Let me start the conclusion by saying that after over two months of everyday usage, I can wholeheartedly recommend the INNOCN 40C1R. It's a great monitor for gaming, as well as every other task you might want to use it for, including more demanding stuff, like photo and video editing. The latter especially comes into play after conducting a hardware calibration of the panel, which results in excellent color accuracy and nearly ideal gamma tracking. The less-than-stellar uncalibrated gamma handling is the weakest aspect of the 40C1R. There really isn't much you can do to fully address it, although I did mention a couple of decent solutions in the picture quality section of this review.

Aside from that, everything else relating to the picture quality of the 40C1R is commendable. I was particularly pleasantly surprised by its backlight and color uniformity, as well as contrast stability; this is a common Achilles heel of very large panels as this one, especially edge-lit ones. The contrast ratio is above-average for an IPS-type panel, as is the brightness. Although you can't hit the specified 500 cd/m² brightness when using "normal" picture profiles, you still have a wide brightness range at your disposal, which is very handy when using the monitor in bright rooms.

Gaming performance of the INNOCN 40C1R is excellent. With low input lag, good motion handling, and seamless AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC support, the panel feels responsive, and the action is buttery smooth. Of course, the 40-inch ultrawide diagonal does wonders for immersion as the screen will completely fill your peripheral vision from a normal sitting distance.

In terms of using the 40C1R for work, the massive ultrawide panel makes multitasking thoroughly enjoyable. Any kind of work involving tables or timelines is an order of magnitude easier and more comfortable than on a regular 16:9 monitor. I also love that 40C1R delivers up to 90 W of power through its USB Type-C interface. However, the complete absence of USB Type-A ports is baffling as they would greatly improve the overall "productivity" aspect of the monitor, turning it into a handy laptop docking station. Oh well, I guess you can't have it all.

The only remaining detail worth considering before purchasing the INNOCN 40C1R is the complete flatness of its massive 40-inch panel. Even though I did manage to get used to it after using the monitor for about a month, I would still prefer a gentle 1500R or 1800R curve, which would undoubtedly make the overall viewing experience more natural. If you can live with it, the 40C1R is an excellent choice for a gaming or work monitor whose $600/€640 price tag seems very reasonable considering everything you're getting for the money.