There are many factors to consider when shopping for one of the best gaming monitors, but we can all agree that resolution and refresh rate are two of the most important. Screen size is undoubtedly another essential aspect when selecting a monitor, and that’s where it’s fun to dig for good deals.
How little can you pay and still put a 32-inch 16:9 display on your desk? Gigabyte offers the GS32Q for as little as $209. It’s a QHD IPS panel with 170 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and HDR. Let’s take a look.
Gigabyte GS32Q Specs
| Panel Type / Backlight | IPS / W-LED, edge array |
| Screen Size / Aspect Ratio | 32 inches / 16:9 |
| Max Resolution and Refresh Rate | 2560×1440 @ 165 Hz |
| Row 3 – Cell 0 | 170 Hz w/overclock |
| Row 4 – Cell 0 | FreeSync and G-Sync Compatible |
| Native Color Depth and Gamut | 10-bit (8-bit + FRC) / sRGB |
| Response Time (MPRT) | 1ms |
| Brightness (mfr) | 300 nits |
| Contrast (mfr) | 1,200:1 |
| Speakers | None |
| Video Inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Row 11 – Cell 0 | 2x HDMI 2.0 |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
| USB 3.0 | None |
| Power Consumption | 30.7w, brightness @ 200 nits |
| Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base | 28.1 x 19.7 x 9.4 inches (714 x 501 x 238mm) |
| Panel Thickness | 2.1 inches (54mm) |
| Bezel Width | Top/sides: 0.3 inch (7mm) |
| Row 18 – Cell 0 | Bottom: 0.9 inch (23mm) |
| Weight | 15.6 pounds (7.1kg) |
| Warranty | 3 years |
When I started reviewing monitors more than ten years ago, a 27-inch IPS QHD panel would run you about $600 and lacked features like fast refresh, Adaptive-Sync and HDR. The fact that I’m sitting in front of a 32-inch IPS screen with 170 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and HDR that costs just $209 can only be called progress.
The GS32Q starts with a quality IPS part that delivers an honest 1,400:1 contrast ratio. This is well above the 1,000:1 average I’ve measured from most IPS monitors. It’s reasonably bright at a tested 327 nits. That puts it in the category of “bright enough.” It has more than enough output for any indoor space. With better-than-average black levels, the picture is very satisfying.
The one thing that needs to be added here is a wide color gamut. That isn’t unusual in the budget monitor genre but some of its slightly more expensive competition deliver more color. The GS32Q manages 75% of DCI-P3 and 102% of sRGB, which matches Gigabyte’s claim.
HDR10 content is also supported with accurate tone mapping but there is no dynamic contrast to help broaden the range from dark to light, so HDR games look much like SDR in practice. On the upside, color is extremely accurate out of the box. Calibration is not required, but Gigabyte provides color temp and gamma options if you want to tweak.
Both G-Sync and FreeSync bolster gaming performance. The GS32Q has not been certified by Nvidia but I observed flawless G-Sync operation in my tests. The native refresh rate is 165 Hz, and an additional 5 Hz is available from an overclock option in the OSD. It worked without issue during my tests. You also get an overdrive option and Aim Stabilizer which is Gigabyte’s version of backlight strobing. It works instead of Adaptive-Sync at the full 170 Hz.
Further gaming enhancements include aiming points, timer, stopwatch, frame counter and display alignment marks. The bezel is thin so if you want to line up two or three GS32Qs, they’ll make a satisfying flight or driving simulator without major dividing lines, or major cost.
What else is missing? There are no internal speakers, USB ports, or LED lights. But everything needed for gaming is there. And for general use, a 32-inch QHD monitor for $209 is never a bad thing.
Assembly and Accessories
The GS32Q comes packed in crumbly foam in three parts which can be assembled without tools. The upright is a short piece that bolts to a sturdy base and snaps onto the bottom of the panel. A 100mm VESA mount is provided but you’ll need to source your own fasteners if you want to use an arm. The power supply is internal and two different IEC cords are included. Also in the box is a DisplayPort cable.
Product 360
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The GS32Q is styled like the other displays in Gigabyte’s current GS series. Basic shapes and angles make up the panel which is slimmer than most 32-inch models. A component bulge juts out a bit in the back, which provides plenty of space for ventilation. My sample always ran cool at 170 Hz for long periods.
The stand is basic and includes only a 5/20-degree tilt function. It sits low so you’ll have to tilt the panel upwards to your eyepoint. A small clip goes on the stand for cable management. The screen has a flush bezel just seven millimeters wide with a 23mm strip across the bottom featuring the Gigabyte logo. The logo appears again in the back in larger polished letters set against a matte finish. Materials are solid and substantial and though the package is lightweight, it is also rugged and well-built.
The input panel includes one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, plus a 3.5mm jack for headphones. Volume and mute controls are in the OSD. There are no internal speakers or USB ports. The control joystick is under the center of the panel and clicks sharply to control all monitor functions.
OSD Features
Clicking the GS32Q’s joystick once brings up a quick menu that offers a power toggle, GameAssist and aiming points. An up-click opens the full OSD.
The usual suite of video processing options is in the Gaming menu, which includes an AMD FreeSync toggle, black equalizer to enhance shadow detail, super resolution which adds unattractive edge enhancement, overdrive, and aspect ratio. Aim Stabilizer is the GS32Q’s backlight strobe and to enable it, you must first turn off Adaptive-Sync. It works up to the maximum 170 Hz refresh rate, but I found it created both ghost and phase artifacts. It improves motion resolution, especially at frame rates below 100fps. There’s no pulse width adjustment, but it only reduces brightness by around 20%. The overdrive is of middling quality in that it reduces blur but also shows some ghosting.
In the Picture menu are seven image presets. Eco is the default, but it limits brightness to around 180 nits, so I recommend switching to Standard for the GS32Q’s full capability. It allows access to all adjustments, which include five gamma options and five color temps. The User Define option has a good set of RGB sliders that allowed me to dial in very precise grayscale tracking. Among the picture modes is an sRGB option. It’s redundant since the GS32Q is an sRGB monitor.
The Display menu has an overclock switch, which would be easier to find if it were in the Gaming menu. You can turn up the heat to 170 Hz here, and despite Gigabyte warning us of possible side effects, it is perfectly stable and reliable.
Big monitors are great for viewing multiple video sources with PIP and PBP, and the GS32Q includes both. The PIP window can be sized and moved around the screen. The System menu has options for the four joystick directions. They can be used for quick access to things like input selection, crosshairs, and the like.
There are four aiming points included, all green, with dot, circle, cross, and chevron shapes. GameAssist also offers timers that count up or down and a frame rate indicator. Alignment marks are handy for multi-screen setups.
Gigabyte GS32Q Calibration Settings
The GS32Q is best enjoyed in its Standard picture mode where no calibration is necessary. Grayscale, gamma and sRGB color are visually spot-on out of the box. I calibrate, when possible, for every review so I employed the User Define color temp to improve the test numbers a bit. My SDR settings are below. For HDR10 content, the GS32Q switches automatically, and no picture adjustments are available. It provides accurate tone mapping, but there is no dynamic dimming to increase contrast.
| Picture Mode | Standard |
| Brightness 200 nits | 45 |
| Brightness 120 nits | 23 |
| Brightness 100 nits | 17 |
| Brightness 80 nits | 11 |
| Brightness 50 nits | 1 (min. 46 nits) |
| Contrast | 50 |
| Gamma | 3 |
| Color Temp User | Red 50, Green 49, Blue 48 |
Gaming and Hands-on
The GS32Q is a very good gaming monitor for the money. There are a few weaknesses, but my play experience was positive. On the upside, it is extremely responsive to control inputs. I base this on aiming precision. I racked up far more hits than misses during fast-paced sessions in shooters like Doom Eternal. Dispatching enemies was relatively easy from distances close and far because I could keep them within the aiming point with little effort.
The negative was motion resolution. Though the 170 Hz frame rate kept things reasonably smooth, it was marred by a little smearing from ghost artifacts. This is tied to the overdrive, which isn’t as precise as it could be. It undershoots, creating black trails behind moving objects. It isn’t a huge problem, but I had to adjust my perception to keep distant details in focus. Aim Stabilizer is a viable alternative because it creates the same level of artifacts, just white instead of black. I recommend using it if you can’t maintain speeds above 100fps. Adaptive-Sync worked perfectly in all situations except where I had to turn it off to use the Aim Stabilizer.
The HDR image was a bit more colorful than its SDR counterpart, but it had no more contrast. The GS32Q has excellent contrast when compared to other IPS screens, but HDR has no dimming option, so dynamic range is the same 1,400:1. It’s bright enough for good gameplay, but shadow areas were more gray than black. Color in all situations was very accurate, natural and well-saturated. I missed the extra gamut coverage in some content, but most games were very satisfying.
For productivity, the GS32Q is hard to beat for the price. Though a 32-inch QHD screen means 92ppi pixel density, I never noticed the dot structure. The image was smoothly toned and well-detailed. No one will complain about clarity here. And that pixel count means high frame rates without the need for an expensive video card.
A 32-inch monitor is perfect for document editing. Comparing two Word files side by side is a snap, and you can view a large spreadsheet with very little scrolling. Web browsing also requires fewer spins of the mouse wheel as you get more screen height than a 34-inch 21:9 monitor offers. The GS32Q’s contrast and accurate color made Photoshop a good fit as well. I could see my graphics in large detail with plenty of toolbars available.
Takeaway: As an everyday monitor, it’s hard to beat the GS32Q’s 32-inches for $209. It has a few flaws for gaming, but with very low input lag, I had a satisfying experience. A dimming option would improve its HDR image, but that still rendered with good color. I also missed the wide gamut I’ve become accustomed to, but for the money, it’s hard to imagine an equal or better 32-inch QHD display.
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To compare the GS32Q’s performance, I’ve rounded up a group of 27-inch and 32-inch screens. For comparison, we have HP’s Omen 32q, Lenovo’s G27q-30, ASRock’s PG27QFT2A, Cooler Master’s GP2711, and Asus’ XG27ACS.
Pixel Response and Input Lag
Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.
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All the panels refresh in the same 6ms, so by that measure, they are equal. The separator is overdrive quality. Most of these have some adjustments so you can dial in the overdrive according to the refresh rate and prevent overshoot. This is the reason for ghosting artifacts and unfortunately, the GS32Q has only one setting. It isn’t quite there as I saw some ghosting during the review. It’s more obvious in test patterns than in content, but there is room for improvement. The Aim Stabilizer can be used alternately, but it also has some ghosting.
The upside is the GS32Q’s very low input lag. 22ms is excellent in this category and here, it’s only pipped by the ASRock by 1ms. You won’t have any delays when playing your favorite shooter.
Test Takeaway: The GS32Q is a very quick monitor when input lag is considered, but its video processing is middling. I saw ghosting artifacts no matter what setting I used. The Aim Stabilizer (backlight strobe) is handy for frame rates below 100fps, but it also has some ghosting. The overdrive reduces blur but has room for improvement. Overall, the GS32Q is very responsive to control inputs, but quick camera pans are a little soft.
Viewing Angles
The photos of the GS32Q show excellent off-axis performance. The side view is slightly cooler in tone but no less bright. There is no obvious change in gamma, which means the details remain clear. The top view holds up well, too, but goes slightly green. This is excellent performance.
Screen Uniformity
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.
My GS32Q sample was nearly perfect in the screen uniformity test, with just a barely visible hotspot in the lower right corner. I could see it in a black field test pattern, but the actual content was not affected. There was no sign of bleed or glow in any test scenario or during gaming. Quality control here is excellent.
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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
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Gigabyte claims 300 nits for the GS32Q, and I measured over 327, which is plenty of light for a 32-inch monitor. In my experience, larger screens don’t need to be set as high, so in this case, even 200 nits is on the edge. In the black level test, the GS32Q is the best IPS screen. The resulting contrast is just behind the ASRock because that monitor is brighter. Visually, you won’t be able to tell the difference between them. VA tech is still the king of this test (after OLED, that is), but the GS32Q is well above the IPS average.
After Calibration to 200 nits
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Calibration knocked a few points from the GS32Q’s contrast ratio, but the result of 1,369.2:1 is still top-level in the IPS genre. The ANSI test shows no change in the finishing order, and all the monitors show consistent performance. If you’re comparing just the 32-inch monitors, the GS32Q is more visually appealing than the HP based on contrast.
Test Takeaway: If you want the most contrast and can’t afford an OLED, VA is the next best choice. But if you want IPS, the GS32Q is one of the better examples. It’s bright enough for any indoor space and with around 1,400:1 contrast before and after calibration, it delivers a vivid and deep image with high clarity and saturation.
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The most impressive part of the GS32Q’s test results is on this page. I would normally use the cliché “for the money” here, but I recorded numbers that would embarrass a lot of more expensive displays. All tests below were recorded in the Standard picture mode.
Grayscale and Gamma Tracking
Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.
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With all grayscale errors under 3dE, the GS32Q has no visible problems. Gray patterns appear perfectly neutral to the eye, which translates to a colorful and natural real-world image. Gamma tracking is very close to the 2.2 reference, which is also a good thing. You won’t find much better from many other monitors, regardless of price.
Since I had the ability, I calibrated the User Define color temp option and made grayscale tracking a little better. Visually, there is no difference, but pro-level numbers are always impressive when achieved. The GS32Q is a very accurate monitor whether you tweak it or not.
Comparisons
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The GS32Q’s default grayscale error of 1.87dE is impressive at this price point. Note that the Asus is around $300 at this writing, so its higher accuracy will cost you. With my new settings in place, the GS32Q rises to second place, leaving all but the Lenovo in the dust. This is certainly impressive for $209.
Though the GS32Q’s gamma tracks right around 2.2 with only a 1.36% deviation, actual value 2.23; its range of values is a little larger than the others. 0.14 is a good result in the broader sense, but this group has tight gamma.
Color Gamut Accuracy
Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.
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I’m a bit disappointed that the GS32Q is limited to sRGB color but at least it is very accurate. With no adjustments in Standard mode, it has a low average error of 2.04dE. That’s professional display territory. Calibration improves that number to 1.53dE but visually, there is no change. This is excellent performance. I didn’t measure the sRGB picture mode because as you can see, it would be redundant.
Comparisons
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The GS32Q’s 1.53dE color score is impressive in that it is only beaten by more expensive screens. In terms of color accuracy, I have no complaints about any of these monitors.
The only bummer about the GS32Q is its sRGB color gamut. Yes, the Gigabyte is the least expensive of these budget screens, but not by a huge margin. Consider that if you bought the HP, you’d get more color but less contrast for around $40 more. Also consider that the GS32Q completely covers sRGB, which is all you need for any SDR game. And as you’ll see in the HDR tests, it tone-maps correctly and accurately hits the color points it’s able to.
Test Takeaway: Though the GS32Q is limited to sRGB, it covers that gamut completely with pro-level accuracy. No calibration is required, and you can tweak if you want to. It’s completely satisfying for any SDR gaming content.
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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.
The GS32Q automatically detects HDR10 content and makes the switch without user intervention. All image adjustments are grayed out, but I found it to be accurate enough that it wasn’t a problem.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
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No matter what the SDR brightness setting is, the GS32Q maxes the peak white level for HDR mode. And that’s a good thing because it doesn’t have any additional contrast. A field dimming option would be nice here, but there isn’t one. This is not unusual for budget monitors, but the other displays here have more HDR contrast, either through dynamic means or their VA panel parts. The Cooler Master has an advantage with its Mini LED backlight, but it will cost you around $160 extra.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
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The GS32Q continues its impressive out-of-box accuracy trend in my HDR color tests. Grayscale tracking is without visual flaw through the entire brightness range. EOTF luminance tracking starts out a bit light with elevated values at zero and 5% but then meets the reference line until the tone-map transition at the 65% step. Though there is no additional contrast for HDR content, this accuracy means there is a little more impact. In the gamut tests, the GS32Q shows a little over-saturation of the inner targets until it runs out of color. Since it’s an sRGB monitor, this is the best it can do. The same behavior was observed in the Rec.2020 test.
Test Takeaway: With excellent accuracy, the GS32Q has the potential to be a really good HDR monitor, but its lack of dynamic contrast holds it back. There is a little more impact to the HDR image, but only a little. It supports the HDR standard but doesn’t do it justice.
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Budget gaming monitors always come with qualifiers, so the purchase decision comes down to what you’re willing to give up. Fast refresh and Adaptive-Sync are a must. I would follow these with contrast and color accuracy. If a monitor does those things well, and doesn’t cost a lot, it’s worth considering.
The Gigabyte GS32Q has a firm grip on speed, color accuracy and contrast. Among IPS monitors, it eclipses the 1,000:1 average with 1,400:1. If you want more, VA and OLED are the only options. Color accuracy is nearly at reference level right out of the box, and no calibration is required. If you would like to tweak it, those options are included. The only missing element there is an expanded color gamut. The GS32Q is sRGB only, though it does cover 102% of that gamut.
Its weakness is video processing. The overdrive and Aim Stabilizer backlight strobe both come with some visible artifacts that cause a little softness during fast-paced gaming. However, input lag is extremely low, and this was something I could easily see and benefit from. My movement and aiming precision were very high. And there were no issues with Adaptive-Sync at any time. I never saw a single frame tear.
The GS32Q is also not the best choice for HDR. It supports the standard with accurate tone mapping and color. But it doesn’t have dimming for additional dynamic range and again, is limited to sRGB. But for $209, I can forgive most of these issues. As an everyday monitor, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better 32-inch screen for the money. As a gaming monitor, it is satisfactory, if not life-changing. If you want a 32-inch screen for 27-inch money, it’s worth considering the Gigabyte GS32Q.
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