Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM review: A super-sized and razor sharp display

Price When Reviewed

$1,299

Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM

$1299

2024 seems to be like a superb time to purchase a monitor — and much more so if you need a 32-inch show. The newest 4K 32-inch QD-OLED screens, such because the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM, provide top-tier picture high quality with few downsides. Asus’ entry doesn’t attain the HDR heights supplied by Alienware however fights again with USB-C connectivity.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to find out about competing merchandise.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM specs and options

The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM’s specs may not really feel acquainted but, however they’ll quickly. It makes use of a brand new 32-inch 4K QD-OLED panel produced by Samsung that may roll out extensively to quite a few manufacturers via 2024. Alienware beat Asus to market with its AW3225QF, however the two screens are equivalent in measurement, decision, and refresh price. They additionally share many options.

• Display measurement: 31.5-inch
• Native decision: 3840×2160
• Panel kind: OLED
• Refresh price: 240Hz
• Adaptive sync: VESA Adaptive Sync 240, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible
• HDR: HDR10, VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black Certified
• Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB 3.2 with 90 watts Power Delivery, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x 3.5mm audio-out, 1x SPDIF optical out
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: None
• Price: $1,299 MSRP

Still, there are a number of highlights to say. Asus affords a USB-C enter with DisplayPort and 90 watts of Power Delivery. USB-C shouldn’t be unusual in 2024, but in addition stays considerably uncommon amongst gaming screens. The Asus additionally has official AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync assist, whereas many opponents stick to at least one or the opposite.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM design

The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is a severe monitor with a darkish obsidian exterior and an angular, stealthy design. It’s clearly meant for gaming, but its model ensures it wouldn’t be misplaced in a extra skilled setting, corresponding to a house workplace or a video manufacturing studio.

The monitor exudes a premium really feel due to high-quality plastics and an especially skinny OLED panel that’s accentuated by the monitor’s skinny mainboard and I/O panel. The result’s a slim profile that appears fashionable. It’s not curved, both, which I want. I cherished the Alienware AW3225QF’s picture high quality, however I don’t like curved shows, so the PG32UCDM will get my vote right here. The monitor affords engaging, well-executed LED accent lighting when you’d want extra aptitude, however the function could be turned off, and leaving it off doesn’t make the monitor look uninteresting or boring.

Unfortunately, I do have a number of complaints about Asus’ stand. It opts for a large stand that’s almost as broad because the monitor itself. It’s additionally moderately deep, owing to a 3rd shortened leg on the rear aspect of the stand. The result’s a stand that takes up fairly a little bit of house in your desk. It doesn’t sit flush with the rear fringe of your desk, both, however as an alternative should be positioned a number of inches ahead, which is problematic in case your desk is shallow.

Aside from these points, the stand is sturdy and affords a variety of ergonomic changes. I additionally discovered that adjusting the monitor didn’t require an excessive amount of drive, which is all the time a plus. A 100x100mm VESA mount is obtainable for attaching a third-party stand or monitor arm.

Matt Smith / Foundry

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM connectivity and menus

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCM boasts a superb choice of fashionable connectivity. This consists of one USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and as much as 90 watts of Power Delivery. Additionally, it includes a DisplayPort 1.4 port and HDMI 2.1.

That’s a complete of 4 video inputs that cowl a broad vary of gadgets a gamer would possibly need to join. It’s potential to attach a laptop computer PC, a desktop PC, and two sport consoles concurrently, and for all of those related gadgets to entry the show’s most decision and refresh price.

The monitor additionally consists of three USB-A downstream ports, a beneficiant choice that permits players to simply join wired peripherals. However, some opponents, just like the Alienware AW3225QF, provide a further USB-C downstream port, which is good to have now that many wired peripherals are transitioning to USB-C.

You’ll management the monitor’s options and choices with a joystick positioned in the course of the monitor’s decrease bezel. It’s intuitive and simple to make use of due to Asus’ well-labeled menu choices. These choices span all kinds of picture high quality changes, together with colour house and colour calibration, colour temperature, and gamma. Asus additionally gives a number of HDR modes, together with one that permits brightness management in HDR, a function many screens lack.

Matt Smith / Foundry

I additionally need to name out two particular options.

The first is Asus’ brightness limiter, which is turned off by default, however can be utilized to average fluctuations and brightness brought on by the OLED panel. OLED panels are normally dimmer after they show giant shiny pictures than when displaying small, shiny pictures, and this fluctuation can show distracting. The brightness limiter does cut back the monitor’s most brightness barely, however it may be preferable when engaged on the Windows desktop.

Asus additionally affords side ratio management, a function that may restrict the usable show house to 24.5 inches or 27 inches. That could seem unusual, but it surely is sensible for aggressive players who need to obtain the very best refresh charges and preserve the complete seen picture throughout the heart of their view. Players who solely take pleasure in aggressive video games would be better off with a 24.5-inch monitor with a higher refresh rate, but it surely’s a helpful possibility for individuals who take pleasure in each Civilization VI and Counter-Strike, and wish one monitor for each.

The PG32UCDM doesn’t have audio system but it surely does present each 3.5mm audio and SPDIF output. The latter is an fascinating rarity amongst screens, although additionally discovered on the Alienware AW3225QF, which throws in eARC for good measure. SPDIF is an effective way to attach an exterior soundbar or a receiver, which could be fascinating if utilizing the AW3225QF like a tv in a smaller house.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM SDR picture high quality

The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is a part of a brand new technology of 4K 240Hz QD-OLED show panels. It represents a lift in decision over earlier QD-OLED screens whereas retaining the excessive refresh charges OLED screens are recognized for. The outcome is a beautiful show that excels in lots of metrics.

Matt Smith / Foundry

We begin with brightness, an essential metric for OLED screens. The PG32UCDM reached near 300 nits, which is greater than many competing OLED shows. This degree of brightness isn’t needed in most conditions however can show helpful in very brightly lit rooms, particularly because the monitor, like most OLED screens, has a shiny show end. Interestingly, this excessive degree of brightness shouldn’t be mirrored within the HDR efficiency, which we are going to focus on later.

Matt Smith / Foundry

Our distinction check unsurprisingly returned an successfully infinite distinction ratio. This is as a result of the monitor can obtain an ideal black degree of zero nits, that means its distinction was pushed by its brightness. The result’s an extremely alluring and immersive picture that lacks the uninteresting, flat, or hazy look that may happen with cheaper IPS or VA panel screens.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that all OLED screens obtain very comparable distinction. It’s not a purpose to purchase one OLED monitor over one other.

Matt Smith / Foundry

The PG32UCDM’s colour gamut is sort of broad. It achieved 100 % of sRGB, 98 % of DCI-P3, and 94 % of Adobe RGB. As illustrated within the graph, it is a robust outcome that surpasses many screens, together with some from the final technology of OLED shows. On the opposite hand, there are some screens, just like the Acer Predator X32 FP, which may obtain even higher outcomes. Still, colours seem vibrant and pop from the show, which is what you need in a gaming monitor.

Matt Smith / Foundry

Color accuracy was undoubtedly a power for the PG32UCDM, because it reached a median colour error beneath one and doesn’t show a big error in any particular colour. The Alienware AW3225QF carried out higher on this check, however the distinction is usually too small to note.

The Asus additionally scores effectively in gamma, with a gamma curve of two.2, which is the popular customary. Meanwhile, the colour temperature is available in at 6400Ok, which could be very near the perfect goal of 6500Ok. It could seem very barely too heat for some individuals, but it surely’s a minor distinction and might simply be adjusted via calibration within the monitor’s menus.

Sharpness is a perk. Its 4K decision unfold throughout the 32-inch panel leads to a pixel density of round 137 pixels per inch, which is excessive for a monitor. Only a 27-inch 4K monitor will seem sharper, aside from some extra unique choices like 5K and 6K shows. The second-generation QD-OLED panel additionally has fewer sub-pixel points than earlier QD-OLED panels, which additional enhances sharpness. Overall, it’s an especially crisp show that appears very good in each graphically demanding AAA video games and detailed Excel spreadsheets.

At this level, it must be apparent that the PG32UCM’s picture high quality is among the many greatest out there on any present monitor. It delivers an immersive and vibrant picture with glorious element. It seems to be nice in video games, in fact, however can also be well-suited for photograph and video modifying, digital artwork, and different content material creation duties. Having stated that, the PG32UCM’s efficiency is matched by opponents that use the identical panel, corresponding to Alienware’s AW3225QF.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM HDR picture high quality

The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM helps HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black licensed. This is a crucial specification to focus on as a result of it truly falls a bit behind some opponents, such because the Alienware AW3225QF.

Asus reached a decrease HDR peak brightness with a 10 % window, that means that when solely 10 % of the show is lit, it delivered 355 nits, whereas the Alienware AW3225QF delivered as much as 480 nits (in Alienware’s “Peak 1000” mode). However, the Asus mainly tied the Alienware when 50 % or 100 % of the show was brightly lit.

The Asus seems to be good in HDR with correct colour and first rate highlights, however sudden bursts of brightness lacked the complete visible warmth and punch I skilled with the Alienware AW3225QF. Mini-LED screens just like the Acer Predator X32 FP may obtain a a lot greater peak brightness. I wouldn’t advocate the PG32UCDM if HDR is on the high of your checklist of priorities.

Still, the ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is an honest HDR monitor and higher than the overwhelming majority of screens offered in 2024. It handles colour exceptionally effectively and gives superb distinction, two traits which are useful in HDR. And whereas it doesn’t ship the complete punch or luminance element HDR can obtain, it’s adequate to enhance on SDR.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM movement efficiency

Motion readability is undoubtedly among the many Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM’s strongest traits. The monitor boasts a refresh price of as much as 240Hz, which is already spectacular. Motion readability is additional enhanced by the OLED panel’s low pixel response occasions, which cut back the quantity of ghosting or blur seen not solely at 240Hz but in addition at decrease refresh charges.

The result’s glorious movement readability, which surpasses even what you would possibly count on from a 240Hz price. Scrolling check pictures from video games like League of Legends reveal that many particulars are seen, together with character silhouettes, hit level bars, and the textual content above characters. The textual content can nonetheless be difficult to learn, nonetheless, and that is the place a 360Hz or 500Hz monitor can ship even higher outcomes. Still, the PG32UCDM’s readability is spectacular.

Asus additionally gives official assist for each AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync, which is nice to see because it ensures the monitor will work effectively with each AMD and Nvidia graphics playing cards. In fact, most screens that assist Adaptive Sync will operate with each, however I all the time want to see official certification.

Should you purchase the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM?

The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is one other glorious 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor. It delivers excellent picture high quality with excessive marks throughout distinction, colour gamut, and colour accuracy. This is paired with a most refresh price of 240Hz and assist for each AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. Compared to the Alienware AW3225QF, the Asus falls behind in HDR efficiency and lacks a USB-C downstream port, but it surely features a USB-C enter with as much as 90 watts of Power Delivery. The Asus is flat, as effectively, whereas the Alienware is curved, and the Alienware is $100 cheaper at MSRP. The choice between the Alienware and the Asus relies on which of those traits you favor; they’re each top-tier screens.