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The PG32UCDP includes a factory calibration data sheet for each sample, and I was able to verify Asus’ results in my tests. In fact, it measured a little better.
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.
The PG32UCDP’s Racing mode shows grayscale errors all under 2dE, which meets Asus’ claim. The only thing I noticed here was a slight dip in the gamma trace at 90% brightness. This means that the luminance value is too high but only slightly.
Calibration is certainly not necessary, but I did one anyway and found a small improvement in the numbers. All grayscale errors are now under 1dE, and the gamma issue has been resolved. This is reference-level performance.
In the sRGB Cal mode, grayscale tracking has no errors above 2dE, but gamma is less precise. There is a dip at 10%, which makes some shadow areas a little brighter and the remaining values are a bit low. In practice, this issue is hard to spot. The PG32UCDP is qualified for color grading.
Comparisons
The PG32UCDP wins the out-of-box contest for grayscale tracking with a 1.38dE score. After calibration, that drops to 0.54dE, which is about as good as it gets. You can see excellent results from all the OLEDs here.
Gamma values are also tight for all the monitors, with the PG32UCDP coming in third place in the range test, and first for its deviation from the 2.2 reference. This is in Racing mode with my calibration in place. This is the performance I’d expect from a premium gaming monitor.
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.
The PG32UCDP’s gamut results are just as impressive as what I saw above. In Racing mode, the full native gamut is used which covers over 97% of DCI-P3. It hits every target and is only a tad shy of 100% red. The average error is just 0.94dE. Any monitor that comes in under 1dE in this test is considered reference level. My calibration improves the numbers a tad but makes no difference visually. The sRGB result is the same with a 1.06dE average, also reference level.
Comparisons
The PG32UCDP wins the gamut accuracy test whether it’s calibrated or not. It doesn’t get better than that. It has visually perfect color in the DCI-P3 and sRGB realms.
In the volume calculation, you can see which monitors have Quantum Dot tech and which do not. The PG32UCDP is in the latter category. It’s a tad behind the Pixio and ViewSonic, but visually, those three monitors look the same. The top three do look a bit more colorful, especially in red and green, where they have greater saturation. But the price for that is lower brightness. WOLEDs like the PG32UCDP are brighter by nature.
Test Takeaway: If you want the most possible color, a QD-OLED is the way to go. However, if you want perfect accuracy and high brightness, the PG32UCDP is the best choice. It doesn’t need calibration, and it has a high peak output level. OLED as a technology is impressive in my color tests but the PG32UCDP is one of the best I’ve seen yet.
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