main gripe is I just wish that you could pump the brightness a little more in HDR mode, as there were moments during a sunny day that I needed to pull my blinds down for better visibility.
Unfortunately, while I did try to attach the monitor to my flexible monitor arm, it wasn’t entirely compatible as the screws of the mount required more depth than the thread of the monitor provided. That meant there was a bit of juggle that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with so went back to the default stand.
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It’s also worth noting that there were 165Hz monitors available for a marginally larger price, but they were quick to sell out. And therein lies the rub with shopping on Temu. Stock will constantly fluctuate as will the price and available discount. If you’re patient you can nab yourself a decent deal, but it also means that just because I enjoyed my experience with this monitor, you might be able to nab this exact model in a week or a month’s time.
It’s also hard to know exactly what you might be buying with confusing labelling. The website for example, lists my monitor as a curved model, while in reality it’s a flat panel. Similarly, the instruction booklet that shipped with my monitor wasn’t actually for my device, meaning I was initially searching for control buttons that were in a completely different area.
Walk in with those expectations and like me you may be pleasantly surprised at what a Temu monitor can offer you. For the $251 asking price, it certainly packs in a hell of a lot of bang for buck.
Also out now…
Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3
Turtle Beach has been pretty busy this year, with both the Atlas Air and Stealth 600 headsets already finding their way onto store shelves. Now the gaming giant is revising yet another member of the family with the Stealth 700 Gen 3 and it’s another solid entry in the line-up.
Turtle Beach has been iterating on the visual design of the Stealth 700 for a while now and this is my favourite iteration yet. The ear cups are flatter and sleeker, allowing for a look that doesn’t just match the updated Stealth 600, but also has similarities to Astro’s offerings as well. It’s a hell of a lot cleaner and screams less “gamer” should that hold some degree of importance. I was especially a fan of the Cobalt Blue colour I tested, with a nice blend of rose gold/copper and navy tinges.
Thankfully that’s not at the expense of structural integrity – with the Stealth 700 still able to feel sturdy on the noggin. The earcups provide good coverage and the addition of a metal hinge at the bottom should help with longevity. My only niggle is that, much like the Stealth 600, the overall clamping pressure on the head is a touch too strong for my preference, making me wish for the lighter touch of Turtle Beach’s own Atlas Air.
The real boon of the Stealth 700 though is the new focus on crossplay via the new CrossPlay wireless system. Here’s how it works: while many headsets tout compatibility with multiple systems, Turtle Beach has taken it one step further by providing two separate dongles. In my example it meant one dongle could be plugged into my Xbox Series X and the other my PS5/PC, allowing me to switch between systems with a simple press of a button on the headset itself. It’s a smart inclusion and avoids annoying dongle management or any kind of shared cabling. Most importantly it just works and the transfer from one system to another feels lightning fast. And as always, should you own both an Xbox and PlayStation, you’ll still want to sick with the Xbox variant of the Stealth 700 – the PlayStation 5 variant breaking its two dongles into PC and PS5.
Most importantly though the Stealth 700 sound excellent. The name of the game here is balance, and it truly feels like Turtle Beach has nailed that here more than recent memory. It means that while you might not have a super bass-heavy performance, there’s an overwhelming clarity – refusing to sacrifice dialogue for explosions, which was truly appreciated.
Add in a flip-to-mute mic that while not removable does stow away neatly, a giant 80-hour battery life, ample on-unit controls and simultaneous wireless/Bluetooth and you’ve got yourself a pretty great deal. If you’re looking for a reliable all-rounder that doesn’t break the bank, the Stealth 700 might be worth looking into.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 is available for $399 from JB Hi-Fi.
Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer (Switch)
It’s been about four years since the release of the last Fitness Boxing game so now is the perfect time to get you perspiring in front of the telly, and it’ll do a pretty good job at it too. Much like the last two games the bulk of your time with this literal heart racer is with the daily workout mode as you work to achieve your ideal fitness goals – be that weight or targeted areas.
From there it’s a matter of unlocking various punches, jabs and uppercuts as you follow the instructions of your virtual trainer while still moving to the beat of original or licenced tracks. With that in mind Fitness Boxing 3 isn’t revolutionising the genre, but I was impressed with how accurately the game was registering my movements, making It more likely for me to stick with it or some other kind of home workout.
For long-time fans there are a few new modes to take a swing at, but perhaps the most important is a new seated mode which seems like a great way to include those with limited mobility but who still desire a bit of a workout.
All in all Fitness Boxing 3 is another solid entry that will return about as much as you put in. If you’re looking for an excuse to get up and off the couch, this could be the motivator you’ve been looking for.
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