Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP review: Within sight of perfection

32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor with 240 Hz, 480 Hz at FHD resolution, Adaptive-Sync, ELMB, HDR400 and wide gamut color.

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Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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To keep things fair, I’ve included only OLED in the PG32UCDP’s comparison group. The resolution is both UHD and QHD, 240 to 360 Hz. I also included the 480 Hz results which are astoundingly fast. The group is MSI’s MPG271QRX, Pixio’s PX277 OLED MAX, Aorus’ FO32U2P, Alienware’s AW3225QF and ViewSonic’s XG272-2K.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

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

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Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

History is made here with the PG32UCDP’s 480 Hz scores. The draw time for a full white field is 2ms, and the total lag is 11ms. These are the fastest results I’ve ever recorded for any monitor over the past 12 years. Granted, the resolution is FHD, but the smoothness here is incredible.

Of course, the other screens aren’t shabby in the least. 4ms is super quick and since they’re OLEDs, there’s no overdrive to create artifacts. They render perfect motion resolution with no blur whatsoever. In the PG32UCDP’s 480 Hz mode, input lag is significantly lower than anything else.

Test Takeaway:  If you want the ultimate competition monitor, the PG32UCDP has no equal. 11ms of total lag is far less than anything else I’ve tested including the 540 Hz PG248QP which has 19ms. This translates to instant response to the quickest control inputs. I doubt any gamer in the world would not find this monitor addictive. Even at 240 Hz, its perfect motion resolution is something you won’t be able to live without once you’ve tried it.

Viewing Angles

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Differences between OLED monitors in my viewing angle photos are minimal. The PG32UCDP delivers nearly identical color both head-on and at 45 degrees to the side. There is no change in overall brightness or gamma. Detail is rendered with equal clarity at all angles. The top view is slightly green, but it also keeps detail clear and output bright.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

As premium monitors, OLEDs should have visually perfect screen uniformity, and the PG32UCDP does. I test a 10% gray field because black patterns cannot be measured. There are no visible areas brighter or dimmer than the rest. Color patterns are visually perfect as well.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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MORE: How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

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.

15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • husker
    This looks very nice and I'm in the market. Thanks for the in-depth review. I would include the $1200 price as a con, however. You might say that the price is quite fair for an OLED monitor with these features and I'm in no position to argue. But $1200 is still an entry barrier for many people, regardless. You might also say you review monitors, not prices, and I would agree again. But still... $1200 is a big chunk of change and it needs to factor in somewhere.
    Reply
  • Roland Of Gilead
    Yes, I agree. It's a nice monitor. I too will be looking for something like this down the line, but first wanna upgrade my GPU.
    Reply
  • DavidLejdar
    husker said:
    This looks very nice and I'm in the market. Thanks for the in-depth review. I would include the $1200 price as a con, however. You might say that the price is quite fair for an OLED monitor with these features and I'm in no position to argue. But $1200 is still an entry barrier for many people, regardless. You might also say you review monitors, not prices, and I would agree again. But still... $1200 is a big chunk of change and it needs to factor in somewhere.
    Then again, when you put it into a category of 4K 240Hz OLED (or similar OLED), what other monitors are there to compare prices with? E.g. the Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ, which is (still) listed as "Best OLED 4K Gaming Monitor" in Tom's best 4K monitor list, doesn't seem to come cheaper. Nor does the as "Best 4K Gaming Monitor" listed Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P. And so on.

    But there sure are cheaper monitors. Personally, I am likely to upgrade to 4K, at least 32'', at some point. And I could justify the price tag - when counted across e.g. 6 years, it comes down to less than $20 per month. Not sure about how well the technology advanced to prevent image retention (and then burn-in) on OLEDs though. Which is why I may stay with LCD (such as IPS and VA), which come cheaper in particular at the 144Hz range.
    Reply
  • oofdragon
    Nah. 32 inch doesn't make sense for 4K, 40+ does. Give me a 42" 4K 240Hz with 480Hz FHD and then we r talking. While it doesn't happen any 240Hz 27" is pretty much the same as this but at half the price
    Reply
  • helper800
    oofdragon said:
    Nah. 32 inch doesn't make sense for 4K, 40+ does.
    I disagree. 32" is perfect for me. No curve either.
    Reply
  • vijosef
    No data on ghosting
    Reply
  • helper800
    vijosef said:
    No data on ghosting
    Its OLED, so there is virtually none to be had.
    Reply
  • vijosef
    helper800 said:
    Its OLED, so there is virtually none to be had.
    Theoretically. But if we were to trust theories, we would not be reading reviews.
    Reply
  • helper800
    vijosef said:
    Theoretically. But if we were to trust theories, we would not be reading reviews.
    Here is a review of the exact same panel in LG's implementation. Enjoy!
    Reply
  • UnforcedERROR
    oofdragon said:
    Nah. 32 inch doesn't make sense for 4K, 40+ does. Give me a 42" 4K 240Hz with 480Hz FHD and then we r talking. While it doesn't happen any 240Hz 27" is pretty much the same as this but at half the price
    Then buy a TV???

    This monitor isn't marketed for you. It's for people who want the best of everything: reasonable size, PPI, and performance.

    42" is larger than most people have desk space for, and you'd need to sit back from it anyway. Your current dream monitor is an extremely niche product.
    Reply