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I have many 165 Hz monitors in my test database, so I cherry-picked only 32-inch screens to compare the Omen 32q’s performance. They are all VA panels where the HP is IPS. We have Gigabyte’s GS32QC, MSI’s MAG325CQRF, NZXT’s Canvas 32Q, Viotek’s GNV32DBE and AOC’s CQ32G2S.
Pixel Response and Input Lag
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The Omen 32q matches the response time with the 170 Hz screens from Gigabyte and MSI. That gives it a slight smoothness advantage right off the bat. With its superb overdrive in play, blur is reduced even more. You’ll need a 240 Hz monitor to see a significant improvement. You can use the backlight strobe for even smoother motion if you give up Adaptive-Sync. Since the frame rate tops out at 165 Hz, there will be occasional frame tears.
Input lag is very low and once again puts the Omen 32q in contention with the 170 Hz monitors. The group is closely matched, but the Omen 32q’s overdrive gives it a premium feel. Video processing is among the best I’ve seen.
Test Takeaway: The Omen 32q makes the most of its 165 Hz with a precisely tuned overdrive and an excellent backlight strobe option. You could pay a little more for a smaller 240 Hz monitor when the price is considered. That’s what would be required to see more than a tiny difference. The Omen 32q delivers a great gaming feel with premium video processing and a large screen.
Viewing Angles
The Omen 32q’s off-axis image quality is something of a mixed bag. On the positive side, there is almost no reduction in brightness or gamma. That means the picture retains detail and depth at 45 degrees to the sides. But the blue tint cannot be unseen. It makes the picture a bit monochrome. If sharing is intended, there are better choices. But you won’t have anything to complain about when keeping it to yourself.
Screen Uniformity
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.
As monitors get larger, screen uniformity becomes harder to achieve. The Omen 32q slays the competition with visually perfect black field patterns devoid of bleed or glow. It doesn’t get much better than 5.19% deviation from the center zone. This is excellent performance.
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