Asus ProArt PA32UCXR Mini LED review: A precision instrument with reference-level color accuracy

32-inch IPS 4K Professional Monitor with HDR, Dolby Vision, wide gamut color, and reference-level image accuracy.

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Asus ProArt PA32UCXR Mini LED
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(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Comparing the PA32UCXR to speedy gaming monitors doesn’t make much sense so for this review, I’ll be sharing test results and commenting on them relative to the expectations of a reference-level professional display.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

• Response Time Full black to white transition – 8ms

• Absolute Input Lag Full black to white transition – 67ms

The PA32UCXR is not a gaming monitor. If you were to play a fast-paced shooter on it, you’d see blurry motion and low motion resolution. Slow camera pans and static scenery look incredible thanks to high resolution and deep contrast. The overdrive has five possible settings and should be left on its default of 60 for the best balance between blur reduction and ghosting. Adaptive-Sync works fine on either FreeSync or G-Sync platforms. There is no ULMB option available.

Test Takeaway: It isn’t fair to judge the PA32UCXR against dedicated gaming monitors, but if it is to be billed as a content creation tool, a 144 Hz refresh rate should be part of the feature list. Its 60 Hz limitation is a miss, especially given that Adaptive-Sync is included.

Viewing Angles

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The PA32UCXR has off-axis image quality that’s typical of a high-end IPS panel. To the sides, there is a 10% light reduction and a clear shift to red. Gamma remains constant so every brightness step in the pattern can be seen. From the top, output is cut by 40% and the tint goes a bit blue.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

• Screen Uniformity Deviation From Center 0% Black Field – 11.58%

I measured the PA32UCXR with its uniformity compensation turned off. The 11.58% deviation was mainly due to a bright area in the lower right corner of the screen. It was visible in the black field pattern with the room lights off, but not a problem in actual content. The compensation option will fix the problem, but contrast is reduced, and you can’t use HDR.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • NedSmelly
    This is going head-to-head with the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X, which costs around twice the price. It will be interesting to see if ProArt actually makes headway into design houses and studios, because so far the Asus vibe seems to be targeting the value-oriented freelance market.
    Reply