Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Excellent distinction ratio
- Good movement readability with 170Hz refresh charge
- Large, sharp show
Cons
- Stand can solely alter for tilt
- Below-average coloration efficiency
- Lacks audio system, USB hub, or different standout characteristic
Our Verdict
The Gigabyte GS32QC delivers an enormous, curved show at a finances worth, although its coloration efficiency fails to impress.
Price When Reviewed
249.99
Best Prices Today: Gigabyte GS32QC
$229.99
$249.99
Want an enormous monitor? You haven’t any scarcity of choices and, in 2023, many are surprisingly inexpensive. Gigabyte’s GS32QC is a wonderful instance. It packs a 32-inch curved show with 1440p decision, but retails beneath $250. The monitor is an effective worth if you need most dimension for minimal worth, however it doesn’t outperform comparable alternate options.
Further studying: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to study competing merchandise.
What are the Gigabyte GS32QC’s specs & options?
The Gigabyte GS32QC is a 32-inch widescreen monitor with a local decision of 2560×1440 and a refresh charge of 165Hz. These specs are typical for a gaming monitor priced at $249.99. It’s doable to search out 32-inch 240Hz screens at this worth level, however most restrict decision to simply 1080p.
- Display dimension: 32-inch widescreen
- Native decision: 2560×1440
- Panel kind: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh charge: 165Hz
- Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync Premium
- HDR: HDR Ready
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
- VESA mount: 100x100mm
- Speakers: None
- Price: $249.99 MSRP
Gigabyte skimps on the extras. There’s no USB hub, no audio system, and no ergonomic stand. None of that is uncommon for the value, however the lack of additional options limits the monitor’s enchantment to players, and players alone.
How is the Gigabyte GS32QC’s design?
The Gigabyte GS32QC’s design is a fairly uninspired matte-black plastic exterior.
Matt Smith
The Gigabyte GS32QC’s design is unremarkable. It opts for the matte-black and semi-gloss plastics frequent to many cheap screens, and whereas Gigabyte provides a bit of aptitude with faux-vents on the again and etchings within the stand base, it nonetheless appears to be like generic.
Yet one component does stand out: the curve. This is a curved monitor with an aggressive 1500R curvature. A curvature of 1500R means it will full a full circle if the display prolonged for 1500 millimeters (or 1.5 meters). So, on this case, a decrease quantity is extra aggressive than the next quantity.
The curve delivers extra immersion in some video games, like simulators or shooters. But it could additionally trigger distracting visible distortion, as strains that ought to seem straight as an alternative appear curved. Whether the trade-off is worth it relies on your use. I discover it’s good to have in video games, however annoying when modifying images and searching the online.
The Gigabyte GS32QC’s monitor stand is surprisingly sturdy.
Matt Smith
The GS32QC additionally has a sturdy however easy stand that clips into the underside of the monitor and solely adjusts for tilt. It’s a minor disappointment, however most equally priced opponents supply the identical kind of stand. Fortunately, the GS32QC helps a 100x100mm VESA mount, so it’s appropriate with most third-party monitor arms.
How is the Gigabyte GS32QC’s connectivity and menu?
Flip the GS32QC round and also you’ll discover two HDMI 2.0 ports alongside a single DisplayPort 1.4 for a complete of three video inputs. That’s normal for a reasonable gaming monitor. All video inputs can deal with the monitor’s most decision of 1440p at its most refresh charge of 170Hz.
A 3.5mm audio port for passthrough audio is the one further connectivity accessible. USB shouldn’t be included. That’s a disgrace however frequent for 32-inch screens bought beneath $300. Gamers who desire a USB hub or USB-C connectivity should step as much as the next worth bracket.
Gigabyte included a wonderful menu system with the GS32QC.
Matt Smith
While the monitor’s connectivity is primary, Gigabyte gives a wonderful menu system managed by a joystick centered behind the underside bezel. It has helpful image-quality choices, like gamma and coloration temperature adjustment, and a number of gaming options together with an on-screen crosshair and a Black Equalizer (which boosts the brightness of darkish scene to disclose foes).
The menu system is well-labeled and simple to navigate, too. Brands like Dell and Asus can match Gigabyte right here, however bottom-dollar alternate options like AOC and Spectre usually have slower, much less responsive menus which are harder to navigate.
While the monitor’s connectivity is primary, Gigabyte gives a wonderful menu system managed by a joystick centered behind the underside bezel.
How is the Gigabyte GS32QC’s SDR picture high quality?
The Gigabyte GS32QC has a 32-inch Vertical Alignment (VA) panel with an edge-lit LED backlight and a local decision of 2560×1440. These are typical specs for any finances 32-inch gaming monitor, so the monitor’s picture high quality doesn’t ship any surprises.
Matt Smith
I measured a most sustained brightness of 324 nits in SDR content material. That’s not the perfect amongst competitor screens, however not the worst, and it’s greater than shiny sufficient to be used in most gaming dens or a house workplace.
A fast phrase of warning, nevertheless: The curved show has the impact of focusing gentle from sure angles, which may make glare extra distracting. The monitor’s brightness can appear dim you probably have a shiny gentle, or a big sunlit window, adjoining to the monitor.
Matt Smith
The GS32QC delivers an enormous win in distinction with a most measured distinction ratio of 4840:1. That’s glorious for a finances monitor.
Credit the Vertical Alignment (VA) panel. This kind of panel tends to supply a distinction ratio three to 4 instances superior to an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel, which is utilized by many aggressive screens. The GS32QC appears to be like immersive and delivers an amazing sense of depth in each video games and flicks. It’s not excellent, so that you’ll nonetheless discover a hazy grey sheen when viewing a darkish scene or picture in a dimly lit room, however the issue is much less distracting than most equally priced screens.
Matt Smith
Color gamut, alternatively, is a weak spot. The GS32QC lined simply 94 % of the sRGB coloration gamut and 78 % of DCI-P3, figures that place it properly behind alternate options just like the HP Omen 32q and Dell 3223D.
The monitor’s slender coloration gamut degrades the vibrance of video games, motion pictures, and every little thing else considered on the show. Content tends to look boring and flat relative to different screens. Monitors which have this drawback often endure from a poor distinction ratio, however on this case the colour gamut is the offender.
Matt Smith
While the Gigabyte’s vary of colours isn’t as broad as alternate options, the colours accessible are correct and in vary with most competitor screens (although the Dell G3223D outperformed in my testing). That means content material will look near what its creator supposed, besides when displaying colours the GS32QC can’t deal with.
The GS32QC has a spot-on default gamma curve of two.2 and a super default coloration temperature of 6500Ok. That means the content material appears to be like about as shiny because it ought to and doesn’t seem too heat or too cool. Gamma and coloration temperature preferences can differ from individual to individual however, as talked about earlier, the GS32QC presents a number of gamma and coloration temperature modes for dialing within the picture.
Sharpness is respectable, as properly. The monitor’s native decision of 2560×1440 unfold throughout a 32-inch widescreen show results in a pixel density of about 92 pixels per inch. That’s much like a 24-inch 1080p monitor and higher than a 27-inch 1080p monitor. Small fonts are straightforward to learn however will present pixelation on shut inspection. The identical is true of nice, detailed objects in 3D video games.
The Gigabyte GS32QC’s total picture high quality is appropriate, however not distinctive, for a reasonable gaming monitor. It does properly in distinction and coloration accuracy however delivers mediocre brightness and falls behind in coloration gamut. It’s finest for players preferring darkish, gritty video games that demand good distinction efficiency.
How is the Gigabyte GS32QC’s HDR picture high quality?
Gigabyte lists the GS32QC as “HDR Ready” however, like all cheap screens, this ensures nothing greater than the power to show an HDR sign.
Brightness is a part of the issue. I measured a most HDR brightness of 324 nits, which is exactly the identical I measured in SDR. The GS32QC additionally lacks the colour gamut essential to current HDR. Content created particularly for HDR will often goal a really huge coloration gamut, like Rec.2020, which is much past what the GS32QC can current.
None of that is uncommon for a finances monitor. Quality HDR screens begin above $500, and most exceed $1,000. Still, customers must be warned. The GS32QC shouldn’t be a very good monitor for HDR.
How is the Gigabyte GS32QC’s movement efficiency?
The 170Hz refresh charge on the Gigabyte GS32QC isn’t prime of the road, however it’s nothing to snigger at both.
Matt Smith
The Gigabyte G32QC has a most refresh charge of 170Hz when overclocked and 165Hz when not.
To be clear, the 170Hz overclock is advertising fluff. I’m a big believer in the benefit of high refresh rate monitors, however even I gained’t attempt to persuade you {that a} distinction of 5Hz is noticeable. Yet a 165Hz refresh charge is nothing to snigger at, and it makes the monitor really feel smoother and extra fluid than a 60Hz show.
Motion readability is strong for a finances monitor with a VA panel. Fast-moving objects present good element, and fast digital camera pans in 3D video games will protect most components of the encompassing scene. Dark objects have a tendency to indicate extra blur than shiny objects, an issue frequent to screens with a VA panel. Still, total movement readability is nice for the value.
The GS32QC I examined had its Overdrive mode turned on by default. This can cut back the movement blur I discussed however results in a special drawback generally known as overshoot, which can trigger the picture to look oversharpened in movement.
I discovered the GS32QC’s movement was cleaner and extra pure with Overdrive off, and I’d advocate that for many players. Still, it relies on your preferences. You would possibly wish to maintain it on when taking part in a aggressive shooter.
Is the Gigabyte GS32QC price it?
The Gigabyte GS32QC is an effective finances gaming monitor for many who desire a large display on a really tight finances. It posts good leads to distinction, coloration accuracy, sharpness, and movement readability, and helps them with an appropriate design and intuitive menu system with many picture high quality choices. The GS32QC faces alternate options that supply a greater total expertise, just like the HP Omen 32q or Dell G3223D, and Gigabyte fails to ship any single characteristic that locations the GS32QC forward of the pack. Still, it’s an inexpensive worth when discounted beneath its $249.99 MSRP.