How many inches do you have?
Two? Four? Six? Or even more? But have you ever heard of a 32-inch monitor, or 'Ultrawide'? The Acer Predator XR341CK sports an expansive 34" screen with a 21:9 ultra-wide aspect ratio. It's big. Really big.
The fixed display has a maximum resolution of 2560x1080 pixels, still quite attractive for gamers looking to enjoy the latest titles in that aspect ratio. The desktop area is just massive! Immersion is definitely one that can be achieved by this device.
Advantages of 32-inch monitors:
- Huge monitor for multi-taskers
- Crisp, colorful pictures
- Eye strain will likely be reduced since the screen is so huge
Disadvantages of 32-inch monitors:
- They are really expensive. The Acer Predator XR341CK costs around $1100 on Amazon at this time. You can get a Curved 27" monitor with similar specs for half this price.
- 32 inches is just too big unless you have a very large deck or you're sitting far away from your monitor.
- No matter how big your desk is, you probably will end up having a stack of papers and other things on it.
- You might need to turn down the brightness or contrast because 32 inches can be too bright and too contrasted for some people.
- It's not as eye-catching as curved monitors (just look at those curves...). Some gamers like 1:1 pixel mapping but others don't see the point in getting such an expensive monitor if they're not going to enjoy all those pixels.
And now let`s review the best variants for 32-inch monitors and look through their pros and cons closer.
LG 32ML600M
Main characteristics:
This is a budget monitor which relieves you of heavy wallet weight. It comes with a 4ms response time and 60 Hz refresh rate for gamers who mostly want to play old-school games or modern ones which aren't that demanding.
The screen is protected by Corning`s Gorilla Glass 2 technology, but still, it would be wise to treat the monitor with care because even tiny drops can destroy it.
Advantages:
You can connect your game consoles like PS4 or Xbox One with one HDMI cord (one input is enough), so you won`t need additional adapters. Besides, this monitor has two HDMI ports; therefore, if you want to play on two platforms at once, no problem!
Also, what we find quite nice about this model is that it comes with a decent stand which allows the monitor to rotate and pivot and even be attached to your wall.
Disadvantages:
The viewing angles on this monitor aren`t its strongest side. So if you plan to watch movies with friends, get ready for some distortions on the sides of the screen or just buy another more suitable one for yourself (since sometimes more than two people gather around your computer).
Asus Designo MX27UC
Main characteristics:
One of Asus's best-looking designs so far! The popular tech company made splendid work with the monitor's exterior. It has a 4mm ultra-narrow bezel and an attractive metallic finish which will definitely attract you and other people`s attention.
But looks aren't the only thing that's impressive about this monitor. It has an IPS panel with a 4ms response time, 60 Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync technology which is an excellent choice for gamers since it ensures smooth gameplay without visible tearing or flickering.
Advantages:
Besides its stylish exterior and great performance, this monitor comes with a bunch of useful ports so you won`t need to get separate adapters to connect your PC or console. The model also includes speakers built into the monitor and an audio input and output jack so if you don`t want to use external ones, just plug in your headphones and enjoy your favorite music!
What we didn`t like that much is that the picture modes aren`t as good as we expected and the pre-calibrated display colors aren`t very accurate. But other than that, this monitor is a great choice for those who don`t want to pay too much but still get an excellent quality.
Disadvantages:
For those gamers who mostly play games that require fast reflexes or first-person shooters, this monitor isn`t the best option since its response time and refresh rate isn`t as good as some other similar-price models.
Gigabyte G32QCA
Main characteristics:
This monitor is aimed at gamers who want to have a larger screen with a high refresh rate and response time. So, the main selling point of this model is its ultra-high 144 Hz refresh rate along with 4ms response time which allows for extremely smooth gameplay without visible tearing or stuttering.
Another thing that sets it apart from other monitors in this list is that its panel has a VA type rather than IPS one. It means that colors won`t be as vivid as on some other models but viewing angles will be better.
Advantages:
A convenient menu button located on the bottom frame of the monitor enables easy access to all of the most important settings you need while playing games. This monitor includes built-in speakers as well as a headphone jack, so external speakers aren`t necessary.
Disadvantages:
Like some other monitors from this list, it has low-quality viewing angles and the included stand is very limited in its functionality. Also, those who want an ultra-high refresh rate monitor should know that some games will only be able to run at 60 Hz.
So if you plan to use your monitor for more than just playing games on it, check whether the games you play are going to have any problems with high FPS rates first before making a purchase.
LG 32GN650
Main characteristics:
This model is aimed at those who want a larger monitor with excellent color accuracy and decent response time.
It has a blue light filter which ensures that you won`t get too tired while playing for many hours. And along with that, it also has flicker-free technology which eliminates the issue of screen flickering that most monitors have at least to some extent since they use PWM (pulse width modulation) to control brightness levels.
Advantages:
The stand included in the package is highly adjustable so you can change height or tilt angle if necessary and even rotate the monitor up to 60 degrees. All connections this monitor has are located on its back panel so you won`t need to worry about cables blocking your view while playing.
Disadvantages:
It has a TN panel with the lowest response time on this list, but it also has the worst viewing angles and its color accuracy is not as good as some other models on this list which is especially noticeable in darker scenes.
But if you don`t mind sacrificing the viewing angles and color reproduction for a low price and fast response time and can live with a TN panel then by all means get this monitor because it isn`t that bad despite its disadvantages.
Samsung C32G75T
Main characteristics:
The amount of HZ here is really amazing! It has a 240 Hz refresh rate and 3 ms response time which provides extremely smooth gameplay without any input lag or noticeable screen tearing.
It also comes with AMD`s FreeSync technology which automatically adjusts monitor refresh rate to the GPU speed so you can get rid of screen stuttering and tearing in games that supports this technology.
So, if you have an AMD graphics card then it means your gaming experience will be even better than with other models on this list since they only support NVIDIA GPUs.
Advantages:
The stand is fully adjustable so you can change the height, rotate or tilt the monitor according to your preferences. Another thing worth mentioning is that there are ports for two devices so if you want to connect another PC or console to your monitor you can do it.
Disadvantages:
Its color reproduction is worse than some other models on this list, but for gamers who care mostly about playing games without any input lag or noticeable screen tearing then the loss of some colors won`t be that bad.
Also, its viewing angles are not as good as those of IPS panels so the picture might look washed out if you view it from an angle. And also, there were some complaints about dead pixels and bright sub-pixels on some units which is usually a common problem with Samsung monitors because they use PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to control brightness levels.
Acer XB323UGX
Main characteristics:
This monitor features an IPS panel which provides the best viewing angles on this list so if you are playing competitive games where it`s important not to get seen from certain angles then this is the perfect monitor for you.
It also has a really high refresh rate and response time which makes up for its higher price in comparison with other monitors on this list. But, keep in mind that it only supports NVIDIA graphics cards since Acer made a deal with NVIDIA and they want you to buy their expensive G-SYNC compatible monitors instead of getting much cheaper FreeSync models like Acer XG270HU or Asus MG279Q.
Advantages:
Its colors reproduction is excellent along with good viewing angles and decent brightness levels making it suitable for most gaming situations. Plus, it`s one of the most adjustable monitors on this list with a stand offering height, tilt and swivel adjustments.
Disadvantages:
Its price is pretty high in comparison with similar models like Acer XG270HU which offers more ports and FreeSync support instead of G-SYNC technology for NVIDIA users. And also, some customers reported that its backlight flickers at low brightness levels even though they used an Nvidia graphics card so keep that in mind if you are planning on buying this monitor mainly because of its high refresh rate or response time.
Philips 328E1CA
Main characteristics:
The first thing you will notice about this monitor is its strange shape which allows having a curved screen without spending too much money on it. It`s pretty good for playing games that require panning the camera since you don`t actually lose any pixels at the edge of your peripheral vision which might be important if you are planning on getting an ultrawide monitor with QHD resolution since they have more pixel density there.
Advantages:
It has a decent IPS panel with a 5 ms response time and 60 Hz refresh rate, so its performance is more than enough for both gaming and watching movies. Plus, it provides decent viewing angles which are especially noticeable when watching widescreen films.
Disadvantages:
It`s not as adjustable as some other monitors on this list, but it does have a fully rotatable stand so you can always find your preferred viewing angle. Plus, the design is pretty simple and clean which makes it look good in almost any gaming setup.
MSI MPG321UR-QD
Main characteristics:
MSI used a combination of Adaptive-Sync and a high refresh rate to allow gamers to enjoy a tear-free experience along with minimal input lag. It`s got a very low response time of 1 ms which makes the picture look smooth even when playing fast-paced games.
Advantages:
This monitor is specially designed for gaming so it has an amazing stand with height, tilt, and swivel adjustments which make it suitable for any kind of game - from FPS to racing simulators.
Plus, its curve radius is pretty big at 1800 mm which results in more immersive gameplay in comparison with flat full HD monitors or ultrawide models that have 3440 x 1440 resolution because you don`t lose any pixels on the edge of your peripheral vision.
Disadvantages:
Its stand offers only tilt adjustment which is not the most comfortable solution especially for gamers who want to play with their monitor on top of their desk.
This one uses an old TN panel but it still delivers great picture quality even though it`s pretty average because of its 170-degree viewing angles and ability to properly display 16.7 million colors without any problems.