We bring the AOC CQ32G3SU curved gaming monitor in this review. A monitor that has convinced us enough, even if not without some defects. Let’s take a closer look to understand it better!
Gaming monitors with curved displays either love each other or hate each other. If you are used to a flat monitor, the impact could destabilize you. With a little practice, however, you can easily adapt to the new point of view and you can also appreciate its merits, such as immersion. This AOC CQ32G3SU in particular, it facilitated the transition between the two schools of thought. In fact, the not too pronounced curvature (1000R) and the size of the display seemed to us a great combination to make the viewing experience better. And in any case, the quality of AOC products is noticeable. But no more chatter, let’s begin to see the details of this product.
Technical specifications
- Panel: 31.5-inch VA LCD with 1000R curvature, compatible with HDR (VESA DisplayHDR 400) with FreeSync
- Contrast: 3000:1, 300 nits
- Color space: 8 bit (16.7 million colors)
- Resolution: QHD 16:9 (2560×1440 pixel)
- Refresh rate: 165 Hz DisplayPort 1.4, 144 Hz HDMI 2.0
- Response time: 1 ms MPRT / 4 msGtG
- Audio: 2 built-in 2 Watt speakers
- Connectivity: 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (max 165 Hz), 2 HDMI 2.0 (max 144 Hz), 4x USB Type-A 3.2, una USB Type-B upstream, jack audio 3.5 mm
- Ergonomics: tilt, rotation and height adjustment
- Weight: 8,15 kg
- Dimensions: width 60.55 cm, depth 32.20 mm and height between 43.90 mm and 58.99 mm
AOC CQ32G3SU Review: Design and Build
The monitor marries the design that is becoming a bit of a standard in the gaming world. We find more and more elegant and less tacky solutions. AOC CQ32G3SU continues on this trajectory. The design is minimal we can say, but there are a whole series of details that still make it a little more aggressive and captivating. In short, we understand that it is not the classic office monitor even just by looking at it. We have these red on matte black grafts that give that extra boost, but don’t overdo it. The lines combine curves and broken lines that create a pleasant contrast. In short, while remaining an elegant product, is noted.
The construction is excellent and very usual. The stand is strong and planted on the desk. It will be possible to adjust the height, rotation and tilt of the screen in order to adapt it to our needs. The joints ensure good stability and are not difficult to handle. Assembling and adjusting the monitor really takes a few minutes even for the less experienced. The cable management is great. All doors are easily accessible. On the back we have power and video outputs, while on the side we find the USB ports. The central hole on the stand is not only a nice design element, it also serves to prevent cables from escaping in all directions. From the point of view of design and build quality we feel we can fully promote AOC CQ32G3SU.
AOC CQ32G3SU review: display quality
But we come to what is the fulcrum of a monitor or the display. Overall we find ourselves in front of a good display, not the top of the top, but still a more than discreet panel. There QHD resolution (2560 × 1440 pixels) it is not very high for the size of the panel and looking closely you can distinguish the pixels, however a monitor of almost 32 inches would be appropriate to use it at least 60 cm away and in this case it is not possible to distinguish the individual pixels. The quality at first glance is good, but let’s take a closer look with our routine tests what we noticed. There color management, albeit limited to the sRGB space, it is very good. The nuances are well reproduced and the detail is also great. The contrast is not bad and is quite in line with what the manufacturer claims. THE blacks are quite deepeven if theeffetto clouding in very dark scenes, especially at the bottom of the display. On the other hand, uniformity is excellent in gray and other color screens.
We come to the measurement of some of the most important aspects for gaming. Excellent input lag which almost always settles around 1 ms or less, with some sporadic peaks. On average, the monitor is very responsive however. What though we have to criticize a little bit is the handling of motion blur. In fact, the pixels on the screen seem a bit “lazy” and therefore the fast moving images blur a bit. By playing with the various menu settings you can get around the problem a bit, but it still remains. A shame because otherwise it is a very good display.
AOC CQ32G3SU review: the gaming monitor in everyday use
Despite a few flaws that we have listed above, the monitor looks really nice in use. The large and curved screen allows you to enjoy an excellent immersion, but without anything falling out of sight. While gaming it is at its best for this very reason. As anticipated it suffers a bit of motion blur, but from the OSD menu it can partially overcome the problem by setting the parameters and trying to balance performance as much as possible. By the way, the menu looks very good graphically. THE controls are clear, even if not immediate to use and it takes a bit of training to learn how to navigate the menu easily. There are tons of settings, including the ability to see the frame rate overlay which is very useful for gamers and requires no additional software. Overall I can be satisfied with the experience during the game.
There are also sintegrated peaker which, however, I would define as just sufficient. They are fine for listening to something quickly, perhaps a video tutorial, but if you really want to enjoy a game you will have to consider buying a pair of headphones or a dedicated Hi-Fi system. Gaming aside, this monitor can also be used to watch movies and TV series given the fairly high thumbs up. However, the curvature can be a little more annoying in this case. It depends if the director likes close-ups or if he likes wide angles. The same applies to office use: you get used to it, but from my point of view this monitor must have the game as its main target.
Conclusions
Globally this AOC CQ32G3SU is promoted. The quality of the panel is good and the gaming experience is excellent. With a few small flaws it loses a few points, but overall it remains a great monitor that we recommend. The market price fluctuates around 400 euros which is actually an important figure. Had it been slightly lower, it would have certainly been a best buy. However, it must also be considered that the excellent work done by AOC in terms of design and construction is not seen every day. That’s all from the hardware section, keep following us!
Points in favor
- Construction and design
- Color management and input lag
- Excellent cable management
- Positive gaming experience
Points against
- Presence of motion blur
- Integrated speakers